PROFITING BY THE LAWS OF SOWING AND REAPING

 

Job 4:8; Hosea 8:7; 10:12 Galatians 6:6-10, Psalm 126:5,6; Isaiah 32:20

The law of sowing and reaping is mentioned in several Scripture passages. But the primary text is found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “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 will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:7-9). This passage teaches that each of us is a “sower” who will reap the harvest of his own planting. If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap a harvest of blessing. If you sow to the flesh, you will reap a harvest of sorrow and adversity. Ignorance of the law of sowing and reaping lies behind such trite phrases as, “We all have to sow a few wild oats,” or “Oh, go ahead, God will forgive you.” The world is full of heartbroken “reapers” who thought they could sow one thing and reap another.

IMMUNTABLE PRINCIPLES OF SOWING AND REAPING

Gal.6:7-10; Luke 6:38; Proverbs 11:24-26; II Corinthians 8:6-10-,II Corinthians 9:6-8

The principle of sowing and reaping is a natural law. It is universal. You reap what you sow. Those who have never read the Bible recognise these laws as the law of retribution - something that is justly deserved. It is emphasises the fact that those who get are those who give and those who receive interests are those who invested. There cannot be a harvesting without planting. If you plant nothing, you harvest nothing.

According to the word of God, if you sow to the flesh, you will of the flesh reap corruption. “Corruption” speaks of physical decay and moral rottenness that ultimately leads to eternal death in Hell. If you sow to the Spirit, you will of the Spirit reap life everlasting. The essence of everlasting life is to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son (John 17:3; 1 John 5:11). As believers, we will enjoy this relationship throughout eternity on the New Earth.

If you fully reaped for all our sins, we would spend eternity in Hell. But God is gracious and full of mercy. He does not continue to punish His children for past sins. Yes, there will be reaping in this present life: some sins lead to disease and other sins destroy marriages and families.
As Christians we are not exempt from the law of sowing and reaping. But God is not adding up all our past sins and making sure we pay for all of them. He forgives sin. He deals with His children in love. Even when He chastens them, He is doing so in order to bring them back to a right relationship with Him (Hebrews 12:9-12).

You reap WHAT you sow.

If you sow wheat, you will reap wheat. If you sow a kindness, you will reap a kindness. If you sow a lie, unfaithfulness, or discord, you will reap the same. The warning, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” warns you to be very careful what you sow.

You reap in a DIFFERENT SEASON than you sow ((compare Genesis 27:9-29 with Genesis 37:31-35). (Acts 9:16; 2 Corinthians 11:23-27). (Acts 7:58; 14:19).

Notice that Galatians 6:7 starts by saying, “Do not be deceived.” Why does Paul begin with this warning? The answer is found in the fact that your reaping does not come immediately after you act. Because of this, you can be deceived into thinking that the reaping will not come. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.” If you could see the long-term results of your choices, you would always sow to the Spirit.

The harvest comes in God’s time—His appointed season. An example of this is seen in God’s judgment on Israel. They failed to obey the Sabbatical year law which required rest for the land every seventh year (Exodus 23:10-11). The people thought God’s lack of immediate judgment proved that God didn’t really care whether or not they planted crops on the Sabbatical year. They failed, however, to reckon with the nature of God: He does not lie. Whatever is sown will be reaped. And Israel spent one year in captivity for every year they ignored God’s command—70 years!(2 Chronicles 36:20-21)..

You reap MORE than you sow.

In agriculture, this law of surplus is what makes sowing worthwhile. For every kernel of corn planted, the farmer hopes to gain at least one ear of corn bearing many kernels. In the spiritual realm, this law also holds true. Hosea 8:7 warns, “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” There is a chain reaction that takes place when you do wrong.

In the Old Testament, we read the story of Achan who disregarded the official ban placed upon the spoils of Jericho. Thinking no one would know, he stole a robe, some silver and some gold. What was the result? In the next battle, 36 innocent men lost their lives (Joshua 7:1, 5-26). What happened to Achan? He and his entire family were executed, and all his possessions were burned with fire. He sowed the wind, and he reaped the whirlwind!

You reap IN PROPORTION to how you sow.

Although you always reap more than you sow, your reaping is determined by the quantity of your sowing. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:6 – “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

This principle operates both positively and negatively. The more you sow to the Spirit, the more you will reap the blessings of a righteous harvest. The more you sow to the flesh, the more you will reap the sorrow of an unrighteous harvest. This principle teaches us why it is much better to be saved early in life rather than late in old age.

