Please turn in your Bibles this evening to Galatians chapter 6 as we continue our study through the Word of God and we finish up Paul’s letter to the churches in the region of Galatia. As we have seen, Paul was probably writing to the churches in the southern portion of Galatia, which included the cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. These were the cities that Paul visited on his first missionary journey recorded for us in Acts 13:14-14:23.
As we finished up our study last time Paul spoke of walking in the Spirit and allowing the fruit of the Spirit to be manifested in our lives. We saw that the fruit of the Spirit is love and that AGAPE love is manifested in our lives with joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And Paul concluded Galatians chapter 5 by saying in verse 25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:25-26.
Now as we move into Galatians chapter 6 we see how that is played out in our lives, walking in the Spirit. So with that said, let’s begin reading in Galatians chapter 6, starting in verse 1 and let’s see what the Lord has for us this evening.
Why did Paul even have to mention this? Because those that are bound in legalism come down hard against those that stumble, those that fall into sin, those that don’t live up to the standard they have set. You see, there is no compassion in the Law, no love, just condemnation for not meeting a certain criteria that they have set. If you doubt that just read through the Gospels and see how the Jewish religious leaders looked down upon those who didn’t meet their standards. They would walk down the street and if you walked by they would gather up their robes so they would not touch you and make them unclean! No love, no compassion, just disgust in the way people acted and thankful they are not like them. Pride and legalism do go together!
We are not to destroy or condemn the person nor are we to condone their sin. There is a balance. Then what are we to do? We are to restore them to the faith. They transgressed, they sinned either willfully or unintentionally and thus they don’t need excuses, they are not to be ignored, but they are to be restored. Paul uses the Greek word KATARTIZO (kat-ar-tid’-zo) for “restore” and it carries with it the idea of “to put in order” or “to restore to its former condition.” It was used as a medical term to set a broken or displaced bone or in Mark 1:19 it is used of the apostles mending their nets.
Now, to set a broken bone means you have to get close to that person in need, you have to touch them. It may cause them some pain as you reset the bone but the idea is always a healing not destruction. It is done in love not hatred. To mend a net you have to physically touch that net and repair it, so too with someone who has fallen into a trespass. In Genesis 9:20-23 we are told of Noah after the flood, “And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's nakedness.” Ham gossiped, told others of what happened to his father while Shem and Japheth walked in backwards and covered their father’s sin – that is love! It is as Peter tells us in I Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’”
Think of it like this. When you are teaching your child to walk and they fall, what do you do? Do you go up to them and yell at them, “I told you so! You are not ready to walk! You fool! I am ashamed of you and I am going to tell everyone what you did!” No, at least I hope you don’t do that! You pick them up, place them back on their feet and encourage them to go forward and you tell everyone that they are standing, that they are trying to walk, you encourage them, support them, love them. One of the greatest tragedies in the church is when leaders fall and in response to that how the Christians mock, put down, gossip about that person. That not only goes for leaders, sadly to say, but for anyone who falls, there are those ready to jump on them and keep them down, not restore them, not help them to get up. Folks, by the grace of God we stand or as Paul put it, “ . . . restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1. John Stott put it this way, “This suggests that gentleness is born of a sense of our own weakness and proneness to sin.”
Have you ever met someone who was sagging under the heavy load that has come upon them? We have all been there I’m sure where we have been weighed down and some dear saint came alongside to help us. I know I have been blessed often by people who have come alongside me and encouraged me, lifted me up, my wife being my biggest encourager, just being their to help lift the load!
Here Paul may be speaking of the Law and its heavy burden upon people’s lives, crushing them under its weight. And Paul’s point is to help them out of that yoke of bondage the Law has them in, restore them in Christ and in doing so you are fulfilling the Law of Christ – loving others as the Lord has commanded us. Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” We are to love as Christ loves us, unconditionally, sacrificially, AGAPE love!
