In reality there are only two ways to win a race. You can win by running faster than anyone else or by having everyone else quit before reaching the finish line. As we have traveled through the book of Galatians we have encountered a group of legalists known as the Judaizers. The legalists have a habit of choosing a standard that is inflexible by which they measure themselves and others. They hold fast to the idea that they must work in order to gain God’s acceptance. The problem lies in the fact that not even the legalist is sure that they are good enough to earn God’s acceptance. So they take comfort in the failures of others. The truth is that the law makes no room for grace and has little room for restoration. There are several things that indicate someone might be a legalist: pride in their own morality, a holier than thou attitude, a noticeable lack of love and forgiveness. As Christians we are called to be able to identify with the struggles of others. Paul makes it clear in this portion of the letter that the spiritual family exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit will always care for and protect every member. In our text Paul gives several directives that follow along these lines.
I. When someone falls restoration is a priority.
A. Although the Galatians have at times gone off course and fallen out of step, Paul is not ready to write them off.
1. They still have every hope of salvation through trusting in the cross of Christ, if only they do not abandon that hope.
2. Rather than secretly gloating when a brother is “caught” in a sin, mature Christians will rush to his aid.
3. The kind of sin Paul envisions is not a willful, defiant, and persistent sin, but an isolated action.
B. In presenting the proper course of action, Paul shows what to do, who should do it, and finally how it should be done.
1. Paul says that Christians are to restore the person who has fallen into sin. The verb (katarizo) is a medical term used in secular Greek for setting a fractured bone.
2. What is wrong in the life of the fallen Christian is to be set straight. It is not to be neglected or exposed openly.
3. Paul says that the work of restoring must be done by those who are spiritual.
4. Paul is reminding his readers that only those who are genuinely led of the Spirit have the maturity to deal with sin in others. Every Christian should desire such maturity and be mature.
5. The restoration must be done gently keeping in mind that no one, no matter how spiritual, have immunity from temptation
II. Our spiritual journey requires social expression.
A. The way of the flesh is “every man for himself,” but the way of the Spirit is mutual assistance in reaching the heavenly goal.
1. As Christians we are not to stand around pointing out the mistakes of others, we need to be ready and willing to pitch in and help them in their struggles.
2. The reciprocal nature of “each other’s burdens” implies that those who are weak and those who are strong may often switch places.
3. The legalism of their past reliance on works is now replaced by a new law—the law of love.
4. Throughout the Gospels Jesus illustrated with his parables, his sermons, and his own actions what this law of love meant.
5. The essential quality that enables these types of relationships to flourish is humility.
6. God never allows us to measure our own progress according to someone else.
B. We must help others without expecting something in return.
1. Just as there is a sense in which everyone in the church is responsible for carrying the burdens of others, there is also a sense in which people must assume their own responsibility.
2. Christ repeatedly demanded that those who follow him must love one another and love their neighbors as themselves.
3. We are to bear one another’s ‘burdens’ which are too heavy for a man to bear alone, but there is one burden which we cannot share—indeed do not need to because it is light enough for every man to carry himself—and that is our responsibility to God on the day of judgment. On that day you cannot carry my load and I cannot carry yours.”
III. To please the Spirit we must invest in the lives of others.
A. Another aspect of the mutual duties Christians have toward one another is their need to provide financial support for their teacher.
1. The teacher has spent his working hours learning and then teaching God’s word, so his need for financial assistance becomes obvious.
2. To support the Lord’s servants is not, however, a grim duty, though some congregations seem to treat it as such. Instead, Paul speaks of it as sharing; it is a "fellowship" or a "partnership".
3. When Jesus sent out his twelve apostles they took no money or supplies, expecting to be fed and housed where they preached.
4. As the teacher shares the good things of the Word, so the congregation is to share all good things with the teacher.
B. The special advice of verse 6 is now enlarged to benevolence in general, and the principle that ties everything together is stated. What a man sows he reaps.
1. This is an indisputable law of God, which the phrase "God cannot be mocked" emphasizes.
2. A man may fool himself (by sowing little but expecting much), he cannot fool God and the results of his poor sowing will be manifest.
