Galatians 6:7
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Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
God is not mocked--The Greek verb is, literally, to sneer with the nostrils drawn up in contempt. God does not suffer Himself to be imposed on by empty words: He will judge according to works, which are seeds sown for eternity of either joy or woe. Excuses for illiberality in God's cause (Gal 6:6) seem valid before men, but are not so before God (Psa 50:21). soweth--especially of his resources (Co2 9:6). that--Greek, "this"; this and nothing else. reap--at the harvest, the end of the world (Mat 13:39).
Open source ↗This chapter chiefly consists of two parts. In the former the apostle gives us several plain and practical directions, which more especially tend to instruct Christians in their duty to one another, and to promote the communion of saints in love (Gal 6:1-10). In the latter he revives the main design of the epistle, which was to fortify the Galatians against the arts of their judaizing teachers, and confirm them in the truth and liberty of the gospel, for which purpose he, I. Gives them the true character of these teachers, and shows them from what motives, and with what views, they acted (Gal 6:11-14). And, II. On the other hand he acquaints them with his own temper and behaviour. From both these they might easily see how little reason they had to slight him, and to fall in with them. And then he concludes the epistle with a solemn benediction.
Open source ↗6:7 you cannot mock the justice of God: God cannot be fooled by spiritual pretenses. All people will harvest the consequences of their actions (what you plant; see also Job 4:8; Ps 126:5; Prov 22:8; Hos 8:7; 10:12-15; Luke 19:21-23; 1 Cor 3:12-15; 9:11; 2 Cor 9:6).
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.
As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if it should produce, the foreigners would swallow it up.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,
With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.