Now be careful that you don’t think that you are more important than others, that they need to care for you. That is pride; it is not the fruit of the Spirit, which is love. We are told in Luke 18:9-14, “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’”
The keeper of the Law looks down upon others and tends to exalt self while those living in the grace of God realize they can’t boast in what they have done but what He has done for them and because of that we can reach out to others in the love of Christ, lift that burden, help them with the burden they are going through. A great example of someone who thought of himself more highly than he should have was Lucifer and look how many people he has deceived with his lies of exalting self, building self up, even in the church today, and it is a road that leads to destruction as Lucifer found out for himself and now brings others down that same road. You see, conceit must be done away with because it will only breed intolerance in your life towards others!
Why are you in the ministry? Why are you serving in the body of Christ? Are you looking for the applause of men? Are you looking for the praise of men? If you are you will never be satisfied, you will never complete what you have started, your work will be done in a way that takes the glory from God and places it on you. You do the work unto the Lord, to the best of your ability, you bear your own load and you can rejoice in that. Not sinful pride but personal exultation in what God has done.
Luther gives us some interesting comments on these verses. He tells us, “If we had to feel that the success of our ministry depended upon our popularity with men we would die, because we are not popular. On the contrary, we are hated by the whole world with rare bitterness. Nobody praises us. Everybody finds fault with us. But we glory in the Lord and attend to our work cheerfully.” I think he went to the extreme, but in his day, they wanted him dead! He also said, “To preach the Gospel for praise is bad business, especially when people stop praising you. Find your praise in the testimony of a good conscience . . . For anybody to covet praise is foolish because the praise of men will be of no help to you in the hour of death . . . As it is, the praise of men stops when we die. Before the eternal Judge it is not praise that counts but your own conscience.”
Now Paul does seem to contradict himself here. In verse 2 he tells us to “bear one another’s burdens” and here in verse 5 he said, “each one should bear his own load.” The word that Paul used for “burdens” in verse 2 is BAROS or a heavy load. And here in verse 5 the word for “load” or “burden” is PHORTION (for-tee’-on), which speaks of a backpack, something a soldier would carry. Thus, we are to help those with their heavy burdens but we are also responsible for carrying our own load as we walk in the Lord. Paul, in Hebrews 10:24-25 put the principle like this in regards to helping others, stirring them up, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
This verse can be translated like this, “Let him who receives instruction share with him who gives instruction in all good things.” Again, the idea is caring and sharing with each other. There is a oneness that is more interested in others than self. Those that are building you up spiritually with the Word of God should be cared for in a material sense. Paul told Timothy in I Timothy 5:17-18, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. or the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’” Now that is something that is neglected and abused in the body of Christ today. The idea is, of course, caring and sharing between people in the body of Christ, a beautiful fellowship.
Paul speaks of the farmer who plants his seed and what he puts in the ground he will abundantly reap during harvest time. What are you planting in your life? You see, what you sow you will reap. The agricultural principle is seen in our spiritual life, it is a spiritual principle also! Yes, there are mockers of God today like there have always been, and tragically, what they sow they will reap and some have already reaped! John MacArthur tells us:
“Ernest Hemingway became famous for snubbing his nose at morality and at God, declaring that his own life proved a person could do anything he wanted without paying the consequences. Like many others before and after him, he considered the ideas of the Bible to be antiquated and outdated, completely useless to modern man and a hindrance to his pleasure and self-fulfillment. Moral laws were to him a religious superstition that had no relevance. In mocking parody of the Lord’s Prayer he wrote, “Our nada [Spanish for ‘nothing’] who art in nada.” But instead of proving the impunity of infidelity, the end of Hemingway’s life proved the folly of mocking God. His debauched life led him into such complete despair and hopelessness that he put a bullet in his head.
Other famous authors, such as Sinclair Lewis and Oscar Wilde, who openly attacked the divine moral standard and thumbed their noses at God, mocking His Word and His law, were nonetheless subject to that law. Lewis died a pathetic alcoholic in a third-rate clinic in Italy, and Wilde ended up an imprisoned homosexual, in shame and disgrace. Near the end of his life he wrote, ‘I forgot somewhere along the line that what you are in secret you will some day cry aloud from the housetop.’”
