FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Scripture Reference: Galatians 6:1-10

Sharing Blessings

Just as “one another” is a key phrase in the Christian vocabulary, so is the word fellowship (translated “share” in verse 6). From the very beginning of the church, sharing was one of the marks of Christian experience (Acts 2:41-47). The Greek word has now worked its way into our English vocabulary, and we see the word koinonia here and there in religious publications. It simply means “to have in common,” and refers to our common fellowship in Christ (Galatians 2:9), our common faith (Jude 3), and even our sharing in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10). But often in the New Testament, koinonia refers to the sharing of material blessings with one another (Acts 2:42; 2 Corinthians 8:4; Hebrews 13:16 [in the Greek text]). It is this that Paul has in mind in these verses.

He begins with a precept in verse 6, urging us to share with one another. The teacher of the Word shares spiritual treasures, and those who are taught ought to share material treasures. Paul uses a similar approach when he explains why the Gentile churches ought to give an offering to the Jewish believers, as found in Romans 15:27. We must remember that what we do with material things is an evidence of how we value spiritual things. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Because the Apostle Paul did not want money to become a stumbling block to the unsaved, he earned his own living (see 1 Corinthians 9), but he repeatedly taught that the spiritual leader in the church was to be supported by the gifts of the people. Jesus said, “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7), and Paul echoes this statement (1 Corinthians 9:11, 14).

But we must realize the spiritual principle that lies behind this precept. God does not command believers to give simply that pastors and teachers (and missionaries, Philippians 4:10-19) might have their material needs met, but that the givers themselves might get a greater blessing (Galatians 6:7-8). The basic principle of sowing and reaping is found throughout the entire Bible. God has ordained that we reap what we sow. Were it not for this law, the whole principle of “cause and effect” would fail. The farmer who sows wheat can expect to reap wheat. If it were otherwise, there would be chaos in our world.

But God has also told us to be careful where we sow, and it is this principle that Paul deals with here. He looks on our material possessions as seed, and he sees two possible kinds of soil: the flesh and the Spirit. We can use our material goods to promote the flesh, or to promote the things of the Spirit. But once we have finished sowing, the harvest cannot and will not be changed!

Money sown to the flesh will bring a harvest of corruption (see Galatians 5:19-21). That money is gone and can never be reclaimed. Money sown to the Spirit (such as sharing with those who teach the Word) will produce life, and in that harvest will be seeds that can be planted again for another harvest, and on and on into eternity. If every believer only looked on his material wealth as seed, and planted it properly, there would be no lack in the work of the Lord. Sad to say, much seed is wasted on carnal things and can never bring glory to God.

To Be Continued

Adapted and modified excerpts from Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Volume 1.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Galatians 6:1-10

Bearing Burdens – Continued

A contrast in attitude – continued. From last lesson: The word “gained” used in Matthew 18:15-35 is the same word Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 to refer to winning the lost to Christ.

It is important to win the lost, but it is also just as important to restore the saved. If he hears you, then the matter is settled. But if he will not agree, then ask one or two spiritual people to go with you. If he will still not settle the matter, then the whole church must be informed and take steps of discipline. But Jesus goes on to point out that the church must practice prayer (Matthew 18:19-20) and forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-35), or discipline will not be effective. So many times there are those who want to skip the all important steps that the Lord has graciously laid out.

The legalist, of course, has no time for this kind of spiritual “soul-winning.” When he hears that his brother has sinned, instead of going to the brother, he shares the sad news with others –  “so you can pray more intelligently about it, of course,” – and then condemns the brother for not being more spiritual.

Remember, the legalist makes himself look better by making his brother look worse. Thus Paul’s warnings here within these verses. The Judaizers were guilty of and known to be boasters about themselves, their achievements, and their converts (Galatians 6:12-14). They usually did this by comparing themselves with others (see 2 Corinthians 10:11). But such comparisons are sinful and deceptive. It is easy to find somebody worse off than we are, so that our comparison makes us look better than we really are. Christian love would not lead us or even allow us to expose a brother’s failures or weaknesses, no matter how much better it would make us look.

