For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
So, here’s the problem. These people who are sinning are going to reap corruption. The simple fact is, there is a chance that some of them haven’t believed in Jesus yet. Paul has made this clear in the letter earlier when he said that he was in labor until Christ was formed in them.
The simple fact is that those who call themselves Christians, but live like the devil will end up getting what they deserve. Although we don’t know what is in a man’s heart, there is a good chance that they are not believers if they show no concern for what is right. It could be that they have only tasted God but have not yet committed to His program for their lives. That’s what a seed is. It’s a little program that grows. If they are planting a bad program, it’s a bad sign that they are on their way to reap Hell instead of Heaven.
Even though we don’t work for our salvation, God makes Christians hate sin and want to do what is right. When a supposed “Christian” is loving sin, God won’t be mocked. He knows when they don’t believe. We need to treat them with the seriousness that their actions deserve and help them before they die in this way.
Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Context is always important in the Bible. Paul has been discussing how to deal with someone who is caught in a fault. It appears that, in context, Paul is trying to encourage the spiritual people to do the difficult duty of restoring the ones that were sinning. This had been a pretty harsh letter and, it would make sense that even though Paul couldn’t be there, he wanted those who were responsible to continue to work with those who were in the wrong. In this light, it is very likely that Paul is talking to the spiritual brother, about the unspiritual one. This gets more important as we continue. Notice how he uses the words “a man” here instead of “you.” He used “you” in verse one and there were other implied “you’s” in other verses. Because of this, I believe this is a part of the passage in which Paul is focused on the unspiritual man. This is not to say that the principle of reaping what we sow is not true for spiritual believers, it’s just that, as we will see, it has bad implications for those who are living in sin.
So, to the spiritual believers, Paul would be saying that it is a very serious thing for Christians to live sinful lives. We should not let them stay that way, but should realize that if they keep going, it will ruin their lives. Paul has asked that they help them even if it is a burden to them. You could imagine how difficult this probably was for Paul, being so far away yet knowing that something had to be done. This is like parents who had gone out for a special night alone, leaving their older children in charge for the first time. Later, when calling to check on them, they find out something is going wrong. This part of the letter reminds me of that parent trying to tell the older children how to take care of the problem over the phone.
It’s as if Paul is saying: It’s going to be very hard, but here’s what I want you to do, I want you to help them because if no one does, they could end up getting what they deserve instead of what God could give them.
But let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches.
Although it is true that we should pay our Bible teachers, it would appear that in context, this verse is talking about sharing a pattern of life. Paul was talking about restoring sinning brothers. It would be quite strange for him to say an isolated statement about compensation in the middle of this serous discussion about sin. I was told that the word here for share isn’t necessarily a word about pay. That makes it even more likely that Paul is referring to the earlier topic: restoring the sinning brother.
Listen to what Jesus said to His disciples:
Luke 6:40 :
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
Could it be that Paul really needed help here? He needed these spiritual believers to step up and take care of some difficult things. Paul needed the spiritual ones to take action to bring these sinning ones back.
Bible teachers are not permanently more spiritual than those they lead. Neither the teacher nor the student should see it this way. Instead, every student should seek to actually live like their teacher is living. This puts an enormous burden on the teacher, but God warned teachers about this. Even though preachers are not super-human, they should be serving as an example to those they teach.
When we think this way about pastors, it helps us select an appropriate church. We should be taught by pastors that live the life that we know we need to be living. We don’t go to church for a performance. The life of our pastor is a pattern for us. We should seek to live life in the pattern that he demonstrates. If a pastor doesn’t demonstrate the kind of life that everyone should be living, or is harming people, that kind of pastor should be avoided.
For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each man test his own work, and then he will take pride in himself and not in his neighbor. For each man will bear his own burden.
Here we have science in the Bible. God tells us by Paul’s letter that we should test our work before we take pride in ourselves.
This is a very interesting passage in that God is not against taking pride in work well done. What God doesn’t like is self deception. It isn’t good when we think we are bad when we are actually good or think we are being good when we are actually bad. This is where science is very helpful.
