Grace Abounds

A Sermon Series Through the Book of Galatians

“What It Means To Be Spiritual, Part Two”

Galatians 6:6-18

Introduction (Review)

1. Being Spiritual Involves An Accurate Understanding of Oneself (5:26)
2. Being Spiritual Involves Restoring and Bearing (6:1-5)

Church is a team sport not an individual event.

Expertise, Execution, Evaluation

There is mutual accountability (we hold each other accountable to sin in our lives), and we each share individual responsibility (I have my God-given job/task to do that is mine alone).

Being Spiritual Involves Staying Faithful to the Assigned Task (6:6-10)

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.

(v. 6) “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches,” – the church has the responsibility to help the brother who has fallen, then to carry their burden as needed, then to have a responsibility within the body – then together they “share all good things.” One party doesn’t do everything, there is a sharing of responsibilities, and then when things turn around all share in the good.

The heart is capable of fooling itself, “Do not be deceived,” Don’t allow yourself to be led away by the fleshly desires of your heart. Just because you want it, and don’t see a problem with it, doesn’t mean God will allow it or change His mind regarding it’s morality, “God is not mocked,” to sin and think that there are not consequences or that they are somehow immune from God’s standard of holiness is to mock the Lord and to mimic the world.

(v. 7) “whatever one sows, that will he also reap,” – Why is it that when you plant an orange seed, you don’t grow an elephant? Whatever you pursue and invest your life into, that is what is going to be produced in your life. There are rules to life, that if followed will produce certain results. Paul tells us the expectations of the sower, and answers the question, “what should I expect?” “There is a payday someday because a man reaps what he sows, You cannot outwit God; the crop you plant in the soil in the spring will inevitably sprout forth into the harvest of the fall.”[1]

(v. 8) “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, . . .” The flesh is that part of a Christian that he has not given over to the Spirit – its’ the sin that remains (Romans 7:18). When you invest and give over into that part of your being, you reap corruption. The word corruption is used of decaying food, it goes from bad to worse – moving from something beneficial to poisonous.

You are not going to sow into the flesh and reap something beneficial (sow an orange seed and get an elephant). “By obeying God out of the grateful joy that comes from knowing our status as children of God. When we do that, the idols which controlled our lives are dismembered and we are free to live for God.”[2]

“. . . but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” When the Christian sows to the Spirit they are focused on the things of God, that which is eternal, rather than the temporal things of the flesh and that focus will produce the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-23). Just as corruption goes from bad to worse, sowing to the Spirit allows the Christian to experience more and more of what it means to have eternal life. The focus is not on the time (eternity) but on the quality (free from corruption). As sin is removed from the Christian’s life, the quality of their life is better.

Ultimately, we will have to bear the responsibility for our own behavior.

(v. 9) “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” The farmer has to be patient, he doesn’t sow and reap the same day. The farmer stands and watches day after day, there doesn’t seem to be any change. But beyond what he can see, there is growth and development.

To grow weary is to become exhausted and give up – because you don’t see any change. Paul had experienced persecution, beatings, stoning, lies were told about him, etc. churches that he had planted were turning toward false teaching, but he knew beyond what he could see was a God who is on control and there is a plan to all of it – just keep pushing forward.

In agriculture you can plant a seed and within days know exactly when that plant will produce a crop. Taking out drought, insect swarms, etc., you can fairly predict with precision – not so with spiritual things. There is no Farmer’s Almanac for people. People are very hard to predict and there are just too many potential variables to say “we should be seeing a harvest by now.” In “due season” is God’s time table – so we have been givne a promise, so we must 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.

So as we wait for the harvest to come in, “as we have opportunity” does not refer to occasional opportunities that may arise in a believer’s life, but to the total opportunity of his present earthly existence.[3] We should do good as we have opportunity while we are here on earth. The season is open now, but we will not always have opportunity to do good. We are freed from sin, so that we can serve God by serving others – especially those “of the household of faith. This is Paul’s big push for the church to sow for God’s glory.

Three Reasons Not to Boast in the Flesh (6:11-18)

11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

Earlier in the book, he says to the churches in Galatia referring to their original acceptance of him and the gospel, 4:13-15 “You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you wat first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.” (v. 11) “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand,” “In the ancient world, people who used a secretary for writing their letters often added a concluding remark in their own handwriting to indicate the authenticity of the letter.”[4] The large letters indicating that he could not see well.

(reason #1) Paul now turns to the motives behind the false teachers; they “want to make a good showing in the flesh,” They were not concerned about pleasing God by inward righteousness, or helping a fellow brother grow in their relationship with God, but their focus is impressing other men by outward legalism. Circumcision was a way of hiding that you are a Christian by blending in with the Jewish people.

(reason #2) “. . . in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ,” – There was pressure in society to not appear to be anything distinct. It was acceptable to appear to be religious, especially Jewish. But to separate oneself from Roman traditions (including emperor worship which the Jews were exempt from), and then to be distinctly different from Jewish society puts you out there all alone with Jesus. They would use His name and gather in worship as long as there was no offense to the world around them.

If you are known as a Christian you were subject to public criticism, alienation, and rejection by other Jews. They would be subject to being thrown out of the synagogue, it would have been difficult to buy and sell food (hunger and starvation would result), people would have refused to do business with you.

The cross of Christ has always been offensive to the religions of works, “to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23). These Jewish false teachers identify themselves with the church, but not the cross. If you get circumcised you will not be offensive to the Jews, and to the Gentiles thereby giving you protection from persecution. So what’s so wrong with not standing out?

