Sowing and reaping. A fundamental biblical principle. Elementary to the operations of agriculture, the four seasons of our year and the five-minute offering motivation in a Sunday morning service.
Its literal absolutes are relied upon by humanity and its simplicity allows for its transfer into synthetic economic operations and even metaphorical illustrations. Sowing and reaping’s cycle of reliability together with the subconscious level of comfort it provides us is precisely the reason we structure much of our activities accordingly.
The magnitude of the law of sowing and reaping means it’s influence permeates all that we do both knowingly and even unwittingly. God has established it in creation and this natural law has been perpetuating growth and the circle of life and death ever since.
With this theme in mind, stand back for a while and contemplate how much the law of sowing and reaping influences your lifestyle. Is it the undergirding principle of our work life? Does it determine our income and opportunities? For some it may even determine how much leverage might we get with our Pastor. (I hope not, but it does happen).
Are we secretly doing things that produce a good harvest? Are we secretly doing things that are bring a bad harvest? Even our bodies respond to what we put into them, good health or bad health is determined by what goes in; indicating that even health is a harvest.
What a comfort it is to be sustained by universal law.
Then there is grace, and grace is bigger, grace is broader, and grace is better.
The problem we face is that in a sinful world the law of sowing and reaping also entraps us. One small sin can produce a large harvest of devastation. Our sinful bodies, no matter how much good food and gym work we sow into them are still on their way to a harvest of declining health, decay and death.
The evolutionary principle placed in seed means that parental addictions and failures can often be passed down to children, producing a harvest of pain and sorrow.
Grace
Grace does not regard, or come under the power of sowing and reaping, it does not need undergirding or overseeing. Grace is the alternate dominating principle of life, growing its own unexpected and mysterious crop. Grace is the seed of life and new creation, the harvest of righteousness.
Grace speaks better things, hopes better things and produces better things. Grace is first and last. Grace is not engaged by our abilities to put something in the ground or offering basket, it is the offering to end all offering and the sacrificed seed to end all sacrifice. Grace is the abundant harvest revealed by the faith of God.
Creation was complete before any seed or plant had ever began its cycle through natural means (Genesis chapter 2 verse 5). Evidently the law of sowing and reaping needs conditions met (Rain and a man). Whilst grace just needs God and his Word. John the apostle said the law was given through Moses (conditions) but grace and truth ‘Became’ (Greek: Ginomai, think ‘genome’) through Jesus Christ! (John chapter 1 verse 17). Moses gave conditions for life. Jesus came as life!
As Christians we forget that it is not what we put in that gave us new life, but what God put in. Abraham our Father had no seed left to sow, his body past it’s best before date. Yet the seed of grace was placed in his line, a seed which overcame and still is overcoming the curse of bareness and death and repeated attempts at extermination. Through Jesus Christ the harvest has even produced outside of its own genealogical lineage, now being found in every nation in earth.
Next time you worry that we don’t have enough to give or haven’t given enough and that we can’t keep pace with the world and its hyper productivity; Or that we can’t shake the harvest our reaping from our ancestor’s sins, remember Abram and Sara. Both had nothing to give, yet the grace of God made them alive and productive!
Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap, they don’t even have savings! Yet 'your' heavenly Father feeds them! Won’t your Father look after you, being worth so much more? (Matthew chapter 6 verse 26). Stop killing yourself on the unending hamster wheel, we have more freedom than the birds of the air! Receive grace.
Grace is bigger. Grace is broader. Grace is better.
Joshua Robbie is currently serving the Lord under Pastors Ronnie and Shirley Naidoo of KZN Celebration Centre in Tongaat South Africa. He and His wife Rene’ moved from Australia to South Africa in April 2016. Their desire is to help in whatever way they can so that the church can become all that God has purposed her to be. Josh also enjoys sports such as surfing, basketball and boxing.
Josh Robbie's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/josh-robbie.html