Science sets up a test and measures the result. Then you can assess yourself based on an objective or outside measure rather than on a subjective or internal one. We should test ourselves to see if we are really helping others with their burdens as I mentioned last time. Set up a test for yourself and see if you do anything for anyone else. Then think of yourself based on your actual behavior not on how you feel.
Notice that Paul speaks of two burdens in two very near verses. One burden is one that a person cannot carry without help, the other is the burden of helping others with their burdens. This is one that we are all expected to carry ourselves.
Notice that God is not a big fan of competition. He is more interested in an accurate assessment from His perspective. God gives each of us ability as He sees fit and it doesn’t make sense for us to compare ourselves with other people who have their own orders from God! If we compare yourselves to our neighbor, and God has given us a different task, we are taking pride in our neighbor’s inability to do our task! This is actually a very foolish thing to do because it hurts our neighbor while we are failing to do our job. One good thing about it is that if our neighbor bears our shame well, he will probably get a great reward in heaven at our expense!
Science: A good place to observe self deception is in some of what is called “science” today. God does believe in objective measure. He is not at all against science. In fact, the evidence of history indicates that Christianity helped science to become a benefit to mankind. What is passing as science in some areas today is not based on objective measure as you might assume. One such area is the biological evolution of life from non-living matter. This has never been observed, is not a part operational science and depends on interpretation of evidence. To make matters worse, some scientists reject evidence based on the fact that a witness observed something supernatural. Thus, their anti-supernatural belief is reported as science while leaving out key evidence from their discussion and assessment. This parsing of evidence is not objective but subjective based on a pre-determined requirement that the supernatural be excluded. The study of origins is history-science not operational science and depends on what you believe because the historical evidence must be interpreted. When a scientist chooses to leave out supernatural evidence, they demonstrate a blind faith in anti-supernaturalism. Unfortunately, this passes as science in the minds of many people in our culture today.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
There is still a law for us as Christians. It isn’t legalism in the sense that we are trying to perform for the favor of God. We already have God’s favor. It isn’t that we are trying to obtain personal righteousness. We have already been made righteous in Christ. This law is a household law. It is the rule of our family. If you were following through our study of John you are already be familiar with this law. Let’s take another look at it:
John 13:34-35 :
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Our law is to love each other, but not just to love each other, but to also love each other like Jesus loved us. God gives us his Holy Spirit so that we have the power to love each other as Jesus loved us. Let’s take a moment to reflect on this.
Jesus put aside his position by leaving heaven. Then He also stripped most of His power in order to fit into a human body. He also took on a miserable task for our sake. He never complained about it. He was ultimately brutalized, knowing ahead of time that it would happen. He did it for the joy have having you and I in the end. He also did it knowing that many would still reject Him.
Our law is simply to do that for each other. Yes, I know; I can’t do it on my own either. That’s why, by faith, I am counting on Jesus’ life in me to make this a reality. He obviously knows how.
Notice that Jesus bore our burdens all the way to his own destruction. We need a passionate love for each other in order to do this!
Notice what this is not. It is not sending your money into a Christian television show. I am not saying that this is always bad because it can be done in love, but some television shows don’t have a burden at all, and some perhaps should be burdened with guilt. There are other people who God shows you that have a clear burden that they cannot lift.
Recently, one of the worst earthquakes in my lifetime destroyed a part of Haiti. Millions of people were affected. It is clear that they needed our help more than many television shows do. There are Christians there that are obviously suffering!
God does not call us to give what we don’t have. God doesn’t want you to suffer either, but He does want us to focus on the burdens of others and to help in whatever way that God has given us ability to help. We should be focusing on what we can do, not on what we can’t do. Praying is something we all can do!
