Galatians 6:7-9 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 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. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Within our text, Paul enlightens us to the thoughts of a coming harvest that awaits all men. On four separate occasions in three verses, Paul emphasizes the phrase, “shall . . . reap.” The idea behind the phrase is the harvesting of a crop. Notice that previous to the announcement of the coming harvest, Paul pauses to set forth a stern warning; “Be not deceived; God is not mocked.” For the most part, I am unsure that we really grasp the gravity of Paul’s warning. With respect to the subject of the warning, Paul deals with the tendency of man, “Be not deceived”, in light of the terror of the Master, “God is not mocked.” When you study the word “mocked” it means to make mouths at so as to ridicule. I feel Paul’s emphasis is on failing to take God seriously concerning the creature’s accountability to his Creator as seen in light of eternity. This thought is reinforced by the word “deceived.” It means to roam from safety or the truth, to go astray, to seduce, to err or be out of the way. When left to one’s self, it is the tendency of man to turn from the truth and the way, so as to embrace that which is not true.
One such man that needed to hear and heed Paul’s warning is found in our Lord’s parable in Luke 12; “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” (vs.20). If we are to benefit from the Scriptures, it is necessary to determine by what means he was deceived. In consideration of the parable, we see that he was deceived by self, “And he thought within himself” (vs.17). The basic idea is that he considered his situation, he reckoned, deliberated, and discussed it with himself. The end result was, he deceived himself by coming up with a word from the flesh rather than a Word from the Father; “even so the things of God knoweth no man” (I Corinthians 2:11). James said of this self-deception, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:14).
He was deceived by the season, “laid up for many years” (vs.19). As he rose from his bed and looked out over the start of a new day, he never thought that tonight might be the night; “this night thy soul shall be required of thee” (vs.20). There is uncertainty with respect to the substance of the season, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1) and the shortest of the season, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). The thread of life is in the hand of God “seeing he giveth to all life, and breath” (Acts 17:25).
He was deceived by the substance, “thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (vs.19). Somehow this man had come to the faulty perspective that he would never run out of time until he ran out of treasures! Substance adds neither length nor leisure to one’s days. Substance doesn’t insulate one from death, disease, depression or any other maladies associated with living in a corruptible tabernacle, in corrupt habitat. Neither the presence nor the absence of material substance shelters one from the time of death; “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
When considering the coming harvest, it would be worth giving serious consideration the Paul’s warning; “Be not deceived; God is not mocked.”