The Law of Christ

Tension

"It will go away.""It's not my problem.""I don't want to get caught in his/her mess."criticize or gossip "See! I told you he or she..."In other words, any other response other then what Paul is about to talk about Why so serious?We take sin seriously because God takes it seriously. as sin causes separation from God, others and even harm to ourselves.

Fulfill the Law of Christ GENTLY

Paul wrote to the church in the region of Galatia in the most angry tone he left out thanksgiving unlike most of his other letters compare to Thessalonika which I am reading currently, where he commends them, here, he confronts them. A different gospel from the opponents focused on Jewish exclusivity, creating two class of Christians. One thing they are still struggling with which we can all relate to is with their flesh vs. Spirit.

V1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression,

you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.

Caught in ANY transgression, such as those listed in 5:19-21a

Caught as in caught by surprise, someone who you did not expect! A scandal or a reputation hit, like SNC-Lavalin... Honest accountant embezzled company funds, faithful wife cheated on her marriage, studious student cheated on a test

Caught by surprise by restorer and maybe even... The perpetrator...we don't know how far we will go sometimes until we've gone too far.

Transgression is action going over and beyond or overstepping some boundary and limit

Quality required - Spiritual, what does that mean? 5:16-18, 22-25

Note this is one letter, and sometimes the chapters that were later added on, while they help us locate major themes by paragraphs and verses by numbers, break down the flow of the letters thought and argument

any is both curse and grace, curse because any means there are almost unlimited ways to sin, and grace because there are just as many ways to be restored. For every poison there is an antidote! There is a cure! There is hope! But we need to be willing to submit ourselves to the process of restoration, and that can be painful. We can and will feel exposed because we are.But Paul is more concerned about the restorer then the restored, and he laid out some principles to restoration.

Restore is to correct or repair or replace what is broken to former condition

One of the fruit of the spirit, 5:22-23I wonder if there was an intention of Paul's part to use an example of one aspect of the fruit of the spirit to be the antidote to transgressions, gentleness.What does gentleness mean? Gentle, mild, even-temperedIt is the ONE essential character to have for ALL the different transgressions/sin we commit, why?people swallow it better? All the fruit of the spirit actually are activated at the same time when we are gentle, and ruled by love, which is the law of Christ. VERSE 2In fact this whole message is about the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ. It says plainly here to Carry each other’s burden. Does this remind you of anything? Isn’t the law of Christ love the Lord your God with...and love your neighbour as yourself? Do you see the parallel? To love your neighbour IS the law of Christ. And instead of not knowing where to start because loving your neighbour is such a broad principle, Paul narrows it down and focus on one application, carry each other’s burden! Now burden doesn’t necessarily have to be a sin, but also a result of a sin. But it’s basically when every thing is going fine and then something shifts and you are off kilter and your life focus becomes that thing, whether you chose it, indulge in it, surrender to it, intentionally or not, or you are a victim to someone’s sin’s effect. But in this case, the focus is on any transgression.Another rule of thumb is the benefit is for the hearer, the restorer is declaring you aren't mad at him or her, you aren't looking down on him or her, you aren't condescending, you genuinely care for his or her well-being and relationship to be restored with God AND with the person(s) he or she has harmed.Yet at the same time you aren't bypassing or dismissing their sin or transgression. As if it's no big deal. Whether that brother or sister realizes it or not, sin is eating at them away, their relationship with God. It requires a measure of firmness as well. Not uncontrolled anger, though that is a normal reaction for someone spiritual who is sensitive to just how devastating sin is, but more of a heart-brokenness for your brother or sister caught in sin.But there is another reason why gentleness is essential

Fulfill the Law of Christ WATCHFULLY

V1b Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

V3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

V4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. V5 For each will have to bear his own load.

I moved part of verse 1 down because it is the beginning of the continuation of the idea before Paul interjects the key principle of the law of Christ.you are not the Savior or Lord, you do not have special powers; we are not more superior because we aren't caught in the same sin as the one we are restoring. We need to realize all sins are the same, they hurt others, they hurt ourselves and they sadden God. So why does Paul call some earlier “more spiritual”? It can be a way to say if you are indwelled by the Spirit the you have been given the law of Christ to carry each other’s burden. The other reason for more spiritual is there were some who infiltrated the community and claiming they are more spiritual, and Paul uses those who actually are boasting and say if you are so spiritual, stop flaunting your achievements or tearing me down and do something useful and beneficial, carry your brother or sisters’ burden! Paul emphasize in other words don't compare with others and find satisfaction in "I am not like them." We are all in God's eyes without Jesus' righteousness EXACTLY like them or him or her, again it's just a different poison.One thing I always remember and share with others is Christianity levels the playing field because we are all equally corrupt. There is no hierarchy. Pastors are flawed and broken people too. So this may help us to realize the same temptation to say look at me, this person is under my ministry and was bent out of shape in sin and look what I did to restore them.In other words, spiritual is not a quality only pastors have, which means the burden of restoration is not a higher calling but a calling everyone of us can and must share equally.Paul gives us flawed people an out here. If we have to boast, or pat ourselves on the back, don't talk about the one you restored (when in reality it was God who restored him or her), talk about what God is doing to restore us.

the Law of Christ is the Life of Christ Lived Out.

