Reaping What You Sow...

Context is so important when you read scripture. It is so easy to read a passage without proper context and thus twist the verse into something completely different than the intended meaning. You can look at passages such as 1 Chronicles 4:10 better known as “The Prayer of Jabez.” Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things” – when you look that these it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want to bless you or that through Christ you can’t do anything you desire, but those verses in context don’t have the intent that we think they do. Another one of those verses that are so often taken out of context is found in this week’s passage in Galatians 6. Galatians 6:7b …for whatever a man sows he will also reap… I can’t tell you how many times someone has said to me trying to justify their own attitude toward someone well ya know they are gonna reap what they sow…

Well duh… Yes, in the technical sense of the use of this term you are right they will reap what they sow. BUT, and this is a big but, that isn’t what Paul is talking about in this passage.

Paul is alluding to salvation in this passage. And when you include the rest of the relevant passage and the context of the remainder of the book, the intended audience, culture, Paul’s other writings and so forth you see that Paul isn’t calling for judgment on someone.

Paul is exhorting his fellow workmen to one not give up on anyone, and two stop trying to fool God.

Matthew Henry’s thoughts on the matter while wordy are precisely on target:

The apostle here supposes that many are apt to excuse themselves from the work of religion, and especially the more self-denying and chargeable parts of it, though at the same time they may make a show and profession of it; but he assures them that this their way is their folly, for, though hereby they may possibly impose upon others, yet they do but deceive themselves if they think to impose upon God, who is perfectly acquainted with their hearts as well as actions, and, as he cannot be deceived, so he will not be mocked; and therefore, to prevent this, he directs us to lay down as a rule to ourselves, That whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap; or that according as we behave ourselves now, so will our account be in the great day.

We must be ever vigilant in our obedience to Christ that we don’t attempt to fool ourselves into thinking we are better off than we are thereby trying to fool God.

Context, Context Context…

Everything makes so much more sense when you keep it within its proper context. 

Fighting an unCivil War

From 1861 until 1865, America was torn apart by the bloodiest war in our history. Today we know it as the American Civil War, but much like the political culture today, there was nothing civil about it. The War Between the States was an uncivil war in which over 650,000 Americans were killed. To put that into persepective more American’s lost their lives in the Civil War than World War I and World War II combined (622,000 Americans died in the two world wars). It’s a miracle of God that our nation even survived that terrible war.

There is another war an internal war, and it’s not very civil either. It’s the war that rages between your two natures. Each of us has a sinful nature, we simply call it human nature. When we become a follower of Jesus, God places His Holy Spirit in our hearts, and the war begins. Our sinful nature is always pushing us toward sin, and the Holy Spirit is prompting us toward holy living.

Paul offers his readers encouragement and instruction in facing this inner civil war in Galatians 5:16-26. Look at what he says:

“I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Some people would argue that Christians shouldn’t have any inner conflict because our old sinful nature is dead and we now have peace with God.  But the truth is, we live in a sinful world. Because of this, we face temptation.  We are not immune from this.  In fact, often times the experience of this inner conflict can be much more intense or much more evident for Believers since we have a new nature.

Paul says the result of this conflict is that “you don’t do what you want.” You see, our spiritual and renewed nature desire to do good.  But what end’s up coming out more often than not is our sinful nature which pulls the other way – take this example, you want to apologize to someone for something, but then your pride gets in the way, and you ignore it.  Our sinful nature resists everything that is spiritual, even as a Christian.  The solution? To walk in the Spirit.

In verses 19-21 Paul lists off the works of the flesh. It doesn’t make very pleasant reading. But it serves an important purpose. To convince us of the corrupt and depraved nature of man.  Remember, we live in a fallen world it shouldn’t surprise us when we see these works of the flesh around us and in ourselves as well.

Paul doesn’t leave us there though with a list of stuff not to do. That’s not the Bible’s purpose nor is it Paul’s in these verses. How do we know this? Look at the next two verses (22-23) he gives us the “fruits of the Spirit” – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. 

So, we have a pretty good picture in these five verses of what we should and should not do. These acts of our sinful nature are a description of sin; whereas, the fruit of the Spirit is a description of the work of God’s grace.

And as Paul closes out this passage reminding us that “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Talking the talk is easy. It’s easy to say all the right things, have all the right answers. But we are not called to live an easy life, we are not to be about simply talk. We are called to walk the walk. That is why Paul said, “I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

…Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit….

What does this mean for us? This means that we need to examine our lives, the way we live, the words we speak, things we do both in public and private and prayerfully ask ourselves where do they fit in the descriptions Paul has given us.

Are following the Spirit or are you following the flesh? Who is winning the inner civil war in your life today?

See ya Sunday!

Hard to Pass The Valleys

While I find, there are many blessings associated with being a Pastor there are days in which the role brings about unavoidable challenges. For me, one of those challenges is found in talking about death. This weekend I have the opportunity to speak at not one but two Celebration of Life services for longtime members of our community.  

It is hard to reconcile in our minds and our hearts the idea of celebrating a life that has been lost.  It is in moments like these, I am drawn to the words of King David in the Old Testament, Psalm 23, a Psalm written in a time of great pain and anguish. David wrote these words which you might be familiar with:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;

Henry Ward Beecher, a pastor during the Civil War, called the 23^rd Psalm the Nightingale Psalm. He called it by this name because he said “the nightingale sings it’s sweetest when the night is darkest.”

The valley of the shadow of death literally means a “death-like shadow, or a deep shadow.”  It is a reference to all the dark and gloomy experiences of life through which we may have to travel. While this valley David speaks of isn’t limited exclusively to death, it most certainly includes it.

Now these valleys which we journey through are universal, every man, woman, and child who will ever walk this earth must walk these same paths. Just because someone is a Christian doesn’t mean they are exempt from anything this life throws at them.  Christians go bankrupt – Christians get cancer – Christians have accidents – and Christians die, just like everyone else.

Death comes to each of us. Having the Lord as our Shepherd does not grant us immunity from sorrow, it does assure us of his promises. The promise that we will be able to spend eternity with our Lord and Savior one day when he calls us home into his presence. I don’t know about you but that’s one promise I want to hold on to…