Galatians 6:6-10 – The Law of Sowing and Reaping
The six chapters of this epistle are divided into three main sections of Paul’s teaching.
Chapters 1 & 2 are personal in nature and deal with Paul’s authority.
Chapters 3 & 4 are doctrinal in nature and deal with justification by faith.
Chapters 5 & 6, are practical in nature and deal with the application of the doctrine of justification.
I. A Full Context.
A. Sowing and reaping is not arbitrarily thrown in here.
1. Chapters 5 & 6 deal with the practical application of justification by faith.
> This is the way Christians that are seeking the filling of the Spirit should live.
2. Chapter 5 deals describes the characteristics of the fruit of the spirit, chapter 6 describes its behavior.
> This is the result of being Spirit filled, and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit.
B. Notice the verse before the passage on sowing and reaping.
1. Verse 6 speaks of giving to those that Preach and Teach.
> It reminds us to repay financially those who help us Spiritually.
2. The word "communicate" means more than just verbal response; The exact word is used in these other passages:
> It literally means "distribute" as in Romans 12:13.
> It means to be a partaker of his ministry as in Rom. 15:26-27.
> It means as to give financially as in Phil. 4:14-16.
3. But it is important to not that God says this just before giving us the passage on sowing and reaping.
> He says be sure to take care of the one who teaches and preaches to you; Then He says, whatsoever a man soweth that shall ye also reap.
C. The notice the verse after the passage on sowing and reaping.
1. Verse 9 reminds us that it will be worth it all.
> The problem with sowing and reaping is that the results are not immediately seen.
> Its not like mowing the lawn, where after a few hours labor you can look back and see immediate results.
2. Sowing takes time, and reaping usually comes much later.
> Therefore many get discouraged after years of not seeing results.
3. But, after 5 or 10 years you will be able to look at the results.
> Some will look at a life of selfishness and see that they have reaped corruption...
> Others will see a life of stability, and strength and be so glad they stayed with God.
> God reminds us that it will be worth it (verse 9), IF WE FAINT NOT... Don’t Quit!
II. A Solemn Warning "Be not deceived..."
A. There is a real threat of being deceived.
1. Self deception.
> [Jas. 1:22] "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
> [1 John 1:8] "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
> [Jer 17:9] "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
2. Satanic deception.
> [2 Jn 1:7] "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."
> Before we were saved we were part of a life of deception...
> [Titus 3:3] "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another."
B. Deception is a real problem, and its going to get worse.
1. The last days are upon us...
> [2 Tim 3:13] "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."
2. God gives us a solemn warning...
> [Gal. 6:7] "Be not deceived..."
III. An Unalterable Fact "...God is not mocked..."
A. You cant fool God anytime.
1. You can fool all the people some of the time...
> You can fool some people all the time...
> But, you can’t fool God ANYTIME.
2. God is full aware of the situation.
> He knows the end from the beginning.
> He sees your thoughts afar off...
B. These words are spoken in the context of sowing and reaping.
1. God is saying, go ahead and sow that wickedness, but I’m not mocked...
> Do you really think your going to fool God?
2. He is also saying; If you sow righteousness, do you think it will slip past me?
> I can just as easily bless the righteous as curse the wicked.
3. God is not fooled: What a man sows that will he reap.
> It is an unalterable FACT!
> How foolish is the man who thinks that he can live as he pleases and escape the judgment of Almighty God.
> So can we not escape the blessings of God upon those that sow to the Spirit.
IV. An Unchanging Law "That shall he also reap."
A. You reap LATER than you sow.
1. You reap later than you sow.
> If you plant a seed today, you may have to wait months to see any results at all.
> Plant a tree, and it will take YEARS.
> Sowing and reaping takes months, and sometimes years.
2. You may reap years later.
> Maybe in your children’s lives.
3. David’s sin with Bathsheba.
> Months later his Baby died...
> Years later his son Ammon raped his Daughter (Ammon’s sister).
> Years after that Absalom kills Ammon; rebels against David, and is killed.
> Nathan: "The sword shall never depart out of thy house."
4. You may think your getting away with it...
> Just because you don’t reap immediately, doesn’t mean you will not reap.
> You reap LATER than you sow.
B. You reap GREATER than you sow.
1. Plant one seed, you will get a vine.
> One vine may yield 3 tomatoes, A YEAR.
> One corn seed may yield, one stalk, which may yield 2 whole ears of corn.
2. David sinned one time, but it cost him many heartaches.
> He lost one child to death.
> He lost his two children to the devil.
> He lost his daughters purity.
> He lost his joy & fellowship with God.
3. Sin always costs you more than you expected to pay.
> The cost is always more than the reward.
> Sin always has a price tag that’s much too high.
> You reap GREATER than you sow.
C. You reap WHAT you sow.
1. Whatsoever a man soweth THAT shall he also reap.
> You can’t sow tomatoes and expect potatoes.
2. If you do right, you CAN expect God’s blessings.
> But, they come LATER; And they come GREATER.
