6:1-10

Context

Christian Ethics from chapter 5

Christians have been set free from their slavery to the law and to sin. (1)

Christians are to hold their ground and not become yoked to sin (1)

Lives that have been truly justified by faith alone are expressed through love and strive to obey the truth (2-12)

Christians do not misuse their freedom in Christ as a pretext for self-indulgence (13-15)

Christians are exhorted to walk by the Spirit and reject the desires of the flesh (16-26)

There is no doubt that believers have the benefits of Christ. We have the Spirit of God and the fruits of the Spirit. The reception of the Spirit was the promise mentioned back in chapter 3:

Galatians 3:14 ESV

so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

What Paul does in the first ten verses of chapter 6 is apply the principles he laid out in chapter 5 to specific cases in the life of the Galatian churches.

You Who Are Spiritual (1-5)

I’m spiritual not religious

spiritual is often perceived of in the abstract, but if any substance is given to the idea, it often has to do with action. Spiritual actions that may lift us up higher to God.

In the chapter entitled “Spiritual Elevation and Degradation” in Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, Haidt quotes Thomas Jefferson who was recommending that someone be sure the inclusion of novels and plays. Jefferson justified this recommendation by writing the following:

When any… act of charity or of gratitude, for instance, is presented either to our sight or imagination, we are deeply impressed with its beauty and feel a strong desire in ourselves of doing charitable and grateful acts also. On the contrary, when we see or read of any atrocious deed, we are disgusted with its deformity, and conceive an abhorrence of vice.

This is what it meant to be spiritual according to Jefferson. Do that which is charitable and not doing that which is abhorrent. He assumes that people will be attracted to what is virtuous and disgusted with what is wicked.

But as contrary to Christian doctrine as that may strike us, we need to be careful to not presume that being spiritual is connected first and foremost to what we do, or even to what we like and do not like.

The spiritual life is not something we produce in ourselves through some ritual or method. As Philip Ryken says, “to put it very simply, the spiritual life flows from the third person of the Trinity. The life of the Holy Spirit can be nurtured by using the means of grace - reading Scripture, attending public worship, and so on - but the life itself comes from God.”

What do truly spiritual do?

Restore one another from sin (1)

brothers

a reminder that

The church is God’s family. Christians are sons and daughters of God who have been adopted into His family.

Themes we have considered earlier.

But the fact that we are part of God’s family does not keep us out of sin. We know from chapter 3 that our flesh and the Spirit of God are at war with each other. There are times, because of our weakness, we get caught in a transgression.

caught in a transgression

to be taken unawares

this is really referring to an unexpected sin… something that someone does against his better judgement

A Christian who falls into this kind of sin needs the proper care.

What should be done in this case?

restore him

the word restore means to repair or to return to its former condition. This word was often used in medical contexts to describe resetting a broken or dislocated bone.

Paul does not outline a process of restoration, but we do have an outline in Matt. 18 from Jesus.

Matthew 18:15–20 ESV

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

This goal is restoration… its never to punish.

in a spirit of gentleness

humility

part of the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in chapter 5

and

Since gentleness is part of the fruit of the Spirt, it makes sense that only people who are spiritual do this delicate and important work.

One commentator said that if we cannot do this gently, we had better no do it at all.

keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted

The particular temptation that Paul may have in mind is spiritual pride. When we come along side those who have fallen prey to temptation, we may feel a sense of superiority or self-righteousness.

This is often what we are accused of when holding anyone accountable (who are you ti judge?).

While we cannot allow that possibility prevent us from loving our brothers and sisters in this way, we need to heed the apostle’s warning here. What must dominate our motivations in our efforts to restore one another is restoration…. not humiliation or isolation.

1 Corinthians 10:12 ESV

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Truly spiritual people also

Bear one another’s burdens (2-3)

Martin Luther, in his commentary on Galatians said that bearing one another’s burdens requires strong shoulders and mighty bones.

Another commentator said this is less like resetting a broken bone and more like carrying a stretcher.

so what this command makes clear is that

Christians have heavy burdens

Not just one related to temptation, but sorrow, illness, loss and many others.

burden means a heavy weight or stone that someone is required to carry for a long distance

Certainly God has born our burdens. We are called to embrace this truth:

1 Peter 5:7 ESV

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

But the body of Christ is called to care for one another in this way. In order to care for one another, we must be aware of two truths:

Self-sufficiency is a myth

Believing this myth makes our responsibility to bear one another’s burdens difficult.

