Scripture Reading: Gal. 6:7-16
Because the Galatian believers were missing the mark of God’s economy, Paul wrote them this Epistle in the attempt to unveil God’s economy and to bring them back to Christ. They had been distracted from the experience of Christ and the enjoyment of Christ to the keeping of the law and the practice of circumcision. Paul wanted them to turn back from the law and circumcision to the real blessing of God’s gospel — the blessing of the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit. This is the underlying thought in 6:7-16.
Paul’s concept was that those who were trying to keep the law and were practicing circumcision were sowing unto the flesh. In 6:8 Paul says that the one who “sows unto his own flesh, shall reap corruption of the flesh.” Then in verses 12 and 13 he goes on to say, “As many as desire to make a good show in the flesh, these compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For neither do they that are circumcised themselves keep the law, but they desire you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.” Paul’s use of the word flesh in these verses affords us a key to understanding what it means to sow unto the flesh. According to the underlying thought in this portion of Galatians, to sow unto the flesh is to practice circumcision and to endeavor to keep the law. Circumcision and law-keeping are both outward things. Paul strongly pointed out that the Judaizers boasted of circumcision in the flesh. They compelled others to be circumcised so that they could boast in their flesh. Paul even says that they desired to “make a good show in the flesh.” It was almost as if the Judaizers were saying, “Look at us — we have been circumcised. We have a sign in our flesh to show that we are circumcised people.” In Paul’s words, this is to make a good show in the flesh.
By seeking to make such a display in the flesh, the Judaizers were sowing unto their flesh, and the result was sure to be corruption. The Greek term for corruption does not mainly denote rottenness; on the contrary, the primary significance of this term is destruction. Those who were sowing unto the flesh by practicing circumcision were an offense to God, and God came in to destroy their religious system. Not too long after the Epistle to the Galatians was written, God sent the Roman army under Titus to destroy the city of Jerusalem with the temple and all that pertained to it. It was a most serious matter for the Judaizers not to give up law-keeping and circumcision.
In 6:7 Paul declares, “Do not be led astray, God is not mocked.” God is the Creator, the Administrator, and the One operating all things in the universe. He is not mocked by those who stand against His economy. When He decided to put aside the law and circumcision, who had the right to stand against Him? What right did the Judaizers have to continue the practice of circumcision when God Himself had abolished it? By maintaining this practice in order to make a fair show in the flesh, the Judaizers were rebelling against God’s governmental administration. Such rebellion, a real sowing unto the flesh, was bound to issue in corruption, in destruction.
As believers in Christ, we need to sow unto the Spirit. God’s economy is to give us Himself as the Spirit. We should take the Spirit as our aim, our goal, and not be so foolish as to aim at the law or circumcision. God’s goal is to become the all-inclusive Spirit in us for our enjoyment. What reason could we have for not aiming at such a marvelous goal?
When we see God’s goal in His economy, we can realize how foolish the Judaizers were. We can also understand why God would send the Roman army to destroy the system of Judaism. It is a matter of utmost seriousness to insist on law-keeping and circumcision when God has made a change in His economy. Such insistence is offensive to God and is rebellion against Him and His economy. Nothing is more pleasing to God than to take the all-inclusive Spirit as our goal and to sow unto the Spirit. If we sow unto the Spirit, we shall reap eternal life.
The consummation of eternal life will be the New Jerusalem. In the New Jerusalem there will be neither the law nor circumcision. Instead, there will be the river of water of life flowing with the tree of life. This is life eternal. The New Jerusalem, the ultimate embodiment of eternal life, will be the consummate issue of our sowing unto the Spirit.
After pointing out that the Judaizers wanted the Galatian believers to be circumcised so that they could boast in the flesh of the Galatians, Paul says, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” Instead of boasting in circumcision, Paul boasted in the cross of Christ. Circumcision is a shadow, but the cross is the reality. Whereas the Judaizers boasted in the shadow, Paul boasted in the cross through which the entire religious world — Judaism, the law, ordinances, and circumcision — was crucified to Paul. Furthermore, Paul could boast in the cross by which he had been crucified to the religious world.
In verse 15 Paul went on to say, “For neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything to God. What matters to Him is a new creation. Through the cross of Christ the new creation was brought in. This new creation is the rule by which the believers should now walk (v. 16).
As we have already pointed out elsewhere, the world in verse 14 is primarily the religious world, as indicated by verse 15. Paul could say, “Judaism has been crucified to me, and I have been crucified to Judaism. On the cross of Christ, the law, circumcision, and all the Judaistic observances have been crucified. At one time, Judaism was my world. But through the cross of Christ this world has been crucified to me, and I have been crucified to it.” By the cross Paul was separated from Judaism. Therefore, he could declare that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision was anything. The only thing that avails is a new creation.
Paul’s mention of the new creation in 6:15 gives us the reason for sowing unto the Spirit. The result of sowing unto the Spirit is a new creation. Hence, we should sow unto the Spirit for the new creation. However, if we care for law-keeping and circumcision, we shall sow unto the flesh. Circumcision does not change the old creation, for it cannot change our nature. Circumcision cannot regenerate us, give us the divine life, or transform us. After a person is circumcised, he remains the old creation. But when we aim at the Spirit and sow unto the Spirit, the Spirit makes us a new creation.
We have seen that the phrase “unto the Spirit” means to aim at the Spirit and to take the Spirit as the goal of our living. Therefore, to sow unto the Spirit means that our life, living, and walk all must aim at the Spirit.
