Bridge Family, Michael Goldsmith did a wonderful job teaching Galatians 6:7-10 yesterday in part four of our current series Living Free. I wanted to follow up today with some Bible notes I made on the passage as I studied. I have been trying to do this every Monday following a sermon to provide ongoing discussions. Remember, your walk is more than one hour on any given Sunday; it is daily...
Verses 7-10 are Paul’s final warning, verses 11-18 are his
final invitation. We will look at verses 11-18 in next Sunday's sermon.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one
sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from
the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the
Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due
season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let
us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of
faith. (Galatians 6:7-10 ESV)
·
“Do not be deceived” in verse 7 is in many ways
a theme of the whole letter. Do not be deceived by false gospels (early in the letter). Then, do not be deceived by selfish living, in the last half.
· Sowing and reaping is a farming or gardening
illustration
o
First, whatever you sow you will reap
§
Planting (Sowing)
§
If you sow tomato seeds, you do not get corn
§
If you give in to your sinful nature, you will
reap spiritual breakdown and destruction will make its way around you.
§
Sin is destruction and breakdown
§
Verses 6 & 7 can really sum up the book of
Proverbs (wisdom)
§
To sow dishonesty breaks down relationships and
leads to loneliness
§
To sow jealousy and envy breaks down contentment
and so on…
§
Sin produces destruction rather than joy and
life
§
Your sin will eventually find you out. Take it
seriously
§
Paul has already warned that if we reject the
gospel for a self-salvation project, then slavery and destruction will be
complete (total).
§
People can easily be deceived to look to self
(sinful nature) rather than the Gospel to provide endurance and motivation for
life.
o
Second, whatever you so you will reap
§
Harvesting (Reaping - sow to the spirit reap
eternal life)
§
The seed may lie in the ground to no apparent
effect for a long time, but it will come up.
§
To sow well we must not give up and become weary
in doing good
·
There is always a delay between sowing and
reaping
·
People who do good will experience
fruit---eventually (it may look different than expected)
§
What is” doing good” in sowing?
·
“do good to everyone, especially the household
of faith”
·
First, our Christian life isn’t primarily about
programs, but people
·
Second, we give them whatever love discerns as
their needs including
o
Word – evangelism
o
Deed – action
·
“as we have opportunity” – Third, we can’t meet
the needs of “all” people but as we have God given opportunity we respond.
·
Fourth, supremely this love is to be given to
the “household of faith”
o
We are a family
o
We must do good intensely with those who are in
fellowship with us
o
Be active in a local church community. Be known
and know others. Help others. Self-deception says be individualistic. But the
Gospel has a community on mission together that need each other.
o
This is the lifestyle from which we will have a
real, fulfilling, and everlasting life
§
This type of life requires sacrifice in the short
run. You bind your heart up emotionally with others. This means you could have
avoided some distress but choose not to. You sacrifice money for people,
ministry, and mission. The list of sacrifices could go on, but the rewards Paul
hints to are much greater.
§
The rewards we can experience:
·
First, we often get the direct and deep
satisfaction of seeing other lives changed
·
Second, we may get the deep satisfaction of
seeing communities transformed
·
Third, we may even get to see changed lives
begin to change other lives
· Fourth, We will find our own character changing
deeply through ministry, even when we never see much outward success. This is the
deep harvest. And by trusting the gospel (sowing to the Spirit) we have eternal life.
Gospel Reminder: Sowing and reaping is not karma. Karma says
you get what you deserve. The gospel says we get what we do not deserve because
of the work of Jesus Christ and our deep trust in Him. Cling to the Gospel. Sow to the spirit.
For more on a Christian sowing to the Spirit or the Flesh, go and re-read Galatians 5:16-24.
The gospel provides perseverance in the pursuit of
deep community that brings fruit. Self-deception leads us to sow to ourselves
rather than to the Spirit.
