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God Is Not Mocked

Justin Johnson

This article was written in response to the comments made by American politicians after the 2016 presidential elections.

The polls were closed, the votes counted, and at long last the election was over. But not before God was invoked one more time.

During her concession speech Hillary Clinton encouraged her party to keep working for the next election. In doing so, she referenced Galatians 6:9 from the Bible.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” – Galatians 6:9

What is this supposed to mean in the context of a political election? Is she claiming divine guarantee that her party would return the White House? Could not the other party claim the same promise from the same verse?

How is this different than the sports team that prays for a victory? What if the other team prays louder and has a better chaplain?

There is something bad wrong about using the Bible this way… then again, most preachers don’t exactly lead by example.

What Scripture Really Says

When Paul wrote Galatians he wrote to people who thought that following the law could improve their standing with God.

So if anyone makes a doctrinal gaffe of eternal consequence such as when Clinton said “in order to achieve salvation, we need both faith and good works”, Galatians would be a good book to read… the whole book.

Clinton misused Galatians to say “God guarantees a success if you continue to work hard, so don’t give up.” Paul corrects this wrong idea two verses prior to Galatians 6:9.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” – Galatians 6:7

God is not a heavenly genie in a Bible lamp granting success to whatever we put our sinful hands. He is not mocked.

If you do not sow the right thing you will reap the wrong thing. If you do not sow in the right place you will reap the consequences.

“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.” – Galatinas 6:8

The right thing to sow is the doctrine of God’s grace and not the law. The right place to sow it is to the Spirit, and not to the flesh.

Paul is not talking about reaping your dreams, social change, presidential elections, money multiplication, or political success. What is reaped is either corruption or life everlasting.

The consequences of getting this wrong are more disastrous than simply making a bad policy decision.

Political campaigns, especially the current one, are anything but a sowing of God’s grace to the Spirit.

What She Meant To Say

What Clinton was trying to say was “Don’t give up in politics”, and she used the Bible wrongly to tell an entire political party (including many unsaved people) that God promises that they will reap political success if they continue to sow in the political process.

God is not mocked.

Then again, Hillary Clinton is not the first to do this. This kind of Bible abuse comes from pulpits across the country. She was mimicking how Bible teachers use the Bible: taking it out of context for their own personal gain.

We all know preacher speak when we hear it.

What she meant to say is the same thing preachers say every Sunday when they stand before a room full of people of dubious faith and tell them that God wants them to reap happiness and success no matter what they sow and where they sow it.

God is not mocked. No one can sow to the Spirit that does not have the Spirit by trusting the gospel of the grace of God! No one can reap of the Spirit unless they have sown the doctrines of God’s grace (1 Cor 2:14; 1 Cor 4:1-2).

For most preachers (and politicians) rightly divided doctrine does not matter. They think there is no struggle between flesh and Spirit anymore. If it feels right, it must be of God. If you succeed, it must be because of God. If it’s in your heart, God must have put it there.

But that is not what God said. That is a false hope, false message, and presents a false view of God. God is not mocked.

Unsaved people will not reap life everlasting in any way. Salvation is not of works. They need the preaching of the cross of Christ. Christ is the only way to be saved, not political elections. God is not mocked.

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Published: November 12, 2016
Last Modified: November 8, 2019
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