Galatians 6:7-9 brings us a clear message using an illustration from the field of agriculture. As in agriculture you plant and cultivate the crop you want to grow and harvest, so it is with our spiritual life; the message in these verses clearly warn us against living to gratify those inherently corrupted works of the flesh which lead to eternal death, but to keep sowing the good seed of God’s word and cultivating the works of the Spirit which lead to eternal life. Romans 8:2 tells us that we have been “made free from the law of sin and death” when we received “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”. This is not just a one-time operation for time and eternity, but is a continuous experience in which we must now cultivate our garden as long as we have breath. Hebrews 12:1 likens this to running a race saying, “let us lay aside every weight” which would include things that seem perfectly legitimate, yet hinder our spiritual race, “and the sin which so easily ensnares us”, which would include gross sins, but also “The little foxes that spoil the vines” Song of Solomon 2:15. Failure to do so is a companion to pursuing evil. Proverbs 24:30-34 shows us the field (garden, in this case vineyard) of the lazy man that failed to care for it allowing it to become overgrown, covered with thorns and nettles, and its protection broken down! Let us prepare our field so the things of God can become deep rooted within us, and remove the thorns so they will not choke out His word and work, as Matthew 13:3-9 imply; yes we are encouraged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us”, and to “not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
The cultivated harvest
By Rose Hill
Day after day we must sow good seeds,
And at harvest time we won’t reap weeds.
We must learn in God’s laws to operate,
And all of His ways to appreciate.
With the law of life we do agree,
From the law of death Christ set us free.
We love our enemies the way we should,
And overcome the evil with the good.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version copyright …1982 by Thomas Nelson Co. used by permission