Boasting in the Cross

You cannot sow to the flesh and get the benefits of the Spirit. Dr. Tony Evans says sin's pleasure is short-lived. and its payoff costly. When you feed the flesh, It will satisfy a desire, but it will produce a corruption.

This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. We tend to celebrate accomplishments that make us look good. But Scripture calls us to boast in something else entirely. Today, Dr.

Evans explains why the cross is really our only true source of identity and confidence, and how it redefines the way we see ourselves and others. Let's join him in Galatians 6. And now he comes to the law of sowing and reaping. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked.

Whatever a man sows, this he will also. Reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But the one who sows to the spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. This is the law of sowing and reaping.

The world is made up of laws. That is rules by which The world works. The most popular law, the most familiar law that we are. familiar with is the law of gravity. The law.

It's a law. means you can bank on that. consistently being true.

Okay, if you couldn't bank on that, a lot of things you do, you would not do. Because you're not sure whether that law is going to work or not. But because it is a law that is non-changeable reality to it. You can fly planes, you can drive cars, you can jump up and down. The law of gravity simply says in common colloquial language, what goes up must come down.

So, when it comes to a physical law of the world, it means. There is a consistent expectation and anticipation of what the outcome is going to be because the law is dependable.

So that's the law. Just as there are Physical laws. That govern our lives in the physical world. There are spiritual laws that govern our lives in the spiritual world. For everything visible and physical, there is an invisible and spiritual.

Precedent for that visible physical reality. One of those laws is the law of sowing and reaping.

Now, we've all referenced this in some form or fashion, but the law of sowing and reaping. Is a rule by which God operates. It's his law.

Okay, so it's God's law. And the law is stated. directly in verse 7. Do not be deceived. Don't fool yourself.

God is not. Mark.

Okay. To mock is to turn up the nose at something or someone. That's what it means to turn the nose up.

So it may not look like the law is working. Right now. But don't be deceived. Because just because you don't see the law activated right now doesn't mean the law doesn't exist. God is not mocked.

You can't make fun of him and win. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also. Reap. It is a universal law.

Now to understand this law. He says you must think. You must think. Agriculturally and not industrially. or technologically.

Because sowing and reaping is farming. He says, in this law. It says, Whatever a man sows, that will he reap. In other words, What you plant is what you get. You don't plant corn and get potatoes.

You don't plant potatoes and get apples.

So The question is, did I sell? Because we have a lot of folk who want to reap stuff who haven't sown a thing. Or they've sown the wrong thing and are reaping the repercussions.

So the assumption is something has been sung. The expectation is something has been sewn. Sewing Once you sow, you have set a harvest in motion. See, once it's sown. The activity has been activated.

By the sowing.

So so emotion has been Said, I'm sure that enough folk here. who have set enough stuff in motion that you wish you could unsew it. Tell the truth and shame me that way. Anybody know what I'm about, Mark? All right.

Everybody did raise your hand. You you just sold a lie right there. You just sold it. Then it's what you sow. It's nice that you sow, then it's what you sow, as I said.

The earth brings fruit after its own kind. But then there's another issue with farming. How much did you sell?

Okay. If you sow a little, Then you will expect Yeah.

So the question of sewing. is how much do you want? Because that will affect how much you sell. You can't sow one seed. and expect acres of crop.

Because you sowed little and so you you reap. It also matters when you solve.

Sowing is seasonal. Certain things are sown at certain seasons. I'm from the concrete jungle. I'm not from the farm, but I eat stuff from the farm. And I've heard enough to know that certain things are done in certain seasons.

Then, of course, it also knows why do you sell? What's my motivation for sewing?

So, sewing has a number of factors to it, but it always has to do with. Investing in Something That will produce an outcome from it. All right. He says, when it comes to sowing in the spiritual realm, There are two fields, two fields you can sew on. He says One sows to his own flesh.

And one souls to the spirit.

So he's backed us all the way back up to chapter five now. Because that's where he talks about the battle of the flesh and the spirit. These are two. Distinctly identifiable. Fields of spiritual farming.

The flesh? It's satisfying oneself independently of God. That's what the flesh does. It satisfies oneself independently of God.

So so to the spirit Is to Seek to Please God in one's decision making. These are two distinct fields, like, as you've heard me talk about, having two distinct frequencies: AM and FM. They're distinct frequencies. You're on AM or you're on FM. You shift the bands because they are distinct.