A man should “examine his own work” in the light of God’s will and not in the shadows of somebody else’s achievements. “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load” (Galatians 6:4-5, NIV). There is no place for competition in the work of God, unless we are competing against sin and Satan. When we see words like “best, fastest-growing, biggest, finest” applied to Christian ministries, we truly have to wonder who is getting the glory. Paul also wrote, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). God alone should receive the glory for any and all accomplishments.

This does not mean that it is wrong to keep records. Charles H. Spurgeon used to say, “Those who criticize statistics usually have none to report.” But we must be careful that we are not making others look bad just to make ourselves look good. We should sincerely be able to rejoice at the achievements and blessings of others just as if they were our own (Romans 12:10). After all, if one member of the body is blessed, it blesses the whole body.

There is also no contradiction between verses 2 and 5, as some of surmised, because two different Greek words for “burden” are used. In verse 2 it is a word meaning “a heavy burden,” while in verse 5 it describes “a soldier’s pack,” so as many versions translate it, a “load,” something far different than something extremely burdensome. We should help each other bear the heavy burdens of life, but there are personal responsibilities that each man must bear for himself. “Each soldier must carry his own pack,” as it were. If my car breaks down, my neighbor can help drive my children to school, but he cannot assume the responsibilities that only belong to me as their father. That is the difference. It is wrong for me to expect somebody else to be the father in our family; that is a burden (and a privilege) that I alone can bear.

To Be Continued

Adapted and modified excerpts from Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Volume 1.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Galatians 6:1-10

Bearing Burdens – Continued

A contrast in aim – continued. From last lesson: The spiritual man would seek to restore the brother in love, while the legalist would exploit the brother.

Instead of trying to restore the erring brother, the legalist will condemn him and then use the brother to make himself look good. This is what the Pharisee did in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18:9-14). “Love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). The legalist demonstrates pridefulness when a brother falls, and often gives the matter wide publicity, because then he can boast about his own goodness and how much better his group is than the group to which the fallen brother belongs. Sadly this doesn’t just pertain to individuals in our day and age but there are churches, claiming to be Christian, who do this very thing as a group.

This is why Paul admonishes us, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:26). The word provoke means “to challenge to a contest, to compete with.” The believer who walks in the Spirit is not competing with other Christians or challenging them to become “as good as he is.” However, the legalist lives by competition and comparison, and tries to make himself look good by making the other fellow look bad. The true disciple of Christ Jesus is looking for others to progress in the Lord in their own right and doing all to encourage that.

A contrast in attitude. The Spirit-led believer approaches the matter in a spirit of meekness and love, while the legalist has an attitude of pride and condemnation. The legalist does not need to “consider himself” because he pretends (and often thinks arrogantly) he could never commit such a sin. But the believer living by grace realizes that no man is immune from falling. “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). He has an attitude of humility because he realizes his own weaknesses and shortcomings.

But there is a second contrast: he knows the love of Christ in his own heart. “The law of Christ” is: “Love one another” (John 13:34; 15:12). Paul has already discussed the “law of love” in the previous chapter (Galatians 5:13-15), and now he is applying it. “Tender loving care” is not a modern invention, because Paul is urging it on believers in this passage. How much we appreciate it when the doctor uses tenderness as he sets a broken bone. And how much more should we use “tender loving care” when we seek to restore a broken life.

It takes a great deal of love and courage for us to approach an erring brother and seek to help him. Jesus compares this to eye surgery (Matthew 7:1-5), and how many of us feel qualified for that?

Paul probably has in mind here our Lord’s instructions on reconciliation (Matthew 18:15-35). If your brother sins against you, go talk to him privately, not for the purpose of winning an argument, but for the purpose of winning your brother. That word “gained” used in Matthew is the same word Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 to refer to winning the lost to Christ.

To Be Continued

Adapted and modified excerpts from Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Volume 1.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

Adapted and modified excerpts from Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Volume 1.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.