It is difficult to fulfill this law if you cannot own anything. Did you notice that? If the government owns everything and they do all of the giving, you cannot fulfill the law of Christ. This is why Socialism is an evil lie. It craftily removes the Christians ability to give from free will. If we don’t follow Christ’s law, He could very well take the privilege away from us for a while. Once you can no longer give, you really understand this. The inability to give is such tragedy that I plan to work the rest of my days so that I have to give to others. May God help our brothers and sisters in Haiti and in other places less well known where there are real burdens and may He fill us with His power to lift burdens.
Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted.
The Bible tells us that we should “restore” those in the Church who do something wrong. It is easy to take this verse out of context in our present culture. This verse is not saying that we should “ignore” the wrong and turn the other way. Paul talks about rebuke and restoration in other places as well. Here’s what Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 5:1-5 :
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife. You are puffed up, and didn’t rather mourn, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you. For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Obviously, this is not “light” matter. Sin in the church is serious and needs to be dealt with. It’s important for us to see that the goal is that “the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” This shows us that the goal was restoration. Now this isn’t the only thing that Paul says about restoration of a sinning Christian. Let’s look at his instructions to Timothy in the Bible:
1 Timothy 5:1-2 :
Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brothers; the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.
Notice that a rebuke of an elderly man, is handled differently. Notice that rebuke of anyone should be like talking to someone in your own family. Respect is a very important in the Church. Now dealing with accusations agains leaders also have special requirements:
1 Timothy 5:19 :
Don’t receive an accusation against an elder, except at the word of two or three witnesses.
We are not allowed start accusing elders individually. Leaders in the church have a special position that requires a different procedure. Even they are to be removed if they will not confess their sin after going through the right process.
Paul makes it very clear that all of these duties must be done in “gentleness.” Why? Because we are prone to do the very same thing and any pride in ourselves sets us up to do the exact thing that we are judging another for. If we have to perform this kind of duty, we are to do it watching out for ourselves!
I think that our churches would be happier if the path to restoration was made clear. If sin is tolerated in our churches, then Christians don’t have a clear path back to the Lord. This is important for the one who needs to be restored and for the whole Church. The goal is always to be to bring that person back into the church as soon as that person repents. That could even be immediate! The man in Corinth eventually repented and was invited back into the Church. Notice that this isn’t “excommunication!” It’s “restoration.” Children of God are always His children. If they persist in doing wrong, it is a sign that they may not be His children. We can’t tell, but if we turn an obstinate one over to Satan, then they won’t fool themselves and if they are sincere, they will return.
Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.
It’s good to perform well for God, but it is very important that we believe that it is God who is making it possible to perform. It’s easy to get confused about this because our world values self-reliance. God says that without faith it is impossible to please Him. The world tells us that you are your own god.
When we value self-reliance over faith it can lead to being prideful. It can also lead to provoking and envying each other. Individual performance creates an atmosphere of competition between individuals. When we focus on our own performance, it is easy for us to notice and flaunt the fact that we are outperforming other people. Life remains very self-focused when we live this way.
Focusing on ourselves can encourage those around us to do it too. This can provoke them to anger. They may become frustrated because they cannot outperform us. They may get angry because they disagree with our assessment of ourselves. If we find ourselves unable to outperform someone as we strive in our own power, it produces envy. Notice how little Jesus means to us when we think this way. It has nothing to do with Him and everything to do with our own performance.
God does expect us to do what is good, but He doesn’t expect us to perform it in our own power. God is pleased when we do what is good, but He is already pleased to start out with because we have been made righteous in Jesus. We start out with God’s favor and can never lose it. He may not like our lack of faith on the other hand. That lack of faith will cause us to behave poorly as we read here today. God still will always favor His children. He may not like their current actions and He may have to discipline them to bring them back to faith. Sometimes the discipline is severe and even involves death, but God still favors His children and because He does, he disciplines them.
This letter is one example of the discipline that God gives to children who start misbehaving. Our performance still matters, we just need to learn that our performance has more to do with our faith in Him than it does with our will and personal abilities. Our faith tells us that it is Jesus in us that makes the difference in our performance because it is His life that is in us.