Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1916 — WE REAP WHAT WE SOW [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WE REAP WHAT WE SOW

Galatian* 6:1-10—June LL i Not the World, but the Church—Poor Soil and Involuntary Weeds Hereditary—Sowing Represents a Voluntary Act and Personal Responsibility. What Is Sowing to the Flesh?—What Is It to Sow to the Spirit?—What Shall the Harvest Be?

"God not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."—Verse 7. IT is true that every person has a responsibility for his every wilful act and word. It is true in a sense that every human being will have a harvest considerably in accord with his own wilful course in life. Evidently, therefore, every human being could profit from the words of our Golden Text and receive a blessing in proportion as he would follow the spirit of that text, r,

However, we are not to forget thaf the Apostle is addressing, not the worldly, but the saintly—the Church, which is composed .exclusively of persons who have left the world, turned thenbacks upon sin, accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Advocate with the Father, and consecrated their lives unreservedly to the doing of the Father’s will. Such, begotten of the Holy Spirit, are in the Bible styled New Creatures in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17.) To these, “old things have passed away; all things have become new’’—new hopes, new aims, new ambitions, new prospects, new standards. According to the Bible, God has great and precious provisions for the

world in the future, but not How. Now the Chu rc h of Christ is being selected from the world, to constitute the Royal Family of the future, when completed and perfected by the First Resurrection. Then this Royal Family, as God's Kingdom, will deal with the

Sowing Garden Seeds.

world of mankind, ruling, instructing, uplifting, blessing all the willing and obedient. Then the world will have its chance for sowing and reaping

The Soil and the Seed. The Christian’s heart is consecrated soil from the time when God accepts him as a child. Under Divine instructions special flowers and fruits are to be cultivated, styled fruits and graces of the Holy Spirit. All Christians obedient to the Voice from Heaven are seeking to eradicate the weeds of sin and selfishness, which spring naturally in their flesh because of heredity. Originally, Father Adam's flesh was perfect. The weeds of sin had not been planted. But now there is no pure soil; sin-weeds are everywhere. Every Christian who would have the consecrated garden of his heart fruitful, pleasing to the Lord, must wage a vigorous and continual battle against the weeds of sin, in order that his heart may be in condition to receive the good seed commended in the Divine Word. He must also battle against the thorns—the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches, which would choke the Word and make the life unprofitable.—Matthew 13:22. The Christian who would receive the Master's “Well done!’’ must be very diligent in the sowing of the proper seeds in his heart. Acts, words and thoughts are the good seeds; and they must be sown persistently. They will yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness—meekness, patience, gentleness, long suffering, brotherly kindness, love. —2 Peter 1:5-11. It is important that we sow good seed; and there is just one storehouse from which this is supplied—the Word of God. Whoever keeps this seed pure, free from contamination with worldly wisdom—“science falsely so-called’’— and from traditions of men—creeds—is best prepared to produce fruits and flowers of the Master's approval. What It Is to Sow to the Flesh. A mistake made by some of God's people is that of sowing to the flesh.

after having agreed to sow merely to the Spirit—in harmony with God’s will. Sowing to the flesh does not mean a thorough rebellion against the Lord, but rather the procurement and the sowing of bad seed —unprofitable seed. The spending of time, energy, money, etc.,

in the pursuit of pleasure, of earthly things or of earthly riches, whether successful or not, is sowing to the flesh. The tendency of all such neglect of the Christian’s covenant with God is toward corruption—death. Let us exhort one another to sow to the Spirit—in accord with the glorious promises of God. which we have accepted and to which we should be bending every energy in the development of the fruits of the Spirit, The Apostle urges that each Christian bear his own burden rather than to lean on the brethren; and that while seeking to do for ourselves, we« should be tender-hearted toward each other, yea, toward all men. If we find a brother of the Household of Faith overtaken in a fault, we should show our own spirituality in the manifestation of the spirit of meekness and kindness (toward him, remembering that we ourteelves might some time be overtaken In a fault. Our standing in Christ is not because of human perfection, but because of proper wills, good intentions, fully consecrated hearts.

Pulling Garden Weeds.