SPIRITUAL WEIGHT LIFTING (GAL 6:1-5)

SERIES: FREE AT LAST, PART 23

GCEFC: MAY 2, 2010

INTRODUCTION

1. In the previous section of Galatians, we looked at the contrast between the works of the flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit.

2. Sinful works of the flesh are all we will ever produce through our sinful nature. It’s what the sinful nature does, and it does it very well.

3. With few exceptions, behavior reflects character. Effects have causes.

a. So thieves take what is not theirs.

b. Liars say things that are not true.

c. Slackers don’t work very hard.

d. People who spend more than they make go broke.

e. Those who don’t rest enough get tired.

4. There are exceptions, but they’re rare. When it comes to works of the sinful nature and the Fruit of the Spirit—there are no exceptions.

5. Works of the sinful nature are sinful and never please God. The Fruit of the Spirit is godly and always pleases God.

6. And Paul gets downright specific and lists typical sinful works over against typical spiritual fruit. The works of the sinful nature falling into 4 basic categories.

a. Sins of a sexual nature

b. Sins of a religious nature

c. Sins of a social nature

d. Sins of an out-of-control nature

7. Then he contrasts these works of the sinful nature to the Fruit of the Spirit...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

8. Unbelievers can only produce works of the sinful nature. Their works—even if good—are still displeasing to God. So how can something good be displeasing to God?

a. Well suppose you have a 9-year old son and it’s time for him to go to bed so he’ll be able to get up for school the next morning.

b. So you say, ‘Son, it’s time for bed, please head to your room. But then, a few minutes later you notice he’s in the kitchen doing the dishes.

c. Now your 9-year old doing the dishes without being told is normally not a bad thing—it’s a good thing—normally.

d. But in this case it’s a bad thing because he’s disobeyed you. What would normally be seen as good is now an act of defiance—so it’s displeasing to you as a parent.

e. We saw in ROM 8: The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

f. So unbelievers can do nothing to please God. Even their so-called good works are not pleasing to God because in their unredeemed state they’re alienated from grace.

9. But ROM 8 says no one controlled by the sinful nature pleases God. So when true believers are controlled by their sinful nature—they’re displeasing to God too.

10. We’ve seen that it’s only when the believer is walking by the Spirit, who is living by the Spirit, who is in step with the Spirit—only then is the believer pleasing to God.

11. Now we might feel badly about that. We may wish it was not so. But it’s the way it is and it’s what the Bible clearly teaches.

12. So when we walk according to our sinful nature—we do things in harmony with our sinful nature. Such things do not please God.

13. But when we walk according to the Spirit of God within—we do things in harmony with the Spirit. Such things do please God.

14. So having established this important principle, we move into CH 6 where Paul focuses on a very important topic—how we relate to other believers and how we treat them.

A. WHEN SINNER SIN

1. We’ve discovered that even when we’re believers. Even when we have the Spirit of God within. When we know what God expects and what he commands—we still fall into sin.

2. But when it happens to another believer—what do we do? When a fellow believer falls into sin and we know it—what should our response be?

a. Do we say: Na-na-na-na-na—you fell into sin. You’re such a loser. You’re a nasty sinner. Hopefully not.

b. Maybe we ignore it. Pretend it didn’t happen or that we didn't notice it. After all, I’m not perfect myself—so who am I to judge?

c. Maybe we make a note of it so we can tell somebody else about it later. You won’t believe what Gomez did. Let me tell you the details so we can pray intelligently.

3. But we don’t have to guess as to what to do. It tells us right here in GAL 6:1: Brothers (sisters), if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.

4. The word translated caught means: suddenly tripped up, surprised. The person didn’t see it coming, they were blindsided.

5. So we’re not talking about a regularly occurring sinful pattern that’s been going on for some time. But something that just kind of happened. That doesn’t mean the sin is minor. It might be huge. But it’s not habitual or a pattern.

6. Notice what we’re to do. We’re to: restore him gently. But there’s a note about who is qualified to do this. It says: you who are spiritual.

7. Is this some special class of Christian? A special club that most are not in? Not really. One who is spiritual is one who’s walking by the spirit and bearing the Fruit of the Spirit.

8. The words restore gently go nicely together. Restore was a word used in ancient Greek to refer to setting a broken bone. You would certainly want this to be done gently!

9. In the New Testament it was used of mending fishing nets. Something else you would want to do with a certain amount of care.

10. So the command is for a believer walking by the Spirit, one displaying the Fruit of the Spirit, to gently restore this erring believer. Restore him to what? Restore him to full spiritual health and full spiritual function.

11. Just like setting a bone allows the bone to heal properly. Just as mending a net allows the net to function properly. Restoring the wayward believer allows him to spiritually heal from the sin, and allows him to return to full usefulness and function.

12. Then in the same V1 there’s a warning: But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

13. It’s what 1 COR 10:12: So, let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall. We’re all made of the same stuff. We’re all capable of being tempted and falling—maybe even to the same temptation as the one we’re restoring. So we need to be careful and watchful.

B. CARRY EACH OTHER’S BURDENS

1. V2 says: Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

2. Legalists were fond of laying heavy legalistic loads on people. The Pharisees were known for this. Jesus said of them: They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders...

3. Legalism is a huge burden. It’s a huge spiritual weight. But the gospel has set us free from this weight. We are no longer under its load.

4. But sin itself is a burden. Sin can be life’s biggest burden. But we can help carry this burden if we’re willing. We can lighten the burden of others if we want to.