Now Christ can be tempted but he does not sin, so he perfectly exhibited the other’s first mentality. He doesn’t need to be insecure so as to prove himself like we often do. So to be careful doesn’t apply. But in terms of carrying one another’s burden, boy does it ever apply to Jesus! It applied to his general demeanour. he carry the burdens of the downtrodden. The sick. The lost. The outcast. He carry our burdens to the cross! And still he carries our burden, invites us to lay it down. Come all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest!

Christ exhibited gentleness at restoration at the shores where he first met the now disgraced Peter, who said he would not abandon Jesus, he did. Whom Jesus said before the rooster crows twice he would deny him three times. At the very shores where Jesus first called him, he was going to restore him gently. Jesus isn’t like us, to hide our anger of betrayal with sarcasm “well if it isn’t Peter the denier...” but three times in the gospel of John he asked gently, Simon, do you love me?

V6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.

In order to understand this next part I have to clarify one thing here. What is the good thing Paul mentions in v6? And then in v9 do good, appears again. And verse 10 doing good. I want to clarify this, and it’s confirmed in most commentaries do good isn’t being a Boy Scouts or girls scout. That’s not the original application. Do good is the code word for paying the workers! Paul is reminding the churches in Galatia to do their share and compensate those who are teaching! (Haha so the not so pure side of me in my mind is thinking, haha.. in the future I can just come up to one of you and wink, hopefully not creepily and say, hey! Do good!) anyways, all joking aside, all the churches are to participate in supporting those working for the LORD, even though Paul himself insisted that he himself does not need to be compensated. Also, why not just say compensate the workers. It may prove once again whether first or twenty first century, it’s still pretty touchy to talk about money. And we could have taken these verses alone and have a message on tithing. But I want to apply this principle we are about to see to carrying each other’s burden.V7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked (turn up their nose at, treated with contempt), for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption (total destruction from breakdown), but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. when we have decided to live the law of Christ, we can fool the whole world, our brother and sister, our congregation, their families we are for them and have absolutely pure motives. But what are we after as we carry each other’s burden?We have to remember not to take someone's life, someone's' burden or list of dirty laundry as a pet project, this is a real life human we are talking about here! The law of Christ has to be done fearfully and with great repentance as soon as selfish motives come in, or a savior complex hits you, or you even start to despise the person for becoming too clingy or dependent. Or you actually enjoy it! That's a sign you are in this person's life for your own benefit more then theirs. The law of sowing and reaping applies here. At the end of the day, our actions in restoration, the wisdom we give after seeking God we are accountable to. So we need to check regularly before God to have Him examine our hearts to see if our motives to help in restoring that brother or that sister is genuine, pure and humble.

Fulfill the law of Christ PATIENTLY

Pace itAnd let us not grow weary (discouraged or disheartened) of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up (exhaustion). So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”But just as importantly, at the end of the day, we can only say so much or do so much for someone to carry their burden. Much of it will be up to God's timing and the individuals' willingness to be under God's discipline, through the church or through you. We must remember in carrying a brother or sister’s burden if think you care so much, God will always care and love more then we do. That's not then to shake off the privilege and responsibility for the law of Christ lived out but it puts in perspective the trust we need when things aren't moving as fast as we want to, or when you seem to make progress two steps and suddenly he or she falls back three steps. Be patient! Be there, be available but also have the wisdom to know when to step back.

Application

So now that we have unpacked the law of Christ, what are you, what are we going to do about it?Which of the reasons why we don't get involved applies to you the most?"It will go away." No, it won't go away. Unrepented sin has a long expiry date. And worse, it has a way of leaking out of its container into other lives. And we aren’t talking about an abstract it. There’s a person, a he or she behind and suffering from whatever that IT is. A broken person doesn’t ultimately want to be left alone. But to know someone cares enough to meet them in the eye and acknowledge their pain."It's not my problem." It is our problem. Notice I say ours and not yours. Because "you" who are spiritual is more than one in the Greek. "I don't want to get caught in his/her mess." If he is your brother or sister in Christ, you are already pledged to be in his or her mess. Just by your knowing of it you already have to either choose to step in or ignore it knowing full well his or her problem isn't going away, and his or her family, or wife or husband's situation, or his financial dealings, or relationship with parents, is not getting better or the attention it needs.criticize or gossip "See! I told you he or she..." This is the worse but unfortunately in some circle the most common reaction. But this helps no one but your pride, breaks trust and fellowship, and you yourself have sinned against your brother or sister.The only alternative is to get involved, in prayer, examine your heart if you are spiritually mature to approach the situation. If you aren't, be the backbone prayer group of the one or ones who is spiritually mature! If you are spiritually mature, having the love and compassion, humility, watchfulness and healthy fear, ask God for the courage for how best to step in? Is it a phone call? A coffee shop meeting? Pulling aside during chit chat time? Briefly connect after Sunday school? Are you prepared to stay for the long haul? Have you check your pride out the door and remember you are no different from him or her, just not now perhaps, and your burden is different.

Conclusion

So imagine with me for just second, ask ourselves this question:At the risk of friendships and fellowship, awkwardness and embarrassment, temptation and pride:“What am I going to do for the sake of love?”What would it be like when pockets of small groups, fellowship, families start practicing regularly carrying one another’s burden so as to fulfill the law of Christ?