The flesh and the spirit are Distinct, and you sew on one or you sew on the other. It's the difference between an automatic and a standard transmission, it's the difference between a rowboat and a speedboat. They are two distinct ways of operating.

Okay. The flesh is with our unredeemed humanity. We still live in an unredeemed humanity. There are parts of us that have not been. Save yet.

Our spirit has been saved. I know we talk about, well, God saved my soul.

Well, no, actually, he saved your spirit. Your soul is being saved. That's the transformation process of spiritual development.

So, the soul is being saved. The spirit is instantaneously saved. As the spirit grows in the soul, Then the soul becomes saved, and the more the soul becomes saved, the body operates differently.

So it's the spirit affecting the soul and then the soul affecting the body. That's why 1 Thessalonians 5, 23. He says that you might be sanctified in your spirit, soul, and body. He gives the order: the spirit, into the soul, into the body. And so the flesh.

The magnet that we all have. For sin. We all have a magnet. For sin, and that is the craving of the flesh. That's what he talked about in chapter five: the desires of the flesh.

The flesh is driven by. A desire.

something it wants to be satisfied. The flesh has a hunger bug. And that hunger bug wants to be satisfied with something outside of the will of God. But desirable.

So that's the flash. Dr. Evans will explain how the flesh battles for control and specifically how that works for believers when he returns in just a moment. When grace is misunderstood, or worse, replaced by legalism, our freedom in Christ is at risk. That's what makes this series from Galatians so important.

doctor Evans unpacks what it really means to live under grace, not guilt. and how to stand firm in the freedom Jesus provides. Right now, we are offering the complete 11-message Galatians audio collection as our thank you gift when you support the ministry of the alternative. And as an added bonus, we'll also send along a copy of Kingdom Prayer, Dr. Evans' powerful book on how to bring heavenly power to bear on our earthly problems.

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Well, here's doctor Evans once again. When you got converted, a new resident moved into an old house. The old house is the flesh. And the flesh still has termites. We all have an old house, but not all old houses are as dilapidated as every other old house.

Okay, so that's the flesh. Of course, the spirit is just the opposite. The spirit desires that which is pleasing to God. And therein is the battle that he talks about in chapter five. The conflict.

The flesh operates from a human point of view. And the spirit operates. from a divine point of view.

So we've already learned that we're to walk in the Spirit. We're to take our steps. Pleasing God and not pleasing ourselves when it contradicts God. But now he talks about it from a farming standpoint. from these two particular fields.

So let's go further. He says The one who sows his own flesh will from the flesh Reap. Because we deal with sowing and reaping.

So the flesh is going to. Have Produce. It is going to Produce something. But what it produces will be corrupting. Corruption.

It will produce something that will be damaging. It will produce something that will be hurtful.

Something that will be hurtful to you, hurtful to others. It may feel good on the front end, but when it boomerangs back. That is when it breaks through the ground and you see it. It's going to be contaminated. Diseased.

Because it's the flesh. Yeah. But the one who sows to the spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Now, he's already talking to Christians, verse one of chapter six, brethren.

So he's not talking about getting saved, he's talking about experiencing your salvation. Jesus said, I've come to give you life and I'm coming to give you more abundantly. What he's talking about is the fullness of the new life that you have. But the fullness of the experience of the new life that you have. is tied to what you sewed.

So let me say it another way. You cannot sow to the flesh and get the benefits of the spirit. When you feed the flesh, It will satisfy a desire. But it will produce a corruption.

Now There is a challenge. or a difficulty here. There is a gap of time. Between sowing and reaping. You don't sow today and reap tomorrow.

In farming. It's a seasonal issue. That's why he says In verse 9. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time.

Some versions say in due season. We will reap if we do not grow weary. One of our frustrations is Trying to please God and seeing nothing happen. But that's like a farmer planting corn. And getting frustrated.

that stocks are not coming up. Right away. There is a Time gap in Do time. In the opportune time, in the right. Time.

This word time here has to do with The appropriate time. Esther. is Planning a dinner where she was going to tell her husband, the king. About what Haman's plan was to kill Mordecai. She prepares the dinner.

She invites Haman and the king. this dinner But she changes her mind. The last minute she doesn't say anything.

Something stops her. From saying what she was going to say. Instead, she says, can we have another dinner tomorrow? There's a whole theology of Uh here of God blocking your time. When you think it's the right time, you feel it's the right time, but something holds you back.

Yeah, okay.

So something holds her back. And she said, Let's do another dinner tomorrow.