One commentator observed that stoicism taught that a happy life is connected to the ability to endure and not depend on others. Seneca, a Roman philosopher said, the primary sign of a well ordered mind is a man’s ability to remain in one place and linger in his own company.

Self sufficiency many not be a mark of bravery as much as a mark of pride.

Bearing burdens fulfills the law

Galatians 5:14 ESV

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

This is how we fulfill or obey the law. We are justified by faith, but those who have been justified are called to love their neighbors, and bearing their burdens is a significant way that is done.

So keeping the law of love is not a prerequisite for our justification, but we obey this law because we are justified. We are not under law but do fulfill the law.

It is the law of Christ because Christ taught it throughout His ministry.

John 13:34 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

John 15:12 ESV

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

And again, one way to fulfill the law of love is to bear one another’s burdens.

Acknowledge our needs

if anyone thinks he is something refers to an attitude of conceit.

this attitude can lead to two potential problems

the refusal to bear one another’s burdens because that would be too menial for us to bother with

the refusal to allow anyone else to help shoulder our burdens since that would be an admission of weakness.

And Paul says that to live this way, end of verse 3, is an act of self-deception

The spiritual also

Self Examination (4-5)

Paul just finished warning against spiritual pride, so it’s not unexpected that self-examination is brought up. But what does it have to do with bearing the burdens of others?

Assessing the need for burden bearing (4)

So verse 4 is a word of caution when it comes to this kind of confrontational burden-bearing. Verse 4 begins with the word but, and I don’t want to make too much of that, but after commanding us to bear one another’s burdens, Paul commands that we test our own work.

Now we’ll address what Paul means by this in a moment, but the command to test is a command to check. The same kind of cautionary approach we use to check that we have everything we need before going to the DMV to do something or before going on a trip. Check and recheck. So much more so, we are to test our own work.

Now, what does Paul mean? I think this is a call to take our own spiritual pulse, and as we do so we continually seek to yield our thoughts, attitudes and actions to the will of God.

You see,

The command to test introduces a standard. How do we know if we pass a test. There is a standard we must meet. We don’t determine the standard for getting an A on a test, the teacher does.

Now it’s here that we should take a step back, and make sure we’re still operating in the context of Paul’s argument. We’re not talking about how one is justified. We do not take a test and pass to get justified. And we do not take a test, do the work of self-examination in order to maintain our justification. But as justified people, we care about living according to the Spirit of God and not according to our flesh. And if we expect to bear each other’s burdens in a way that helps each other and fulfill the law of Christ, we cannot do that according to the standards our flesh sets out.

Our standard is the law of Christ. Our standard is the fruit of the Spirit.

Sometimes out standard becomes the affirmation and applause of other people. Sometimes our standard is ourselves.

When our standard is someone else or ourselves, then we will end up boasting in ourselves. I pleased him or I impressed her so I doing ok. What I am doing and what I did feels good so it must be good.

Our concern is that we are in it, including bearing one another’s burdens for the glory of Christ.

The future judgement and burden bearing (5)

At first, it may seem that Paul is contradicting himself. In verse 2 he instructed to Galatians to bear one another’s burdens. Now in verse 5 Paul tells us that each will have to bear his own load.

burdens in v. 2 refers, as we have already noted, to a heavy load that one has to carry for a long time. And oppressive weight.

load in v. 5 is used in Scripture to refer to cargo or even a soldier’s knapsack.

I want to quote John Stott here:

Galatians (2) Carrying One’s Own Load (6:4–5)

we are to bear one another’s ‘burdens’ which are too heavy for a man to bear alone, but there is one burden which we cannot share—indeed do not need to because it is a pack light enough for every man to carry himself—and that is our responsibility to God on the day of judgment. On that day you cannot carry my pack and I cannot carry yours.”

So verse 5 should not be understood separate from verse 4. Verse 4 makes clear that our standard is Christ.

When we test our own work, the standard we use to test is Christ and His law. And the reason that is true is because Christ is our judge. We may behave as if someone else is our judge or that we are our own judges, but ultimately Christ is our judge and He will judge us.

And when that day comes when those who are in Christ and stand before His judgement seat, we will have to bear our own load. I won’t be judged on the basis of who you are what you did, and you won’t be judged on the basis of who I am and what I did.

On this day our responsibility will be to Christ alone. And no one will be able to step in for us.

