Galatians 6:1-10

Galatians 6:1–10 (CSB)

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit,, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted. 2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each person will have to carry his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher. 7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”

Walking in the Spirit is an other’s focused way of life

Jesus is our example

Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected for others. His life, death, and resurrection was ultimately for the glory of God, but it was also for the good of those who would believe in him by faith!

Jesus came to demonstrate the love of God for sinners by redeeming them from the curse of sin and the sentence of death.

His love for us and the way He demonstrated His love provide an example for us to follow in the church.

1. Restore one another

Jesus restores, and He does it gently and at His expense

Restoration is a word that refers to the setting of a broken bone.

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit,, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.”

Overtaken refers to those who are overcome by sin and temptation who confess it or who are discovered by their brothers and sisters.

If someone is found in their sin they are to be restored with a gentle spirit.

This is so counter-cultural. In fact I think we can say it’s counter to our fleshly nature.

Instead of condemning those in sin we are to have compassion and help them away from their sin and toward Jesus Christ.

This is what the Pharisees didn’t do in the days of Jesus

This is what the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal didn’t do

But, this is what Jesus did!

Gentle restoration requires walking in the Spirit. Look back at Galatians 5:22–25 (CSB), “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

Restoration requires gentleness

Restoration requires kindness

Restoration requires patience

Restoration requires love

The entire work of restoration and if necessary discipline are an act of love.

The ultimate goal of restoration is to see your brother or sister walking with Christ and living by the Spirit.

The ultimate goal of discipline is repentance and restoration, but it also guards the church and maintains its purity.

The final steps of discipline outlined in Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5 are for those who reject and resist restoration.

We see a progression of steps for restoration in Matthew 18, and in 1 Corinthians 5 we see a final necessary action for those who resist and reject the truth.

Matthew 18:15–20 (CSB)

15 “If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established., 17 If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the church., If he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”

Matthew 18 begins with if someone sins against you… so this is directly related to when one brother sins against another. But, it is good for us to use these steps in our relationships with those who are overtaken by sin.

1 Corinthians 5 references a situation where sin has overtaken a member and his household and its spilling over into the church, which it always does. I think it is right to assume that steps like those in Matthew 18 have been taken. If not, then I think that would be the place to start. But, at this point Paul makes it clear that you cannot tolerate this sin in the church, and if they are unrepentant then the only step to take is expulsion from the church. This would be the application of the final steps in Matthew 18:18

1 Corinthians 5:1–13 (CSB)

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief and remove from your congregation the one who did this? 3 Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven, leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world. 11 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? 13 God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.,

This is all under the umbrella of love and gentleness.

This is always for the glory of God in the individual and in the church

There is a responsibility to guard and encourage the purity and holiness of your bothers and sisters in Christ.

This is why we have a church covenant that even addresses how we are to be toward one another. (Read covenant)

We are called to restore one another, but before it gets to this point we are called to help one another.

2. Help one another

Jesus helps

2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The relationships we have in the church are to be selfless and sacrificial. Our calling is to carry one another’s burden. Jesus tells us we are take up His yoke and follow Him. He helps us with a gentle and loving way.

We are to be like this with one another. If you are yoked to Christ, then you are yoked to one another by the Holy Spirit.

3. Fulfill your responsibility and calling

Jesus fulfilled His responsibility while helping and caring for others

“3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each person will have to carry his own load.”

Even though you are called to restore and help others, you are not to forsake your responsibility.

Don’t avoid your responsibility while seeking to help someone else

Don’t avoid your responsibility while criticizing others

You cannot do someone else’s calling, but you can help.

4. Bless those who have blessed you

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher. 7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Be a material blessing to those God uses to grow you spiritually.

1 Peter 5:2 (CSB)

2 Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly;

Those who are called to shepherd the flock do it for an imperishable reward… we will look deeper at the motivation of our actions, and the audience we live for in our next session. But, those who shepherd willingly are also those the flock should bless willingly.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this

1 Corinthians 9:11 (CSB)

“11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?”

But, because of the hearts and issues in the church of Corinth Paul did not take a gift from them. He makes the argument that it right and good for them to be a blessing to him and others who feed them and lead them from the Word.

1 Corinthians 9:12–14 (CSB)

“12 If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right; instead, we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.”

This was not Paul’s normal way of ministry, but for this situation he did not take money from them for the sake of the Gospel. This proves his motivation was the gospel. But, Paul’s independence in Corinth proved that their motivation was not the gospel.

Paul implies to the church in Corinth that they had expectations with their giving, and he didn’t want to taint the gospel.

The minister of the Word must do as the Lord leads, and those who benefit are called to be generous back because of the spiritual blessing, not because of a met expectation or agenda. This is how we keep the church and its work pure. We focus on doing what we do for the Lord and for the good of one another.

But, too often it becomes about agendas and control. So, to avoid a foothold for the devil in the church, in your heart, or even in the pastors heart you are to simply do good by supporting the shepherds financially.

God knows your motivation, and He will reward you according to the truth your heart and actions. This applies to both the preacher and the congregation. If you sow the Word out of a fleshly desire for material things, then you will reap what you so in eternity.

If you sow financially to the church out of a fleshly desire for control or recognition, or if you withhold it for the same reasons then you will reap what you sow in eternity.

You cannot base what happens or does not happen right now on God’s pleasure. There are many who sow according to the flesh in many ways without immediate repercussions. But, there will be eternal repercussions that are in the Lord’s hands.

5. Being good means doing good to others

“9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”

Holy and righteous living encompasses the way you are toward others.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit requires relationship with others.

Don’t get tired of doing good… you will reap what you sow.

Ceasing to do good, or sow in the Spirit is giving up.

Are you sowing good toward others?

Are you blessing others because you have been blessed?

Are you tired of doing good? It’s normal for your flesh to tell you have done enough and now it’s time to focus on yourself.

This is a struggle for many in the church. They want a certain point in their lives to be a time of personal rest and enjoyment. And, you know what, that is a God given desire that He will fulfill. He will fulfill it for all eternity. But, until Christ returns there is no rest for the weary, but there is strength, help, and love for the weary.

You are called to do good to others in the name of Christ until He returns.

Walking in the Spirit is an other’s focused way of life, and it lasts until the day you die or Jesus comes back.