but there is a passage near the end, beginning at 5:13, going through 6:10, that deals with spiritual maturity.
For example, look at our text, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, YE WHICH ARE SPIRITUAL, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
This verse of scripture is so simple that if all the verses in the Bible were this simple we would not need any commentaries.
Paul is addressing this to the SPIRITUALLY MATURE Christians. He is telling those who are spiritually mature to assist weaker brothers who may be, “...overtaken in a fault...” It is obvious he is not writing to spiritual weaklings because he would not expect someone to help someone else if he could not help himself. For example-
Illus: When a man is drowning, the last thing he needs is someone trying to save him who is not able to swim. The rescuer may have the best of intentions, but all his efforts would only add to the burdens the drowning man already has.
We have many today who have fallen “out of the boat” of Christian fellowship and who need someone to pull them back in. However, only the SPIRITUALLY MATURE can do this.
In churches there are at least two kinds of people who claim to be saved and commit sins.
(1) Those who claim to be saved, but have deliberately chosen the path of sin.
Illus: That is, many backsliders in the church have sinned. They INTENTIONALLY played around in the ocean of sin too long and the undertow of temptation was too much for them to resist and it swept them into the sea of sin.
Any time a man plays around with sin, even though he may be as strong as Samson, he is going to be defeated.
These WILL NOT be RESTORED because they do not want to be RESTORED. The Bible teaches these should be disciplined. Any church that believes in the Bible has to believe in church discipline. That is, if a man or woman is living in known sin and refuses to confess it and repent (turn from it), that person should be disciplined by the church.
One of the great tragedies in the church today is that we allow the name of God to be smeared by church members who have deliberately chosen to live in sin.
The church that PREACHES THE SCRIPTURES should also be a church that PRACTICES THE SCRIPTURES. One of the things the scriptures teach is CHURCH DISCIPLINE. Why? Because there are things this Bible teaches and if we PREACH them but do not PRACTICE them, we are no more than a group of hypocrites bringing disgrace to the name of God.
Again, there are many in churches today who have DELIBERATELY chosen the path of sin and they refuse to repent and get right with God. You could go to any of these and talk to them all day long and could do no good with them. Why? Because they are “bend” on doing evil.
However, there is another kind of person who claims to be saved. Ones like these are the ones Paul was talking about. Who are these?
(2) Those who, in an unguarded moment, were overthrown by sin. They did not set out to sin any more than a man who is walking down a road sets out to fall into a pot hole.
The one who “falls into sin” is not like the person who INTENTIONALLY CHOOSES TO SIN.
Illus: Even the laws of our land make a distinction between a PRE-MEDITATED crime and one that is UN-PREMEDITATED. For instance, in the crime of murder, they recognize some murders are planned and others are not.
So we can understand that not ALL sin is premeditated. Look at the word “overtaken” This implies a particular aggressiveness. If you have been saved any length of time you know how Satan aggressively attacks us and before we know it, when we let our guard down, we fall into sin that we thought we would never find ourselves in again.
This is why Paul warned Christians, and wanted to remind them of the subtle trickery of Satan.
• This is why he told the Corinthians that, “Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.”
• This is why he told the Ephesians to, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Why did Paul warn the Ephesians and the Corinthians about these things? Because God had shown him that there was no person who was immune to Satan’s attacks. The Christian who lets his guard down may find himself OVERTHROWN in a moment’s time by sin. When this happens to a child of God, we who are spiritual are encouraged by Paul to “restore” that one to the Lord.
Backsliding is a major problem in churches today. It is obvious that many churches are not dealing with it the way scripture dictates to take care of it. For example, many times we have a wrong reaction and attitude.
(1) WE FEEL OFFENDED TOWARD THE BACKSLIDER.
This is a natural reaction. It is easy to feel harsh toward someone who is backslidden. Why? Because this spiritual “battle” is like war.
