Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 2 Study # 2
October 13, 2013
Dayton, Texas
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1769 Translation:
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 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.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
1901 ASV Translation:
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.
9 And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith.
- I. The Danger: Deception.
- A. The issue of "deception".
- 1. This word's physical sense had mostly to do with being drawn off of the path that would lead to the right/best objective; as a metaphor, it means to present potent and convincing evidences of support for lies that are given the form of declarations of "truth".
- 2. Jesus used this term of a sheep which had "gone astray" (Matthew 18:12-13).
- 3. John used this term in the Revelation to identify the work of Satan/the devil particularly in respect to the use of "powers" that were so convincing that, if it were possible, even the "elect" would be deceived (Matthew 24:24 compared with Revelation 12:9; 13:14; 19:20).
- a. Since the "intelligence" of "the elect" cannot, of itself, keep them from being deceived, the only hope that any of us have is the willingness of the Spirit of God to show us the error in that which is being used to draw us away.
- b. The bottom line, then, is this: only God, by grace, can keep us from the delusions that our adversary presents. The only part we have in this reality is one: humility in active dependence upon Him (James 1:5 and 4:6).
- B. The nature of the deception.
- 1. Thinking that God will permit "mocking".
- a. This is a fundamental issue of "T"heology. God's inherent character disallows "mocking".
- 1) The word chosen is not the "typical" word translated "mock". This raises the question of why Paul would go to the "atypical" to express his meaning.
- 2) The word chosen for "mocking" is of a word group found only twice in the entire New Testament.
- a) Its root is a word that refers to the nose, or snout.
- b) Its use focuses upon making noises that are unpleasant to those who are the objects of the noise. A lion "roars" (Revelation 10:3) to instill fear in those who are fundamentally intimidated by what lions can do to those they consider either an enemy, or food. As a metaphor, the use moves from physical intimidation to "spiritual" intimidation through ridicule, rejection, or some other form of denigration.
- 3) God's inherent character is not only absolutely fearless (it is impossible to intimate God); it is absolutely opposed to any/every attempt to compel others to take actions that only have the intimidator's interests in mind. Not only is there "no fear in love"; there is no tolerance of fearful tactics in love. Even the doctrine of eternal Death is not designed to generate "fear" so much as to indicate the fact that God simply will not accept anyone whose approach to others is deliberately "fearsome".
- b. That "God is not mocked" means that He will not allow anyone to employ the tactics of fear without having them face Him for the employment of such. This is the point of Paul's declaration about sowing and reaping: you sow it; God makes sure you reap it.
- 2. Thinking that one can do "something" that will not "boomerang".
- a. The reality of a cause/effect universe is that every action splatters every person.
- b. The inherent essence of the action is what splatters on every person.
- C. The effective roots of "deception".
- 1. The relative slowness of "reaping" creates a sense that "it will not happen" ("where is the promise of His coming?").
- 2. The rather profound ignorance of just what it is that has "been sown" and, thus, what is to be "reaped". Who knows what he/she has set in motion by any given act?