North Anderson Baptist Church
Galatians 6:1-6 NIV
Galatians 6:9-10 NIV
1. Restoration of those who sin - 6:1
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
There are several different translations of the phrase “caught in a sin.” The word overtaken may give you the idea of a sudden and overpowering temptation and then giving us the thought that the sin is not so bad. But, when looking at the other translations given, we can see that it is far more than just being “overcome by some sin.” Some of translations say: “being overtaken in a fault”(KJV), “overtaken in misconduct or sin”(Amplified), “caught in any trespass”(NAS), “If a man should do something wrong, my brothers, on a sudden impulse”(NEB), “Caught in the very act of doing something wrong”(C. B. Williams). This text stress is laid on the reality of the offender’s guilt. In this verse a person, believer, was caught doing something maybe he/she even planned or readily succumbed to.
Let go back to the first words of the verse, “Brothers or brothers and sisters.” this indicates that we are dealing with the members of the family of God. We are to acknowledge those who are “caught” in the act of sin as a part of the same family. Notice too, that those who are to help are called “spiritual.” If we look back at the 5th chapter we will see in verse 25, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” The author is calling on those who have been saved and who are living in the Spirit, who are led by the Spirit, who are exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit in their lives to be ready to restore those who may be “caught in a sin.” What does this word mean, “restore?” This word was used in ancient times of the setting of broken bones, the mending of nets (Matthew 4:21).” Dr. Curtis Vaughan, a great seminary teacher preacher of my day, said, “this thought brings to mind the idea that we are to deal with our Christian brothers, even those who have sinned, in a constructive manner.” Vaughan goes on to say that we are as the TEV translation calls for, we are to “set him right”; Phillips, “set him back on the right path.” Because of the Greek wording, the passage indicates that this restoration won’t be a single act but a process.
Notice too, we are to “restore him gently.” The manner in which we restore our brothers is one like unto Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. He was compassionate, gentle, caring. When a situation comes to us to help and restore a brother, then we act like Christ, with the same qualities He had shown the adulterous woman toward the offender we seek to help. Vaughan suggests that “we act with an attitude of gentleness, humility and consideration.” Reading on, we have to pay close attention to what Paul says. “But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” You have to be aware of your great potential of falling into the same sin with its seductive arms around you. Be willing to go but be willing to yield to self-examination and to be honest with yourself.
Many years ago a movie, “The Days of Wine and Roses”, struck me with great impact. A young couple got married and loved one another so much. They partied a lot and there was a lot of alcohol during those times. The young wife refused to partake of the alcohol while the husband carried on until he became an alcoholic. Years passed when she tried every way possible to help him but to no avail. She was tempted too in the end and began to drink and she too became an alcoholic. When husband finally realized how horrible it was to drink and what it was doing to him, his wife and their marriage he did everything he could to become sober and finally did. But it was too late for his wife, she would not listen to anything he said or did to try to help her see she needed to stop. It was all over and her life was destroyed. We who are Christians are to be careful when helping others get out of their sin because we can be tempted too. But we are to do all we can to help those who are caught in those sin traps, but use caution. We believe a Gospel of second chances, we must try as best we can.
Chuck Swindoll told of a minister on his staff who was caught in an immoral life style. They sought as a church and staff to minister to him and help restore him to God and to his family and finally back to the ministry. It took a lot of time but a brother and a family as well as a ministry was restored by spiritual people who loved him.
2. Bearing one another’s burdens - 6:2-5
2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load.”
When we read what Paul wrote, “carry each other’s burdens” we first ought to think of the sin in which our brother was “caught.” This would be a continuing relationship of ministering to the brother and helping him through the problem that got him there. But, of course this phrase means more than that. Paul is calling all Christians to live by the Law of Christ, the Royal Law of Christ. Many have termed this law as the “law of love” for God is love. Others have said that this is a reference to the opposite of what the Judaizers were talking about by following the Law of Moses completely. We have seen in the Gospels, Jesus speaking to the disciples and to others of the greatest commandment.
Leviticus 19:18, “...love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.” or
Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” or
John 13:34-35, 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
We are called to love one another and when we do that we are most like Christ. We are called to carry each others burdens, therefore we need to be involved with others lives so that we might be there when they have a burden to help carry or when they fall to temptation to help restore them. If you isolate yourself you will never know of the burdens others are carrying.
In this process of helping others who have trouble, we are called to be careful to watch out for our own life not to be tempted but Paul also writes to tell us that we should not feel we are too good to help others or that we are far beyond others in our goodness that we might never need someone else’s help when we are in trouble. You know when someone else “thinks he is something,” when everyone but him knows that he is nothing. The only one he deceives is himself. Are you willing to look at your life with a reality check? If you do you might be surprised that you are not as you think you are. Don’t deceive yourself but be willing to look at the truth! Part of this problem is that we don’t ever look at the truth or “test our own actions.” We are either too stubborn to learn the truth or we are actually unaware that we are what we are. If you were willing to get close to others and be honest with them and they with you, your image of yourself might change and truth might prevail. If you do test your own actions looking for the truth, then being quite honest with yourself you might make a discovery that you have been comparing yourself with others rather than living in the light of the person of Jesus Christ. Go ahead, compare yourself with Christ! You will fail every time.
