Galatians 6:7-9
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.
The Grace New Testament Commentary - Galatians 6:7-9
6:7 Deception concerning accountability is a real possibility. Many Christians do not believe that whatever a man [cf. v 1] sows, that he will also reap. The Judaizers probably taught that those who followed them were pleasing God and would not reap any negative consequences. Yet Paul wants the believers in Galatia to know that if they follow the Judaizers, they will reap destruction.
Sowing and reaping are agricultural terms. When a farmer plants wheat, he reaps wheat. So too when a believer sows what is displeasing to God, he reaps God's displeasure and the consequences of that displeasure.
6:8 A believer may sow to his flesh (cf. Galatians 5:19-21) or to the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). The fleshly sower will of the flesh reap corruption. The future tense could refer to reaping later in this life. However, v 9 shows that Paul is speaking of the next life. In this epistle sowing to the flesh is living legalistically. Sowing to the Spirit is living by faith in Christ.
The word translated corruption (phthoran) also means destruction or ruin. Since it is here antithetically parallel to everlasting life, most commentators suggest that it refers to eternal condemnation. However compelling reasons oppose this view. First, those being addressed are believers, and they cannot experience eternal condemnation (cf. Galatians 3:29; John 3:18; 5:24). Second, the parallel in Galatians 5:21 concerns missing out on ruling with Christ, not eternal condemnation. Third, comparing Galatians 6:9 with 2 Tim 2:12, the issue here is ruling with Christ or failing to do so. Fourth, to reap everlasting life is clearly not the same as to receive the free gift of eternal life by faith. Surely "whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" is in no way the same message as "a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ" (Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9). The former concerns eternal rewards. The latter concerns eternal destiny.
It is wrong to think of everlasting life as though it is a static, all-or-nothing reality. A person who has God's life may experience it in varying degrees of fullness (John 10:10).
6:9 Believers need to be reminded not to grow weary while doing good. In the case of the Galatians, false teachers had come into their church and were wearying them with their legalism. The way to keep from growing weary is to look to the Lord Jesus and His soon return: for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Paul is commanding believers to set their hearts on eternal reward. The Lord Jesus did so as well (Matt 6:19-21; 16:24-28; 24:42-43; 25:13; Luke 19:11-27).
The due season or due time looks ahead to the imminent return of Christ. At the Judgment Seat of Christ each believer's deeds will be evaluated and recompensed (Rom 14:10: 2 Cor 5:9-11). God rewards perseverance. Those who do not lose heart, that is, those who endure (2 Tim 2:12) will rule with Christ forever.
Charles Bing - Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship - Reap what you Sow, Galatians 6:7-8
(Salvation) Interpretation: Bad deeds bring eternal condemnation or prove a person is going to hell, but good deeds bring or prove eternal salvation.
(Discipleship) Interpretation: Christians who live by the flesh will waste their lives, but those who do good will experience the fullness of God's life.
The immediate context is enough to provide a good interpretation of this passage. The first thing we notice is that Paul is addressing the believing readers (see the previous arguments about their saved status) as those who have been "taught the word" (v. 6). They are told to "share in all good things" with those who taught them, an obvious reference to at least assisting their teachers (who were probably traveling missionaries like Paul) financially and in other ways in their ministry. Paul repeats the thought of sharing in the "bookend" verse 10 but expands his exhortation to do good not just to their teachers, but to all people, especially to those in the church.
With bookends of verses 6 and 10 addressing Christians giving to Christians, who are those we expect to be the focus of Paul's words in verses 7-9? It could only be believers, and it is! The basic thought is this: If believers think they will gain more by holding back from sharing their resources, they are simply deceiving themselves. The principle is that one gains by what he gives, just as a farmer can only reap according to the amount and kind of seed that he sows. When believers sow selfishly (implying they withhold sharing with others), they reap "corruption," but if they sow in a way led by the Holy Spirit, they reap "everlasting life."
We have been arguing here for the (Discipleship) interpretation. It is largely because of the terms "corruption" and "everlasting life" that some will interpret this as (related to Salvation). But these terms do not speak of eternal damnation and eternal salvation. Not only does that interpretation ignore the context, but it assumes definitions that cannot be supported. In the New Testament, the word corruption (phthora) is never used for eternal damnation, but has the meaning of deterioration, decay, or ruin. We have already seen that the term "everlasting life" is used not only for eternal deliverance from hell, but as a present quality of life, an abundant life that reaches into eternity (John 4:14; 10:10; 17:3).
Given those definitions, Paul's words are a good exhortation to Christians. If we withhold our resources from helping others or use them to please our sinful desires, we will experience the waste and ruin of the very life we are trying to enhance (see the previous discussion of Matt. 10:39; 16:25-26). If, however, we use our resources unselfishly as led by the Holy Spirit for His purposes, we will experience more of God and His life flowing in and through us now and in eternity. That is why Paul says in verse 9 that we should never be discouraged from doing good to others or giving to others. We will be rewarded. It will be worth it!
The Evangelism Study Bible - Galatians 6:8-9
6:8 "Sows to the Spirit... reap everlasting life": When Christians do good things, under the direction of and through the power of the Holy Spirit, they will experience reward in the life to come.
6:9 Faithful labor, including reaching people with the gospel, will reap eternal rewards when we see the Lord face to face (see Matt. 16:27).