Conveying “What you sow you reap” seems to be the theme of the Bible. God does not seem to be an enforcement agency! Cain turned down God’s guidance, went ahead and killed Abel. So did his chosen people, who earned a name: “killer of prophets.” (Mathew 23:37) Jesus helped people in numerous ways that, if written down, the whole world would overflow with books on details of his altruism. (John 21:25) Yet people killed him! Interestingly, his own family members were not interested in doing “God’s will,” Jesus himself testified.—Mark 3:33, 34!
This means God permits people to choose what they like and reap the consequences. (Galatians 6:7) Everyone is sailing through an ocean of experiences (own and of others); hence knows the consequences of any action and is free to repeat the mistake or to act beneficially. God will not force anyone, because primary beneficiary of practicing virtues is the doer himself—as eating nutritious food does to the eater.
This is what has been radiantly picturized in the illustration of prodigal son! The illustration itself says God is the central character of the whole episode. (Luke 15:19) It shows how God responds to people’ choices—(when they act befitting sons of God, or when they act unbecoming to sons of God). (Luke 15:21) The younger son in the illustration chooses to go away from Father and to pursue a materialistic life-style. Father neither prevents him nor reasons with him; but permits him. Because Father knows materialism has a dead-end as it caters to the physical needs only; and once that is fulfilled one will turn to spirituality, hence materialism is actually a means to come to spirituality—and prodigal son DOES exactly that—he returns to spirituality in the end!
Here what is noteworthy is that the younger son turns bad WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL HELP, and then turns good WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL HELP. This is true of all individuals. No one can be forced to do anything, without him yielding/agreeing to it. Hence neither a tempter nor a savior plays any role here. (Mathew 23:12) And, there is NO scope for an earthly organization of God “to give food at the proper time!” (Compare Romans 14:12) People will choose to do the way they like. Hence there will always be all sorts of people:
- Some may choose to remain good always
- Some good people may choose to go bad
- Some of those who turned bad may choose to turn good again
- Some bad people may choose to be bad always
- Some people may choose to be mixed—good and bad
It’s all choices, and people, in general, KNOW what they are doing! They KNOW what is right and wrong, good and bad. For example, people KNOW love and compassion are good when they are the recipients. And They KNOW disregard and hurt are bad when they are the recipients! Hence how much more they know how to behave themselves! Hence God using an agency to lead people is like exporting ice into Antartica! God would not do that.
When you hear people are free to do whatever they like, it does not mean life has no meaning! The purpose of life is to live—nothing else. How to live, you have choice!
1) We have seen people who show love and compassion in their thinking, speech, action, relationships and contacts, are living lives as though in heaven!
2) We have seen people who show disregard and hurt in their thinking, speech, action, relationships and contacts, are living lives as though in hell!
3) We have seen people who mix those qualities in their thinking, speech, action, relationships and contacts, are swinging between heaven and hell, or in a mixture of heaven and hell.
“What you sow you reap” is a self-attested principle which everyone observes on a daily basis, hence everyone will have an appropriate destination! What is that destination? And Where is that destination? I have decided not to seek answers to such questions! Let them be a surprise! After all what is the charm in going for a movie or a cricket match if you know its climax well in advance!