Bear One Another's Burdens

Introduction

Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia is plain-spoken and clear: these churches have turned away from the gospel of Christ and must repent!

Galatians 6 continues to exhort these believers to return to God through restoration and healing, sharing each other’s burdens, and promoting love, gentleness, and unity.

A Community of Restoration

Paul is writing to the church-at-large. He is speaking to everyone about their responsibilities to each other:

“Brethren” - plural

“You who are spiritual” - plural pronouns, especially noticeable in the Greek

“Bear one another’s burdens” - plural pronoun

The church must be a community that holds each other accountable - Galatians 6:1-2

How will I know what your burdens are if you are not around the church?

This ought to show us that local church membership is extremely important.

I am not to be left in isolation and a “church unto myself.”

I am not to go from this church to this church.

I am not to consider myself a member at this church sometimes and a different congregation at another time.

A unique challenge in an ever-increasing virtual world: just because we have opportunities to watch services online through Facebook or YouTube, does not mean watching is full-scale participation within the community. You might know that you’re watching, but others may not know.

We must avoid the temptation to use live streaming as a measure of comfort and convenience.

We are still expected to worship and assemble with one another when the church gathers together!

Local church membership is about keeping each other accountable so that we may fulfill the law of Christ - Galatians 6:2

Accountability is important at all times, but especially when we are faced with temptation and when we sin. When we have people who hold us accountable and help us through our struggles, they will be concerned about restoring us to God - Galatians 6:1

The goal of confessing our sins to one another is not to bring shame and reproach upon someone. The goal of confessing our sins to one another is so that we might be restored and repentance might come about - cf. James 5:16; Matt. 18:15-17

Restoring someone who has erred and sinned means that we must be bold enough to rebuke sin when we see it.

Even if people wrongly perceive our motives and they think we enjoy rebuking them, we have an obligation to each other - Galatians 4:16

Peter’s hypocrisy in Antioch forced Paul to confront him face to face - Galatians 2:11-12

One important reason that we rebuke and confront sinners is because their actions can lead astray others, even the ones we suspect the least that would be carried away - Galatians 2:13

“The rest of the Jews...”

“Even Barnabas...”

Any genuine, spiritual person does not really enjoy offering rebuke and correction from sin. But it is necessary if we are going to be in a position to help people come back to the Lord!

A dangerous environment is one that shrinks back and ignores the sins of other Christians.

“Bearing one another’s burdens” means that we must offer gentle and loving correction.

Individuals that Practice Repentance

While we all have the responsibility to look out for one another and to encourage faithfulness among the church, and there is a community that must work together to correct each other, there is still an individual component that we must see - Galatians 6:4-5

“Examine his own work”

“Each one will bear his own load”

Thomas Schreiner, Galatians

Galatians Explanation of the Text

even though we are to help one another as believers and bear each other’s burdens, we finally carry our own load in this life. In other words, we are responsible for our own behavior.

Repentance involves turning away from sin — and that is something that you, and you alone, can do.

Simon the Sorcerer had to repent of his wickedness - Acts 8:22

The person who sins has the responsibility to turn from wickedness - Ezekiel 18:20, 30-31

Repentance is two-fold. It involves turning from wickedness AND creating a new life - Ezekiel 18:31

Sins we must turn from and begin living the transformed life we have been created for:

Turn from lying to telling the truth

Quit dressing immodestly to dressing in a way that brings glory to God in our bodies

Turn away from alcohol to being filled with things for your spiritual good

Bearing with Humility and Love

Restoration, correction, and repentance should take place in an appropriate way:

“In a spirit of gentleness” (meekness, humility) - Galatians 6:1; cf. Gal. 5:22-23

“Fulfill the law of Christ” - Galatians 6:2

What is the law of Christ that should be fulfilled? Love is what fulfills the whole law - cf. Gal. 5:14

The one who offers correction must approach correction with love and humility because it is possible that you will fall into a similar temptation - Galatians 6:1

Humility and Love fights Hypocrisy is related to the word “judgment” — hypocrisy makes unfair and partial judgments. It favors and benefits one party over the other.

How you say things matter. Let your speech be filled with grace - Colossians 4:6

The one who needs to repent must humbly accept the correction and respond to that correction in a positive way, recognizing that others love you and want to help you!

Peter would later recognize and appreciate Paul’s wisdom, even after having to face rebuke from Paul - 2 Peter 3:15

We never like being told we are wrong, but people offer correction because they love us.

Living with the principles of humility, gentleness, meekness, and love is what will help people have fellowship and unity with Christ and with one another.

Conclusion