SOWING & REAPING
INTENTION:
We can praise the
Lord for the Good in our lives, and praise Him within our bad—not because we
believe He brings the bad (He doesn’t bring bad), but that in the bad, we can
stay focused on Him.
When we live from the
Spirit, we reap the benefits (Life) of the Spirit.
When we live from the
Flesh, we reap the destruction of the Flesh.
It is not God
bringing injustice, calamity, hardships, trouble, and the like—this destruction
is a result of you, me, and everyone who lives out from the differing areas of
the Flesh (those unhealthy / unhealed parts).
But we also live out
from differing areas of the Spirit (those healthy / healed parts)—it is from
these parts that bring Life and Love to our own lives and the lives of those
around us.
I.
TOPIC:
We want to look at Sowing & Reaping.
Following our lesson on the Our Duality (Flesh & Spirit
/ Healed & Unhealed), we continue into the realities of what each bring to
our lives and that of the lives around us.
We know that our relationship with the Lord is not in
jeopardy based on what we do or do not do—but that does not mean we don’t jeopardise
our relationships here on this world.
We may not fully understand why we are the way we
are—whether nature (birth / DNA) or nurture (our upbringing). But it is our
responsibility to overcome that which is trying to limit, bind, or destroy us.
This is reflected in Jesus’s parables (Luke
15) about our healing, whether we are healing from things that are from our
ignorance (lost sheep), our reality (lost coin), or choices (lost son). We all
have our “why’s” as to what we sow and reap, but it is our healing that matters
more.
This healing often comes with a conscious choice to choose
life over death (Deuteronomy
30:19) in what we do / don’t do / act / react. When that come from the
space of the Spirit (healthy / healed parts), we bring Life and Love. When it
comes from the space of the flesh (unhealthy / unhealed parts), the result is death
(destruction).
Of note: When we tackle some of the verses that relate to
aspects of the flesh, it is not used (or to be used) as a means to create fear
in yourself or others. The “deeds of the flesh” and “fruit of the Spirit” have
no correlation to Heaven and Hell. We must never use or see Sowing and Reaping
as a means to fear / demean ourself or others.
The Lord is never holding us accountable for the flesh (what
it sows and reaps). Remember, He took all those “sins of the flesh” from us—as
we addressed, Righteousness as not being a behaviour (Bible Study Lesson 022),
but a state of being. Thus, Sowing and Reaping is not about Accountability, but
is just a representation of life.
God will not hold us accountable for our reaping of the
flesh (our sins of the flesh); but our society (this world) does. And because
the world is like this, the Lord wants to help us not suffer the consequences
of our flesh-sowing and flesh-reaping—both for you and for the other people
affected.
The only reason Sowing and Reaping is highlighted, is so
that we can discern the “why” from the outcome (reaping) of what transpired
beforehand (sowing). We can learn about the Lord this way—i.e., if the outcome
is destruction, it is not of the Lord (but the flesh)… which is Him telling us
“He cannot be mocked” (He didn’t bring the destruction, our flesh did). But
also, that if the result is destruction, we can instigate change in our own
life—acknowledging the flesh (unhealed / unhealthy) parts of us to push into
the healthy / healing (Spirit).
The Lord already knows the infinite details of why we do
what we do (stemming from Adam’s iniquity handed down generation-after-generation).
And it is not to expose us as evil or frauds, but to share with us His ability
to overcome that which this world (devil / programming / flesh) has done to us
to make us do those things. From that, we change our ways of thinking and
believing to align with Him.
He wants us to see the difference between His way of Love
and our earthly-learned ways.
We can tend to look at the Law as a guide for the “flesh”,
but it can’t be a guide because it caters to our human mind (flesh mind, not
spirit mind)—the power of sin is the Law. The flesh takes it upon itself as a
list of achievements to form its own “righteousness”. Yet, in God’s reality,
the Law points to Love (Romans
13:8-10)—something the flesh cannot achieve.
For my own reality, I have seen the destructiveness
(unintentionally) of those unhealthy / unhealed parts of me that make up my
flesh. And they were not things directly called-out in the Law, but still
caused destruction: People-Pleasing, Co-Dependency, Fawning, Poor Coping
Mechanisms, Lack of Boundaries, Religiousness, Judgemental, and more. None of
which, I discovered, adhere to Love or Life.
