“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.” (Galatians 6:1-5 ESV)
Questions:
• What does it mean to be caught in a transgression?
• Who, biblically speaking, are those who are spiritual?
• What does it mean to restore them in a spirit of gentleness?
• What does it look like for us to bear one another’s burdens?
“Caught” can be “caught in the act,” or it can be “trapped in sin” or “taken by surprise” or “overcome, overtaken, or stricken” by any transgression (any falling away, sin, deviation from truth, error, or wrongdoing). But what is clear is that it requires that the person be restored (adjust to being in good working order; to bring into its proper condition). So there is a definite sense of a falling away and of the need to be brought back to good working order.
And this word “restore” is a medical term used for “setting dislocated limbs.” And how do they do that? They'll carefully push and pull on the dislocated joint to move it back into alignment. So this is not painless. But the most important treatment for a dislocation is putting your joint back in its correct place. And that is the entire object of restoring a Christian who has fallen back into sin back to being in good working order spiritually. And this involves a transformation of heart and mind and a willingness to obey.
Now, it is our responsibility as followers of and believers in Jesus Christ to help others to come to know Jesus Christ, in truth, and then to help them to follow him in obedience to his commands in moral purity, uprightness, godliness, honesty, and faithfulness, where possible. And if a brother or a sister in Christ, or one professing faith in Christ, should wander from the truth of the gospel, we who are following the Lord with our lives are to bring that wanderer back, if possible (men with men and women with women).
We must not, ourselves, be those who are habitually and deliberately sinning against the Lord. For how can we help restore a brother or a sister in Christ back to the correct spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus if we are not there ourselves. And if we are not there ourselves, this is no excuse for not helping others to be there, but we should first of all get ourselves back in good working order spiritually, by the grace of God, via submission to Christ as Lord, in obedience to his commands, so that we can help others.
Now we are to do this in a spirit of gentleness, which is meekness, which has to do with reserved strength. But now Jesus Christ was meek, but he was not weak, and he never compromised truth and righteousness and the gospel message in order to be “gentle” and so as not to offend anyone with the truth. He spoke the truth of the gospel strongly, powerfully, and with much conviction and determination to make certain that he told them the truth that they needed to hear, even if they rejected him, in return.
So, if we are too gentle so as not to offend people, then we will never be true servants of the Lord Jesus and of his righteousness, and so we will not be able to be used of him to help others come to genuine faith in him and to walk in obedience to our Lord, and not in sin. And this goes back to the medical term of restore, which has to do with resetting a joint which is dislocated. If the doctor is so gentle that he fears hurting us, he will never be able to put our joint back in its proper place. Do you see this?
We cannot be afraid to tell people the truth out of fear of what they will think of us. We must care enough about other people’s spiritual lives and their eternal destiny that we will lay down our lives for them enough to risk having them hate and reject us for telling them the truth about God and salvation and repentance and obedience to God. And we must warn them about where they will spend eternity if they do not leave their sins behind them to now follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands. For Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).
And all of this has to do with bearing one another’s burdens. For this is about us stepping out of our comfort zones and risking our own lives and our own reputations in order to give people the truth that will set them free. And the truth is that Jesus died on that cross so that we will now die with him to sin and so that we will now walk with him in obedience to his commands, by his Spirit. And this is true love to tell people the truth and to help them to walk in that truth and to help them to leave their lives of sin behind them so that they can have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.
[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Gal 6:1; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Eph 6:10-20; Php 2:1-8; Col 1:9; Col 3:12-16; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]
In Harmony
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17
Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
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