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]
Throughout the earlier parts of Galatians, Paul spoke to the Galatian Christians about the only necessity needed for salvation – faith in Jesus Christ. He taught against what the Judaizers told them they must do to be true Christians. They said the Galatian Christians had to become Jews before they could be Christians. In essence, the Judaizers told them they had to undergo circumcision.
With chapter six, Paul arrived at
his concluding words to the Galatians. He wanted to give them a few other
practical bits of advice, too. The first two verses told the Galatian
Christians to address their sinning brothers and sisters and bring them back to
the way of the Lord, but to do it with love, walking with them to help carry
their burden and make temptation powerless. Verse two is where Paul told them
to bear each other’s burdens.
Paul offered a second piece of
practical advice with verse six. He told them to share all good things with
their teachers. Those who God appointed to teach other people of His Word and
Gospel are to focus on that ministry. God expects His children to share of
every the good thing He gave them with the teachers so they receive God’s provisions,
too.
Verses seven through ten bring us
to the thematic statement of this part of Galatians. Paul summarizes it in
verse ten when he said, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to
everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Doing
good is taking care of, providing for, walking with a burdened brother or
sister, and loving other people. Jesus Christ lived this life style.
Paul reminded the Christians in
Galatia whatever one does for God’s purposes would bring them blessings in
eternal life. Yet if they live only to meet their own human desires, they would
receive in return only things that affect them in this life. Their rewards would
be corrupted and not carry on into eternity. Because of that, Paul encouraged
the Galatian Christians not to grow weary in doing good, for it would pay off
for them throughout eternity with God’s blessings for their good deeds.
Unlike the Judaizers, who sought to
increase their fame while on earth by converting people to their way of faith, Paul
taught Christians to “sow to the Spirit.” That means doing those things that
are holy, right, honorable, pure, loving, true, and worthy of praise. These
things are from the Lord through the Holy Spirit residing within each believer.
Paul wrote about them in Philippians 4:8. Notice Paul did not say doing any of
these good deeds gave Christians salvation.
They are just actions, like
circumcision. Doing good things cannot save a person from the judgment due because
of his or her sins. Only belief in Jesus Christ, the son of God, as the Savior who
bore the judgment by crucifixion for every person can give salvation and
eternal life with God. Actions are not required for salvation, but they show
the love of God within a person to others and show love to God as gratitude
lived out.
The challenge today for Christians
is live out your love and gratitude to God in acts of goodness to other people.
Show the world the love of God put in you through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling
when you became a believer in Jesus Christ.
The challenge today for
non-Christians is to ask God to make Himself real to you. He will answer your
call and show Himself to you. Then you have to make a decision: will you
believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior?
God leaves decisions up to each of
us.
Will you rise to the challenge?
