Galatians 6:1-2 NIV 1978
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
The Family of God
Another word for “brothers” is brethren, which, in context,
is intended to mean fellow-believers in Jesus Christ, i.e. the family of God as
a whole unit, which would include males and females. We, as the family of God,
are to watch out for one another, care for one another, and encourage one
another in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord. And we are instructed
in the Scriptures that we should be doing this daily so that not one of us is
led astray by the deceitfulness of sin and might fall away from the Lord.
But let me add a word of caution here. If this is of a
private matter, then it should be dealt with privately, male with male, and
female with female. But biblically speaking, if the one committing the sin is
not willing to repent of one’s sin, to turn from the sin, and to obey God, then
it becomes a matter for the church to intervene (example: 1 Corinthians 5).
Sadly, from my experience, I don’t see much of that happening these days.
Instead I see a great tolerance of deliberate and habitual sin in what is to be
the church.
Caught in Sin
Now, what does it mean to be “caught in a sin”? It can mean
that one is literally caught in the act of sinning, i.e. someone else witnessed
the act of them sinning. Or it can mean that someone is overtaken by sin, such
as in being engaged in a sinful habit, an addiction to any particular sin. They
are trapped, snared, and hooked in/on any particular sin or all sin. And they
either have not sought a way out of it, or they do not desire to be relieved of
it, or they have been too afraid to admit that they are trapped in sin.
And who should restore them gently? Those of us who are
spiritual. So, what does that mean? It means we are those who believe in Jesus
Christ, who have by faith in him died to sin, and who are now living for God in
walks of obedience to our Lord in holy living. Sin is not our practice. This
doesn’t make us perfect in every respect, but obedience to our Lord and living
in moral purity, honesty, faithfulness, and the like, is what we practice, by
the grace of God, and in the power of God, for we take God’s word seriously.
Restore Them Gently
This word “restore” means “to equip, to perfect, to prepare,
to restore, to mend, to repair, to make in good working order, to make fully
functional. It stems from a medical term having to do with putting a joint
which is out of place back into place, which is a painful process. But this is
about helping someone caught in sin to be delivered from that sin and to be
brought back into a proper spiritual condition, to be made right with God in
obedience to our Lord. But they have to be willing and cooperative or it won’t
happen.
And to restore such a one gently is not to coddle them in
their sins, nor to give them permission to keep sinning for an elongated period
of time. For gentle is humble, and it is meek, and Jesus was meek, but he was
not weak on sin. He did not placate sin in the life of the sinner, nor did he
soften the gospel to make it less offensive to the sinner. Jesus spoke the
truth plainly, with much love, knowing that it is the truth which sets people
free, not the lies which make people feel good. So tell people the truth they
need to hear.
But Watch Yourself!
If we are trying to help someone who is trapped in sin to
come out from underneath that weight of sin, we need to be on guard against the
wiles (tricks) of the devil. For Satan will try to guilt trip us or to tempt us
or whatever he can do so that we will back down from helping this brother or
sister in Christ to come out from underneath whatever is entrapping them. And
so we need to be humble, and guarded, and not to think too highly of ourselves
or we may fall into temptation and need to be restored ourselves.
And to carry each other’s burdens is not to tolerate or
ignore or placate deliberate and habitual sin in those who claim faith in Jesus
Christ. Too much of that is taking place today in the gatherings of the church,
or of what are falsely being called “the church.” Too many are giving
professing Christians a pass, and then calling that “grace.” But God’s grace,
which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and
worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives (see
Titus 2:11-14).
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts
26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans
8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1
Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians
5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14;
Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24;
1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation
3:1-22]
My Sheep
Based off John 10:1-30 NIV
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
My sheep hear me.
They know me.
They listen to my
voice and obey.
I call them and lead
them.
They know my voice,
so they follow me.
They will never
follow strangers.
They will run away
from them.
The voice of a
stranger they know not;
They do not follow
him.
So, I tell you the
truth that
I am the gate, so
you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find
forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever
enters
Not by the gate;
other way,
He is the thief and
a robber.
Listen not, the
sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good
Shepherd,
Who laid his own
life down for the sheep.
I know them. They
know me.
They will live with
me eternally.
The thief only comes
to steal and
Kill and to destroy
the church.
I have come to give
you life that
You may have it to
the full…
They know my voice,
so they follow me.
Carry Each Other’s
Burdens
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