5. It doesn't require complex training and vast amounts of experience. It mostly requires that we care. If we care enough to do it, we can lighten the burdens of others.

6. And notice what else it says: Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

7. So what’s the law of Christ? Let me cite a couple verses that tell us.

a. GAL 5:14: The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

b. JN 13:34: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples.

8. So we fulfill the law of Christ by loving one another. And one way we love one another is by carrying the burdens of one another.

9. Of course, you have to know what the burden is in order to carry it. Which means you must know the person to know their burdens. Which means we must be involved in each other’s lives—or we won’t know.

C. SELF-EVALUATION

1. The next 2 verses may seem out of place, but they’re not. V3: If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else…

2. You see, some Christians decide they aren’t going to carry the burdens of others. Which often proceeds from 2 errors of thinking—the first being conceit.

3. V3: If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Some people think they’re above bearing the burdens of others—it’s beneath them. They’re too good for it. Their desire it not to help the one fallen—but to judge him.

4. Their problem is conceit. They think they’re something when actually they’re nothing. Paul is not saying that certain believers are worthless. It’s that we’re all just sinners saved by grace. None of us has anything to boast about.

5. He’s saying that we are deluding ourselves, we’re deceiving ourselves if we think we’re above bearing other’s burdens.

6. After all, isn’t that what God did for us? Hasn’t he borne our greatest burden—the burden of sin? Hasn’t he removed the burden of sin’s condemnation?

7. The other error is comparison. When we compare ourselves to others and think this is a legitimate form of evaluation.

8. So we compare ourselves to Gomez and look pretty good. After all, it was Gomez who was caught in the sin in V1. Because I’m better than Gomez, I don’t feel so inclined to carry Gomez’ burden or restore him.

9. Or…maybe I compare myself to Gomez’ brother, who is better than I am. So I’m unworthy to carry anybody’s burdens or restore anyone—I’m just a spiritual nobody.

10. But such comparisons are unproductive. Rather, each one (V4): should test his own actions. The standard is not somebody else—the standard is what God has said.

11. ROM 3:23 does not say: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of another person we choose to compare ourselves to. No, we’ve fallen short of the glory of God.

12. It’s his standard that matters. To take pride in oneself, as V4 says, is not to boast in what we’ve done—but in what God has done in us.

13. Certainly it’s better to obey God than disobey God. But obedience doesn’t convey some kind of high rank on us. Or make us out to be worthy of great honor.

14. When your children clean up their room, or take out the garbage, or do the dishes, you’re glad they complied with your wishes. But you don’t throw a party, put the royal robe on them, place a crown of jewels on their head—and slay the fattened calf.

15. Or as Paul said: Let him who boasts…boast in the Lord. We boast about who we are in Christ and in what he’s done for us, in us, and through us.

D. CARRYING OUR OWN LOAD

1. V5 has what appears to be a contradiction: for each one should carry his own load. In V2 Paul said we should carry each other’s burdens. Now he says in V5: for each one should carry his own load. So which is it?

2. It’s both. He used 2 different words in each verse. In V2 he used the word for a very heavy burden that’s too much for one person to manage. He needs help with it.

3. But in V5 he used the word for a pack, like a backpack. Which is something that the person is expected to carry on his own.

4. As we journey through life, we will encounter burdens that we cannot bear alone. Burdens we were never meant to bear alone. We need help with them. They’re too heavy.

5. When this happens we need a brother or sister to come alongside us and give us a hand. It may even be in a time when we are caught in a sin and need to be restored.

6. This happens to everyone sooner or later. We all need it and we should all expect it. We should expect to receive it—and we should expect to give it.

7. I know this is going to make me sound like a dinosaur, but back in 1972, the singer Bill Withers released his one and only #1 song—it was called, Lean on Me.

8. The refrain says it all: Lean on me, when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on...for…it won’t be long ‘til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.

9. However—even though there are burdens in life that are too heavy for us—there’s a load we’re expected to carry ourselves. It’s my burden to carry and I must carry it. And you have your burden—and you must carry it.

10. So your next door neighbor comes down with an illness right in the middle of the spring growing season. So he asks if you will mow his lawn until he feels better. You gladly agree. The burden is too much for him at this time.

11. Your neighbor is sick for 3 weeks and then he’s better. So you’re ready to resume mowing just your own lawn. But your neighbor says: You’re doing such a great job of mowing my lawn, I was wondering if you could go on mowing it for the rest of my life.

12. And you say…FORGET IT! I’m happy to mow your lawn when you’re sick. But mowing your lawn is your burden to bear—not mine. I have my own lawn burden.

13. When we have a heavy burden—too heavy to bear. We should expect help from our Christian brothers and sisters. HOWEVER—it’s not a permanent kind of help.

14. Eventually that big burden will pass—but we’ll still have the backpack—always.

15. Others have their backpacks too. Sometimes we’ll assist them with their heavy burden. But it’s not for us to carry their backpack. And it’s not for them to carry ours.

16. So, when a brother is caught in a sin, those of us who are walking by the Spirit are called to restore him gently. Not those of us who are perfect. Or those of us who have arrived spiritually. But those who are walking by the Spirit.

17. By the way, that should eventually be every one of us. That’s God plan. It’s not a special plan for special Christians. It’s God’s plan for all of his redeemed children.

18. We’re to be ready to help carry the burdens of brothers and sisters that’s too heavy for them. When we do this we are fulfilling the law of Christ to love one another.

19. I can’t use the excuse that I’m too good to do it. Nor the excuse that I’m not good enough to do it. If we’re walking by the Spirit—we’re qualified.