Galatians: A Study of Christian Freedom
Lesson 21: Harvest Insurance Galatians 6:7-10
This is the next lesson in the series on Galatians. Once again, the words in [brackets] were not in the sermon as presented.
In the world of farming, farmers sometimes buy harvest or crop insurance to help cover their losses should an expected crop fail. This reflects the reality that sowing and harvesting can be a risky situation. In these verses, Paul is telling us that there is certainty in the matter of spiritual sowing.
7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.
This verse is usually quoted as a warning, which it is. But the verse is as much a promise as it is a warning.
“Do not be deceived…” Could mean what is included in the phrase, “Don’t kid yourself.” Certainly there are those occasions when we’ve tried to convince ourselves that the usual consequences of certain behavior can be short-circuited. Maturity suggests we know better than to “sow wild oats and then pray for a crop failure.”
[On the other hand, does the form of the statement “Do not be deceived” suggest that someone was attempting to do just that, deceive the Galatians into believing their behavior would not have an impact on their lives? Most translations put the words in a form that leaves the matter open but others stress the element of self-deception.]
Philips emphasizes the certainty of the outcome, saying, “ Don’t be under any illusion.”
The basic idea of the word is to go astray or, in the passive, to be deceived, either by others or by self-deception. It is used both ways in the New Testament.
While the legalistic false teachers may have deceived some of the Galatians into believing there would be no serious spiritual consequences in trying to blend a works-based salvation with one based on grace, the responsibility for recognizing error and holding onto the truth rested on the individual believer. [Later, Gnostic false teachers would claim there were no consequences in living a licentious lifestyle since only “the spirit” is important; church leaders would decry that folly as well.]
This is important because God takes truth seriously: “God is not mocked.” The root of the word translated “mocked” refers to the nose, so the idea might be expressed as “God is not One to turn up your nose at.” In other words, “You don’t sneer at God.”
Rejecting the gospel which rests upon what God has done in Jesus Christ is to sneer at God. In the eighteenth century, Joseph Priestly rejected the idea of the atonement because he claimed it made God look bad; in truth, we usually reject the atonement (where the cross is so central) because it makes us look bad. We also sneer at God when we reject God’s assessment that “all have sinned.”
After these words, Paul cites a simple truism: “You will reap exactly what you plant.” If you plant corn, you will grow corn; if you plant beans, you will grow beans. No one at the state fair will show off a giant watermelon and say, “You know, when I planted those peppers I sure didn’t expect this.” You get what you sow. Yes, even a city boy like Paul knows gardeners have to contend with weeds, but he’s not attempting to write, “Gardening for Dummies”; he’s making a point about living.
8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh;
Spiritually speaking, there are two ways we may sow. First, we may “sow seed in the field of [our] lower nature,” as the New English Bible phrases it. Other such functional translations give further insights:
—“If they plant to satisfy their sinful selves….” (EXB)
—“Those who plant only for their own benefit….” (CEB)
—“The person who sows through human means….” (ISV)
Clearly, Paul is speaking about those persons who are totally self-centered, centered either on their material desires or on their imagined capacity to win God’s favor. In either case the harvest will be worthless.
Listen to John Stott’s vivid words about sowing to the flesh:
To ‘sow to the flesh’ is to pander to it, to cosset, cuddle and stroke it, instead of crucifying it. The seeds we sow are largely thoughts and deeds Every time we allow our mind to harbor a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fantasy, or wallow in self-pity, 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 which strains our self-control, we are sowing, sowing, sowing to the flesh. Some Christians sow to the flesh every day and wonder why they do not reap holiness. Holiness is a harvest; whether we reap it or not depends almost entirely on what and where we sow.
As Paul describes the aftermath of sowing to the flesh, he warns, you will reap corruption from the flesh. The language suggests the product of such self-centered sowing will be “decay and ruin and destruction.” (AMP) Whether this impacts the eternal fate of these individuals is not absolutely clear. Paul will write something similar to another troubled church. Listen to what he says in I Corinthians 3:10-15:
10 [E]ach one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
This brings us to the alternative we face in life’s sowing, the second way: but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
Those who sow with the spiritual dimension in mind will see a totally different result. Several translations speak of sowing “to please the Spirit.” This is far from the self-centered sowing of those who sow to the flesh. It puts God’s will above our will.
In saying those who sow in this way “will reap eternal life from the Spirit,” Paul does not mean they will earn eternal life. Instead, the idea seems to be that the product of such sowing will have eternal spiritual value.
The late James Montgomery Boice saw this entire passage being on the subject of money. While not every commentator holds that view, his comment on the verse helps reveal the dynamic of what Paul is talking about.
If a man spends his money on what gratifies his fleshly nature, he will reap a fleshly harvest. And since the flesh is mortal and will one day pass away, the harvest will pass away also. On the other hand, if a man uses his money to promote spiritual causes and to feed his spiritual nature, the resulting harvest will remain.
Now, Boice saw the principle had broader applications and involved not only individuals but congregations as well. If a congregation refuses to support good teaching, the result will be “corruption,” perhaps, in the form of legalism and doctrinal error. If a congregation does support good teaching, the result will be spiritual strength and stability.
