The Law of the Harvest

We are continuing our look through the book of Galatians this morning, so turn over to Galatians 6:7-10.

As you are turning over there, let me ask you something: Do you ever wonder if following Jesus is really worth it?

I mean, after all, you do the good things you are supposed to, and life still seems difficult or disappointing.

Isn’t God supposed to make my life good if I do good things? Why are things still so hard?

Those moments make it difficult for us to believe the truths we read in our passage this morning because our experience doesn’t always match with what Scripture seems to teach here.

What we are looking at is something we call “the Law of the Harvest,” and it means that you reap what you sow.

This morning, we are going to try to put that concept in its proper light.

Unfortunately, we often think of this like the Americanized version of the eastern idea of “karma.”

Technically, karma is a Hindu and Buddhist concept that my actions in this life will impact the nature of my next reincarnation. If I am really mean, I will be reincarnated as something awful; if I am really good, I will come back as someone powerful. Eventually, I will be good enough that I will be free from the wheel of suffering and reincarnation.

In American society, we have stripped karma of some of its technical connotations with reincarnation, but we still have a general sense that if I do good things, good things will happen to me. If I do bad, bad things will happen.

We see someone be mean to a cashier at a fast food joint, and then when they spill their drink all over themselves, we think, “Oh, that’s karma”—they got paid back for the fact they were mean to the cashier.

Here’s a question we need to consider: is that a biblical concept? Does God promise that if we are good to people, people will be good to us? Does he promise that if we follow him, we will never have problems?

Actually, he promises the exact opposite:

John 16:33 CSB

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

2 Timothy 3:12 CSB

In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Listen to me: the concept of karma is not a Christian concept. The idea that we will have equal measures of good for the amount of good we do just doesn’t line up with Scripture.

That’s a good thing, though, because none of us could stand up to scrutiny if it did.

With that said, though, I want us to understand that there is a Scriptural principle that shows God is aware and our actions do have consequences down the road.

It’s called “The Law of the Harvest”, and it’s found in Galatians 6:7-10.

As we work through this passage, I want to challenge you to never give up doing what God has called you to do.

Let’s walk through this passage a little at a time to see how it plays out.

1) The reality of the law

The essence of this law is spelled out in verses 7-8, so let’s read them together.

Right off the bat, we see that the Law of the Harvest teaches us clearly that...

A) God sees.

Look at the way these verses start: “Don’t be fooled: God is not mocked.”

He sees everything that has been going on, and he will always see what has been going on. He isn’t missing any of this.

Keep in mind what Paul has been addressing all throughout this letter.

There were false teachers who were trying to say you got right with God by following the Mosaic Law, not by trusting in Jesus alone for salvation and life.

Paul is essentially saying here, “Don’t be fooled…they won’t get away with it for long.”

Sometimes, we’re the ones who are trying to hide our sin. God hasn’t reacted yet, so we think we are okay. Other times, we are looking at the seeming success of those who do evil and saying, “What’s going on? Why isn’t God acting?” Sometimes we even think God must not see.

God always sees!

In the book of Exodus, the people of Israel have been suffering in slavery, and God calls Moses to deliver them. If you know the story, do you remember how God starts his conversation with Moses when he calls him?

Exodus 3:7 ESV

Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,

God knew what his people were enduring then, and he knows what we are enduring now.

He sees the sins we are committing and he sees the sins others are committing against us.

Not only that, he sees how we honor him by walking in obedience—he misses nothing!

Here’s the thing: If God sees everything, then that means he will repay everything.

We see that in the next aspect of the Law of the Harvest...

B) Man reaps.

If God sees, you can be certain man will reap.

God is aware of sin, and he is righteous enough to punish it.

God is loving, true, but he is also righteous and must punish sin.

Here’s how God describes his own nature. He passed in front of Moses and declared this:

Exodus 34:6–7 CSB

The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.

God punishes sin, but he also grants forgiveness to those who surrender to him.

Back to Galatians, we see that when we sow to the flesh, we reap destruction, and when we sow to the Spirit, we reap eternal life!

What is that talking about?

If you go back to what we talked about last week, we saw that we can either do what our flesh, that old part of us that is enslaved to sin and selfish and all of that, or we can walk in step with the Spirit and, through his power, live lives of love joy, peace, patience, kindness, and so on.

The Law of the Harvest says that when we choose to sow those deeds of flesh, they are going to lead to destruction, where the works of the Spirit lead to eternal life.

