Reap what you sow

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. - Galatians 6v7-8

There is a principal or reaping and sowing. If I plant tomato seeds I am going to get tomatoes, not apples. If I plant carrot seeds I am not going to get broccoli. It is just plain common sense.

Here Paul makes a spiritual application. You can’t spend your life sowing the flesh and expect to reap eternal life at the end. Those who sow the spirit are the only ones who are going to reap eternal life.

The Judaizers in Galatia were trying to say that following the flesh and focusing on getting the flesh right were the ways to reap eternal life. That is not the case; if the flesh is the focus then corruption will be the end result. Only those who seek after and follow the spirit can have hope of eternal life.

The flesh reaps corruption. To follow it is the epitome of foolishness. Only following the spirit provides eternal life. The question persist – why keep focusing on the flesh? It is useless, it offers nothing.

Does that mean there is no profit in doing good? Of course not; the rest of the passage will prove that. Yet sowing to the flesh can only produce corruption.

What Paul is saying to his readers is pretty simple. “Don’t be tricked…if you think you can follow those who seek to sow the spirit you will reap its only possible consequence – corruption. Only by sowing the Spirit, as evidenced by His fruit, can we hope to reap eternal life.