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We find ourselves in the very practical and applicable section of Galatians.
Paul has spent the previous 5 chapters rebuking the Galatians in their theology, and now he is teaching on a correct, orthopraxy, right living.
It’s an interesting passage, because a lot of the words are uncomfortable.
Some of language seems to be wrong.
We are told that if we test ourselves, we will boast in ourselves.
That seems odd.
That seems to go against other famous passages of Paul like that says we are saved by grace alone so that no one may boast.
Then there is verse 5 that says we have to bear our own load, which only comes 3 verses after hearing we must bear one another’s burden.
I hope that we not only will work out some of this confusion, but that it will be practical and helpful to you.
First, we see that Paul tells us to test ourselves.
The Galatians were a church that was zooming towards legalism.
They had accepted another Gospel.
They had accepted a gospel of works.
They had accepted the teaching that if someone was going to be saved they needed to circumcised.
The Galatians were expecting others to be circumcised.
They would boast in how they were able to persuade and convince people to be circumcised.
It was a good day if someone was circumcised.
Their value came in what they saw in others, not in their own true conversion.
They were boasting in what they were able to get others to do, while neglecting their own spiritual condition.
This is the kind of hypocrisy that is so deeply offensive.
People see right through it.
This is the hypocrisy that obsesses over others, while you are guilty of the very same thing, and often times even more so.
This is like receiving marital advice from an adulterer.
Or being told by a liar to tell the truth.
Subconsciously, the thinking is that if you can make a big enough deal out of someone else’s sin, then you can overlook your own sin.
Jesus talked about this kind of hypocrisy in , “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
The Galatians would strive to remove a speck of dust from their neighbor’s eye.
They were fighting over the smallest of issues.
And meanwhile ignoring their own sin, ignoring the log in their own eye.
And so Paul’s first words in today’s passage are, “But let each one test his own work ...”
This is a test of authenticity.
This is a test of qualification.
I remember watching old pirate movies when I was a kid.
Movies like Treasure Island.
Pirates would find that hidden stash of gold.
The one eyed pirate, with a peg leg, would take a gold coin and bite it, and it would bend.
And he’d verify, it’s gold.
Paul is telling the Galatians that they need to be verified, they need to see if they are the real thing.
They’re telling everyone else what to do, and never questioning whether they meet the qualifications.
This doesn’t mean you don’t talk to people about sin.
This doesn’t mean you don’t confront people on their sin.
You wouldn’t go to a brain surgeon who got his degree online.
This is a test that comes first.
Are you qualified to speak into the spiritual life and well being of others?
Imagine if you went into a doctor’s office for a brain surgery consultation.
You looked around and you didn’t see a diploma.
There were no drawings of anatomy or brains on the wall like you expect to see in a doctor’s office.
It looks very unscientific, and then you ask where he got his degree?
And he says, he took a good brain surgeon degree course online.
And then you ask how long he’s been doing brain surgeries?
And he raises his shaky hand and says, “About 3 weeks.”
Imagine if he said he just started, that he got his degree online.
Well, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know, he’s probably not the best guy for the job.
You’re not going to trust him with your brain.
You get out of there.
He’s not qualified.
begins with a call for us to be concerned about others, to serve one another, to bear one another’s burdens.
In this situation, if you are going to be concerned for others, and concerned enough that you confront them in their sin, you need to be qualified.
Paul begins by saying, you need to test yourself.
And as I think about the Bible, there are two aspects to this test.
The first is your own salvation.
Thankfully, the qualifications are fitting for the job.
says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.
Test yourselves.
Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
This is about salvation, do you know Christ.
If you don’t know Christ, then how can you tell people to follow Christ?
Jesus condemned the Pharisees for this type of living.
He said they were white washed tombs.
They were walking dead men.
They looked alive, but underneath there was nothing there.
They looked good on the outside, but underneath they were corrupt.
The first question is are you in Christ?
And hopefully, you can answer yes to that question.
Because if so, then you no the truth.
You love the truth.
You understand that that it’s only in Christ where there is forgiveness of sins.
The second part of the test is to test the quality of your walk with Christ.
So assuming you are a Christian, what does that look like?
What is the quality of your Christian life?
So you are confident you are a believer, and you have been born again, what is the quality of your new life?
You test yourself.
talks about this in regards to communion, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”
We read that passage during communion.
This examination is not necessarily even about salvation.
That’s not talking about salvation.
That’s talking about your own personal holiness.
Your own obedience to Christ.
You test yourself.
Is there sin that needs to be addressed?
What is your own spiritual life like?
Are you in prayer?
Are you in God’s Word?
Are you growing in holiness?
Are you becoming more and more Christlike?
As you look back on your life, can you see a steady growth of maturity.
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