Here, eternal life is not so much talking about the duration as it is the quality of that life. The believer who is striving to walk by the Spirit will live a life here that is characterized by the peace, joy, contentment, and excitement that comes with eternal life!

Here’s where I think we should slow down and nuance some of this a bit.

As we have already said, this isn’t karma, where God pays me back good for doing good.

However, we will reap good for doing good. We see that in verse 9...

“We will reap at the proper time...”

Well, what’s the proper time?

Here’s what is interesting: While this isn’t a 1-to-1 system like we think with karma, we do reap some incredible benefits now from sowing to the Spirit.

When we walk in step with the Spirit, we often enjoy healthier relationships because we are less driven by selfishness. We enjoy meaning and purpose because we know God is directing our steps. Even on the difficult days, we still reap hope and joy and peace because of all God has promised us.

So while following Jesus doesn’t guarantee an easy life, it is a qualitatively better life than sowing to the flesh.

Beyond that, there will a time when God will actually reward us for the things we have done on earth.

We don’t have time to look at it right now, but I would encourage you to spend some time studying 1 Cor 3:11-14.

That passage indicates that believers may well have a time when our works are tried by fire and we will receive a reward for the things we have done that honored God.

We won’t see the full fruit of the harvest until we stand before him, but we will see a harvest.

So, then, the Law of the Harvest says that God sees what we are doing, both good and bad. One day, we will reap the outcomes of our actions.

We reap some of that now because of the benefits of following God or the consequences of following our flesh.

We will reap them fully when we stand before him.

So, how are we supposed to react to the Law of the Harvest?

2) The reaction to the law

Our reaction to this law should be two-fold.

Let’s read verses 9-10 to see how we should respond.

First, we react by...

A) Never give in!

Let us not get tired of doing good…

It is really tempting for us to give in when things become difficult.

We can look around us and see that the culture seems to be drifting further and further from godliness and anything that looks like walking by the Spirit.

All sides seem to be characterized by selfishness, immorality, and the like.

Never give in!

At the same time, this church is going through a transition as I step away from serving as the senior pastor. Can I challenge you to never give in?

God has been working in our Sunday School classes, in families, in our worship services, and in so many other ways. Don’t give up now—he knew what was coming, and he knows what he desires to do next.

This would be a great prayer for all the members of the Leadership Team, the ones who will serve on the Pastor Search Team, and for all the other leaders in the church. Pray for God to keep them all from growing weary in doing good.

There was a period of time during WWII that the Germans bombed London for 57 nights in a row. That was called the Siege of London.

After it was over, Winston Churchill was speaking at a school when he uttered one of his most famous quotes:

“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

Winston Churchill said this about fighting battles against earthly enemies. Our enemies are not of flesh and blood, but the truth still remains. Never give in! Never lose heart. We will reap if we do not give up!

No matter what pressures you receive from whatever source they may come, never, never, never give in!

No matter what tomorrow holds, never give in because we will reap when the time is right.

What are we doing while we are never giving in?

We see that in verse 10...

B) Always do good.

While we are waiting for the harvest, make sure you are doing good to everyone you can.

Remember, the good we are doing isn’t to try to save ourselves—that’s what the false teachers were teaching in Galatia.

No, the good we do flows out of what Christ has done and is doing in us:

Ephesians 2:8–10 CSB

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

One of the marks of your life should be that you seek to do good to others. That includes coworkers, cashiers, waitresses, other drivers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, everyone!

Notice, though, that we are to especially do good for our brothers and sisters in Christ:

John 13:35 CSB

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Here’s a question for you: would anyone be able to tell that you are a follower of Jesus just based off the way you talk about or treat others you go to church with?

Jesus said that is one of the primary ways we show that we are his, and Paul said that is a key part of the good we are sowing while we wait for the harvest to come.

Don’t be deceived today. The law of the harvest is as true today as it has ever been. Drive down the road and check to see if that’s true.

What are you sowing this morning? Seeds that feed your flesh or seeds that manifest the Spirit. God will not be mocked; you will reap what you sow.

If, today, you are trying to sow to the Spirit, be encouraged that you will bear fruit. You may not see it for a long time, and it will be hard, but don’t lose heart—you will reap.

Sow seeds of love this week in people’s hearts, both inside and outside these walls.

It is easier to walk by the Spirit and sow to the Spirit if we remember all Jesus has done for us.

For the conclusion of our service this morning, we want to take a few moments and observe the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.

This ordinance is the ceremony Jesus gave to the church to depict and remember his death on the cross until he returns again.

Let’s prepare our hearts to take the supper together this morning...