So where does that leave us regarding sowing and reaping?
Because of the duality we exist in, we sow both the seeds of
Life from the Spiritual realm, and the seeds of destruction from the flesh. Those
parts of us still passed down from Adam in conflict with those parts of us from
Christ. We cannot escape this duality / reality until our current body ceases
to exist, and we get our new bodies (when the Lord returns).
This example of receiving our new bodies in the representation
of sowing and reaping is what we will read here in the following verses—our
Christ-planted self is what we will reap (harvest) in the end. The same applies
to what we are planting and harvesting now on this earth.
From this, we will delve into the comparative examples of
flesh-sowing and Spirit-sowing, and the need to address what the flesh looks
like—for when we don't address the flesh (heal that part of ourself), we reap
from the flesh the unintentional consequences they bring. This happens, even if
it is not from our own flesh, but another person’s.
Jesus did everything from the Spirit, yet He faced the flesh
of everyone around Him that caused pains and hurts in Him. We live in a world
where persecution (internal and external) will happen to us. The Lord cannot
keep “bad things from happening” (Bible Study Lesson 024); for we have a
responsibility to keep our flesh dead and the Spirit alive (Bible Study Lesson
031).
It does not always feel easy to overcome the flesh—but would
you rather battle the ways of the flesh now (before destruction comes), or
battle the consequences (resultant life-reality) of it after the damage is done?
However, fret not when damage is done (though it brings
sorrow), we have the Lord who longingly wants to bring about healing and good from
what is destroyed. We truly have a Loving Father that knows all the
flesh-mistakes we will make, and does His utmost to bring Good out from it all
(Romans
8:28). We can trust Him, even in our mistakes!
II.
READING: 1
Corinthians 15:12-58 (LEB) {PoG}
Now if Christ is preached as raised up from the dead, how do
some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there
is no resurrection of the dead, Christ has not been raised either. 14 But if
Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in
vain. 15 And also we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we
testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if after
all, then, the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, Christ
has not been raised either. 17 But if Christ has not been raised, your faith is
empty; you are still in your sins. 18 And as a further result, those who have
fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have put our hope in Christ in
this life only, we are of all people most pitiable.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first
fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since through a man {Adam} came
death, also through a man {Christ Jesus} came the resurrection of the dead. 22
For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But
each in his own group: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at
his coming, 24 then the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and
Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For it
is necessary for him to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For “he subjected all things
under his feet.” But when it says “all things” are subjected, it is clear that
the one who subjected all things to him is not included. 28 But whenever all
things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one
who subjected all things to him, in order that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, why do they do it, those who are being
baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why indeed
are they being baptized on behalf of them? 30 And why are we in danger every
hour? 31 I die every day—yes indeed, by my boasting in you, which I have in
Christ Jesus our Lord! 32 If according to a human perspective I fought wild
beasts at Ephesus, what benefit is it to me? If the dead are not raised, let us
eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived! “Bad company corrupts
good morals.” 34 Sober up correctly and stop sinning, for some have no
knowledge of God—I say this to your shame.
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with
what sort of body do they come?” 36 Foolish person! What you sow does not come
to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body which it will
become, but you sow the bare seed, whether perhaps of wheat or of some of the
rest. 38 But God gives to it a body just as he wishes, and to each one of the
seeds its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same, but there is one flesh of
human beings, and another flesh of animals, and another flesh of birds, and
another of fish, 40 and heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the glory of
the heavenly bodies is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly bodies is of
another kind. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon,
and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory.
42 Thus also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in
corruption, it is raised in incorruptibility. 43 It is sown in dishonour, it is
raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there
is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus also it is written, “The first man, Adam,
became a living soul”; the last Adam {Christ Jesus} became a life-giving
spirit. 46 But the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
47 The first man is from the earth, made of earth; the second man is from
heaven. 48 As the one who is made of earth, so also are those who are made of
earth, and as the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And just as
we have borne the image of the one who is made of earth, we will also bear the
image of the heavenly.
50 But I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood is not
able to inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit
incorruptibility. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all fall asleep,
but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last
trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed. 53 For it is necessary for this perishable body to put
on incorruptibility, and this mortal body to put on immortality. 54 But whenever
this perishable body puts on incorruptibility and this mortal body puts on
immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:
“Death is swallowed up in
victory. 55 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is
the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ! 58 So then, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour is not in
vain in the Lord.