A sobering reality to be sure, but we should be thinking of this reality now. And what will help us to do that is to commit ourselves to the work that Paul emphasizes here. Burden bearing.

So now that we have considered what Paul meant by bearing one another’s burdens, we need to acknowledge that what inevitably comes up for those who are striving to serve God is contending with a lack of drive to keep at it. We must understand where our drive to serve God needs to come from in order for it to last.

Do not grow weary (6-10)

What does Paul say is necessary to not grow weary?

A commitment to the ministry of the Word of God (6)

A desire to learn the Word

Verse 6 begins with a command: Let the one who is taught the word share all good things...

Before we consider the command itself, I want us to see that Paul is referring to the Galatians as taught people. Specifically, they were people who were taught the word of God.

Now, I do not usually pronounce the actual Greek word of the text, but more emphasize what the words mean and how the author uses them. I do want to however, pronounce the word translated taught because I think it may remind us of an English word.

The Greek word is κατηχέω which may remind some of us of the word catechism. A catechism is a teaching device that summarizes Christian doctrine and presents that summary in the form of questions and answers.

So a children’s catechism says: Who made God? And the answer is: no body made God. And the truth that this question and answer makes, that is, teaches is that God is the Creator and not created.

I say all this simply to point out that the people in the Galatian church were familiar with being taught the word of God. They were instructed by teachers. They were recipients of biblical instruction.

And what I think is at least implied here is that for one to be committed to the ministry of the Word of God he/she must possess a desire to learn the Word of God.

A commitment to be taught the Word

Now remember what we are suggesting here. In order for God’s people to possess and maintain enthusiasm for God’s work, the Holy Spirit supplies a commitment to the ministry of the word of God, and a commitment to the word includes a commitment to the financial support of those who teach.

I know, this, coming from me, may seem self-serving, but regardless of what anyone may assume of my motives, financially supporting ministers of the word of God is a biblical command to the church.

Again the command in v. 6 is to share all good things with the one who teaches.

Now, you may know that Paul did not receive regular payment for his teaching ministry, although we do know he received personal gifts of money from the Philippians. He was a tent-maker so he could provide for himself and not be a financial burden to those whom he ministered the word. But he is the one who taught:

1 Corinthians 9:14 ESV

In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

We’re not sure why Paul felt it necessary to address this specific issue to the Galatian churches.

After Paul, along with his ministry partner Barnabas, came through this region and preached the gospel and planted churches, they appointed elders in every church. These men would have been conducting the ministry of the word among the churches. Perhaps the false teachers were seeking to discredit these men by criticizing their teaching, and as some of the Galatians began to buy into what the false teachers were teaching and their criticism of the elders in the churches, they may have been withdrawing their financial support of them.

Nothing new under the sun is there. This is often how people respond, sadly even in the church. If something is happening or not happening the way we want, we withdraw our financial support. Now sometimes that the right move, but we need to be clear here that it is right for us to support the ministry of the word with good things, that is our finances.

This really comes down today to supporting our local church with our resources. And if you are ever in a position in which you are looking for a church, that’s a big consideration, but fundamentally it must be a church that is committed to preaching the word of God.

Churches can be impressive on many fronts, and many of those things are important (family ministry, music, missions, community outreach etc), but if there is no sold, clear commitment to the proclamation of God’s Word, then you have very little of value.

Now remember the broader context here. Paul commanded that the Galatians bear each other’s burdens, and supporting those who teach God’s word fits right in to that context. The ministry of the word must be sustained in order for a healthy church to exist and if we expect to be able to handle the certain challenges that will come our way as we strive to serve God in this world.

On this side of Jesus’ return, we will continue to deal with our own sin, and how it affects one another. We will continue to contend with the oppression or even persecution of the world for our commitment to following Christ. Serving God, being the church is not easy, but will make it virtually impossible is to marginalize or diminish the ministry of God’s word.

If we want to remain enthusiastic about serving God, we need the Holy Spirit to intervene, and they way He intervenes is He provides His people with a commitment to the ministry of the Word of God.

Another key to not growing weary

A reverence for God (7-8)

Seeing our present in light of eternity

To begin this consideration of our present in light of eternity, we need to see Paul’s warning in v. 7: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.

Paul issues this negative command, do not be deceived, so to be clear in their minds that no matter how they think or behave, God will not be mocked.

The word mocked here means to treat with contempt, to turn your nose up at Him.

