Advancing in Grace; Rejecting Legalism;
Gal. 6:7-18
Galatians 6:7 NASB
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will
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.”
This begins with the
aorist passive imperative from planao
[planaw] which means deception, to be led astray, to learn
something false. Deception may come from outside. In other words, the teaching
may come from outside; but the deception originates and is activated by our
volition—when we choose to be deceived. Deception is not something that merely happens, we choose deception; we choose to believe something
that is false. This is why Paul can address this to the will in terms of a
mandate in the imperative mood. Deception is part of the arrogance skills that
comes naturally to the sin nature. The arrogance skills are four and they begin
with self-absorption. We don’t have to learn self-absorption, it comes
naturally; it is the natural orientation of the sin nature and this leads to
self-indulgence. That is why parents are to teach discipline to their children.
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction
drives it out.” The role of the parent is to teach them self-control of the
arrogance skills. Self-absorption leads to self-indulgence; self-indulgence
then leads to self-justification. We rationalise our behaviour and make it
right and then that leads to self-deception. This can take place in a moment of
time. You can go from self-absorption all the way down to self-deception, and
it can also be a long-term cyclical process that just builds and builds until
the total orientation of the soul is subjectivity and false doctrine. Paul
warns them not to be deceived because when we reject the truth what is then
sucked into the vacuum of our soul is false teaching. Self-deception is always
the orientation of the carnal believer. 1 John 1:8 NASB
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not
in us.” Throughout the Scriptures truth is always juxtaposed to deception.
Then Paul says, “God is
not mocked.” This is a hapax legomena,
which means it is only used one time in the Greek New Testament. The word is mukterizo [mukthrizw] and it literally means to turn your nose up at
something. In other words, don’t ridicule God, don’t treat God lightly, don’t
treat Him with derision, don’t disrespect Him. So
often what happens in our lives is that when we choose to sin the flip side of
that is that we are saying, God, what you have said in your Word is really
meaningless, it has no value, it is false; I know better. It is the same thing
that Adam and the woman did in the garden. What Paul is saying here is that God
cannot be treated or disobeyed with impunity. Job 4:8, 9 NASB “According
to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and
those who sow trouble harvest it. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they
come to an end.” The point is that whatever we spend our investment of time,
treasure and talent on we will reap, either to eternal reward or to corruption
and death and destruction in time.
Galatians 6:9 NASB “Let us not lose heart in
doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”
It is easy to become discouraged and distracted and that is the focus of this
verse. So often the results in ministry take time, take years before we see any
results, and the results may be very limited. The word “heart” is not mentioned
here in the original. What is there is a negative command from the present
active subjunctive enkakeo [e)nkakew] which
means to be weary, to be tired, to lose heart as an idiomatic phrase, to despair,
to lose motivation or to give up. This relates to the believer who begins life
well, is enthusiastic, who wants to support the ministry but aft6er a while he
finds it doesn’t have the flash and pizzazz that other ministries have, and
then other distractions in life come in, other things take over and a false
system of priorities has come in. “Let us not lose heart in doing good…” This
is a present active adverbial participle of time, and what it means is, while
you are doing good do not give up. This recognises that this believer is doing
well but then becomes discouraged. Then Paul says that eventually there will be
a reward either in time or in eternity. “…if we do not grow weary.”
This last word “weary” is different from the first. The first word was enkakeo; this word is ekluomai [e)kluomai] and it is used in other places that are very
instructive. Hebrews 12:3 NASB “For consider Him who has endured
such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and
lose heart.” The focus here is on occupation with Christ. When we start to get
discouraged in life we need to think about all the hostility our Lord endured. “…
so that you may not grow weary [ekluomai],” so that we will not give up.
When we focus on all the hostility that Jesus endured we realise that all the
problems that we have in life are nothing. The word there for “heart” is not
heart at all, it is the word psuche [yuxh],
the soul—“so that you will not lose our soul.” This is really an idiom for the
spiritual life. E.g. James 1:21
NASB “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and {all} that remains
of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save
your souls.” This is the same phrase, “save the soul/life.” It is talking about
the growth in the soul from doctrine which leads to a full spiritual life. In
Hebrews what it is talking about is that when we give up in the spiritual life
it is self-destructive to the spiritual life and we will never advance to
spiritual maturity, and we will come under divine discipline which is the next
subject that he brings up. So the point that is carried along with this concept
of not growing weary but hanging in there is a concept that is related to discipline
and to advancing in the spiritual life, and to experiencing all that God has
for us in our spiritual growth.
Galatians 6:10 NASB
“So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and
especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Paul
draws a conclusion. He uses the phrase ara
oun [a)ra o)un]—oun is
the particle of conclusion and in compound with ara
this draws together a very strong conclusion. He is wrapping up an argument here.
Why? The argument began all the way back in 5:1—it was for freedom that Christ
set us free. So in these last two chapters Paul has been taking the
implications of the doctrine of justification by faith and sanctification by
faith to its conclusion to show how it impacts our relationships. In 5:1 he
brought in the idea of freedom from the sin nature, and then in v. 13 he talked
about the importance of the royal law of love, “through love serve one another.”
Now he is going to expand that concept that impersonal love is not merely
directed to one another (other believers) but is to be extended to all mankind.
“…while we have opportunity” should be translated “while we still have time.”
[Tape ran out]
Galatians 6:11-18 NASB
“See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be
circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they
desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.
But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but
a new creation. And those who will walk
by this rule, peace and mercy {be} upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the
brand-marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.”