The Ministry Of Restoration Series

Notice these verses are addressed to, “those who are spiritual”. Now do you know who is spiritual and who is not what is the test of a man’s spirituality. If I said I was going to speak to those who are spiritual would you know if I was speaking to you? How do you tell who is spiritual and who is carnal? The letter to the Galatians is addressed to the Christians at Galatia. Every person to whom Paul is speaking is saved. He makes a distinction within the realm of salvation, spiritual and carnal. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 explains carnal, saved but not grown.

I. The Test of a Person’s Spirituality is Not Measured by Another’s Failure

1. Often, we judge our spirituality by another Christian’s failure.

2. We are not making the same mistakes, failing as bad as others.

a. Some how this makes us feel more spiritual.

b. Many times, we take refuge in the failure of other people.

c. Have you ever wondered why it is that you feel a little more confident when you hear of someone failing?

d. The main reason is because we measure our spirituality by the failure of another.

3. We also are not to measure our spirituality by the works of another Christian.

a. A man may not be failing, but our work is greater than his work.

b. Does that make us more spiritual? No

4. When he is nothing. Verses 3-4

a. Verse 4

b. Rejoicing not in another’s failures, mistakes, sin or problems.

5. Paul here is speaking of a brother who had been overtaken in a fault.

a. Word “overtaken” has the idea of being caught unaware or surprised.

b. Word “fault” means slip

c. Galatians 5:25-26, Paul here is speaking of a brother who had been walking in the spiritual.

d. Walk is a miliary word which means to stay in line, used of marching, staying in step.

6. Get the picture, here is a man living his life in step in tune with the Lord.

a. What are you and I to do about this?

b. Verse 4, I am to test my own life. Am I better today than yester?

c. I need to find my spirituality in Christ, not in others.

7. Sometimes I wish this was the test. Am I better than another person? No matter how weak I am or how much I fail there is always somebody worse.

8. “Ye that are spiritual.” What is the evidence of a man being spiritual.

a. Not rebuking

b. Not rejoicing over their failures.

9. The measure of a man’s spirituality is his attitude and actions toward the brother who has fallen.

10. There are times when we would think a man’s spirituality would be gauged by how much he praises the Lord. How much he smiles.

11. Notice in the life of Jesus, when He saw men that had fallen into sin. He was moved to tears not temper.

12. This is what Paul is speaking of here in this chapter. The sowing of a spiritual person, the well doing.

13. There seems to almost be a contradiction in verses 2 & 5.

a. Verse 2, a burden too heavy for one man to bear.

b. Verse 5, ordinary burden, everyday things of life, everyday responsibilities.

14. The test of a spiritual person is one who is always looking to bear the burdens of other people.

15. The test of a carnal man is that one who always looking for some one to bear his own burden his own responsibilities always looking for a handout.

II. Sooner or Later, Every Person Here will Need Someone to Help Him Bear this Burden for Them Restoring Fellowship

1. Word “restore” is a medical term used in setting a dislocated limb, leg, or arm.

2. Get the picture in verses 25-26, a man walking fellowship with the Lord. All of a sudden, he takes his eyes off the Lord. The Devil lays a stumbling block.

3. Now you that are spiritual, you see that man, you know him, now it is up to you to go that person.

4. Best picture of a backslider found in the bible that of a dislocated arm. Look at four things.

a. A dislocated arm is still a member of the body.

b. A dislocated arm brings pain to the entire family.

c. A dislocated arm cannot obey the head.

d. The longer a dislocated arm stays out of place the harder it is to put back.

III. To Restore a Fallen Brother Requires Special Qualities Only Spiritual Person Has

1. It must be done in the spirit of meekness or gentleness verse 1

a. Only a spirit filled person has these fruit.

b. When a person has fallen it is very easy to have a wrong spirit toward him.