3. The basic instinct of the flesh is self-preservation, so by nature we are simply selfish. Those who follow the desires of their sinful nature will be too selfish to share in the mutual responsibilities that Christians are called to.
4. If a man spends his money on what gratifies his fleshly nature, he will reap a fleshly harvest. And since the flesh is mortal and will one day pass away; the harvest will pass away also. On the other hand, if a man uses his money to promote spiritual causes and to feed his spiritual nature, the resulting harvest will remain.
5. The basic instinct of the Spirit is selfless love and service. Those who seek to please the Spirit will produce the Spirit’s fruit, and will employ the Spirit’s virtues toward others.
6. It is true that those who seek first God’s kingdom will have “all these other things” added to them in a blessed life on earth, but it is even more true that they will gain eternal life.
IV. Finishing first is not what matters, it’s just finishing.
A. The great hindrance to such good sowing is weariness that results in discouragement and eventually in giving up.
1. Paul’s exhortation not to “become weary” (enkakeō) means not to become tired or careless, especially in the spiritual sense. This is the same word used in the admonition of Jesus that we should always pray and “not give up” in Luke 18:1.
2. Paul spoke of the rigors of his own ministry and said, “We do not lose heart.”
3. In words very similar to this challenge to the Galatians, Paul’s encouragement to the impatient believers in Thessalonica was to “never tire of doing what is right” in 2 Thessalonians 3:13.
4. The best reason for resisting them is that if the necessary preparation is done, the harvest is sure.
B. Although Paul’s reference here to the harvest that will be reaped in “due time” can properly bear a this-worldly application, its larger fulfillment points to the eschatological consummation at the return of Christ.
1. Paul could not let go of the fact that there is coming a day in which all persons will be brought to see themselves as God sees them, a time when God’s perfect love and perfect justice will prevail in heaven, on earth, and even under the earth.
2. Christians look forward to the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
3. This is the blessed hope of the believer and is the greatest motivating force for living the Christian life and Christian ministry in the church today.
V. We are to love others with the full power of the fruit of the Spirit.
A. Instead of looking for a place to quit, we should be looking for another place to start!
1. Just as the time of reaping will come “at the proper time,” so now we must make good use of the present “opportunity” to sow to the Spirit rather than to the flesh.
2. The challenge to “do good” to all people is a natural outgrowth of the fruit of the Spirit. While the sinful nature is eager to remove names from the benevolence list, the Spirit’s nature is always ready to add one more.
3. The freedom of the Christian is a freedom of service in the moment of opportunity.
4. Believers are duty bound to do good to all persons whether or not they are Christians. However, in addition to this unrestricted ethical imperative, there is a further, particular obligation for the Christian to do good especially to those who belong to the family of faith.
B. The Christian family extends far beyond the walls of this building and includes all believers in Christ.
1. When Paul challenges Christians to “do good” he speaks of our responsibility to the community as well as the church.
2. Sowing seeds of kindness to those in need expresses the love of Christ and prepares hearts to receive the Gospel.
3. Christians should never forget, “even if our ability is limited, the proper response is to do what we can do and help as many people as we can, whenever and wherever I can.
4. If we do not seize the opportunities we get for sowing, we will reap no harvest at all.
Max Lucado shares this interesting story. He wrote, “A friend of mine was recently trying to teach his six-year-old son how to shoot a basket. The boy would take the basketball and push it as hard as he could toward the goal, but it always fell short. The father would then take the ball and toss it toward the basket, saying, ‘Just do it like this, son. It’s easy.’
“Then the boy would try, and miss again. My friend would then take the ball and make another basket, encouraging his son to push the ball a bit harder. After several minutes and many misses, the boy responded to his father by saying, ‘YEAH, BUT IT’S EASY FOR YOU UP THERE. YOU DON’T KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FROM DOWN HERE.”
Max Lucado went on to write, “You and I can never say that about God. God knows how you feel. Jesus knows how you feel down there.” Hebrews. 4:15 says “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are....” If there is one person who knows how we feel, how we hurt, it is our loving Savior. And He longs to help us and give us grace our burdens.
