Sowing & Reaping
Galatians 6:7-9
When God created the universe, He established laws to govern it. These laws govern everything from atoms to attitudes, radar to relationships, protons to people.
A law is simply “a rule or principle which brings about a certain result when obeyed.” Laws are fixed, absolute and predictable. Laws give our world order, design and balance.
Not only does the natural world operate by the laws of God, so does the spiritual world. God spoke from Mount Sinai and gave the Ten Commandments, which we call the Law of God. Ours is a nation of laws which secure our safety, protection and prosperity. The entire Bible is referred to as the Law of God (Psalm 1:2; James 1:25).
One of the most important spiritual laws is the law of sowing and reaping: “Do not be deceived…..” (Galatians 6:7-9). Paul reiterates this law to the Corinthians: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparing will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6)
I. We Reap What We Sow.
This sounds simple enough, but let’s considers the implications of this truth. A basic law of physics states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
A. We get out of life what we put into it. This does not mean that we directly cause every event in our lives; we do not. For example, when Jesus was about to heal the blind man, the disciple asked, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” (Matthew 9:2). Jesus said, “Neither (v.3). In other words, all human suffering is not the direct result of someone’s sin. However, all suffering is the indirect result of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12). This illustrates the law of sowing and reaping.
B. In many areas of our lives, we must own up to the fact that we get out of life what we get out of life what we put into life. Life is a series of investments and returns. Remember, every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. If we sow, we will reap.
1. Give money – receive blessings
2. Invest money – accumulate savings
3. Borrow money – incur debt
4. Venture nothing – gain nothing
5. Live honorably – receive honor
6. Study diligently – achieve an education
7. Train for athletic competition – win prize
8. Show kindness – Kindness is show in return
Sow a thought – reap a word
Sow a word – reap an action
Sow an action – reap a habit
Sow a habit – reap a character
Sow a character – reap a destiny
II. We Reap the Same Kind That We Sow.
Jesus points this out: “But their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:16-17).
A. The point is simple, but it must be clearly stated: We cannot plant corn and get a harvest of wheat; we cannot plant tomatoes and a harvest of cucumbers. Neither can we plant seeds of criticism, strife and anger and get a healthy marriage. We cannot plant seeds of stinginess, self-indulgence, and greed and reap a harvest of financial blessing. We cannot plant seeds of poor decisions and reap a harvest of God’s will in our lives. We reap the same kind that we sow.
B. There are two types of harvest:
1. The flesh. The Greek word Paul uses is sarx – the sin nature; the nature of man devoid of the Spirit of God. In Freudian terms, it is the id that seeks to avoid pain, relieve tension, and obtain pleasure – biological, instinctual urges that seek expression regardless of social or divine boundaries. I read that some people sow wild oats six days a week and come to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure!
a. Job 4:8 say, “As I have observed those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.”
b. Proverbs 22:8 says, “He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and rod of his fury will be destroyed.”
c. Hosea 8:7 says, “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.”
2. The Spirit. Sow to the desires and dictates of the Holy Spirit in your life (Galatians 5:16-17). The results? “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (vv. 22-23). How do we do that? By filling our minds and hearts with the Word, prayer, fellowship, obeying God when He speaks, and by guarding our hearts and minds from influences of the world.
III. We Reap in Proportion to What We Sow.
If you’ve ever planted any kind of fruit or vegetable, you understand this truth. What a large harvest can come from a small seeds (Luke 6:38). Here are two areas of life that illustrates the concept:
a. Relationships. Notice the impact of a kind word or a compliment versus a harsh word or criticism. The friendlier we are, the friendlier the world becomes. The more positive we are, the more positive others are toward us. Jesus said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (v. 31).
b. Giving. God stresses this promise throughout Scripture. “Sow generously,” Paul reminds us (2 Corinthians 9:6). Listen to the Old Testament prophet in Malachi 3:7-10.
IV. We Reap in a Different Season Than We Sow.
Paul reminds us that we reap “at the proper time” (Galatians 6:9) or “in due season”. This contains both a promise (positive effects).
a. Promise. Parenting is an excellent illustration. Proverbs 22:6 reminds us that if we train our children right, when they are old, they will not depart from it. It has been said that raising children is as easy as nailing a poached egg to a tree. Parenting involves making a long-term investment in our children. Many times we get frustrated as parents because we do not see the immediate payoff of our investment in our children. We forget that everything we learned in our lives came “through many dangers, toils and snares,” and so we expect our children to learn every lesson in life from us, to heed our counsel, and to not make the same mistakes we made.
/b. Caution.
c. Expectation. We must learn to wait on God’s proper season for our lives. God’s timing is perfect. It’s not always according to our schedule or desire. But the promise is sure – we will reap in due time!
V. We Reap if We Persevere
“if we do not give up” (v. 9). The perseverance principle is taught in Scripture over and over (Matthew 24:13; Luke 18:1; Hebrews 12:1).