Illus: We have been told that in Uncle Sam’s Army, when men desert during battle they are shot in the back. I do not know if this is so or not, but it certainly expresses how we can feel toward backsliders at times.
Illus: We are in a spiritual war TOGETHER. As we stand in the trenches, taking the heat from the enemy, the backslider runs away from the battle leaving us to face the enemy (Satan) alone. We can not help but look at this act of cowardice and want to say, “Come back here, you coward!”
Many times we, as a church, feel OFFENDED that the backslider has left us to face the battle alone.
(2) WE BECOME VINDICTIVE.
One of the things that you find some churches are more than willing to practice is “excommunication” or disfellowship. That is, there are some churches that will excommunicate you in a jiffy. For example-
Illus: A man who attended a Jehovah’s Witness church told how he had been caught smoking while cutting the church grass and they disfellowshipped him from the church.
This is not to say we condone smoking, however, the churches that have these “lynching” committees feel they must carry out these acts of “justice.” They feel they have a right to meet in a business meeting and bring the name of the transgressor up and have everyone vote the “bum” out. Then they feel it is their spiritual duty to get their Papermate pens out and send the transgressor a letter, for the glory of God, telling what a dirt bag everyone thinks he is.
In Galatians 6:1, God’s Word speaks of “restoring,” not “destroying” a brother. We read, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” If someone is “overtaken in a fault”
HOW ARE WE, AS A CHURCH, TO TREAT THAT ONE?
I. WE ARE TO DILIGENTLY RESTORE HIM.
Look what Paul said, “...restore such an one...”
That is, get him on his feet again and back into fellowship with God and the fellowship of God’s people. Now, let us look at some things to consider that the apostle DID NOT say to do.
A. Paul did not tell us, “If a man be overtaken in a fault, ignore him.”
Paul was not saying that we should “pass by on the other side of the street,” when a brother is down. A lot of this is going on today. We have some who have fallen into sin, not because they desired it, but because of weakness, or the aggressiveness of Satan and they have been tripped up. Now no one is willing to throw them a life jacket. THAT ONE IS IGNORED AS IF THERE WAS NO PROBLEM.
Again, I remind you, here is one who has been OVERTAKEN in sin. What has happened here is an accident. We are not to leave “The scene of the accident” and say, “This is not any of my business.” It is our business! God has made it our business! God ordered, “...ye which are spiritual, RESTORE such an one...” To ignore this is sin against the transgressor (backslider), and against the Christian fellowship of which we all are a part.
Paul DID NOT tell us, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual IGNORE such an one...”
B. Paul did not say, “If a man be overtaken in a fault, gossip about him.”
We are not to make the spiritual failures of others a topic for general discussion. How prone we all are to do this! It is a favorite indoor sport with some people. But, talebearing is both weak and cowardly. It does not do any good! It can only do a great deal of harm!
We must not even spend a lot of time lamenting another’s misconduct, saying, “My, my! How unfortunate! Isn’t it just terrible?” Such talk sounds noble and sympathetic, but is often nothing but a more pious form of idle gossip.
Paul DID NOT say, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, GOSSIP about him.”
C. Paul did not say, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault and CONDONE it.”
This is a familiar attitude, especially in these days. The modern technique for dealing with sin, whether our own, or another’s, is to excuse it, take a light view of it and to speak of it as if it did not matter. Too many churches have come to accept sin as an unavoidable way of life so we must be broad-minded and tolerant. The discrepancy in that attitude is that it is not realistic. It does not face and deal with the facts! Paul DID NOT say, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual CONDONE it...”
D. Paul did not say, “If a man be overtaken in a fault, REPROACH AND CONDEMN him.”
We are not to magnify the trespass. We are not to harp on it. We are not to scold saying, “You ought to be ashamed. What made you do it? Surely you knew better.” In other words, we are not to add to the offender’s “guilt complex.” God is perfectly able to take care of convicting the person. The offender is, no doubt, feeling bad enough about it already. The conscience-stricken offender does not need scolding. He needs help!
