May it please God to bless his
word to the prophet of our souls this evening. Let us turn to
the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians and we'll read
chapter five. The second epistle to the Corinthians,
Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, chapter five. We pray the Lord
will bless his word as we read it. For we know that if our earthly
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with
our house which is from heaven. If so be that being clothed,
we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan, being burdened. Not for that we would be unclothed,
but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who
also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are
always confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the
body, we are absent from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not
by sight. We are confident, I say, and
willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with
the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that whether
present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must
all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every man
may receive the things done in his body. According to that he
hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the
terror of the Lord, we persuade men. But we are made manifest
unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. For we commend not ourselves
again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf,
that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance
and not in heart. For whether we be beside ourselves,
it is to God, or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth
us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then were
all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live should
not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them
and rose again. Wherefore, henceforth, know we
no man after the flesh. Yea, though we have known Christ
after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are
passed away, Behold, all things are become new, and all things
are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word
of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you
in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God, for you hath made him
to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him. Well, may it please God to bless
us together this evening as we continue our meditation in the
epistle of Paul to the Galatians in chapter 6. And this evening
we'll read verses 6, 7, and 8. So that's Galatians chapter 6,
verses 6, 7, and 8. Let him that is taught in the
word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that
shall he also reap for he that soweth to the flesh shall of
the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit
shall of the spirit reap life everlasting and so as the Apostle continues
his letter to the Galatians He tells them this important truth
that those that are taught in the Word should communicate unto
him that has taught them and that is in all good things. And so clearly the Apostle is
referring here to those who receive the Word of God preached to them
by his servants because it tells us he that is taught in the word,
and is to communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. And that means, it's a fairly
broad statement really, this word communicate also means to
share. So therefore, those who hear
the word of God, those who are taught by the word, they are
to share, they are to communicate with those that preach to them. And of course this has a twofold
sense. It refers obviously to the need
that those who preach the gospel are to be kept and looked after
and maintained in natural things and also to be encouraged by
those who have been taught that speak of those things that they
have received and have been blessed by the teaching and have benefited
by it and therefore desire to glorify God. And it isn't a question
of bolstering up someone's pride, it's just being thankful to Almighty
God that there have been those who have been raised up to teach.
And of course the Apostle says, in all good things, that means
really it's a comprehensive statement which refers to natural things
as well as to spiritual things. And then he goes on to speak
these words, be not deceived. God is not mocked. And it's very
easy to be deceived in such things and to think, well, of course,
that which I've been taught is not true. And we reject it. Perhaps it doesn't agree with
our line of thinking. And yet we're told not to be
deceived. because the devil is a great
deceiver. And we should recognize that
he is always there trying to deceive us and to tell us the
things which are most surely believed among us, those things
which are true, true in doctrine and true in practice, emanate
from the word of God. And therefore we are to follow
the word of God and to not be deceived by the insinuations
of the evil one. And then he adds to confirm it
really by such solemn words, God is not mocked. Those things
which God has spoken, which he has said, are to be adhered to. And we're not to turn away from
them, and not to go in a different direction. However it may perhaps
disagree with our flesh, be not deceived, God is not mocked and
we should recognize that God is high and lifted up and we
as very small individuals mere grasshoppers as it were on the
earth we should not therefore think that we can decide what
is right and what is wrong we should ever keep to the word
the word of God and then the Apostle tells us these words,
for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption,
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting. Well we see here a tremendous
difference between corruption and life everlasting. And so
it's important to realize the Apostle directed the Galatians
to this great truth and the need to not sow to our flesh. That means not to do those things
which are pleasing to our flesh. We should do those things which
are pleasing to the spirit and those things which will benefit
our soul. And the things of the flesh do
not benefit our soul. They are the things of the world.
the things which we have a necessity to be involved with day by day,
but we are not to sow to them, we are not to encourage our flesh. On the other hand, we are to
sow to the Spirit. And what a blessing it is if
we are able, by God's grace, to do that. Now the Apostle is
an honest man, and when he wrote to the Acts, he said he hadn't
shunned to declare the whole counsel of God. And it is necessary
to point out those things which are right, those things which
are profitable, and those things which are not. We read together
in that fifth chapter of the Corinthians, very perhaps well-known
words but very important, in the 17th verse in this fifth
chapter, the second epistle of the Corinthians, the Apostle
says, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. We are
a different person because we possess the life of God in our
souls. We are born again of the Spirit
if we are indeed in Christ and we are a new creature. And therefore,
he says, old things are passed away. Behold, all things become
new. And what a blessing, therefore,
if we are able to therefore sow to the Spirit. In a previous
verse, verse 14, in this same chapter, the Apostle says, For
the love of Christ constraineth us. And surely this is the important
and leading consideration which will direct us to sow to the
Spirit, the love of Christ. It constrains us. What a wonderful
thing it is. to know that constraining in
our own lives to turn us away from wrong things, to turn us
away towards and in those things which are of God. And so what
a blessing it is if we are found sowing to the Spirit, because
the great blessing is this, they shall who sow to the Spirit shall
of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And we need to be conscious of
this again and again. Our life on this earth is but
a vapour which vanishes away. Our soul will live forever. And what a blessing therefore
if we are amongst those who are privileged to enjoy everlasting
bliss in glory. And to be found therefore reaping
life everlasting The Word of God does give this illustration
of sowing and reaping which we can understand, can we not? And
so may we be able to sow to the Spirit that we by the grace of
God might reap the amazing blessing of everlasting life, life in
glory with our Saviour. And not therefore sow to the
flesh which will reap corruption and we shall perish in our sins,
ever separated from God in that terrible place of darkness where
the worm dieth not. My friends, it's a very solemn
consideration and the Apostle obviously found it necessary
to write to the Galatians and we bless God that such words
are recorded for us today that we might be concerned therefore
to follow the gracious words and to not sow to our flesh,
but by the grace of God, to sow to the spirit. Well, may God
bless his word to the prophet of our souls. Amen.