“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
God created this world, which operates according to the rules He has established. This was part of the foundation of His promise to Noah after the flood: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). Each of these represented a natural cycle that God established in His creation. Yet one of these cycles – “seedtime and harvest” – referred to more than just a period of time. Harvest indeed follows seedtime or sowing. Yet the outcome of the harvest would depend – at least in part – on what was planted, when it was done, and how it was conducted.
This idea is universally familiar to us. Even if we do not engage in the work of farming, we understand this principle. So this illustration of sowing and reaping is used throughout the Bible to discuss more than just agriculture. We will notice a few passages that teach us about sowing and reaping to see what we are to do, what we are to avoid, and what the consequences are of our choices.
Sow Iniquity, Reap Vanity
“He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, and the rod of his fury will perish” (Proverbs 22:8).
When one gives himself over to wickedness and sinful behavior, he is sowing iniquity in his life. Many people do this because they focus only on the perceived “benefits” of sin* and ignore the consequences of it – in this life (Proverbs 13:15) and the next (Romans 6:23). Yet the wise man realized that even though he “did not withhold [his] heart from any pleasure,” it was all “vanity and striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). Our purpose in life is to “fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). When we forget this and build our lives around the fulfillment of temporal and sinful desires, we end up miserable without any real purpose.
Sow the Wind, Reap the Whirlwind
“For they sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; it yields no grain. Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up” (Hosea 8:7).
The decisions we make have consequences. The nation of Israel had “transgressed [God’s] covenant and rebelled against [His] law” (Hosea 8:1). They “rejected the good” and followed after false gods and wicked kings (Hosea 8:3-6). Because they chose to forsake God, He was going to forsake them, and the judgment that was coming against them would be devastating. In the same way, the Hebrew writer warned, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27). When we choose to disobey God’s word and devote ourselves to other “gods,” the result is more than just a meaningless life [previous point]. We also have a divine judgment that awaits us.
Sow Righteousness, Reap Kindness
“Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:12).
After warning about reaping the consequences of what they had sowed, the prophet admonished God’s people to change their ways. They could reap the blessings of God’s kindness if they sowed the seed in their life that was in accordance with righteousness. In other words, they were to repent of their sin and obey the Lord. In writing to the Christians in Rome, Paul told them that they were no longer to present “the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13). Jesus is “to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). At the end of the book of Revelation, John said that those who “do [the Lord’s] commandments…have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14, NKJV). We can receive the blessings of God’s kindness if we live our lives in accordance with His righteousness.
Sow Sparingly, Reap Sparingly
“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
Paul wrote this as he discussed the giving they were to do as they gathered on the first day of the week (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). When we give back to the Lord, we do so as we have “purposed in [our] heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The Lord does not mandate a specific amount or percentage for us to give;** therefore, our attitude is critical. Paul reminded the brethren here that the more they gave, the more good could be done. He encouraged them to be like the poorer brethren in Macedonia who “overflowed in the wealth of their liberality… [and] gave of their own accord” (2 Corinthians 8:2-3). They were able to do this because “they first gave themselves to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5). If we fail to give as we should on the first day of the week, there will be fewer resources available than if all of the members gave “bountifully” in support of the work of the church.
Sow to the Spirit, Reap Eternal Life
“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” (Galatians 6:8).
This verse encapsulates much of what we have discussed in the previous verses. If we focus on the material things of this life and the fulfillment of our fleshly desires, the outcome is “corruption.” That word is used throughout the New Testament to describe the temporal things of this life that are destined to perish. If, instead, we focus on spiritual things and follow the word that the Spirit has revealed, we will obtain “eternal life.” Paul said elsewhere, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). The “inheritance” we hope to obtain is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
Conclusion
We reap what we sow. This is affirmed in the natural world that God created and in His word that He revealed to us. The choices we make and the actions we perform have consequences, not just in this life but for eternity. Therefore, let us put away sin from our lives, practice righteousness, put the Lord first, and follow the direction of the Spirit in all that we do.
———
*For more on this point, see the article, The “Benefits” of Sin
**For more on this point, see the article, “Now Concerning the Collection” – Part 6: Tithing vs. Free-Will Offerings
