An Exploration of Galatians: Do Not Lose Heart in Doing Good
Galatians 6:8-10 - Sow to the Spirit and take the opportunity of this life to do good to all people through the Spirit.
”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. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.“
Galatians 6:8-10 NASB1995
Paul expands on the sowing and reaping that he discussed in the previous two verses. The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life! So what is corruption? This comes from the Greek word φθορά or phthora and we’ve studied this word before. It has these Biblical usages:
corruption, destruction, perishing
that which is subject to corruption, what is perishable
in the Christian sense, eternal misery in hell
in the NT, in an ethical sense, corruption i.e. moral decay
Anyone who is a non-believer in Christ is sowing from the flesh, but believers can also be caught up in the corruption of the flesh. We can be dutiful church-goers, givers and attempt to live a moral life but if our attention is primarily on the temporary things of this life then we are sowing from the flesh.
I know what you’re thinking - people have to make a living, pay on a mortgage or pay rent, buy groceries, pay their taxes, tithe at their churches (that’s hard to do with no money). But you can and should sow to the Spirit in your life and not to the flesh. This is a very hard principle because we are trapped in our flesh in this life, so how do we ignore its needs? I found several great commentators in Precept Austin explain what it means for a believer to sow to the flesh:
From John Stott from his book “The Message of Galatians”:
Every time we allow our mind to harbor a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fancy, wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh. Every time we linger in bad company whose insidious influence we know we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying, every time we read pornographic literature, every time we take a risk that strains our self-control we are sowing, sowing, sowing, to the flesh (Stott, J. R. W. The message of Galatians: Only one way. Leicester, England; Downer's Grove, Ill., U.S.A.: Inter-Varsity Press or The Bible Speaks Today New Testament)
From Bob Deffinbaugh, Community Bible Church, Richardson, Texas (a link to the full sermon is included):
Sowing to “the flesh” is investing in that which is physical, mortal, and thus passing, rather than eternal. It is the proverbial “going around only once,” “gusto grabbing” of every age. Since this world, along with our earthy bodies, is to be done away with, why are we investing in that which corrupts? Sowing to the flesh is like buying truckloads of potatoes and putting them in a bank vault, hoping to prosper from them in ten years time. Paul’s reminder that we reap what we sow is a solemn word of warning to those who think that they can be blessed spiritually while living in and to the flesh. What we do in this life has consequences, both for the present and for eternity. To think that we can expect God to bless that which is of the flesh is an insult and an offense to God. How can we possibly expect a righteous and holy God to bless unrighteousness? (Sowing and Reaping).
From Timothy George, American Theologian and Journalist (see link to his book):
The word phthora, “destruction,” “decay,” “corruption,” conveys the idea of a putrid corpse in the process of decomposition. As we saw in our earlier discussion of the works of the flesh, sarx as an ethical principle involves far more than the physical or material aspect of the human. Nonetheless, the consequences of sin are nowhere more vividly seen than in the ravaging of the human body through disease, decay, and death. As Burton correctly observes, “Paul here affirms that devotion of one’s self to the material, bodily side of life, brings physical death unrelieved by the Christian hope of resurrection which rests upon the indwelling of the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead.” However, we should not be misled by this graphic depiction of utter decay and desolation into thinking that the final destiny of those who sow to the flesh is annihilation or nonexistence. Hell is both final and eternal.
WOW! This is sobering, indeed! After the next picture, representing eternal life, there are some thoughts about sowing in the Spirit.
Our eternity hinges on what we do in this limited time in this life. Here is what Bruce Hurt, creator of Precept Austin says about our moment-to-moment decisions and the life to come:
In that world time shall be no more. But short as our life is here, and endless as it will be hereafter, it is a tremendous thought that eternity hinges upon time.
Our lot after death depends, humanly speaking,
on what we are while we are alive.It is written, "God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." Ro 2:6-note, Ro 2:7, 8-note
We ought never to forget that we are all, while we live, in a state of probation. We are constantly sowing seeds which will spring up and bear fruit, every day and hour in our lives. There are eternal consequences resulting from all our thoughts and words and actions, of which we take far too little account. "For every idle word that men speak they shall give account in the day of judgment." (Mt 12:36.) Our thoughts are all numbered, our actions are weighed.
…
There is no greater delusion than the common idea that it is possible to live wickedly, and yet rise again gloriously; to be without religion in this world, and yet to be a saint in the next. When the famous [George] Whitefield revived the doctrine of conversion last century, it is reported that one of his hearers came to him after a sermon and said—"It is all quite true, sir. I hope I shall be converted and born again one day, but not until after I am dead." I fear there are many like him.