In 6:8 Paul charges us to sow unto the Spirit. Sowing involves all that we say and do and all that we are in our daily life. We should not think that after we say or do a particular thing there will be no consequences. No, whatever we say or do is an act of sowing that will eventually produce a harvest and be reaped by us. We Christians are sowing all the time, and we shall reap what we sow. Instead of sowing unto the flesh, we should sow unto the Spirit, with a view to the Spirit. This means that we should take the Spirit as the goal of our sowing. The Judaizers were absolutely for Judaism. They focused their attention on the law, circumcision, and dietary regulations. Their aim in life was to carry out the law, circumcision, the ordinances, the regulations, and the keeping of the Sabbath. Their goal was Judaism and nothing but Judaism. The Judaizers were exceedingly ambitious to keep the law, to practice circumcision, and to fulfill all the regulations and ordinances of their religion. They were absolutely for Judaism, even at the cost of their lives.
Paul’s aim was very different from that of the Judaizers. His goal was the Spirit, the all-inclusive Triune God. This was his only goal, and he was willing to forget everything else for it. Everything Paul did was unto the Spirit. What is the aim of your life? Can you say that you are aiming at the Triune God, or are you aiming at something else? How wonderful to be able to say that the Triune God is our goal, and we are aiming at Him.
In doing many different things we need to aim at the Spirit. Our goal should be to gain the profit which comes from aiming at the Spirit. To say that our goal is the Spirit means that our goal is the processed Triune God. In whatever we do, we should have the assurance that our goal in that thing is the Triune God. To sow unto the Spirit is to take the processed Triune God as our goal in life.
For us today, the Triune God is not merely objective. He is the Spirit as the aim of our daily living. For the Jews and even for many Christians, God is only objective. But to us, God is also subjective, for He dwells in our spirit to impart grace to us. Hence, our God is not merely the object of our worship; He is also the life-giving Spirit in our spirit. This indwelling One should be our goal.
We all need a governing, directing, controlling vision of the Triune God as our goal. If we see this vision, we shall be governed and directed by it. I can testify that by the Lord’s mercy I saw this vision more than half a century ago, and I have not been distracted from it. This vision continues to control, govern, and direct me. My life is not aimless, for I have a definite goal. Throughout the years, the vision I have seen concerning the Triune God as my goal has strengthened me and upheld me.
If we see the vision of the Triune God as our goal, we shall not sow unto the flesh, but unto the Spirit, the all-inclusive Triune God dwelling in our spirit. This living Person should be our goal, and we should aim at Him in all we do, say, and are.
Paul knew that the Galatian believers were mistaken in aiming at the law and circumcision, which God had repudiated. He wanted them to come back to the life-giving Spirit, the One who is the totality of the blessing of the gospel. It seems as if Paul were saying to the Galatians, “Believers in Galatia, come back to the Spirit, take Him as the goal of your living, and aim at Him. This Spirit is the all-inclusive blessing of the gospel.”
Taking the Spirit as our goal is quite different from trying not to love the world. We were created with the capacity to love. We all need to love something. If you offer people something to love that is better than the world, they will love that instead of the world. However, because people have nothing better, they love the world. It is too shallow to charge Christians not to love the world. As human beings, we have the desire to love something, and this desire needs to be fulfilled. If it is satisfied by loving the Triune God, the One who is real, living, present, and subjective to us, we shall have no capacity to love the world. Something infinitely better than the world — the Triune God as the life-giving Spirit — has taken full possession of us. Believers are delivered from loving the world not by teaching, but by loving the Triune God and being filled with Him.
After I had preached the gospel one night in the city of Nanking many years ago, a young woman said to me, “Mr. Lee, I agree with all you have said, and I appreciate the Christ you preach. However, I love the theater very much, and I want to know whether or not I shall have to give up the theater if I become a Christian.” As I considered how to answer her question, I noticed that her little boy was with her. Then I said, “Suppose while you are talking with me your son picks up a sharp knife and plays with it. What would you do?” She told me that she could deal with the situation very easily by offering the child several pieces of chocolate candy. She told me she was sure that the child would drop the knife and fill his hands with candy. There would be no need to tell him to put the knife away, because he would be fully occupied with the candy. I said to her, “Don’t you realize that attending the theater is like playing with a sharp knife and Christ can be compared to that candy? If you fill your hands with Christ, you will have no interest in this ‘knife.’” She smiled and said that she was pleased with my answer. This incident illustrates the fact that it is not necessary to teach believers not to love the world. We need to present something better to occupy their love. Our need to love is filled by taking the Triune God as our goal. This goal is immeasurably greater than anything the world has to offer.
If we sow unto the Triune God, we shall walk by the Spirit. Then spontaneously we shall be the new creation in a practical way. The meaning of the new creation is that God, the divine Spirit, mingles Himself with us and constitutes us with Himself to make us new. The ethical teachings of Confucius may improve people’s behavior, but they cannot reconstitute anyone. But when we aim at the Triune God and walk by the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, the Spirit imparts the divine element into us and reconstitutes us with it. As a result, we no longer remain the old creation but become a new creation with a divine element wrought into us. The ultimate issue of this will be the New Jerusalem.
Today the church people in the Lord’s recovery are undergoing the process of becoming reconstituted of the divine element. We are not aiming at self-correction or self-improvement. Our goal is not to learn patience or to develop the capacity to suffer. Such things are not the new creation. The new creation is a matter of God’s chosen people taking the all-inclusive Spirit as their goal, aiming at Him, being one spirit with Him, and, as a result, having the divine element transfused into them to reconstitute them and make them new.
In 6:16 Paul says, “And as many as walk by this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.” The rule in this verse is not that of keeping the law, improving ourselves, or obeying religious ordinances. The rule is to aim at the Triune God and walk by Him. Those who walk by this rule will have peace and mercy.