I think Scofield makes an interesting observation about these verses. He tells us, “The Spirit is not speaking here to sinners about their sins, but to saints about their meanness.” In other words, in this section on bearing and sharing burdens, are we planting seeds of love, forgiveness, and acceptance into the lives of others or are we sowing anger, resentment, and un-forgiveness into their lives? Are you walking in the Spirit or working in the flesh? You see, if you are focused on the things of God rather than the fleshly things of this world then the fruit of the Spirit will flow from your life. Paul put it this way, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23. If you are focused on the fleshly things of this world and not walking in the Spirit then the works of the flesh will flow from your life. Paul put it this way, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21.
Of this John Stott put it this way, “Every time we allow our mind to harbor a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fancy, wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh. Every time we linger in bad company whose insidious influence we know we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying, every time we read pornographic literature, every time we take a risk that strains our self-control we are sowing, sowing, sowing to the flesh.” May we walk in the Spirit and as we do, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh because the Spirit of God will control our lives!
Folks, the farmer does not sow his seed and then reap the same day. He must be patient. He must work the soil after the seed is planted, care for it and in due time, harvest time, it will produce fruit! Paul put it this way in I Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” God’s promise to us!
I hate to admit it, but at times I do get weary as I look at things, as I listen to what people are saying, which is not always nice. Wrong focus on my part! Folks, I need to be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord not because of the results that I am looking for, but because the Lord has called me to do this work and the same should be true of you!
Now it is not always spiritual weariness but it can just be plain old-fashioned spiritual laziness! And, believe it or not, you can become weary in doing nothing. In Proverbs 26:13-16 we are told, “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!’ As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed. The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly.” Or maybe you are just a talker, all that you are going to do for the Lord but there is no service, only talk. James 1:22 tells us, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
For Paul, he was a man who stayed on course and at the end of his life he tells us, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” II Timothy 4:7-8. That is my hearts desire, to finish the race, to fight that good fight, to keep the faith as Paul did, I want to hear those beautiful words from the Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” Matthew 25:21. I am sure you too want to hear those words from the Lord you love so much!
What does Paul mean by “opportunity”? He is not speaking of doors that may open up, situations that arise. He used the Greek word KAIROS (kahee-ros’) and it speaks of a fixed period of time or the opportunities we have in this life for once this life is over, those opportunities are gone! We have a unique opportunity as Christians to serve the Almighty God, don’t waste those opportunities you have but live your life to the fullest for the LORD!
As was Paul’s custom, he would dictate his letters to a secretary but often he would conclude his letters with a short note written by him. One of the reasons may be to authenticate his letter because letters were being circulated and said that Paul or one of the other apostles wrote them when they did not! Paul spoke of a false letter that the Thessalonians received and some believed that Paul wrote it, and Paul is saying that he did not write it. In II Thessalonians 2:1-2 we are told, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.” This false letter said that the day of the Lord had come and Paul is correcting them on this error. And thus, Paul concluded II Thessalonians by saying, “The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.” II Thessalonians 3:17.
Why did Paul write using “large letters”? Some suggest it was because of his poor eyesight. Others say it refers to Greek uncials which were a large unconnected block letters that were easy to read and used often in public notices. Others say he wrote like that because his readers were acting like children. In other words, he wrote to them using crayons, in a sense! I tend to lean towards it being because of his poor eyesight but it is not a foundational issue. I would not lose sleep over this one but just understand that there are different views and pray about it.
Look at the motive behind these Judaizers, these legalists. They were trying to sell the Galatians a bunch of malarkey and they had some great sales pitches, many bought into their lies of mixing Law and Grace together. I am better now but a few years back I use to be very gullible to phone sales! I remember one day, Julie was out and a woman called selling a subscription to magazines. I have a hard time hanging up so I listened to this deal where I could get like 10 magazines, my favorites and the price was unbelievable! That is the first clue! The catch was that I had to subscribe for these magazines for like 50 years! Well, maybe it was like 7 years, but it was a long time. But what a price! I couldn’t pass it up.