III.
RELATED VERSES AND QUESTIONS:
A. We
tend to “blame God” for when things go wrong in our life; but this is why He
says not to mock Him as it is not Him doing it—He is saying, “you (not because
of Me) are reaping what you sow from the flesh”. If we believe the Lord is the
one bringing destruction (against our want for Life), then we might as well not
try (hence Paul using the phrase, “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we
die”). But because the Lord isn’t bringing destruction, we can use that as encouragement
to not give up “doing good” (i.e., sowing from the Spirit). When we do this, we
build ourselves and others up, bringing life to a situation (life now and life
eternal). It may go against our “gut” or “heart”, but that is why it feels as a
sacrifice—keeping dead the flesh.
Galatians
6:7-10 (LEB)
Do not be deceived: God is
not to be mocked, for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap, 8 because
the one who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the
one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 And let us
not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not
give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and
especially to those who belong to the household of faith.
Question: Is it hard to keep trying to do good
in a world that feels so destructive? Does it feel like a risk of losing
something when you choose to do from the Spirit—do you feel the conflict?
B. We
are given the truth about what is of the Spirit and what is of the flesh. It is
a simple comparison of the two realms to force us to discern the two. Yes, the
flesh can deceive us into thinking we are “doing good”, which (often done unintentionally)
goes against the Spirit. When we live from the flesh, we don’t experience that
Kingdom of God in that specific area of our lives (that presence of
Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit). And let us not use God’s
freedom to live a life of the flesh (that bringing destruction)—which is Him
saying, “I don’t hold you accountable; but I also don’t want you to suffer the
pains and heartache that can come from the flesh” (if these things do bring
suffering to you or others).
Galatians
5:13-26 (LEB) {PoG}
For you were called to
freedom, brothers. Only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the
flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in
one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” 15 But if
you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one
another.
16 But I say, live by the
Spirit, and you will never carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh
desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in
opposition to one another, so that whatever you want, you may not do these
things. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the deeds of the
flesh are evident, which are sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness, 20
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish
ambition, dissension, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things
like these, things which I am telling you in advance, just as I said before,
that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, {faith},
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those
who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh together with its feelings and
its desires.
25 If we live by the
Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. 26 We must not become conceited,
provoking one another, envying one another.
Question: What are examples and times you lived
by a flesh (unhealthy / unhealed self) that hurt yourself or others, and times
you lived by a Spirit (healthy / healed self)?
C. Sometimes it is less about our own actions, and
more about what comes out of our mouth from our unrenewed (wounded / hurt /
unhealthy / unhealed) heart. What we believe in our heart and say from our
mouth brings either Life / Love or destruction (Proverbs 18:21). We have to recognise that our heart and words are still affected by
this world—often filtered through our own reality / history, and received
through someone else’s own filters. But we can hold onto the truth that both
the Lord, and the results of sowing and reaping, reveal what needs changing.
Our heart and mouth can be renewed through the Spirit in us—we have to allow
Him to reveal and heal!
Matthew
15:10-20 (LEB)
And summoning the crowd,
he said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 It is not what goes into the mouth
that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.”
12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees
were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 And he answered and said, “Every
plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Let them! They
are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall
into a pit.” 15 But Peter answered and said to him, “Explain this parable to
us.” 16 But he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not
understand that everything that enters into the mouth goes into the stomach and
is evacuated into the latrine? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth
come from the heart, and these defile the person. 19 For from the heart come
evil plans, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, abusive
speech. 20 These are the things that defile a person. But eating with unwashed
hands does not defile a person!”
James
3:6-10 (LEB)
And the tongue is a fire!
The world of unrighteousness, the tongue, is set among our members, defiling
the whole body and setting on fire the course of human existence, being set on
fire by hell.
7 For every species of
animals and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is being tamed and has been
tamed by the human species, 8 but no human being is able to tame the tongue. It
is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and
Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought
not to be so!
Question: What have you said (or found on your
heart) that either brought blessing or brought cursing in life? Do you see the
duality of Spirit (Life / Love) and flesh (destruction)?
D. Our
flesh holds onto bitterness and is always self-seeking. Again, not from the
Spirit, but of that part of us that does not want to let go of the protection
or justification we feel by holding onto that bitterness.
