BiblicalInsights.net

“Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  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” (Gal. 6:7-8).
The word mocked is a translation of the Greek word mukterizetai from muktirizo which is defined as: “to contract the nose in contempt and derision; to toss up the nose, to mock, to deride.” Muktirizo is from mukter–the Greek word for nose.  When one “turns up the nose” he rejects something because he thinks it is not good enough for him.  He refuses to accept it.  A couple of examples will help illustrate the meaning.  First, “I offered the cat some food, but it turned up its nose and walked away.”  Second, “We offered her a pretty good job, but she turned up her nose at it.”
Some synonyms would be:  “to turn down,” “to dismiss,” “to ignore,”  and “to refuse to believe or accept something.”
God’s law and His justice cannot be rejected and held in contempt by individuals without reaping the consequences.  When we reject God’s law, we are saying that it is not good enough for us.  We believe we have found something better.  But, what we have found is not better than what God has to offer us.  Hence, this type of thinking involves self-deception and this self-deception is involved in the rejection.  We are accountable to God for the self-deception and the rejection of His word.  This rejection is unbelief.  Unbelief “turns up the nose” to God!  The gesture involving derision or contempt for the sacred things of God is offensive to the goodness of God.
Paul indicates that there are only two areas of choice:  flesh and Spirit.  When we sow to the flesh (live a life in pursuit of the fleshly lusts or sinful conduct) we reap corruption.  When we sow to the Spirit (live a life in pursuit of the spiritual things that belong to God or righteousness) we reap life (the abundant life and everlasting life).  This is an eternal principle of truth–you reap what you sow!  A person cannot sow to the flesh and reap life.  A person cannot sow to the Spirit and reap corruption.  But, many believe that they can sow to the flesh and still go to heaven!  This type of thinking involves self-deception because you cannot turn up your nose to God by unbelief and think that God is going to save you.
God offers us and gives us the best.  His grace, mercy, and love are unsurpassed.  His goodness is unsurpassed.  The lusts of the flesh or works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) do not exceed in value or quality God and His goodness.  The works of the flesh will corrupt and destroy your life.  Paul named these fleshly works in Galatians 5, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall to inherit the kingdom of God.”
Paul also lists the fruit of the Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).  The two lists are set in strong contrast.  The end results of the pursuit of either way of life (flesh or Spirit) is equally different.  “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:5-6).
Paul is instructing his readers not to be deceived (self-deceived) into thinking that they can turn up the nose to God (hold Him in contempt or derision) because they believe that they have found something better in pursuing a life of fleshly lusts (which is not better than the spiritual fruit God offers through life in the Spirit).  They will reap what they sow.