As the believers walk by the Spirit, they do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but instead bring forth the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). When we live to Christ and walk according to spirit, we have no interest or willingness to fulfill the lusts of our flesh. Rather, we bring forth the fruit of the Spirit as the issue of walking by the Spirit.
The result of walking by the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit. There is no need for us to strive to love, to keep the peace, or to be joyful. Instead, we simply need to live by the Spirit and walk by the Spirit. Then the fruit of the Spirit will be brought forth automatically. As we walk by the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit will come forth with many aspects as virtues. These virtues are different aspects of the expression of the unique living fruit that is produced by walking by the Spirit. This is something far greater than morality-it is a divine-human virtue, a virtue expressed in our human life through the divine, resurrection power.
The believers enjoy the dispensing of the divine Trinity in the divine transformation for the divine conformation by sowing unto the Spirit in their life. If we walk according to spirit, set our mind on the spirit, are freed from the law of sin and of death, spontaneously fulfill the righteous requirement of the law, and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit, we shall sow unto the Spirit. “He who sows unto his own flesh, shall reap corruption of the flesh, but he who sows unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:8). Unto the Spirit the believers sow, and of the Spirit they reap in their life.
The Greek word translated “unto” in 6:8 also means with a view to or for. It also implies taking something as our goal. To sow unto the flesh is to have the flesh as the goal. But to sow unto the Spirit is to sow with a view to accomplishing the purpose of the Spirit. This is to have the Spirit as our goal. Thus, the Spirit should be not only our life and walk but also the goal of our living. Whatever we do, we do with a view toward this goal. We need to take the Spirit as our unique and eternal goal. In His New Testament economy God has given Himself to us as the Spirit. Now we should sow unto the Spirit, taking the Spirit as our goal.
Sowing covers the totality of the Christian life. Everything we do or say is some kind of sowing, either to the flesh or to the Spirit. Therefore, it is crucial for us to realize that the Christian life is a life of sowing unto the Spirit.
Because sowing causes a certain result, Paul warned us to be careful of our sowing. He says, “He who sows unto his own flesh, shall reap corruption of the flesh” (Gal. 6:8a). To sow unto the flesh is to sow with a view to the flesh, or for the flesh, with the purpose of the flesh in view, fulfilling what the flesh covets. To sow for the fulfilling of the purpose of the flesh issues in corruption, and corruption, no doubt, includes death. Sowing unto the flesh will always produce a harvest of corruption.
If we sow unto the Spirit, we shall reap of the Spirit eternally. Paul says, “He who sows unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:8b). To sow unto the Spirit is to sow for the Spirit, with the aim of the Spirit, accomplishing what the Spirit desires. To sow for the accomplishing of the aim of the Spirit issues in life, even eternal life. Eternal life is of the Spirit and is the Spirit Himself. If we sow unto the Spirit, we shall reap eternal life of the Spirit. Sowing unto the Spirit will always produce a harvest of life eternal.
The believers also enjoy the dispensing of the divine Trinity by walking by faith not by appearance (sight). A person who lives to Christ and walks by the Spirit will never walk by appearance, by sight, but by faith.
Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “We walk by faith, not by appearance.” Appearance here refers to that which is seen; hence, to sight. The believers regulate their life and conduct themselves by faith, as testified in Hebrews 11, not by that which is seen. This corresponds to Paul’s word in 2 Corinthians 4:18. Whereas all of fallen mankind walks by appearance we, as those who enjoy the divine dispensing, walk by faith.
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