“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will
always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful
nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live
to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit” (Galatians
6:7-8, NLT).
“Do not be deceived: God
cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh,
from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from
the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8, NIV).
What does Paul means by
this statement? Does he mean that salvation is earned by work of law? Does it mean that the death of Christ is
now in vain? Is salvation no longer earned by faith through grace?
Literal interpretation
of this verse of the bible will suffice to mean that salvation is earned or
merited by simply obeying, or keeping the law. Thus, those who do the work of
the law are the ones working in the spirit while those who live in grace now
walk in the flesh. Notice that King James Version, put verse 8 as, for he that
soweth to his flesh shall of flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the
spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6: 8 KJV).
First and foremost let us not be confused here salvation is a free
gift to all who believed in the death of Christ and takes a further step by
making him (Jesus) Lord over his life. For God so loved the world that He gave
his only begotten son, that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have
everlasting life. For by grace are you saved through faith. Thus, salvation
comes through God's grace by faith in the death of Christ. In that while we are
still in sin Christ died for us, before we were born to this world, Christ has
paid the prize. (John 3:16; 4:10;
4:24, Romans 3:24; 5: 8; 8:1, , Galatians 2:16; 3:6-14, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus
3:5-7, Revelation 1:5; 22:17).
Before this verse Paul
wrote, “Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in
Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so
that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not
because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by
obeying the law…. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if
keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ
to die” (Galatians 2:16,21, NLT; Steve. C).
Can God words contradict each other? Never! The
bible is very clear on the issue of grace and law. Naturally, human beings are
unable to keep all do do's and don't of the law because of the falling nature
of man. But, the grace to live a righteous life was given to man through the
death of Christ, simply by living the life of Christ on earth. To live the life
of Christ comes through grace by faith in Christ. Click to read more on grace
"understanding the concept of law and grace"
Back to
the text, the scripture in Galatians 6: 7, clearly indicates that there is
sowing period and reaping/ harvest time. So what determines what you reap is
what you sow. Salvation has been freely given to all by the death of Christ,
but not all will embrace it. Jesus says, if you love me keep my commandment
(John 14:15). No man ever reaped what he didn't sow, rather where they sow.
Jesus said, where your treasure is there your mind will be (Mathew 6:21). Jesus
said, narrow and straight is the gate and only few find it.
Sowing to
the flesh can otherwise be referred as living according to the dictates of the
flesh, living to gratify the flesh rather than God. For you have been saved and
free from the works of the flesh, you are dead to your flesh and alive to
Christ to walk according to the dictates of his spirit that lives inside you.
He who walk according to the dictates of the spirit of Christ living in us is
not condemned but have eternal life. So eternal life must be labored for by way
of disciplined, self-control, spiritual exercises, forsaking the world and it
vices. {Roman 8:1, 1 Corr. 9:24-27, Matt. 7: 14, Luke 14: 26, 33).
Jesus
while teaching links faithfulness in serving Him with experiencing an eternal
life (Matthew 19:29). We are all Christ ambassador on earth, we represent Him
here on earth and anybody that must earned reward at last must be faithful in
his service. He who lives after his flesh sow in his flesh and will receive his
reward here on earth and eternal condemnation. If we are hard working in our
service for the Lord, we will reap treasure in the kingdom of heaven (2 Timothy
2:4-8, Matthew 6:19-21). If we are lazy or disobedient in our Christian lives,
we will reap no treasure. Rather, we will reap rebuke by the Lord Jesus (Luke
19:22-26).
Every time we
allow our mind to harbor a grudges against others, nurse a grievance, entertain
an impure fancy, wallow in self-pity, being carried away by envy, we are sowing
to the flesh. Every time we linger in bad company whose insidious influence we
know we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and
praying, every time we read pornographic literature, every time we take a risk
that strains our self-control we are sowing, sowing, sowing, to the flesh.
But those who live to please the Spirit will
harvest everlasting life from the Spirit
Living to please the spirit is to walk in love.
And the bible recorded in Romans 13: 8, that he who love his neighbor as
himself has fulfill the law. So to live in the spirit is to live for Christ
where Living for Christ entails doing those things Christ would have been doing
if present on the earth. We are his Ambassador so our life should reflect him,
people should be able to see Christ in our lifestyle without been told. We
ought to preach the gospel of love to as many as we can, we ought to baptize
people into the doctrine of Christ.
Our focus and thought always should be how to
please God and how to show love to our neighbors. When you are busy thinking of
what next you will do for God because of your love for him, you can't start
thinking of how to satisfy yourself. Because of your love for Jesus, you will
always be interested in praying for the lost souls even when you have so many
unanswered prayers. Your love for Christ will prompt you to care for others
selflessly just as Jesus cares for them.
Because of your love for Christ that comes by
walking in Spirit, you will be interested in the growth of the body of Christ
(Church). Your love for Christ will triggers you to give tirelessly to the work
of Jesus, your love for Christ will make you to pay your tithes and gives
offering willingly without being persuaded. Anything you do for people to
notice you is not done in the spirit but rather in the flesh. The flesh often
seek His own glory, notice me while the spirit seek the glory of God only.
Note also, that the spirit and the flesh are
always in war over who you must please, the spirit been gentle while the flesh
is arrogant and doesn't take chances. The flesh is interested in you feeding,
pleasing your body while the spirit is interested on you feeding your soul. The
spirit enjoys pleasure-pleasing our own self but the spirit enjoys dedication
to the service of God. While the flesh loves enjoyment and rest here on earth,
the spirit enjoys dedication and recognizes only rest in heaven.
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