Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction;
Summary: A single meditation on this passage seems insufficient. The whole of human history is a testimony to the truth of Paul’s statement.
This passage brings to mind my personal battle with “theology.” “Theology” is a word that means “the study of God.” (There is also a branch of theology that digresses into the nature of belief, but this seems more akin to psychology than the study of God.)
There are two paths we must choose between when we study theology. The first path is choosing to study God as he has revealed himself to us. The second path is to study our thinking about God.
When we study God as he reveals himself to us, we adopt an attitude of humility before God. We acknowledge God as our Creator, and we acknowledge the truth of Isaiah’s words about God:
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)
Those who choose the second path study our thinking about God. Since our thinking is limited compared to God’s, we cannot see truth as clearly. Human thinking is prone to lead down paths that study human gods rather than the Creator of all things.
Our “flesh” likes to be in control. Our flesh does not like to submit to anyone else. The nature of the flesh is to serve our self-interest. This is the “self” that was awakened when Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3).
The danger of theology is that the “self” will twist our thinking about God from submission to God’s Word to making God’s Word submit to us.
How do we do that?
We subtly twist the meanings of the biblical texts so that they fit our human constructs. In short, we make God’s Word subordinate to our thinking.
How do we know this is true?
Let’s return for a moment to Paul’s list of “acts of the flesh.” Among the many items he includes are the following: discord, dissensions, and factions.
If you were looking for three words to describe the history and present state of Christianity, you would be hard-pressed to find three better words than these. Protestantism derives its name from the root word “protest.” Dissension in the Catholic Church led to discord and factions. Before that, factions between the Eastern Orthodox traditions and the Roman Catholic traditions led to discord of a different type.
Even now people want to control how others think about the Bible because that gives the flesh control over the message of the Bible.
For the record, there is only one church and Jesus Christ is the head (Ephesians 5:23). Anyone who says different “sows to please their flesh.”
Application: Keep your eyes on Jesus!
Food for Thought: Why does pleasing the flesh lead to destruction?
Why does pleasing the flesh lead to destruction?
The flesh and the Spirit are complete opposites. Our most fundamental choice as believers is choosing which to obey each day, each moment.
As believers pamper their flesh, give into its desires, we are feeding a monster that will grow stronger, and placing ourselves back bondage. The flesh is the enemy of our soul and wages war against it. The power over our flesh is the Holy Spirit of God, who convicted each of us of our sins, and is the righteousness of Jesus Christ dwelling in our hearts today.
God directed Paul to write about this in Romans 8, Galatians 3:3, 5:16-17, 1 John 2:16
Peter wrote, 2 Peter 2:22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”
When a believer chooses to return to the flesh, they will have the fruits of the flesh, the results, consequences of walking according to the flesh. Paul warns the Galatian Church that if they follow the flesh they will bite and devour one another because they will be consumed with selfish desires rather than a love for one another.
Thank you, Ron!
The power over the flesh is indeed the Holy Spirit! 🙂
I have my own thoughts on theology as well. But to stick to your question 😊, I think earlier in Galatians Paul answered this question well. Our fleshly, sinful nature finds itself in conflict with the desires of the Spirit. Since the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control; then we can expect the fruit of our sinful nature to be inconsistent with this – and it is. We do indeed go from self control to self destruction as we embrace the sinful nature instead of the desires of the Spirit.
Galatians 5: 16 – 21: So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever c you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Thanks Rich!
I know … my definition of theology is not universal. The analysis, however, stands on its own.
It is interesting, as you point out, how consistently our “flesh” opposes the fruits of the Spirit. I like your phrasing, “From self control to self destruction.”
I’m having a busy week so I’m short on time.
I enjoyed today’s devotion and agree with both Rich’s and Ron’s thoughts.
I would add only this:
Proverbs 27
19 As in water face reflects face,
so the heart of man reflects the man.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
and never satisfied are the eyes of man.
Pleasing the flesh leads to destruction because the “pleasing” is circumstantial, temporary, and is never enough to fully satisfy. One must consume others to please the desires of the flesh, and keep consuming.
Finding contentment in the Spirit is a never ending well of life. Life given from the Giver of life in abundance.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 But godliness with contentment is great gain,
for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Chris,
Thanks for making the time to share your thoughts!
I like the contrast between the consuming hunger of the flesh and the endless supply of life welling up from the Spirit.
“Well” said!
Why does pleasing the flesh lead to destruction?
Because that’s what my flesh has adapted to enjoy. My flesh is so corrupt that it wants to rule and have control over everything. It’s willing to destroy itself and anything that it can’t control so nobody else can make use of it. But I’m glad Jesus can heal and use those things my flesh used, twisted, broke, and discarded as useless.
Thank you, Tim!
You are so right! Jesus can heal and does! He brings healing to our bodies and our lives. Praise God!!