Sin 9

B. Sin in a Believer’s life will result in:

7. Natural results of sin

“Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).

This verse states a fact that is commonly known as truth but is often rejected in practice. We, as sinful and selfish humans, tend to ignore the principle of accountability for our actions. Ignoring truth does not nullify it. Truth is not subjectively established by our belief in it. Truth is not established by how popular it is or how many people believe it. Jesus said in his intercessory prayer, “…Thy word is truth” (John 17:17).

The context seems to include both the chastening aspect of a loving Heavenly Father and the natural results of our actions. There are physical laws in a physical world. For example; if a person decides to jump off of a roof, he would land where gravity takes him. If a person decides to abuse his body for much of his life, it is likely that his body would show the affects of this abuse after a time. It appears that God also uses some of these natural consequences for his glory and our benefit in his loving discipline toward his wayward children. Let us consider the context of this verse.

The Text

Galatians 6:1-10,

1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself lest thou also be tempted.

2. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

3. For if a man thinketh himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

4. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

5. For every man shall bear his own burden.

6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9. And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Comments on the Text

1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself lest thou also be tempted.

“Brethren,” indicates that he is speaking to believers. The implication of man being “overtaken in fault” is that he was running from a sin, but it still overtook him. The condemning attitude of the legalist is portrayed in the examples of the women taken in adultery (John 8:3) and a false accusation against Paul with the threat of execution (Acts 21:27-31).

The role of the Spirit-controlled believer is to try to restore, not condemn. (The Greek word for “restore” is used in Mat. 4:21 for “mending” nets, and in secular Greek as “setting” a fractured bone). We are not told to judge people, we are told to love them. This should in no way be construed as condoning or minimizing sin. If we wish to effectively minister to people we must nurture the ability to separate a person from his improper actions. God hates sin but loves the sinner. So should we.

The person who is to perform this task is to be “spiritual.” This probably refers to one having a measure of spiritual maturity, i.e. one who has shown a pattern of being spirit-controlled over a period of time. Two possible reasons are given: he must have a spirit of meekness which is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23) and because of the possibility of being tempted himself (I Cor. 10:12).

2. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Bearing one another’s burdens should be a commonplace and outstanding characteristic of the Church. We cannot compete with the world in many areas in which the world places importance. Love in action is a testimony to the unsaved. When this is seen and experienced there arises awesome opportunities to present the Good News of salvation to the lost.

“Burdens” here means heavy weights, and is likely referring to trials and infirmities, perhaps the oppressive weight of temptation or spiritual failure. It is a different word than is used in verse 5, which means more of a load, such as the cargo of a ship. It is a sad commentary on the Church that we sometimes seem to parallel the world in adopting the philosophy of, “Let’s kick a man while he is down.” Perhaps the excuse given could be, “I am letting my light shine by blowing out the other guy’s light.” That is sin. Let us reverse the devastating and selfish trend in the Christian army of “shooting our own wounded.”

Divine love is measured by sacrifice for the one who is loved (e.g. I John 4:8-10). Love is not a feeling, though it may involve feelings. Love is action. The description of love as presented in I Cor. 13:4-8 is defined by the use of verbs; i.e. action words.

What is the law of Christ? It is not a legalistic set of regulations which condemn us. It is a principle, the principle of divine love. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34,35). “Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth hath fulfilled the law.…Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:8,10).

I Tim. 1:5-11 gives us some keen insight about the law and those who misuse it, “Now the end of the commandment is charity (love) out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. From which some having swerved aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. But we know the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.…” This is a clear statement affirming that there are those who teach about the law, but do not do it lawfully.

What is the “lawful” use of the law? The Mosaic Law was never intended to save us. The intent of the law was to show us our guilt and of our need of Jesus, the Savior. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:19, 20: See Rom. 3:19-28). “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:24,25; See Gal 3:19-26). We are “…not under law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). “…Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Cor. 3:17; See II Cor. 3:6-18). We now have liberty to serve God out of love, not by a set of restrictive rules. “For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Gal:5:13,14).

3. For if a man thinketh himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

We all know and are irritated by someone who, “was born on third base and spends their life acting like they hit a triple.” Rom. 12:3 warns us that a man is “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly…” These type of people are not humble nor do they fare well in ministering to people or in gaining friends (James 4:6; Prov. 18:24).

4. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

The word “prove” could be translated “discern.” It means to test or to approve. We are told to “approve (same word) things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:10). We should test our own actions. Rather than comparing ourselves with others, we are to objectively look at ourselves and our accomplishments. We can then assess where we are compared to God and His Word. We should be “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:3).

5. For every man shall bear his own burden.

This does not conflict with verse 2. The word “burden” here originally was used in reference to a ship’s cargo. It carries the implication here of a “responsibility.” It is the same word that is used in Matt. 11:28-30, where Jesus tells His followers that His “…burden is light.” We are accountable to God for the responsibilities that He has given to us. He is just and all-knowing. He knows what we need and what is best for us (Rom. 8:28).

6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

The word “communicate” means to “share” or to “have things in common with.” In the Bible it frequently means to share financially. That is the probable emphasis here. Paul’s God-given philosophy on this matter is summed up in I Cor. 9. He had the right to be supported by the Gospel (i.e. the ones he ministered to), but chose not to exercise that authority lest he “…should hinder the gospel of Christ” (v13). See also I Cor. 9:7,9,14; I Tim. 4:17,18).

7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Do not fool yourself (Lit. be led astray), God is not mocked. “Mocked” comes from a word meaning “to turn up the nose at” or to “sneer.” God is also not manipulated. Because so many of us plow through life manipulating people, we think that we can outsmart God. Efforts in that direction can lead to much frustration and loss of joy. God is smarter than that and He is a loving Father. He will deal with us for our benefit (Heb. 12:10-11).

Perhaps a practical application of this concept could be: “If you sow wild oats all week, don’t go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure.” We cannot sow weeds and harvest strawberries. We are so shortsighted that we live our lives not practically believing this principle. We tend to act like this maxim only applies to someone else.

Some general principals of sowing and reaping:

1. You reap what you sow. Galatians 6:7, “…whatsoever a man soweth, that he will also reap.”

2. You reap after you sow. There is a time lapse between sowing and reaping. Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

3. You reap more than you sow. Luke 18:29,30, “…who will not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting.”

8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Here we see a representative of the negative and the positive; the detrimental and the profitable. This sowing and reaping principle is often taught with only a negative emphasis. If a believer sows (spends time, money or efforts) to satisfy his carnal nature, he will reap the corresponding harvest that will fade into oblivion. If he sows to please the Holy Spirit, he will reap an eternal harvest. The immediate context gives some examples of sowing to the Spirit: v1, restoring one overtaken in a fault, v2. bearing one another’s burdens, v6, sharing with those who are sharing the word with them, v9, continuing in well doing , and v10, doing good to all men, especially the brethren.

Matthew 6:19-34 gives us some profitable insight on sowing in the material realm. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven” (v19,20). “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (v33). We are told several times not to “take thought” for material things. This does not mean that we should not possess things or plan for things. It literally means to not be anxious for things. God contrasts this sinful anxiety with faith in verse 30. If we are being anxious, we are not trusting God. The cure for anxiety is to trust in our trustworthy heavenly Father. We would do well to heed God’s admonition in Col. 3:2, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

9. And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

I Cor 15:58 tells us, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” The “Therefore” refers back to the content of the chapter; the blessing of the resurrection and the victory over death that Christ has given us. In light of what He has done for us, we should be unceasing in our work for the Lord.

Psalm 126:6 draws a parallel between a farmer sowing seed and a believer sowing God’s Word. If we do God’s work God’s way, there is a guarantee of a harvest of blessing.

Verse 9 carries with it an implication that we may not reap if we “stop swimming midstream.” There may be Christians who quit before the finish line and forfeit the prize (I Cor. 9:24-27. We are saved by grace (undeserved mercy) but rewards are labored for. His grace can also sustain us in the battle (Col 2:6,7; Titus 2:11-14).

10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Many times we do not see opportunity when it avails itself. We tend to not see the forest for the trees. Our priorities seem to center on ourselves (an expected phenomenon for inherently selfish mankind). This oversight is prevalent in the realm of soulwinning. Do we wonder why we do not have many opportunities to present the Gospel to others? May I submit that it may be partially because we do not redeem the opportunities that we do have?

In general, we are to do good to all, but the family of God takes special priority. Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:33, 34).

The concept of reaping what we sow carries with it the Divine guarantee of a sure harvest. We can choose to “…enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” ( Heb. 11:25), and thereby become “…hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:13). Or we can echo the conviction of Joshua, “…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). Paul final words challenge us, “I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…” (II Tim. 4:7,8).