What You Sow...You Will Reap

This morning I found something amazing and I wanted to share it with you. I sure hope I am able to translate what is in going on in my mind into words and have it understandable.

I had been looking in my Bible Commentary to better understand a verse that I had read and came across this:

"True Religion is often represented in the Bible as an experience of peace."

 

Peace is highly sought after.

 

And when I saw this I could not help but divert my studies to looking up verses that went down the line of this thinking. It took me to Romans 8:

 

    For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God;

for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.     

Romans 8:6-7

 

(It was very interesting to me when I got my "They Layman's Parallel New Testament" out and read these verses in all 4 of the translations. But since I have a lot more to share with you - I will not add all the versions of this text here- if any of you are interested in seeing the others just let me know and I will post them as well.)

 

The next verse I was led to was in Galatians:

 

"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 6:8   

 

    I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

             17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 

            18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.   

Galatians 5:16-18

 

 To see what it looks like to sow to ones flesh all we have to do is continue reading in Galatians 5

starting at verse 19:

 

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.   

Galatians 5:19-21

 

And when we continue to read in Galatians 5 we will see what it looks like to sow to the Spirit:

 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

             24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

            25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

Galatians 5:22-25  

 

What a contrast this is!

 

Did you notice the contrast?

"carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."  

 

We have a choice.

 What do we want to reap?

 

if we sow to the flesh we will reap corruption,

if we sow to the Spirit we will reap everlasting life

 

By allowing God through the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, by surrendering our sinful desires and allowing Christ to live His live through us are we are able to overcome our sinful desires.

 

This is exciting to me! I have a choice

day by day

decision by decision

and through the help of the Holy Spirit I can live my life for Jesus Christ

and by doing so I can reap peace and so much more..!

(Thank you Lauren for sharing this)
He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?   
Micah 6:8