There is no salvation apart from the cross.

Justification by Grace alone, by faith alone, through Christ alone.

Because in order to blend in you have do religious stuff that has no salvation value, and you are not standing for “the cross of Christ” which is what truly saves you. Matthew 10:38 says, “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

There is an eternal difference between being religious (following ceremonies, rituals, being religious, etc.) to appear righteous (which doesn’t do anything except make you feel religious) and humbly living for Christ and walking by the Spirit and standing up for the cross.

13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

(reason # 3) “that they may boast in your flesh,” – This group of false teachers are not true Jews, they are claiming to be followers of Jesus, yet they are not true followers of Christ because they believe in a false gospel. They are trying to be religious by whatever comes along. Their religion was a sham – they were a bunce of hypocrites.

They did the circumcision part, but they did not keep the rest of the law. And if they could get these Galatian churches to follow their lead, then they could boast about winning them to God. They are using God’s name to cover their not keeping the law, and not submitting to the Holy Spirit. They are religious acting self-righteous hypocrites.

There are people who are very active in the church, who cover their sin with religious activity. They are not being changed day-by-day because they self-righteous, and they desire to move people to their way of being religious because of how it proves them to be right (in their own mind). You can appear to be religious at church and still be morally and spiritually bankrupt.

This was Jesus’ complaint against the religious leaders of His day (the Scribes, Pharisees, and the Sadducees), They were only concerned about how they appeared in market places, and wanted all the seats of honor, they placed heavy religious loads on others, but they did not keep the law themselves. Jesus again and again called them hypocrites.

Three Reasons To Boast in the Cross of Christ (vv. 14-18)

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

(reason #1) It is only through the cross that we are able to separate ourselves from the sin of the world, to put to death that which once held us captive. The world says give over to immorality and self-gratification – which we have already discovered will reap destruction. But to be separated from these things brings eternal life, purpose, we experience joy etc. We boast in the cross because it alone allows us to have a true relationship with God. When Paul says, “and I to the world,” he is saying that the world is losing its’ alure to Him as He loves for Christ.

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Paul recognizes that his boast which can also mean obsession – is the cross. He will not become obsessed with anything else except the cross. Which by the way to the Roman people was humiliating, disgusting, foul. The cross was designed to torture and slowly kill its victim. It was so heinous that a Roman citizen could not be killed by crucifixion by law. It was not mentioned in good All that blood, horror, nakedness, humiliation, and torturous dying was undignified. Nothing else would hold Paul’s obsession but the wretchedness of the cross.

“Boasting in the cross means more than simply believing that Jesus died for your sins; it also means living a crucified life.” When we place our faith in him, we are joined with him on the cross — we are crucified with Christ. Earlier Paul said, Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” When we place our faith in Christ, He then lives through us.

15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

(reason #2) As a Jewish leader, Paul had done everything within his own strength to live a life pleasing to God (see Philippians 3:5-6). He even discovered that as he was seeking live out in all his strength to please God, he was actually persecuting God’s own Son (Acts 9:5). We should boast in the cross of Christ because it has the power to do what we cannot do on our own. The power of the cross makes the believer a new creation. What counts for everything is a transformed life – that only comes through the power of the cross. The world is slowly losing its power over us, as we become more and more like Christ.

 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

(reason #3) The power of the cross has power to bring salvation “as for all who walk by this rule,” The rule of Christ is that salvation is available to anyone/all who places their faith in Him. Salvation is by God’s grace through faith. You cannot change to terms or the rules – but you can either accept the offer or refuse it.

“peace and mercy be upon them,” was a traditional Jewish benediction. Paul is saying that the blessing of peace and mercy that comes through the cross of Jesus was for all those who have placed their faith in Him. So when he goes on to add, “and upon the Israel of God.” “it is a way of saying that the church is the new Israel. There is continuity between the old covenant and the new, between the OT and the NT. The promises that God made to Israel are fulfilled in the true spiritual Israel, which are those who are followers of Jesus.

17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Closing, Poland 1984.

The government of Polish Prime Minister Jaruzelski had ordered crucifixes removed from classroom walls, just as they had been banned in factories, hospitals, and other public institutions. Catholic bishops attacked the ban that had stirred waves of anger and resentment all across Poland. Ultimately the government relented, insisting that the law remain on the books, but agreeing not to press for removal of the crucifixes, particularly in the schoolrooms.

But one zealous Communist school administrator in Garwolin decided that the law was the law. So one evening he had seven large crucifixes removed from lecture halls where they had hung since the school’s founding in the twenties. Days later, a group of parents entered the school and hung more crosses. The administrator promptly had these taken down as well.

The next day two-thirds of the school’s six hundred students staged a sit-in. When heavily armed riot police arrived, the students were forced into the streets. Then they marched, crucifixes held high, to a nearby church where they were joined by twenty-five hundred other students from nearby schools for a morning of prayer in support of the protest. Soldiers surrounded the church. But the pictures from inside of students holding crosses high above their heads flashed around the world. So did the words of the priest who delivered the message to the weeping congregation that morning. “There is no Poland without a cross.”

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[1] Timothy George, The New American Commentary, Galatians (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman and Holman Publishing, 1994) 423.

[2] Keller, 177.

[3] MacArthur, 191.

[4] Borchert, 334. See also 2 Thessalonians 2:2.