You reap what OTHERS have sown.

If you stop and think about it, you will realize that much of what you reap you never planted. Many of us are reaping the benefits of godly Christian parents. Some of us are reaping sorrow and heartbreak because our parents sowed to the flesh. Joshua and Caleb spent almost 40 years wandering in the desert because of the other spies’ rebellion and lack of trust in God (read about this story in Numbers 13-14).

 It is especially important for fathers to understand this principle (Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9; Jeremiah 32:18). King David  is an example that illustrated this principle vividly.

Dimensions in sowing - in what areas can we sow?

We can sow our tithes, offerings, pledges and vows for church projects.
We can sow our time, treasures and talents in evangelism, visitation, follow-up or other duties in God’s house.
We can go, give or groan for mission work.
We can give to support the poor and needy in the church and outside the church.

Attitude in giving - what should be our attitude in giving?

In all our giving, we ought to follow the following guidelines:

We should give sacrificially. God looks at the heart or motive of the giver rather that the size of the gift. The widow gave two mites which was all her living. The Macedonian believers gave out of their deep poverty (II Corinthians 8:1-4).
We should give willingly and cheerfully. We should count it a great privilege to give something back to Him who gave so much for us (II Corinthians 9:7; 8:12-15).
We should give regularly – “upon the first day of the week” (I Corinthians 16:2)
We should give systematically – “Let everyone of you lay in store” (I Corinthians 16:2).
We should give proportionately – “as God hath prospered him” (I Corinthians 16:2).
We should give without ostentation (Matthew 6:3).
We should give freely (Matthew 10:8).
We should give with simplicity of heart (Romans 12:8)
We should give appropriately – to meet the required needs adequately (Galatians 6:6-10).
We should give individually. Everyone is expected to give – the rich, the poor, husband, wife and children.

 

All these are exemplified in Christ

IMMEASURABLE POSSIBILITIES OF SOWING RIGHTLY

Galatians 6:9, 10; Philippians 4: 14-19; Romans 15:25-28

The immediate context of Galatians 6 gives several examples of sowing to the Spirit. When you bear another’s burdens, you are sowing to the Spirit (6:2). When you financially support faithful teachers of God’s Word, you are sowing to the Spirit (6:6). The larger context of the book of Galatians teaches us many ways to sow to the Spirit. Sowing to the Spirit involves Obedience to Scripture, Expressing Christ-like attitudes manifesting love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. When you choose to forgive and not harbour resentful feelings, you are sowing to the Spirit. When you bring your imagination and thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ, you are sowing to the Spirit (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). When you refuse to tell something negative about another person (even though it is true!), you are sowing to the Spirit. Each time you speak the truth, honour your word, pay your bills, offer praise to God for His goodness, you are sowing to the Spirit.

People sow to the flesh and reap corruption. Paul lists many practices that illustrate sowing to the flesh. Such things as marital unfaithfulness, sexual impurity, indecency, sensuality, involvement with the occult, hatred, quarrels, fits of temper, selfish ambition, dissension, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and allowing other things to take God’s place in our life are ways one sows to the flesh (Galatians5:19-21). Sowing to the flesh begins in the thought-life. Every time you hold a grudge, entertain an impure fantasy, wallow in self-pity, speak ill of another person, or fail to carry out your responsibilities through procrastination or laziness, you are sowing to the flesh. To be self-centred, critical of others, or envious of others is sowing to the flesh (Galatians 5:15, 26).

IMPERATIVE PATTERN FOR ABUNDANT REWARD

Malachi 3:8-12; Haggai 1: 8-9; II Corinthians 9:5-11; Acts 20:35

What you are tomorrow will depend on what you do today. Right now you are making choices that will affect the rest of your life. It is imperative that you sow good seeds of obedience. In the future, they will bloom into a harvest of righteousness, not just for you, but also for your children and grand-children. American poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”

It is easy to become discouraged in doing good. The harvest often seems a long way off. But you must remind yourself of the importance of perseverance. God promises that you will reap if you don’t give up. Those in positions of influence are targeted by Satan because their sowing has the ability to touch many people.

CONCLUSION: 

God set laws in effect that govern life on earth, regulating choices and actions. It is called Cause and Effect. These laws are binding on mankind, in every sphere of life in time and eternity.

 Call to action: Renewed commitment to daily sowing of ‘good seeds’ in ‘good places’ in        ‘good time’.