So, how we use our time, thought-life, resources, and energy produces a harvest. If we follow the Spirit’s lead, remain true to the gospel, and maintain a community where love prevails, we will make a difference as a church. If we foolishly use our time debating about matters like diet, holy days, or rituals and waste opportunities to advance the kingdom, we will fail as a church.
Having said that, I’m going to move on; because, though this verse has its negative side, Paul stresses the positive and encouraging.
9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right,
Over the years, I’ve discovered one of the greatest enemies of consistent Christian service is discouragement. Growing “wearing in doing what is right,” Paul calls it. We might say, Let’s not wind down in doing the right thing.
Notice this: Paul does not say, “Don’t you grow weary….” He says, “Let us not grow weary….” Maybe he put it that way because he knew he was just as susceptible to discouragement and weariness as any other Christian.
We’ve all heard the stories of missionaries [like the Judson’s] who work month after month, year after year, and see little or no spiritual harvest. Perhaps they end their tenure with only a handful of converts, nothing the boards back home will celebrate.
You don’t have to “sow on Burma’s barren plain” to know that kind of frustration and disappointment.
One of the most frustrating and discouraging moments I had in Texas took place on a rooftop. I had been there for a few years when we needed to replace the roof on the education building. So, some of the deacons, their sons, and I were doing the job when a strange car drove past the church. (In a town of 88 you tend to notice strange cars.) Well, this car had several people in it who clearly were not from this village a few miles from the middle of nowhere.
One of the men on the roof said, “Keep driving, [here he used a racial epithet], you’re not welcome here.” I was stunned. For years I had been preaching about brotherhood, the breadth of God’s love, how each person we meet is someone for whom Christ died. It was as if I had made no impact on his prejudice.
For days afterwards I wondered “What’s the use; why even try?” What did Paul say to this situation? How about this: “If they don’t listen to what you say, say something different. You know, talk about how those people out in Hollywood need to repent and straighten up their lives. Talk about how exciting it was going to the Southern Baptist Convention and hear that great crowd sing, ‘How Great We Art.’ Talk about how lucky the Lord is to have such people in his church.” No, Paul would say, “Keep preaching brotherhood, keep preaching about the breadth of God’s love, keep preaching about how each person is someone for whom Christ died.” In other words, don’t quit.
Of course, the range of “doing what is right” is large, not just limited to preaching. Such doing good may include the generous use of our money, spending time with the lonely, speaking a word of witness, and many other acts of service and ministry. These all may be described as “sowing.”
It is here that Paul announces the harvest insurance.
…for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.
The promise is clear and direct “we will reap.” Our sowing will produce its harvest. The words translated as “harvest time” refer to an appropriate time, the right time. We may not see our sowing produce for several seasons but we will see it produce. My preaching may or may not have produced change in the hearts of those back in Texas, but perhaps the lives of my own two sons show something of a harvest. Each of them have great friendships with people from other races.
We might easily become impatient in waiting for the harvest but we need to trust God’s timing. Plant corn in the spring and you expect it to be grown in the fall. Spiritual sowing is not so predictable. But the harvest will come.
Of course, the final words of this verse are significant, “if we do not give up.” Giving up guarantees an empty field at harvest time. But Paul doesn’t expect the Galatians to give up, he thinks better of them than that. He expects them to keep on sowing, to keep on doing good. So, he gives them some direction in that task.
10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all,
It is hard to imagine a time when we wouldn’t have “an opportunity” to do good for others but our chance to make a difference may sometimes be limited. Some windows of opportunity are narrow, so we need to be alert to the chance to do good on Christ’s behalf.
The breadth of this work is clear; we are to “work for the good of all.” The Amplified Bible expands on the idea of working for the good of all by saying we are not only to be “useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage.” We are to embody a universal benevolence. Jesus spoke of God’s love being like the sun that shines on “the evil and the good” or like the rain that falls on “the righteous and the unrighteous.” This kind of indiscriminate good will should be reflected in our sowing.
Having called us to this indiscriminate good will, Paul adds a note: we are to do good “especially for those of the family of faith.” To some, that might seem a little provincial, narrow, but then you have to remember the preceding phrase that calls us to “work for the good of all.” Since that phrase would have included our Christian brothers and sisters, why did Paul risk a charge of being redundant? Here’s what I think.
- Sometimes, we can become so focused on the needs of the world outside the church we forget the needs of those closest to us. Paul wanted the saints to be attuned to the situation of those within the congregation as well as the situation of those who had no part of the church. To have shown love only to their fellow-Christians would have been contrary to “the law of Christ,” but to have shown benevolence to outsiders while neglecting their own would have made the Christians “worse than infidels.”
- Paul must have known the conflict initiated by the false teacher had severely divided the church. Doubtless there were charges and counter-charges, wounded feelings, and bitterness. By reminding them of their status as “the family of faith,” he was urging the members of the congregation to lay aside those divisive memories and move ahead in caring love for one another.
- Then, too, Paul must have known how important it was for the Christians to demonstrate a healthy love for one another. In time, that would become effective evidence of the church truly being a community worth hearing.
Paul could call for this demonstration of benevolence because he was sure the seeds those Christians were sowing (whether in the form of stewardship or service) would produce a harvest.
