God’s Unchangeable Laws

“Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:7-9, NIV

We are not surprised when we sow seeds from a packet of bean seeds, that beans begin to sprout from the seeds and in due course we are able to pick the harvest. Equally, we are not surprised when we plant seeds of forget-me-nots, that before long we can enjoy the delicate blue spring flowers in our garden. This is the natural law of God’s order. It is divinely written into the whole of God’s creation. What you reap is always a consequence of what is sown.

In exactly the same way Paul is telling us, through our Scripture for today, that the nature of the seed that we sow in our lives will also be evident from the subsequent consequences. If we sow to satisfy the base desires of our carnal nature we will, in due time, inherit death. But if we sow to please the Holy Spirit, then the ultimate fruit is eternal life. What an extraordinary contrast between the two crops.

Throughout Scripture we read the same fundamental message. Paul put it this way in his letter to the Romans, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). It is a message that the world does not want to hear – self-indulgence and the enjoyment of sin are considered to be the meat and drink of a godless generation. But as our Scripture says, God is not mocked and will not allow good fruit to come from bad seed.

So how should we respond when we suddenly realise that we have wasted time and character on a lifestyle which has left behind the scars of sin and there is bad fruit in our lives? The past cannot be undone, but, thanks be to God, true repentance is always followed by true forgiveness. We may still bear the scars of the past, which need healing, but the slate is wiped clean and God fulfils his promise which says “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

Many is the time I have wept with those who are weeping over their wasted years – but I have also been thrilled to rejoice with those who rejoice when forgiveness comes and a fresh start is made, this time sowing good seed – seed which please the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to always remember that what I sow in my life will always have consequences. Forgive me, Lord for those times when I have consciously sown bad seed – but thank You so much, for your forgiveness. I choose to walk in step with the Spirit of God and do those things that please Him. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.