IMJA
Dear Fellow Workers,
There is a foundational principle undergirding the entire Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments:
…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap (Galations 6:7). For some, this Scripture strikes a negative and foreboding tone. Indeed, sowing evil on the part of the wicked does carry a negative consequence:
…they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same… (Job 4:8).
On the other hand, there is a positive reward:
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy… (Hosea 10:12)
In the Galations quote cited above, the word “whatsoever” is impregnated with cause for deeper thought. It states a thoroughness of God’s justice. There is no escape. Every act and every detail is included in the comprehension of the equitable balance our Lord maintains. It is like our physical law of gravity. It is always in effect. It can only be temporarily suspended by exerting some counter energy, e.g., an airplane taking off.
Nature provides us with wisdom about spiritual parallels. For example:
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth of the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting (Galatians 6:8).
In the material world, we can easily see there are consequences to our actions. In physics, we learn that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This is also true in spiritual matters. If we invest only in earthly or fleshly matters, our return will wither. However, to the extent we act with an eye on heavenly rewards, our benefit lasts eternally.
Most of us realize there are ramifications to our actions, but hardly ever focus on the infinite detail of which God is mindful. The entire process is mysterious. Rarely can we link our deeds with later results.
Permit me to share a personal experience. Soon after becoming a believer, I did something adverse to another believer. It affected his life and future. I was retaliating for adverse things done to me. In prayer, this would sometimes come to mind but I squelched in the momentary conviction about my action. But life moved on, and such prompting became thoroughly submerged.
It took quite some years for Providence to catch up with me. When I suffered the same pain I had caused someone else, I was then able to realize how this other individual had felt. I quickly sought to make it right. In other words, if I deny my conscience, life can bring the matter again to my awareness in an arresting way, and cause me to refocus.
After that, when life throws an unwanted curve ball, I ask myself, who do I know who can identify with my plight? Sometimes I realize the Lord has brought the adversity to help me recall past events.
No wonder Yeshua (Jesus) advised:
Ye have heard that it hath been said, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.’ But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43, 44).
Yes, we believers do pay a penalty in this life, but not in the next. Life can be short and yet sometimes we have to wait a long time for justice. We forget that justice can be multi-generational:
I the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20: 5, 6 NIV).
One tangible example is when the enslaved descendants of Jacob spent 400 years producing wealth for Egypt, but took it all with them when they left:
The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country… The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for, so they plundered the Egyptians (Exodus 12:33-36 NIV).
We have so many questions, especially when we cannot grasp the Lord’s justice. The Scriptures tell us there is an earthly reward:
There is no man that hath left house or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children or lands, for my sake and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children and lands, with persecution; and in the world to come eternal life (Mark 10:29, 30).
Job, who suffered many afflictions, is a prime example. After being tested by the Devil and having overcome:
…the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10 NIV).
What about a person who does an extraordinary good deed at the age of 95, but dies before receiving an earthly reward? Is it only his descendants who will get the accrued blessing? How would this person be rewarded? Perhaps by seeing the positive results of his righteous deed.
Of Yeshua, Isaiah 53:10,11 says: He shall see His seed…He shall see the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied.
We are joint heirs with our Messiah:
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Messiah (Romans 8:16,17).
Perhaps we could deduce that we too shall see the fruit of our spiritual efforts after passing from this world, and therefore receive eternal blessing for our deeds, even if the reward isn’t in our lifetime. Along these lines, imagine the blessing Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have, seeing how their obedience paid off through the generations. The Apostle Paul also endured great suffering, but is no doubt pleased to see how his role of sowing into the Gentiles has blessed the world, well beyond what he might have imagined. He could not have known how his labor and writings would be remembered. Perhaps Paul and the other patriarchs are reaping a commensurate reward in seeing the Gentiles winning so many Jewish souls in our generation. We too will hopefully see the good we accomplished in reaching the Jewish people. It would seem our generation is the equal and opposite reaction to the bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles. Now the favor is being returned. The world may not see it, but favoring Israel is a central activity in our generation. However, we can see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12) enough to understand that His ways are past finding out (Romans 11:32) -- and that they work.
We have reason to hope in the fulfillment of Hebrews 6:10 (CJB), both in this life and in the one to come:
For God is not so unfair as to forget your work and the love you showed for him in your past service to his people—and in your present service too.
In Yeshua,
Executive Director
International Messianic Jewish Alliance
