Thought from today’s Bible reading from Galatians 4-6.
Paul warned the saints in the churches of Galatia of the importance of sowing the proper seed in order to be able to reap the desired harvest.
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
When he told them not to be deceived and that God was not mocked, he warned them not to think that they would prove to be the exception to the rule. If we wish to reap spiritual rewards, we must sow “to the Spirit” (Galatians 6:8).
In the first ten verses of this chapter, Paul mentioned three examples of how to sow in order to receive a reward.
- Restoring a fallen brother – “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). Encouragement in the body of Christ is a reciprocal act (Ephesians 4:16; Hebrews 3:13). Therefore, when an erring brother is restored, the inevitable result is that the body as a whole is stronger; and we as individuals have more of our brethren who can encourage us.
- Supporting gospel preachers – “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him” (Galatians 6:6). Preachers who do the work they should be doing will be teaching the lost and building up the saved. When a gospel preacher receives adequate financial support, he is able to devote himself “completely to the word” (Acts 18:5), providing the most benefit to his brethren.
- Doing good to others – “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 faith” (Galatians 6:9-10). When we assist a brother in need and help him get back on his feet, he is able to get back into the position of being able to help others himself – possibly even us someday should we need assistance ourselves (2 Corinthians 8:14).
We need to be sure our priorities are in order and that we put spiritual things first. Our own selfish interests may seem more profitable in the short term. But long term, it is better to do the things Paul discussed here, putting spiritual concerns ahead of selfish ones.
Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 17:1-18:18
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.