Don’t rely on the falsehoods that someone who has died is in a “better place” when they could very well not be in that place if they were deluded into living wickedly and not believing in God or assuming that God is universalist and saves everyone. I feel sorrow and dread for those who are being mislead in churches like the ELCA and other mainstream denominations that bless sin and claim that hell is empty.
Paul now says that we should not lose heart or grow weary in doing good and to do good to all people, especially those of the faith. Let’s look at the lexicon for “good” (this has also been done before, but is worth repeating):
Good comes from the Greek word καλός or kalos with an extensive Biblical usage:
beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable
beautiful to look at, shapely, magnificent
good, excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well adapted to its ends
genuine, approved
precious
joined to names of men designated by their office, competent, able, such as one ought to be
praiseworthy, noble
beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, and hence praiseworthy
morally good, noble
honourable, conferring honour
affecting the mind agreeably, comforting and confirming
Even in our culture filled with moral relativism, I think most people would know what is “good”, but I do worry that pleasing others without discernment and elevating them to a place of honor for their lifestyle choices is thought to be “good”. We need to please God above all else before calling other things “good”.
Being good and doing good doesn’t win you a place with the Lord. Confessing Him as your redeemer and the Son of God does, like the thief on the Cross, but many people think that being led by the Spirit and doing good is unnecessary if you are justified. Paul begs to differ in this epistle. I like these two Daily Bread articles that have been reprinted with permission on Precept Austin (I’m borrowing them here because they make marvelous points quite succinctly):
Telephone Poles Don't Move — A woman gave her teenage son a used automobile. The youth enjoyed racing the car around curves so he could hear the tires squeal. One morning his car skidded and smashed into a telephone pole. The boy was thrown through the windshield and was rushed to a hospital. When his pastor reached the hospital, the boy’s mother was frantic. She grasped the pastor’s hands in hers and exclaimed, “Why would God let this happen?”
Her question is understandable, but it misses the hard truth of the situation. She can’t blame God for that accident. If the Lord were to suspend the laws of physics and snatch a telephone pole from in front of her son, He might just as well place one in front of someone else who was driving carefully.
If the law of gravity works to keep me from flying into space, I cannot expect it to go into reverse if I step out of a 10th-floor window. God doesn’t cancel the rule of sowing and reaping just because we become Christians. But there is an upside to that principle. If we sow “to the Spirit [we] will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Gal. 6:8). With that in mind, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal 6:9). What do you expect to reap? — by Haddon W. Robinson (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
The tissue of the life to be
We weave with colors all our own,
And in the field of destiny
We reap as we have sown. —WhittierThe law of sowing and reaping has never been repealed.
Are You Weary? — I read a story about a pastor of a small, rural church in Scotland. He had been forced out by his elders, who claimed they saw no fruit from his ministry. The village in which the pastor served was a difficult place. People’s hearts were cold and hostile to the truth. During the time the pastor served, there had been no conversions and no baptisms. But he did recall one positive response to his preaching.
When the offering plate was passed during a service, a young boy placed the plate on the floor, stood up, and stepped into it. When asked to explain, he replied that he had been deeply touched by the minister’s life, and while he had no money to give he wanted to give himself wholly to God.
The boy who stepped into the plate was Bobby Moffat, who in 1817 became a pioneer missionary to South Africa. He was greatly used of God to touch many lives. And it all started with that small church and the faithful work of that unappreciated pastor.
Perhaps you see no fruit from your work for the Lord. Remain faithful! Do not lose heart, but ask God to strengthen you with His power (2Cor 4:1,7). In His time and in His way, He will produce a harvest if you do not give up (Galatians 6:9). — by David H. Roper (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Keep me faithful, keep me grateful,
This my earnest plea each day!
Keep me serving, keep me telling
Of His love while yet I may!
—ThiesenA fruitful harvest requires faithful service.
Are you weary of doing good? What are you sowing in this life??
My next devotional examines Galatians 6:10-13 - A postscript from Paul and a final word to the Judaizers. I think Galatians will be finished soon and I will summarize what I learned from this marvelous epistle. My next deep dive will be into Psalm 22, the psalm that is prophetic about the suffering of Jesus.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - I needed this lesson today. I continue to reap in the flesh and not in the Spirit. Please help me to set aside the worldly distractions of the flesh and not grow weary in doing good. I ask this in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
The Blue Letter Bible was accessed on 2/7/2024 to review the lexicon for corruption and good.
Precept Austin is the brainchild of Bruce Hurt and it is a tremendous collection of commentary and analysis of the Bible. Bruce’s personal testimony can be found Here.