Okay. On the day between the first dinner. And the And the second dinner Heyman comes out. And he sees Mordecai, and Mordecai. Who's Esther's cousin?

Won't bow to him. But this is after the first dinner, before the next day, the second dinner. And Haman hates Mordecai and this time when Mordecai won't bow to him Haman is furious. He goes home and his wife and some of his friends tell Haman, well, why don't you hang him?

So Haman starts building a gallows to hang Mordecai between the first dinner and the second dinner.

Well, the king can't sleep. And the king asks the servant to go get him something to read because counting sheeps is not working.

So he wants to read something boring. He happens to open up the book. where the name Mordecai is in the book. He says This guy Mordecai saved your life a number of years ago from some folks who were trying to kill you.

So the king says, what do we do for that guy? He says, well. We got to do something for a guy who saved my life. Heyman. In the morning comes in.

to the room where the king is. And he says, What should we do with somebody who takes care of the king?

So because he never says the name, And Haman thinks he's talking about him. He comes up with all of this ornate stuff. That you should do for the man. You should and then he comes up with the zinger. You should let him ride on the king's horse.

That's the zinger. Because whoever rides on the king's horse is the king in waiting. And then that's when the hammer drops. Yeah. He says, okay.

I like all you just said. Why don't let's go do that for Mordecai. The Queen says it's second down a lot. There's somebody in your kingdom who's trying to kill me. and trying to kill all my people.

The king had already told her, Whatever you ask me, I'll give you half my kingdom. Whatever you want, I'll do it. Says, who who wants to kill my wife and all my wife's relatives? She said, this man Haman. This man aimed.

The king is hot. He is. The is ticked off. Because his chief man It's come up with a plan to kill. his wife and all her people.

And so he goes out, he's hot. In the meantime, timing. Heyman. Goes over to Esther to beg for his life. You know, oh, please, please, he's grabbing that drop.

Please, please, please don't let the king kill me. It says The king came in. And saw his hands all over his woman. You're going to assault my wife in my house? He wasn't assaulting her.

He was begging. But it looked like he was assaulting her. And as he turns To explain. What was really going on, it says. The king had men come over and put a put something over his head so he couldn't explain.

The king didn't want to hear anything. And he wound up being home. On Mordecai's uh a gallows.

Now I know I went through a long explanation, but here's why. That's what sowing to the spirit does. That was an experience of life. Life being saved, life being guided, life being directed. That was sowing to the Spirit.

So we need to sow new seed. Because God has another law. Let me read it to you in in Romans chapter Eight. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law. of the spirit of life so see the same thing he's talking about in galatians Has set you free from the law of sin and death.

That's corruption.

Okay, so watch this now.

So the law of sin and death produces corruption. But you don't want any more corruption. You want to sow differently.

So you sow now different seed. God says his Second law. can free you up from the first law. And he says, this other law, while it does not cancel the first law. can override it.

Dr. Tony Evans, wrapping up a message entitled Boasting in the Cross, a crucial reminder of where real significance is found. And right now Tony's back with an important follow-up to today's lesson. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you have that opportunity right now and don't put it off. He died on the cross for you, He rose from the dead for you, but you must personally receive Him into your life.

for the forgiveness of your sins. and to be given the gift of eternal life, which He gladly gives away to anyone who comes to Him for it.

So why don't you now, right now, Bow your head before the living God. And simply tell him this: Lord Jesus, I'm a sinner. and I know I need a Saviour. and I choose you to be my Saviour. Because I believe you died on the cross for me.

You rose from the dead for me.

So I receive you now. For my forgiveness. and for the gift of eternal life. And if you just ask God to save you, by believing in his son Jesus? Your sins are forgiven and you've just been granted the gift of eternal life.

Welcome to the family. If you just prayed with Dr. Evans, visit tonyevans.org and click on the link at the top of the home page that says Jesus. You'll find some videos and other free resources there. that'll help you begin a fulfilling new life in Christ.

Now, one final note before we close for today. I want to encourage you to take advantage of that special offer I mentioned earlier. Tony's complete 11-part Galatians series, along with a copy of his powerful book, Kingdom Prayer. We'll send the full audio collection and book to you with our thanks. When you make a donation to help support Dr.

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Every choice we make plants a seed. and the harvest depends on what we sow. Tomorrow, Dr. Evans shows how doing good within the body of Christ leads to an abundant, eternal harvest. Be sure to join us.