The Principles of Sowing and Reaping

Deception

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Verses 7–9 comprise a warning with an explication and an appeal. The unit seems to consist of

(1) an introductory formula (“do not be deceived”),

(2) the warning itself cast in proverbial form (“God is not mocked”),

(3) a traditional maxim given in support of the warning (“whatever a man sows, that he also reaps”),

(4) Paul’s explication in terms of his own “flesh-Spirit” antinomy (“the one who sows to the flesh, from the flesh shall reap destruction; the one who sows to the Spirit, from the Spirit shall reap life eternal”),

(5) Paul’s appeal to apply the warning and his explication to circumstances within Galatia (“let us not become weary in doing good”), and

(6) another traditional maxim given in support of the appeal and promising a good outcome when such an appeal is heeded (“at the proper time we shall reap a harvest if we do not give up”).

Here in v 7 the first three items appear (with the fourth in v 8 and the fifth and sixth in v 9).

By way of introducing the warning, Paul uses the present imperative expression μὴ πλανᾶσθε (“do not be deceived”).

deceived: πλανάω (pla/na/o) =

to cause to go astray from a specific way.

Lead astray, cause someone to wander.

mislead, deceive someone.

To mislead people as to proper views which they should have may often be expressed idiomatically, for example, ‘to twist people’s thoughts,’ ‘to cause what is false to seem like what is true,’ ‘to make a lie appear true,’ ‘to dig away the truth,’ or ‘to cover the eyes with lies.’

Many believers are presently and actively being led astray from the path or the ways of Christ because they are being deceived.

They are being deceived by themselves:

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Obadiah 1:3 - The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?

Believers are culturally deceived:

Social Justice Movements:

1 Corinthians 6:9,10 - Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Social Justice movements

Race Justice: Black Lives Matter

Demands: countering systematic injustice and violence, smashing white supremacy 

Sex and gender justice: Fourth-wave Feminism

Demands: Gender equality, body autonomy, smashing the patriarchy

Believers are deceived by an external force

The False Teachers that had infiltrated the churches of Galatia, not only perverted the gospel of freedom preached by the Apostle Paul to this same body of believers, these shape shifters also influenced (deceived) the Galatians thinking. Much like satan did to Eve:

Genesis 3:13 - Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen. 3:4).

2Cor. 11:3 - But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

1Tim. 2:14 - For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

Jn. 8:44 - You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

1Thess. 3:5 - For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

The Devil is “crafty” -

πανουργία = in an unfavorable sense (rascally, evil) cunning, craftiness, trickery, lit. ‘readiness to do anything’ Lk 20:23; 1 Cor 3:19.

Gen. 3:1 - Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

Rev. 12:9-12 - 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Rev. 20:1-3 - Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.