"Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." These words of Paul addressed to the churches of Galatia, declare the unchangeable and eternal law of God, which is no respecter of persons, but deals out mercy and justice to saint and sinner alike. To the sinner they thunder forth the law of Sinai; to the faithful disciple of Christ they whisper, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." A terror to evil doers, yet they bring comfort and assurance to those who do well.
These words are not true because Paul wrote them, but he wrote them because they are true. The hearts of the faithful disciples of Truth were filled with love for the writer of these words, which gave them confidence and faith to believe they had not labored in vain; and sinners were filled with hatred toward him who dared declare there was no way to escape the punishment of wrong doing; but saints were not rewarded, neither were sinners punished because of this declaration of the apostle. Paul was spiritually minded enough to discern the law of God and bold enough to declare it. He was a scribe under orders and could not do otherwise than declare the Truth, even though it did bring to one a blessing and to another a curse; or, more correctly speaking, even though it did cause one to see why he was blessed and another to see why he was cursed. This law of God had always been in force, judging the sinner and rewarding the saint, even though the sinner was deceiving himself with the thought he could sin and not suffer, and the saint was fearful that his labor might be in vain, accomplishing nothing for himself or others.
Paul simply declared the law as it had always existed, and his declaration brought upon him the condemnation of the one and the blessing of the other. The unchanging law of God, then as now, rewarded every man according to his works.