Illus: In our Lord’s parable of the “Prodigal Son,” one reason the elder brother was so irritated was that he felt his father was being too easy on the returning prodigal. Instead of giving the boy a good verbal “shellacking,” which he deserved, the father gave him a feast of welcome. And so the elder brother complained and rebuked his father for the kindness he showed. But the father’s attitude was the right attitude. After all, the lad had asked for forgiveness. Had he not suffered enough. What good would come of rubbing it in?
Illus: Remember, one day the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus, who had been caught “in the very act,” of adultery. (John 8:3-11) They waited to see what He would do. They hoped he would carry out the law to the letter. They hoped he would denounce her and condemn her to death by stoning. But Jesus refused. He saw how sharply the poor woman was condemning and judging herself. He simply wrote in the sand until her accusers had all slunk back into the shadows--turned back by their own sense of guilt. Then, turning to the woman He said, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord, And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
These four ways of treating backsliders, which Paul did NOT RECOMMEND are PLENTEOUS and POPULAR, but they are always inadequate and fruitless. Not one of these have ever helped anyone back to moral and spiritual health.
WE ARE TO DILIGENTLY RESTORE THE BACKSLIDER. Also...
II. WE ARE TO GENTLY RESTORE HIM.
Look at Galatians 6:1. We read again, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” How are we to restore?
A. We are to restore the backslider with a spirit of meekness.
Whatever is done for the backslider must be done with the positive attitude of “restoring him back into the family of God.” The Bible states, John 3:17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Paul instructs us to “...restore...in the spirit of meekness...”
• Not with an air of condescension.
• Not with a “better than thou” spirit.
• Not with an attitude which says, “I thank Thee that I am not as other men are.”
When we offer our help, it must be in all humility and gentleness. We are powerless to restore a backslider unless our own attitude and spirit are right. He will detect at once any feeling of moral superiority on our part, and close his heart against us.
We are to restore the repentant backslider with a spirit of meekness. Also...
B. We are to restore a repentant backslider in a spirit of understanding.
What do we mean by “a spirit of understanding”?
Look at Galatians 6:1 as we read again, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
In other words--be warned, the same thing could happen to you! The way then to guarantee the right spirit--the spirit of meekness and humility--is to consider the fact that the same thing can happen to you. Each person has his vulnerable spot--his spot of special weakness. For example-
Illus: In the sport of boxing, before a boxer actually meets his opponent he will study films of him boxing to see if he can find out what his opponent’s weak spot is. Once he spots it, he concentrates on that when he goes to fight.
The devil knows each of our weak spots. I may not know what your weak spot is, but the devil knows, so we need to keep in mind that the same thing that happens to someone else could happen to us! God gives this word of caution, I Cor. 10:12, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
This thought will save us from pride, and from any air of condescension.
Illus: Richard Baxter stood at the window and watched a criminal being led to his execution. Turning to a friend at his side, he said, “There, but for the grace of God, goes Richard Baxter.” God’s Word says, “considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” I do not know who wrote these lines, but they express so well what St. Paul is saying to us that I want to read them to you:
“Don’t sneer at the man who’s down today,
Unless you have felt the blow
That caused his fall, or felt the shame
That only the fallen know.
You may be strong, but still the blows
That were his if dealt to you
In the self-same way at the self-same time,
Might cause you to stagger, too.
“Don’t be too harsh with the man who sins,
Or pelt him with word or stone,
Unless you are sure, yea, doubly sure,
That you have not sins of your own;
For you know, perhaps, if the tempter’s voice
Should whisper as soft to you
As it did to him when he went astray,
‘Twould cause you to falter, too.”
Still, Paul’s advice says it even better, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
Conclusion:
Let’s be careful to rescue, not reject, those whom God would restore to His fold.
I. WE ARE TO DILIGENTLY RESTORE HIM.
II. WE ARE TO GENTLY RESTORE HIM.
