The Necessity and Difficulty of Doing Good

Read

Galatians 6:6–10 (ESV)

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Opening Prayer

Recap

Paul has been teaching that the community of Christ, that is the church...

Is to suffer with/along side one another.

We are to care for one another through thick and thin.

We are to restore one another when one gets caught up in transgressions.

We are to share with one another.

We are to bear each other’s burdens.

We are to take care of the pastors, who have stepped away from opportunity to make a living in the world...

And dedicated themselves to the:

Purity of the church.

Doctrinal purity.

Congregational unity.

Proper conduct.

Paul says, make sure you’re investing in the right things.

Paul Explains Further

Now, Paul adds to what he is saying...

Galatians 6:8 (ESV)

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Now, Paul breaks this principle down into parts.

Paul introduces the general principle in…

Galatians 6:7 (ESV)

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

In v.8 Paul gives more detail…

If one sows to the flesh, then it shows that our hope is in this present life.

Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die

And we become nothing…says worldly philosophy.

When we sow to the flesh, we prove that our hope is in the comforts of this present world.

So you reap the fruit of the seed you sow.

A life characterized by sowing to the flesh can have no assurance...

Because there is no expression of love for Christ...

Only love for the cares of the world.

In contrast, if one sows to the Spirit ...that path leads to eternal life.

So, if one lives a life that shows a love for Christ...

It will manifest in spiritual fruit...

And spiritual fruit is leading us on a path of assurance...

A path that leads to eternal life.

Sowing to the Spirit is not what obtains for us eternal life...

Sowing to the Spirit expresses that we are on the right path to eternal life...

Mainly, a person who has put their faith in Christ...

Is resting in Christ...

And, resting in Christ is hoping in Christ...

And, the reward that awaits us in Christ.

Sowing to the Spirit expresses our hope is in Christ...

And, the eternal life and heavenly world that He promises His Bride.

We are willing to endure delayed gratification...

Because what awaits us by our present investments into the Kingdom...

Is a reward infinitely greater than all the treasures and comforts this world can give.

Now, Paul gives us a much needed warning...

Galatians 6:9–10 (ESV)

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Doing good…3 Questions:

Why is it so hard?

Why do we grow weary doing it?

Why must we not stop doing good?

Why is doing good so hard?

Because as non-Christians we are under the bondage to sin...

And, as Christians, we are under the re-training of all of our faculties to do different than we used to do...

When we were in bondage to sin.

Listen to the Apostle Paul in...

Romans 3:9–18 (ESV)

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

After exclaiming the universal condition of mankind in Romans 1...

Paul continues in Chapter 2 to prove why it is also the condition of Jews, as well.

And, so what we see here in Romans 3. is the universal judgment of all mankind, both Jew & non-Jew.

Outside of the the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit...

And, His work within us we, cannot do good to others in the way that God prescribes.

Doing good, according to God’s will, goes against our fallen nature.

So, to just do good, biblically, takes faith.

It takes us waking up every morning and dying to self.

Throughout our day, resting in Christ.

Leaning on the Spirit of God.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

This is gospel.

We need to rest in Christ, His gospel, His promises, His righteousness.

If we want to do good, we must rest in Christ, first and foremost.

Why do we grow weary doing good?

Fallenness constrains us to find our value in self...

And, in order to find value in self...

We must find our self more valuable than others.

So, our battle is to remember and rest in this truth...

Our value and the only value that matters is found in Jesus.

What He did on our behalf.

What He is preparing for us for our future inheritance.

We lose faith in delayed gratification.

Matthew 6:19–20 (ESV)

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

We lose sight of and faith that the reward of heaven will be so much more satisfying...

And, that it is eternal and cannot be harmed.

Why must we not stop doing good?

We need to be clear...

Doing good is not the same as preaching the gospel.

So, you can’t say I’m doing good to others so they’ll come to Christ...

If you’re not also telling them about Christ...

Teaching them the gospel.

But, doing good is an attractant to the gospel.

IOW, it does draw people to us...

Stirs interest and curiosity to why we are being nice...

And, we can then share the gospel with them as the reason we do what we do...

And, why the gospel is important to them, too.

We imitate the Lord when do such.

Doing good for those who cannot return the favor is exactly what our Lord did.

Doing good for those who are harming you is exactly what our Lord did.

Romans 5:6 (ESV)

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:10 (ESV)

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Listen to this remarkable statement that Paul makes in Colossians...

Colossians 1:24–26 (ESV)

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,

Paul is saying, I’m bearing burdens for you.

I’m taking on risks and I’m willing to and am suffering for your benefit.

That is bearing burdens for/with others.

and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

This is the statement that has profound meaning for Paul’s urging us to not grow weary of doing good.

And, I’ll come back to it, but he continues...

25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

Now, first, let’s think about this...

Part of the burdens Paul had to bear were for the sake of building up the church...

As in increasing the number of the visible church through evangelism.

Many times when we preach/teach/tell others of the gospel...

They’re not aware, at least not admittedly, that they even have a burden they need help with...

But, they do have one, an eternally significant burden...

And we are taking a risk to help them with their burden.

And, in whatever biblical way we use our Christian giftedness to build relationships with people...

And talk to them about the gospel...

What we are doing, when done rightly, we are seeking to help them with their burden(s).

Now, also, as many burdens Paul carried, they were for the health of the church.

The purity of doctrine.

The unity of the body.

The conduct of the body.

Paul wept and lamented for the churches.

Paul traveled hard paths, with many dangers to visit the churches.

Paul suffered much physically & emotionally for his doctrinal stances in the churches.

As all of the Apostles did.

And, we see this repeatedly in the NT.

But, Paul says a willingness to suffer for the good of the church’s health was worth it...

And, it pictured something to the church.

Colossians 1:24 (ESV)

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

How can there be anything lacking in Christ’s afflictions?

There is nothing lacking in Christ’s afflictions...

But, what Paul means is this...

Christ has already ascended on high.

He is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Those who are being reached with the gospel can no longer see Christ with their eyes.

They are not able to see Christ actually suffer for His bride.

So, what does our bearing each other’s burdens do...

What does our willingness to do good to people that don’t have good will towards us do?

It shows the willingness that Christ showed in His incarnation to bless a people that called Him their enemy.

Romans 8:7–8 (ESV)

7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Christ came to save those who were already hostile towards Him…at enmity towards Him.

And, we show similar love towards all by seeking to do them good...

Even when they have ill will towards us.

We imitate Christ when we do good...

Even doing good to our enemies.

To Whom Is Our Good Deeds Aimed?

Galatians 6:10 (ESV)

10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

We do good to everyone...

As much God gives opportunity within our ability to do so.

But, we prioritize the church.

People are supposed to look at a church and wonder in amazement at the unity, benevolence, and sacrificial love expressed within the church.

Closing Prayer