THE ONE TRUE GOSPEL
Meditations in the Epistle to the Galatians
Galatians 6:7-10
NOT BECOMING WEARY

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IN THESE few verses we naturally find our minds grabbed by the analogy which Paul uses of sowing, and we identify with how he applies the analogy in a general way. Sowing is something we all know about, and we know that sowing is necessary if we desire to have a harvest. We also appreciate that it depends on what we sow as to what sort of harvest we will achieve. So when Paul talks of sowing to the flesh or the Spirit we understand immediately that what we give our lives to, whether the flesh or the Spirit, will determine the harvest we will reap in our lives. We further identify with the truth, that it is fairly easy to deceive others in this matter of how we sow in our lives, and we can even deceive ourselves, but we can't deceive God who discerns clearly all the inner workings of our hearts. God cannot be mocked.

Now we could think together about this analogy in a general way, and what it means to sow in either direction. This is often the usual approach to these verses, and because of this the particular reason why Paul introduced the analogy is missed or neglected. It is for this reason that I feel we may best use this sermon in looking at the issue that Paul particular is addressing in the life of the Galatians. The issue is in verse 9 which reads "Let us not become weary in doing good". Paul not only makes this application of the analogy of sowing in life, but he also, in the rest of the verse gives us a word of encouragement in this sowing, finishing these verses with an application.

GROWING WEARY

Growing weary is the problem in the Christian life which Paul is addressing. We don't realise how dangerous this is, and how often Christians do become weary.

When we are born again and experience the new divine holy life of God coursing through our life, we are filled with enthusiasm and a desire, not only to please the Lord and live for him, but also to serve him and show his love to others. We are green! We have no clue concerning what the Christian pilgrim's life in this sinful world involves. Suddenly we are hit by temptations which we had never realised before. We are hit with the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit which is unique to the new creation, where our new selves will not let pass even the smallest lowering of the holiness of God. This is particularly difficult in the sense of mortifying particular sinful propensities within us, but we find it much more difficult when our new godlike selves push us to be Christlike in our dealings with others, and calls us to love people as Christ has loved us.

At the beginning of our Christian lives we set about living for Christ with vigour, but then we find that our progress seems to be so slow. It is so hard to love other people, and our flesh cries out for relief and for indulgence. Then we experience the discouragement that our efforts to serve others and to witness to the Gospel seem to have so little impact. All this causes the believer to grow weary in doing good.

SOWING TO THE FLESH

What we do not realise is that when we grow weary in this way we are sowing to the flesh. It is our sinful flesh which is being hurt. It is the sinful flesh that wants relief and to get back to the earlier life of living for self. It is the sinful flesh which balks at the hardship of continually fighting against its sinful weaknesses and striving to love others and share Christ with them.

We don't really identify this problem in this way, but this is what Paul is particularly asking the Galatians and ourselves to face. We argue that we have tried and we have proved that it is no good trying to love some people. We say that it is not fair that they never improve and we are always the one that has to be nice. We tell ourselves that we have tried to witness and there has been no results, so what is the good of continuing to try. Because we don't seem to be making much headway in overcoming our indolence or our greed, etc. we give up and say that it is only being human.

In fact it is the flesh that is speaking, and by giving in to the flesh we are sowing to the flesh. We need to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge Paul is right here. Unless we do we will never face the issue. It is only when we see something as it really is that we really are moved to reject and oppose it. If we don't recognize we are sowing to the flesh, we may well try again, but we will soon give up again, because we are not recognizing the problem.

How often the flesh crys our for satisfaction and when we are asked to service or to worship, we make excuses that we have done enough or there is no time, or that we have something else more important to do, when really all we are doing is pandering to our flesh, and selfishly seeking our own comfort.

PAUL'S ENCOURAGEMENT

Paul is a faithful and wise teacher. So often in human affairs people give instruction and commands without any explanation or encouragement to obedience. How often children are told certain things that they ought to do, but there is no explanation as to why, or any encouragement which motivates them to obedience.

The Apostle is not like that here. He has given explanation as to the wisdom of sowing to the Spirit. He has pointed out that not to sow to the Spirit brings a very hurtful harvest, but that if we do sow to the Spirit we will reap a wonderful harvest. Now he gives encouragement. This is in the words in verse 9 which read "for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." We need to remind ourselves of this all the time, specially when we are tempted to give up.

When we read the words of the Apostle Paul we are left in the first place with the comforting conviction that he is not talking about what he does not know. We realise very well that he knows the way the flesh balks at the effort of sowing to the Spirit. He has experienced the way we are tempted to give up because the way is so hard sometimes, and the results often almost nil. We realise that he knows from experience what he is urging upon us, that he has faced it all himself, and he has proved in his life the truth of what he urges upon us. He, more than any Christian, suffered in the service of Jesus and knew discouragement. He tabulates his experiences in 2 Corinthians 11:16ff. Because of this we can have assurance that he understands how we feel and the difficulties we experience, and that he knows what he is talking about when he urges us to sow to the Spirit and not to grow weary in this sowing; also that the harvest will come if we do not faint.

This experience in the second place gives substance to his assurance that we will receive a harvest if we do not grow weary. How often, to encourage people, we mouth assurances that we know have no substance, just in the hope that this will buck them up a little. Someone has a terminal illness, but we assure them that all will be well, and the doctors will surely find a means to overcome the disease. When people do this we know that their words have no substance if we are on the receiving end of it, and although we appreciate their good will, their words do not really help. What we need is truth and honesty, and then real support to face that reality. Paul does that here. He knows how hard the waiting for a harvest is, but that their is always a harvest of worth when we sow to the Spirit. This is not vain words, because Paul has proved it in his own life and ministry, and he knows that the Lord who promises a harvest will never lie. Thus his encouragement that a harvest will come is sound, and it is a strong encouragement to us to go on.

This harvest is of course in heaven. The believer in the earthly pilgrimage has a sure hope. We are citizens of heaven, and whatever this life may bring, heaven and glory is assured. This is a harvest that is sure, and which makes all the trials of this temporal life worthwhile. We must give much attention to this hope of eternal life that it may always be strong and fresh in our hearts and minds.

This is not all, however. Paul plainly envisages some harvest in this earthly life. Some real joy in holiness. Some real encouragement from success to our labours. Some real blessing from loving as Christ loved us.

Then Paul encourages us by pointing us to the fact that we are not on our own, but that we are working together with the Lord, and his overall plan for us and his church. Paul indicates this in the words "at the proper time". God has a time for everything, and our labours have a proper time in God's plan for the harvest to be produced. Of course we would like the harvest to come quickly, and it is hard to wait for God's proper time, which may be for us so long in coming. However let us wait patiently because God's wise plan takes in every contingency, and will always be best and safest. If the harvest came sooner as we would like, this may upset all sorts of harvests elsewhere.

EXHORTATION

The Apostle is never content just to teach, he is deeply concerned that the teaching may be received and acted upon. We see that here. The passage finishes with the words "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

The thrust of all Paul has been saying is so that the people of God may persevere in sowing to the Spirit and carrying out the purposes of God in the world. He exhorts us to look at each new day, and prayerfully seek the Lord for the sowing he gives us to do, and be looking for good that we can do for others and specially the church.

In the church we are part of a body. The health and well-being of the body depends on every member sowing to the Spirit and so doing their appointed work for the health, well-being and work of the whole body. Sometimes we look for a personal harvest and so miss the harvest when it comes, because the harvest has been in the whole body, and blessing that has been poured out there, which our sowing contributed to. So as we persevere in doing good let us have the whole church in mind, so that we may see the harvests God gives, to which our sowing has contributed.