December13, 2016 SOWING TO THE SPIRIT
Galatians 6:7-8: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
This passage of scripture is on one hand sobering and frightening, and on the other hand it is a passage where we find a great promise, depending on choices we make. God has set a law into place-the law of sowing and reaping-and whether we believe it or not, this law cannot be defied, and if we ignore this law, we do so to our own hurt. The man who does not know God, has only one option, and that is sowing to the flesh; for the one who knows God, there are two options or choices; sowing the flesh, or sowing to the Spirit. The ‘flesh’ referred to in this verse is not referring to the physical body, but is referring to that part of man that is alienated from God-the desire of man to be in full control. In our culture, sowing to the flesh is the norm, and in fact, sowing to the flesh is encouraged. It would appear that most lives are built around taking care of self, and doing whatever it is that makes one ‘happy’ or gives a sense of fulfilment. When one does whatever he does in order to make him feel good about himself, bring him pleasure, or empower himself, he is sowing to the flesh. For example, one might sow to the flesh by by focusing his life on acquiring money and material possessions, while one may sow to the flesh by volunteering for community service projects. While sowing to the flesh may bring temporary pleasure, the end result, or the reaping, is corruption. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit living in us and it is the Holy Spirit that gives us wisdom and guidance, and He prompts us in the way we should go, and when we obey, and walk according to the Spirit, we are sowing to the Spirit. Two people could serve in a good deed project of some type side by side, and one could be sowing to the Spirit and the other to the flesh-it all depends on why they are doing what they are doing. There is no overlap, or blending of sowing to the flesh and sowing to the Spirit; the flesh is in direct conflict with the Spirit. As pointed out above, believers have two choices; they can sow to the flesh, or they can sow to the Spirit, but if they sow to the flesh, they will reap corruption; but by sowing to the Spirit, they will reap eternal life-starting now. When we sow to the Spirit, we will feel good about ourselves, with no regret, because that is how God designed us-to do His will-and by doing the will of God, we are the ones blessed. May we be sensitive to the voice and direction of the Spirit and let us be quick to obey His promptings.
John 6:63: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”
Romans 8:2: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Blessings, Buddy
PS: No matter what ‘bad seeds’ we have sown, when we repent and confess our sin, God forgives us. We may still suffer the consequences to some degree, but we find the grace of God to be sufficient in all situations.
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