Scripture Reference: Galatians 6:1-10
The story has often been told about the message the founder of the Salvation Army sent to their international convention. General William Booth was unable to attend personally because of ill health, so he cabled the delegates a message containing one word: “OTHERS!”
In one of the episodes of the popular comic strip “Peanuts,” Lucy asks Charlie Brown, “Why are we here on earth?” He replies, “To make others happy.” She ponders this for a moment and then asks, “Then why are the others here?”
“One another” is one of the key phrases in the Christian’s vocabulary. “Love one another” is found at least a dozen times in the New Testament, along with “pray for one another” (James 5:16), “edify one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11), give “preference to one another” (Romans 12:10), “be hospitable to one another” (1 Peter 4:9), and many other admonitions like these.
In this section before us, Paul adds another phrase: “Bear one another’s burdens.” The Spirit-led Christian thinks of others and how he can minister to them. In this section, Paul describes two important ministries that we ought to share with one another.
Bearing Burdens
The legalist is not interested in bearing burdens. Instead, he adds to the burdens of others (Acts 15:10). This was one of the sins of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day: “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers” (Matthew 23:4). The legalist is always harder on other people than he is on himself, but the Spirit-led Christian demands more of himself than he does of others so that he might be able to help others.
Paul presents a hypothetical case of a believer who is suddenly tripped up and falls into sin. The word “overtaken” carries the idea of being surprised, so it is not a case of deliberate disobedience. Why does Paul use this illustration? Because nothing reveals the wickedness of legalism better than the way the legalists treat those who have sinned. Remember the circumstance when the Pharisees dragged a woman taken in adultery before Jesus (John 8:3-11). Or that Jewish mob that almost killed Paul because they thought he had defiled the temple by bringing in Gentiles (Acts 21:27-29). Legalists do not seem to need facts and proof; they need only suspicions and rumors. Their self-righteous imaginations will do the rest. So, in these verses, Paul is really contrasting the way the legalist would deal with the erring brother, and the way the spiritual man would deal with him.
A contrast in aim. The spiritual man would seek to restore the brother in love, while the legalist would exploit the brother. The word “restore” means “to mend, as a net, or to restore a broken bone in its proper alignment.” If you have ever had a broken bone, you know how painful it is to have it set. The sinning believer is like a broken bone in the body, and he needs to be restored. The believer who is led by the Spirit and living in the liberty of grace will seek to help the erring brother, for “the fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22). “Through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). When Jesus sought to be a physician to the sinful, He was severely criticized by the Pharisees (Mark 2:13-17), and so the spiritual believer today will be criticized by the legalists.
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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