6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:6–10, ESV)
As we began this passage last week, we saw how, when we deposit into the right areas, making gospel investments, we will experience great returns over time. The first investment mentioned was in our church leadership. Let’s take a look at two more.
2. The Spirit (7-8)
The second area we should invest in is directly to the Spirit. Again, Paul wrote, “The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (8).
The obvious application of this truth is that we should sow to the Spirit, but we cannot consider how to do that without considering what it looks like to sow to the flesh. Sowing to the flesh is to feed the desires of your old, sinful nature. What does this look like? Twentieth-century English theologian and pastor John Stott gives it to us straight:
“The seeds we sow (to the flesh) are largely thoughts and deeds. Every time we allow our mind to harbor a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fantasy, or wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh. Every time we linger in bad company whose insidious influence we know we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying, every time we read pornographic literature, every time we take a risk which strains our self-control, we are sowing, sowing, sowing to the flesh. Some Christians sow to the flesh every day and wonder why they do not reap holiness. Holiness is a harvest; whether we reap it or not depends almost entirely on what and where we sow.” —John Stott [1]
Choosing not to indulge the flesh is challenging because we live in a time filled with catchphrases that tell us to follow our impulses and passions. The desire for pleasure is often held up as humanity’s chief pursuit. We are told that “the heart wants what it wants.” The world says, “Follow your heart. You do you. Speak your truth. And be true to yourself.”
What are we to do with such advice? If we are honest, there are plenty of times our desires are at odds with Scripture. Does this mean that obedience to God is disobedience to the self?
Yes and no. Yes, because we are to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow after Jesus (Mark 8:34). But no, because when we are born again by simple faith in the gospel, we receive a new nature. That part of us—the Spirit enlivened new nature within us—wants so much more than the desires of the flesh. So, in one sense, for Jesus followers, the question is not whether to follow our heart. Instead, the question is, what heart will we follow? Which desires do we yield to, those of the flesh or the Spirit?
For instance, I desire donuts, black licorice, and ice cream. In their proper time—occasionally—those desires are fine. But every morning and night is not the appropriate time. Why? Because I have deeper desires for physical fitness, such as hiking when I’m 70 and maybe someday wrestling with my grandchildren. So, which desires will I follow? Which desires are the real me? According to the New Testament, if you are a new creature in Christ, your holy desires are the true and deepest you. Follow those desires! [2]
When you invest in the things of the Spirit, Paul said you can expect an ever-increasing harvest of eternal life (8). This is not his way of saying good people who do good things get to go to heaven—that would ruin everything he’s written in Galatians.
Instead, he means that if you’ve believed in God’s Son, investing in the Spirit while crucifying the flesh will help you tap into the life God has given you.
So, how do we make these investments in the Spirit? How do we walk in the Spirit? Let me mention two that take discipline in our fast-paced world.
One way is to invest in prayer. It’s tempting to say that you will merely talk to God throughout your day. We are, after all, to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th. 5:17). So by all means, pray all day long, but I’m talking about designated periods of prayer with specific petitions you repeatedly bring to him, both about your life and the lives of others. When you dive deep with God like Jesus did, you invest in the Spirit.
And since so many sins flourish when we choose constant isolation, we should invest in fellowship. Selfishness, sensual lust, engaging in foolish controversies, overspending, and worshiping our children—so many sins blossom when we disconnect from others. However, intentional community with other believers is a great way to sow to the Spirit. As we share life’s burdens together, God meets with us, and we are changed. And part of fellowship is the practice of confession, like a disinfectant that kills the spread of deadly germs. Getting our sins into the light is a great way to tap into the Spirit’s power.
We can also invest in things like Bible study, fasting, secrecy in good deeds, worship, generosity, or solitude and silence. If you sow to the Spirit in these ways, you will be pleasantly surprised by the harvest that grows. So, though it is the fruit of the Spirit, and God must do the work in and through us, we all have a decision to make. Will we sow to the flesh or the Spirit? Donald Campbell said this: “Each sower decides what his harvest will be.” [3] Follow the true you! Sow to the Spirit more and more and reap a harvest of real life from God.
3. Your Community (9-10)
The third area we should invest in is in our community. Paul said, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (9-10). What we see in this part of the paragraph is that we are to do good to everyone. This fits the ministry of Jesus, who was indiscriminate in how he did good to others. When he fed the five thousand, for example, everyone there received bread and fish, no matter their beliefs. That said, we see here that we are to primarily care for those in our church, who are of the household of faith. And the good we are to do is regulated by opportunity—none of us has infinite time or resources, so when we can, we should do good.
This goodwill takes various forms—practical help, words of encouragement, sacrificial service—but it will often take the form of financial generosity. This is the context of the entire paragraph we’ve studied today. We are to invest financially in church leadership. We are to invest financially in Spirit-endorsed ministry. And we are to invest financially in those in need, especially those in the church.
[1] Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press. [2] Adapted from Comer, John Mark. 2021. Live No Lies: Recognize and Resist the Three Enemies That Sabotage Your Peace. Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press. [3] Walvoord. 2003. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook Publishing Company.