James
3:13-18 (LEB)
Who is wise and
understanding among you? Let him show by his good behaviour his works, with the
humility of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in
your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom
that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where
there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil
practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle,
obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, non-judgmental, without hypocrisy, 18
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among those who make peace.
Question: What bitterness do you have (either
against yourself or another person)? How can healing bring about a release of
that bitterness?
E. We
are God’s creation—Born-Again out from this world into His child. Because of
this, we have the ability to overcome anything that we once were (our
iniquity-programming from this world). We are saved (continually being saved
and healed) from what we once were into who we have been made into.
Ephesians
2:1-10 (LEB)
And you, although you were
dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to
the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air,
the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all
formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will of the flesh and of
the mind, and we were children of wrath by nature, as also the rest of them
were.
4 But God, being rich in
mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 and we being dead in
trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), 6
and raised us together and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus, 7 in order that he might show in the coming ages the surpassing riches
of his grace in kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you are saved
through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is
not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his creation, created
in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may
walk in them.
Ephesians
4:17-24 (LEB) {PoG}
This therefore I say and
testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles walk: in the
futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in understanding, alienated from the
life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness
of their heart, 19 who, becoming callous {no longer feeling pain or grief},
gave themselves over to licentiousness, for the pursuit of all uncleanness in
greediness.
20 But you did not learn
Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard about him, and you were taught
by him (just as truth is in Jesus), 22 that you take off, according to your
former way of life, the old man, who is being destroyed according to deceitful
desires, 23 be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new man
(in accordance with God), who is created in righteousness and holiness from the
truth.
Question: What has your healing-journey (saving)
looked like? Do you recognise the flesh / Spirit duality more?
F. Even
in all the decay (spoiling / rotting) and darkness that is in this world, our
responsibility is to keep shining and keep preserving (salting) the earth. This
is Christ’s direct instruction to us. We represent Christ in our entire
being—both collectively and individually. Let’s keep this in the forefront.
This is the core of who we are in our Spirit (outshining our flesh).
Matthew
5:13-16 (LEB)
“You are the salt of the
earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, by what will it be made salty? It is good
for nothing any longer except to be thrown outside and trampled under foot by
people. 14 You are the light of the world. A city located on top of a hill
cannot be hidden, 15 nor do they light a lamp and place it under a basket, but
on a lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house. 16 In the same way let
your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and
glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Question: What are ways you can keep salting and
shining?
G. It
is less about focusing on our “sins” as it is focusing on our righteousness. The
Lord reveals in us our Spirit-self (His Created self in us) to set us free from
the flesh that so deceptively keeps us captive. We must not get trapped by a Law
mindset / heartset (Bible Study Lesson 038) that focuses on our sins
(for the Law is death); but with a mindset / heartset that focuses on our Spirit-self
as we change from “glory to glory”.
2
Corinthians 3:4-6;17-18 (LEB) {PoG}
Now we possess such
confidence through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves
to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who
also makes us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of
the Spirit, for the letter kills {v7: the ministry of death in letters
carved on stone}, but the Spirit gives life.
17 Now the Lord is the
Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all,
with unveiled face, reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed
into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Question: Is revealing a sin, or focusing on a
sin, what sets you free?
IV.
FURTHER THOUGHT:
A. Luke
15 (LEB) – Parable of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son
Thoughts: Read through these parables from the
perspective of a person healing (it’s not about Heaven / Hell), and with the
following awareness of what is being spoken of regarding “repentance” and “sin”:
·
For “sinner”: look at it, not as a person, but
about those unhealthy and unhealed parts of a person (the flesh parts of you
and me).
·
For “repentance”: the meaning of the word is ‘to
change one’s thinking’ (G3341);
thus, look at it not from the perspective of someone being Born-Again, but of
any person (or yourself) renewing that part of the mind to bring about healing
in that part of your / their being.
It is a representation of
us working out our now-salvation (Philippians
2:12). Heaven celebrates when we heal that part of our being—being set free
from the destructiveness that it was causing—now living that part of life from
the Spirit.
But, whether we do heal or
don’t heal, it will not change our eternal-salvation as Born-Again. This is the
sowing and reaping that Jesus referenced in the parable of the Seed and the
Sower (Matthew
13:18-23). Of the four seeds, only the first example was of a person not
being Born-Again; the other three were Saved, it was just that their fruit differed—for,
often, the pains of healing, anxieties, persecutions, and deceits limits our
Spirit-Life.
