Galatians 6 "HE THAT SOWS TO THE SPIRIT - REAPS LIFE EVERLASTING"
“HE THAT SOWS TO THE SPIRIT – REAPS LIFE EVERLASTING”
Galatians Chapter 6
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
6:16: “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and
mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”
The argument is over. He has presented the matter of justification by faith with unshakable logic. His passionate letter is most urgent that they see how Christianity is a matter of trusting in Jesus alone.
In his closing remarks, he addresses the Israel of God. What is the Israel of God? That it is only a faithful remnant of the natural Israel is surely out of harmony with the letter. Is it is those Hebrews, like Paul himself, who had obeyed the truth in Christ? Is it, then, the Church? Paul answers that question, “all who follow this rule”. Those who, by sharing the faith of Abraham have become the sons of Abraham. It would seem that this is the first germ of the thought of the Israel of God and will reach full maturity in the letters to the Ephesians and Colossians of the closing years of his life. Nor does Paul use this term elsewhere of the Church.
This is a letter of spiritual warfare. Having said the Holy Spirit-led life brings about deep changes within a person, Paul cites 3 specifics which we are to do as part of that warfare,
(1) Restoring an erring brother (vs. 1)
(2) Assisting those in unfortunate circumstances (vs. 2)
(3) Investing one’s resources in the Lord’s work (vs. 6)
6:1-3: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering your self less you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”
The risk in counseling an erring brother is that one can proudly assume himself above such things, when in fact; he may be the next in line to fall. Instead of handling the errant brother as tenderly as a dislocated joint, the proud Christian is pharisaical and censorious, assuming his own life to be the standard for judgment.
For a Pastor, this is delicate work as delicate as having the sword sharpened to divine bone and marrow. It is wisdom that once and erring Christian gets in to a power struggle with a local Pastor to turn that one over to another minister. We cannot extricate another from an evil which they have chosen. A man must extricate himself.
We can help by approaching the errant one in a way that makes it easy for him/her to confess his fault. It cannot be done by putting your finger on the sin. Most backslid Christians accuse and blame their brothers and sisters in the Lord for their failures once they have backslid.
As ministers of the gospel, if we consider ourselves even lower than the sinner, he/she will not be threatened.
It is delicate business to teach and train people to reveal Jesus Christ. Yet, many will attack the minister or ministry if they are holding on to a sin. Ministers have to stand firm, but be meek in order to reach people. We are not always successful. Neither was Jesus. However, we do the best we can and leave the rest to Him.
We are to get under each other’s burdens and fulfill the law of love. Paul is making it clear his counsel on burden bearing is limited to moral burdens only, as per the man trapped in a sin. He is also speaking of those burdens caused by shifting circumstances such as sickness and misfortune. The one who thinks himself too spiritual to assist a brother in trouble or in need is deceived. Blinded by conceit, he may claim to be Spirit-filled, but he isn’t. The Holy Spirit moves Godly men/women to help each other.
God’s estimate of spirituality has more to do with the way one pays his bills, speaks to his wife/husband, raises his/her children and serves his employer than with a stand on doctrinal issues or emotional experiences.
6: 4-5: “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.”
Christians have two responsibilities they cannot pass to anyone else. Each is fully accountable for:
(1) How he matures in the likeness of Christ.
(2) How faithfully he obeys the Lord’s commands.
In the judgment, no Christian will be measured against another. Each will stand alone to give an account of him-self. He will be rated on the basis of what he did with his abilities and opportunities as compared with what he could have done. Paul recommends self-examination as an antidote to pride. Self-comparison can make a man feel he has enough to do caring for his own failures without boastfully comparing himself with his neighbor.
6:6: “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teaches in all good things.”
In Paul’s time the prime opportunity for investing in the gospel was by supporting the teacher. While the teacher gave of the good things of the Word, the student gave of the good things of life in exchange, i.e., food, clothing and shelter. Today, of course, money is used as the medium of exchange. Paul was careful to speak of the grace of giving and receiving, for he knew it as God’s provision for maintaining the gospel in the world.
Note that Paul considers investing in Christ a test of spirituality. The dedication of one’s money should follow the dedication of his life to Jesus. People say they love Jesus, but they do not tithe.
6: 7-8: “Be not deceived. God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Some lukewarm Christians believe they can sow to the flesh, live to suit themselves in this life and still reap a joyous harvest for heaven. It just won’t work. God’s Law will not bend to the whims of men. Those investing their lives in earthly things such as fame, and fortune, will reap a harvest that is useless in eternity. Even sowing to the family and not to the Lord can bring judgment down on the family. Even worse, they w ill watch it go up in smoke at the Judgment.