Now some who read verse 5, “for each one should carry their own load.” (KJV - says “burden” for “load”)think that there is a conflict between this verse and the verse 2 when it calls to help carry the burdens of others. The translation of the two words are different. In verse 2 it is “burdens” and the word burden in verse 5 means “load.” Vaughan once again says, that the burdens of verse 2 denotes a crushing weight. But the reference in 5, the word was used of a soldier’s pack. Phillips says, “For everyone must ‘shoulder his own pack’” The reference is to those responsibilities of life which cannot be shared by another and for which a man will be accountable to God at the judgement. Commentator Burton interprets verse 5 as referring to the burden of one’s own “weakness and sin.” “It is the man who knows he has a burden of his own,” he explains, “that is willing to bear his fellow’s burden.”
3. Support Christian teachers - 6:6
“Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.”
This verse is one that needs to be taught in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is saying here that the teachers of the Word of God, the Gospel of Christ need to be compensated for their teaching. In the pagan culture from which many of these Galatians came, the priest of their temples and their teachers of their ideas did not receive anything from them whom they taught. They received their reward in the sacrifices made. Paul is telling the Christian family that their preachers, evangelists and teachers needed to be given a fair wage for what they did for the church.
Over the past years churches have not given their ministers very much in the way of salary and today their widows and even some of the pastors who are still alive receive very little in the way of retirement for their everyday needs. I have heard many stories of those who are in our nursing facilities and assisted living areas of Martha Franks and Bethea Home that many of the older servants of God who barely made a living when they were serving in churches, are now given very little in their retirement.
I believe that the churches which they have served will be held accountable for the way they treated the servants of God. 1 Timothy 5:17-18, 17 “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
4. Do good to all - 6:9-10
9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Don’t give up, continue to go forward and seek to do the best you can! God says don’t grow weary in doing good. The good that one does in the service of the Lord should give us inspiration and encouragement for further good that is to be done. Paul’s concept here is about the farmer. There is a planting time and a cultivating time and a waiting time, in each time period there are certain things that need to be done. If one does not continue to do what is necessary there will not be the proper harvest. Sometimes during the waiting time farmers get a little restless about how the harvest will go, particularly when the signs don’t seem right. But, when we wait upon the Lord in due time He will bring the harvest that He ordains. Paul says one could give up and then the harvest would not be completed. The Christian needs to cultivate the land (people) and sow the seed (the Word of God) and then watch God continue to touch and bring those who were touched by the Gospel to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Part of that process is doing good to those around you so they can see the love of God in your life. We can do good and leave out the Gospel and then those that we help will think that we are really “good” people who care about others. But when we care and when we sow the love of God using the Word of God, the harvest souls that we wait for is from the power of the Gospel which is the salvation to those who believe. (Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”)
Please hear the last phrase of this verse again, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” God wants us to be good to all people but here Paul clearly says that we are to truly be good to the people of God, our family! Have you ever heard of a church that treats other believers cruelly and with hardness of heart. I have and it breaks my heart. Church people can be the most cruel of all people. Why is that? They are not saved! There are those in the church who are lost and yet they are a part of the church. Dr. Don Wilton says, “Just because you are standing in a garage doesn’t make you a motor car.” Of course he says it with a South African accent. Not everyone who walks into a church is a believer. Some pretend and get special positions, even of great power and then the world and the devil comes out at times. How do you think church splits happen and pastors fired out of the blue. God is not honored and the church truly gets a black eye in the community. Don’t you think that people know which churches have the bad reputation for doing things like that?
Caring for the people of God, bearing their burdens and seeking to restore those who have fallen into sin, is a part of being the Christian that honors God with what he or she does or says. Let us not grow weary in doing good and glorifying God with our lives.
Today the invitation is two-fold.
1. For the believer who is close to falling into a deep pit of sin, call out to others who love you to help. Godly men and women who are watchful of your sisters and brothers, reach out to those whom you know are slipping and help pull them back gently, kindly and compassionately, loving them all the way and staying with them no matter how long it takes to get them restored to spiritual health. Be careful, be watchful of your own life.
2. For the one who is here today and has been a part of the church for years...but you know that you are not saved and maybe others do also because of your behavior and words that you use in dealing with others, get down on your knees and pray that the Lord God will be merciful to you a sinner, lost and undone. Just because you are a church member doesn’t mean that you are a member of God’s family. Lost men and women and boys and girls need Jesus to save them from their sin and give them eternal life. If you have had the Holy Spirit declare that truth to you today then you need to immediately declare your need for Christ and surrender your life to Him now!
We will all rejoice with anyone who comes to Christ in repentance and humility.