It’s as if Paul is saying that you will not approach God with that kind of attitude… one that lacks the appropriate respect.

Now, where is eternity in this command to not be deceived? Do approach God with disrespect because whatever one sows, that will he also reap. I suppose that phrase’s meaning in straight forward enough. What we reap or harvest will depend on what we planted or sowed in the ground.

What’s the analogy meant to make clear.

One day, God will harvest what we have planted. One day, a certain kind of payday will come, and God will be the collector.

So we would do well to heed the prophet Hosea’s words:

Hosea 8:7 ESV

For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; it shall yield no flour; if it were to yield, strangers would devour it.

The message we are to take to heart today church and friends is do not approach your lives with a casual posture. What we do now reflects our posture to God. What we do now reflects what we believe is important and what we do not think is important.

Is our way of life nothing more than an effort to harvest the wind? You and I need to live with eternity as our filter. If all that will be there when we meet God is that which passed through the filter of eternity, that must have significant impact on the here and now. The everyday. Eternity is relevant.

And that is what Paul goes on to make explicit in verse 8.

Now remember Paul talked extensively about the conflict that all Christians contend with between the works of our flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in the previous chapter. Our flesh is that part of us that is still in rebellion against God. Though the Holy Spirit resides in His people, and though the Holy Spirit intervened in our rebellion and transformed us from people who rejected God to people who came to God by faith, there is still a part of us that struggles against God’s will for us. That’s our flesh.

But the Spirit of God resides inside of us, and produces His fruit though us. He produces a love through us that is unlike love that the world promotes. It’s a love that is not of this world.

And what Paul is saying here in v. 8 is that the more we sow, that is indulge the works of our flesh, the deeper we move into the pit of our corruption.

The word corruption in v. 8 means decay or destruction. It conveys the idea of a corpse going through the process of decomposition. Vivid imagery of the consequences of our sin. It appears Paul’s point is that what we do now has eternal consequences. And if we are indulging our flesh, that is, if we are living to pursue and gratify that part of us that attempts to wage war against our Creator, the value of our labors is the equivalent of rotting flesh.

But the 2nd half of v. 8 makes clear that if we strive to yield to the Spirit and allow His fruit to show through our lives, we display what God gives to His children: eternal life.

Not growing weary

Remaining confident in God (9-10)

Serving God is never futile (9)

So, again the beginning of v. 9 brings the issue of our enthusiasm in serving God to the forefront (let us not grow weary in doing good).

But the 2nd half of verse 9 goes on the provide the reason why we should not grow weary in doing good… the reason why we should not give up.

Consider what Paul has been encouraging the Galatian church to do:

Reject and expel the agitators

Love one another

Keep in step with the Spirit

Bear one another’s burdens

Examine yourself in light of the judgement seat of Christ

All of these things are significant. It’s not easy to live this way. In fact, living this way can feel overwhelming and perhaps even impossible.

And Paul’s command to not grow weary in doing good makes sense because we often feel like giving up.

We like to be able to calculate outcomes. To use the analogy of farming that Paul uses here in this chapter, famers can reasonably predict when the crop will be ready to harvest. The farmer knows the necessary conditions for a fruitful harvest.

What we often find frustrating is that we cannot predict or calculate the outcome of our efforts in serving God. Our efforts in praying, planning, evangelizing, promoting, studying, forgiving, seeking forgiveness, persevering.... it’s always right we do these things, it honors God when we do these things for His glory (which we often fail to see and feel the satisfaction in that) but we can’t predict the outcomes of those efforts.

We need to have a confidence in God that will provide us the caution we need to not put too much stock in seeing visible results.

God provides His people with opportunities to serve one another (10)

So Paul emphasized the need for us to keep the eternal perspective in play as we think about the here and now. God will come to reap His harvest on the last day.

But as far as the here and now is concerned,

We are to do good to everyone, especially to those who are of the household of faith. There is nothing casual about this. We do not seek to do good to others when it is convenient but as we have opportunity. And make no mistake, what is meant here by opportunity, is divinely appointed opportunities.

So in light of the fact that this world is passing away, that Jesus will return someday and reap His harvest, lets be sensitive to opportunities God provides us to do good to others.... especially one another

This is the priority structure. We are to seek to do good to one another. We are a family, and though we may very different lives and and situations and challenges and frustrations and joys, we are committed to Christ and because of that we are also committed to doing good for each other.