(1 Cor. 3:`15) “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
The man who sows to the Spirit will reap a crop in heaven which he may enjoy forever. We will reap on earth and through eternity.
One watermelon seed can produce an entire vine, so there is also the law of increase as well as the law of the harvest. The Christian, who invests his substance in Christ, sows to the Spirit and the law of increase (30, 60 and 100 fold) guarantees he will reap bountifully.
I have been assessing Don’s medical bills recently as huge bills came in the first of the month. I stood amazed that since January 1, 2009, his medical bills have exceeded $50,000.00. Today I received another bill from Memorial Herman for $20,000.00 for the cost of implanting the peg tube. This is not all inclusive of doctors, technicians, etc.
All of these bills last year and this year have been paid in full. I have met and paid all of the deductibles and owe zero as far as I know. This is reaping a harvest well in excess of a 100-fold. In the five years of his illness, the total cost may well be $500,000.00. We still have our home, an automobile and a pension. Yes, he has good insurance. But there have been a lot of expenses not covered by insurance. We are blessed. Somewhere, someway we sowed the seeds during life for this provision. The Lord is my provider and he has done well. I can stand here today and declare that whatever you face in life, the Lord has a miracle of financial provision. Just keep sowing every day goodness and provision wherever you can and the Lord will do the same for you.
6:9-10: “And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
We are to do good, not just feel good as we serve the Lord. The faith-life is not for sissies, but for soldiers who refuse to give up when tired or the way is rough. A man get tired in the Lord’s service, but woe to the one who gets tired of it. I owe the Lord my entire life. Because I have seen roaring water falls of His provision, I can not ever go back in to the 1st and 2nd day methods of receiving offerings.
The man, who walks in the Spirit, acts like the Spirit. We are made in the image of a generous God. He is a giver, not a getter. Like our heavenly Father,”Who makes His rain to fall on the just and unjust.” The Spirit-led Christian responds to all who need his help and kindness. If there are those who take advantage, correction will be made.
A man has but one life to invest in Christ. He will be through planting at death. There will be no planting in heaven. Matthew 6:20: “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust does corrupt.”
I don’t want to arrive in Heaven flat broke. No one else can do this for him. Paul urges Christians to capitalize on Jesus’ offer of 100- fold return (10,000%), by being generous with their time and money when it comes to pastors and the saints or others for that matter. Many will regret the waste of sowing to the flesh, when they see how they forfeited their sole opportunity to invest in the Spirit.
6:11-13: “You see how large a letter I have written unto you with my own hand. As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.”
Who are these men? They are people who dread being persecuted for the cross of Christ and hope to avoid it by making a great show of the externals of the Jewish religion. They are afraid to have it know that salvation is through faith in the crucified Messiah only. Those who adopt these Jewish Laws do not obey the laws themselves, yet they want you to obey them in order to make it appear they are right in their position.
6:14: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Something of the pain of the conflict crept back in to Paul’s mind only to provoke an inspired outburst of loyalty which will live forever in Christian hymn. Paul gloried in the cross. He counted it an honor to bear the stigma of Christ. Likely he enjoyed rank among the Jews as the best educated man of his day and bore the title of apostle. All these he regarded as mere toys of the earth compared to the towering majesty of the cross. The cross like a huge surgical knife, slices a man’s life into two parts, that whish is yet a part of the world (old nature) and that which lives in the Spirit (new nature). Calvary is the great spiritual watershed of one’s life.
Paul closes by reverting again to that irresistible and sovereign act of god which had transformed his life and the life of a world beside:
6: 15: For in Christ, neither circumcision nor Uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.”
6:16 “For as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”
Paul sees Judaism as fulfilled in Christianity. Christianity is the true Judaism, the spiritual and real Israel of God. Paul is teaching that the true Israel of God consists of those who have no use for the flesh, but follow after the Lord in Faith as led by the Holy Spirit..
6:17: From henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit. Amen.
Like Paul and my Co-laborers in Jesus Christ, “ let no man trouble me”. I deserve better than to be troubled by the foolishness of men and/or women who desire troublemaking and the foolishness of evil maneuvers to nullify the ministry.
Paul suffered fiercely to bring Christ to the Gentiles. The Judaizers wee usually not6 far behind him stirring up trouble and seeking to nullify his ministry.
Paul had been “thrice beaten” and lines showed in his body where he had 200 stripes laid on him per the custom in Jewish synagogues, plus his scars from stonings. He says those marks in his body prove he is a true slave of the Lord Jesus. The word brand-marks (Greek) has reference to masters branding their slaves. If a man will live godly in Christ Jesus, he will suffer persecution. (2 Tim. 3:12)
‘Yea and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V. Bibliography: C. S Lovett’s Lights on Galatians and F.F. Bruce Bible Commentary, F. Roy Coad.