Do good in all you do.
Grace, mercy and peace, from God the Father, our creator, God the Son our redeemer, and God the Holy Spirit who keeps us in the faith. Amen.
The Gospel message today is based on today’s Epistle reading from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians.
God has blessed us with the knowledge of faith in Jesus Christ. We are here today to praise and glorify Him. But, for what other purpose has God called us? How should we handle a Christian brother or sister who has gone astray? What should we be doing? And why should we be doing it?
Spiritual Restoration
God has not only called us to faith, we are also called to do the will of God. Jesus made God’s will quite clear when he gave the simple command “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We are not here only to serve ourselves; we are also here to serve others. Our motives, our desires, our dreams should come forth in everything we do. They should be derived from our faith, and not merely a side note to it. If we are truly pure in our motives, it will show forth in our actions. This could mean the assisting of a neighbor in need, a fellow Christian, or even someone we’ve never met. A simple line from a popular hymn comes to mind. The line reads, “They will know we are Christians by our love”
But, how we show that love, is up to us. Each of us has faith, but we all display that faith differently. We all have our own relationship with God. All of us have needs and desires as well as our own set of talents and capabilities. God has given us the tools to do many things. And we all have something to offer to someone else.
At the beginning of Chapter 6, Paul writes about helping other people. Even the most faithful will fall once in a while and require assistance to get back up. All of us should be willing to help our fellow man, especially fellow Christians, who need a hand. And especially when that problem is a spiritual one. How many times have we heard of some church or some church member doing something that was contrary to God’s word? Gossip is one example that seems to run in many churches from time to time. How hard is it to control the tongue? Even more difficult is it to speak out against it. But, that is exactly what we should be doing.
Paul writes:
if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness
This is talking about restoring someone who has committed trespass. This is talking about repairing a person’s heart who may have strayed from the will of God. This doesn’t mean we condemn the sinner. We condemn the sin, but we accept the sinner. We may need to point out the error of someone in a gentle and loving fashion so that they may be brought back to the fold, brought back to the church, pulled away from their error. But, Paul has a warning, don’t be tempted to commit the same sin. Just as a doctor can become sick from treating an ill patient, we too must take precautions to ensure we stay on the straight and narrow path. The simplest way is to test what we do and examine our own motives. Does it meet the commands that God laid out for us? Would we be proud to show our parents, our spouse or our pastor what we did and how we did it? Why do we do the things we do?
There will be times when we can be that assistance that another Christian needs. We can be that shoulder to lean on. In other times, we may be that person in need of a shoulder. Just as other experience distress, Christians too can be overcome with problems. What seem like insurmountable problems could be the opportunity for us to step in and help. Sometimes, being a listening ear is all that is required. In other cases, perhaps we need other ways to deal with the problem. The situation wasn’t all that different in Galatia. Paul saw this and told them to bear one another’s burdens to fulfill the law of Christ. The situation isn’t different today. How we assist, or how we ignore other’s problems is what the non-Christian community sees. Do we talk one way and act another? Or are we willing to talk the talk and walk the walk.
We have been commanded to do good things. But what does God see as good things? Various Bible passages identify what is good. In Deuteronomy 15:7-8 it says:
7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
In Matthew 25:30-40, Jesus speaks to those who are saved. In this discussion, He shows clearly what is good. Jesus said:
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’… ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
James, the brother of Jesus, said is quite clearly in his book:
22 … be doers of the word, and not hearers only…
So we find Paul write in Galatians 6:10:
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)
So, when Paul asks us to bear one another’s burdens, he was speaking from the knowledge given to him by God. Jesus made it clear that we were to assist strangers. Those who we do not know will require our help, and we are to give what we can. Food, clothing, shelter, money and support are all directly mentioned. Even more importantly, we are to dedicate our time and talents and we are to do it willingly.
There are opportunities all around us. I’m sure we can all think of people at work, or in our neighborhoods who need someone to talk to. Talk to them. There are some in hospitals and prisons who have no-one to visit them. Visit them. There are hungry and homeless people throughout the world. Provide for them. There are those who do not understand the love of God. Teach them. Our church and our communities need help constantly. In our own local area, there are those who have lost everything to the flood waters in Burlington County. One way or another, we are to find a way to use our God given talents to serve those who need our help; to use our talents where they can best serve God’s people. It is this movement of faith into action that Paul is writing about.
But, it is not a sheer act of mercy that makes good deeds important in God’s eyes. The deeds should be an extension of our faith. They don’t earn our salvation, for that is only through the grace of God. But, faith without deeds is dead!
So, what should we be doing? Christians will stray from time to time. It is our responsibility to restore them. We are to assist in any way we can. Help them understand the trespass that has overcome time and help them to avoid it in the past.
Burdens also should be looked at from our own unique ability to help. When given the opportunity, we should share our experience and our talents to do what God needs of us. This is especially true when we find those who feel they are at their wits end. Everywhere, there are people and ministries in need. When we find those in distress, as Paul points out, share the burden and fulfill the law of Christ.
It’s quite clear how this will be received by Christ. As we saw in the passage in Matthew moments ago, those who help their fellow men will be rewarded in heave. Those who don’t, will suffer. We will all reap what we sow.
I think all of us can relate with these concepts of helping one another out. I’m sure everyone in this room has either been in need, or been the giver of assistance. But, we are often selfish about when we choice to give out that need. Do we lend a helping hand to the ungrateful? Do we lend a hand to the stranger? The answer should be yes. But, we often answer no anyway.
Paul says it clearly “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Just as Jesus said we are to forgive those who sin against us seventy times seven times in a day, so we should help others continually.
Ultimately, it comes down to following the example of Christ. He accepted tax collectors and prostitutes into his close group of followers. But He never accepted the sin. He corrected the sin. He gave all he had to assist those in need. Eventually, He gave His life, for redemption of the sins of you and me.
As Christians, and followers of Christ, our actions should speak volumes of who we are and what we represent. Are we doing the right things? It’s our responsibility to examine our actions and compare them to the command’s Christ gave us. “Love your neighbor as yourself” Share God’s love by sharing each other’s burdens and being there for those who are in need. Jesus showed us the way. It’s up to us to follow.
Amen.