B. 1
John 2:12-17 (LEB)
I am writing to you,
little children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of his
name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known the One who is
from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered
the evil one. 14 I have written to you, children, because you have known the
Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known the One who is
from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong,
and the word of God resides in you, and you have conquered the evil one.
15 Do not love the world
or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father
is not in him, 16 because everything that is in the world—the desire of the
flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance of material possessions—is
not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away,
and its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.
Thoughts: I have found it difficult to address
the wrongs of word and action that I produce in my life. I did not fully see
all that has been in my life stemming from what I picked up from this world (a
result, for me, of much trauma in my life). And from that trauma came ways of
surviving that were detrimental to me.
Much of what I could see
in my life that was wrong (but could not fix) I believed the Lord was holding
against me—ready to always punish me for my sins. But then I came to believe
(as all these Bible Lessons attain to) that the Lord was not angry with me.
Instead, there was peace between Him and I (Romans
5:1). That changed my life forever!
But what didn’t change
right away was the things I was still doing that didn’t align fully with the
Spirit. Oh, yes, I could see changes in how I thought, believed, and behaved;
but it was not a one-and-done reality. No, it is a constant reality of change
that I (we) have to push into each and every moment.
Oh, how our dualities all
collide together in this world, bringing good and evil!
Yet, I find that the more
I heal from my old self, the more I naturally bring Life and Love into my
reality and those around me.
C. Deuteronomy
28-30 (LEB)
Thoughts: Read
through the guidance the Lord gave Israel as they had come out of slavery. What
they picked up (iniquities / negative nurturing) during their time in Egypt was
not aligned fully with the Lord. They knew that their life was not going well
under Egypt, so they sought after Him for the freedom. A freedom the Lord gave
to them. But they (as children) needed a form of guidance to understand what
would benefit them and what would not—as they really only knew and understood
they “ways” of Egypt.
So, then, why all the laws
and rules given by the Lord when they came out?
In our relationship with
the Lord, because He is perfect, there is no need to enforce boundaries—for He
will never hurt us. But humans hurt each other. Thus, humans need protective
(healthy) boundaries from one-another. Boundaries are only in place to help
protect us from imperfection: being taken advantage of (or taking advantage of
others). This sad but necessary reality is what is meant to establish a way of
life for us for our betterment. The Law exists where Love does not—and where
Love exists, the Law is fulfilled.
When you read their
journey into Egypt and in their Exodus and life after, take note the things
they did when given choices by the Lord. And see how their own choices (not God
forcing them) brought about life or death—in that they would reap what they
sowed.
But I want to be specific
here, the “curses” that came about were not brought about by (nor instigated /
put into place by) God.
This is as we read where “the
one who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh” (Galatians
6:8). We see how it is not God that brings about corruption, but our own
flesh.
God gave them a choice
with the capability to make the right choice, each choice brought about
blessing and curses due to sowing and reaping. God does not bring curses, He
brings Life!
Adam and Eve were the
first example of reaping what they sowed—they reaped that destruction (those
curses) into the world from their flesh-choice of eating from the wrong tree.
They brought the curses, not God.
Even when we read personal
stories of Abraham, King David, and so many others; they faced hardships in
life—not because God brought the hardships, but that their own actions /
inactions (and those of others) brought about the difficulties they went
through.
Jesus was perfect
(Spirit-led only), yet went through hardships because of the flesh of others
(His Disciples and the Pharisees). Even Jesus’s own flesh tried to keep Him
from the Cross.
Paul also faced his own hardships by other people (whether people like
Alexander the coppersmith or the Pharisees). Paul even faced a literal storm
because of his flesh choice to go to Jerusalem (Bible Study Lesson 043).
Again, God cannot be the
One to send the destruction, the destructions come from the flesh that exists
in this world (yours, mine, and everyone else’s).
The same “choosing of life
or death” as Israel faced, still pertains to you and me here and now.
A thank you to Kelly and Joshua who are inspirational in this life-journey. And to all the family, friends, sponsors, and donors who have fed into this ministry and outreach.
If you would like to support this ministry and outreach, you may do so via our website or at:
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