Guess what? I didn’t pass it up, I bought the subscription and I was so lucky because the day she called there happened to be a sales representative in Manitowoc and he could be there in a few minutes to sign me up, which had to be done to make it official. And in a few minutes he was there, luckily Julie came home before I signed the papers and she said, and I am paraphrasing, “What are you doing, are you nuts?” I call it temporary insanity, but it is getting a little longer than temporary lately. We ended up canceling the subscription to all those magazines that I didn’t need in the first place, I am doing fine without them and if I would have signed up, I would still be getting them and paying for them! Great sales pitch and gullible consumer. Thank God for Julie!
Here in Galatia they got some of the Galatians to get circumcised and it made these Judaizers look good among their fellow legalists and Jews but their relationship with the Galatians was that they were just another notch on their belt! Notice, no love, no fruit of the Spirit, just the Law and its ugly results – PRIDE!
They used circumcision to get the Galatians to live under the Mosaic Law and to be spared the persecution from among their fellow legalists and Jews. But Paul’s point is that it is only the cross that saves, not the Law, it is Jesus that makes us a new creation. In fact, Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20-21, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Of this John MacArthur tells us:
“If one carefully studies the various religions and cults of the world, he will soon discover that, without exception, they are founded on some form of human effort and works righteousness. And without exception, all religions and cults that deal with the supernatural trace their origins to angels, extraterrestrial creatures, or other spirit beings. For example, the angel Moroni is said to have presented the Book of Mormon on golden plates to Joseph Smith; the angel Gabriel supposedly dictated the Koran to Muhammad; and it was on supposed angelic revelations to Mrs. Herbert Armstrong that Armstrongism (the Worldwide Church of God) was founded. In addition to that, every human religion and cult denies the Trinity, denies the sole divinity of Jesus among men, and denies His unique and complete sacrificial atonement for man’s sin.
Paul speaks of ‘false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds” (2 Cor 11:13-15). Only grace-centered, biblical Christianity is from God. Every other form of religion is from Satan, inspired by his demon spirits, promoted by his lying human agents (1 Tim 4:1-2), and centered in works righteousness. Those who trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption are saved, whereas those who trust in any other means of salvation remain lost. They ‘do not know God and . . . and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.’ Consequently, ‘these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power’ (2 Tess 1:8-9).”
Please understand that we don’t make things up as we go in regards to our Lord. Paul says we “walk according to this rule” and the word he uses for “rule” is KANON (kan-ohn’) and as Lightfoot tells us it is “The carpenter’s or surveyor’s line by which a direction is taken.” Folks, you would never board a plane in California and head to Hawaii if the pilot told you the navigation system is just a little off, only one degree, would you? I hope not because if you did by the time you were to reach Hawaii you would miss it by hundreds of miles! We have the Word of God that keeps us in line, on target. The problem comes when we try to pick and choose what we like and don’t like, what we believe and don’t believe and by the time you get to the end, you are hundreds of miles off of the destination that God wants you to be. If you want to stay on course, stay in the Word of God and apply the Word of God to your life!
In Galatians 1:8-9 Paul said, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” That was a curse, the judgment of God upon those who taught and believed a false gospel. Now Paul gives a blessing to those who follow the true Gospel, the descendants of Abraham by faith, the Israel of God! You and me!
These marks in his body, the things he suffered identified him with Christ. The reason he received these were because he was a bondslave of Jesus and as they hated the Lord, they will hate those who love Him and serve Him.
Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia is a strong rebuke against legalism and he ends with what it all boils down to, the Grace of God in our lives! Folks, as I close this evening and we finish this study of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, let me leave you with these words from Paul, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10. Let us forge ahead in the work of the Lord bringing to people the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Grace of God that will set them free!