DECISIONS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES 

 “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” (Galatians 6:7-8). 

LESSON 3: TWO MORE PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER 

Again, let us look over our original list of potential decisions found in the introduction and use the next two of the four principles to make an application to each one.  What decisions would we make as we keep each principle in mind?  Let us make the decisions that would bring eternal treasure and not the temporary satisfaction of the fleshly desires. 

Second Principle:  LIVING TO REAP ETERNAL THINGS 

The theme of this series of lessons comes from the passage in Galatians 6:7-8.  We are not to live yielding and sowing to our fleshly desires; we are to live yielding and sowing to a spiritual attitude that is minding spiritual things.  Such a mindset will cause us to reap an eternal reward. 

We are either in the flesh or we are in the spirit.  If we are in Christ, we should be in the spirit.  Such individuals do not walk after the flesh, minding the things of the flesh.  The “flesh” is a carnal mind that is at enmity against God.  That mind not only reaps corruptible things but death itself.  The fleshly mind will always be yielding and sowing according to its own desires.  Those who are in the spirit walk after the spirit, minding the things of the spirit, yielding and sowing according to the spiritual mind.  This spiritual mind reaps life and peace—eternal things (Romans 8:4-9). 

Colossians 3:1-3 tells us that we are to be seeking those things above, having our mind on things above, not on the things of the earth.  Our decisions should be made minding spiritual things, with an eye on things above and how our decisions will affect those eternal things.  We should be living and deciding to bring increase to the spiritual and eternal, not the fleshly and temporal. 

Here is how the Father inspired Jesus to say it: lay up treasure in heaven, not upon earth.  Either we decide to do the things that bring earthly treasure; or we decide to do the things that bring heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:19-21). 

Galatians 5:17 tells us that the flesh and spirit are contrary one to another.  We will either walk after the spirit or we will walk after flesh; we can’t do both.  As we learned in our last lesson, we can not serve two masters, because either we live to satisfy our fleshly desires and bring treasure on earth, or we live to sow to and bear the fruit of the spirit and build treasure in heaven. 

We are to be those who have put to death the affections and lusts of the flesh, living and walking in the spirit (Galatians 5:24-25).  Our decisions should reflect this.  They should not suggest that we are yielding to the affections and lusts of the flesh, but should suggest our desire to have eternal treasure in heaven. 

Do we not know and understand that sowing to the flesh to satisfy its lusts, laying up treasure on earth, and being a friend of the world; makes us an enemy of God?  Do we want to make decisions that make us a friend of the world and an enemy of God (James 4:1-4)? 

Either we love the world or the Heavenly Father; we can’t love both.  Do our decisions suggest a love for the world and the things it offers or a love for the Father and His things?  We need to be living for eternal things and not the temporal (1 John 2:15-17). 

Let us make conscious decisions that would bring eternal treasure and not the temporary satisfaction of the fleshly desires. 

Third Principle:  LIVING BY FAITH, LOVING GOOD AND HATING EVIL 

In order to be just or righteous, we must live by faith (Romans 1:16-17).  The Lord’s admonition to us is to walk by faith and not by sight.  As we live and walk through life, making decisions along the way; we need to make sure the decisions are made by faith that He knows what is best for us in every case (2 Corinthians 5:7). 

Faith is the substance (confidence) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen, being persuaded of the promises of God (Hebrews 11:1; Heb 11:13).  Faith (in God), what we believe, can only come by the word of God.  To live and walk by faith is to live and walk by God’s direction in His word.  To make decisions in faith, is to make decisions based on the word of God, the scripture (Romans 10:17). 

We must remember that His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).  To be wise we must turn from the wisdom of this world (walking by sight) and count it foolish.  To walk by our own thoughts and wisdom and experience or the philosophies of men, is to walk by sight and is foolishness with God (1 Cor 3:18-19).  For example: the world tells us to sow to the flesh; live for today and for this life; eat, drink and be merry.  But the Lord tells us to sow to the spirit, live for the reward of everlasting life in eternity (Galatians 6:8). 

The rich man walked by sight using his own wisdom (that of the world), laying up treasure for himself.  Instead he should have lived by faith, according to God’s direction, by being rich in good works toward God, laying treasure in heaven (Luke 12:16-21). 

(This section will be continued in the next lesson.)