Misapplication of Grace?

I've often wondered how frequently the apostle Paul was haunted by his own past, after becoming a Christian.  Perhaps his spiritual ability to receive and to communicate the grace of God sprang from that grace liberally applied to his own life.  As a reminder, Paul (while named Saul) had many Christians killed for their faith, while he zealously persecuted the Christian movement.  He had much to be forgiven.

(If we are honest with ourselves, don't we all?)

This morning's news program featured a U.S. Congressman who was railing against the fact a certain public figure had committed numerous legal transgressions.  Yet, no action has been taken or is being taken against her.  She is unrepentant.  There seems to be, increasingly, an uneven, one-sided application of justice in our country, a "misapplication of grace".  Those who are of a certain political persuasion or social class or of "greater value to society" are apparently "above the law".

This misapplication of grace is rather prevalent in our country.  Admittedly, it is a conundrum.  As a parent, for instance, it is very hard to know when it is best to hold our children responsible for bad decisions and when to "rescue" them, when to give grace.

For some, the story of Onesimus rankles.  It bothers them that this thief is being "let off the hook". To them, Onesimus will always be defined in light of his mistake; he will always be viewed a thief.  Of course, we do not know all the details of the story.  We do know this, though, that Paul is requesting
a.  to pay the debt Onesimus owes his master, Philemon
b.  that Philemon treat the returning Onesimus as a brother in Christ, as opposed to merely a slave.

The entire book of Philemon is a picture of God's grace to each of us.  The heart of the letter is love, the "law of God the Son".  Paul, here, represents our Triune God.  Onesimus represents every repentant sinner. Philemon represents the Church.

1.  Paul represents God.
He does not force Philemon to accept Onesimus although, with apostolic authority he could have ordered Philemon to obey.  Paul instead reminds Philemon that it was through Paul's ministry he was led to Christ.  He appeals to Philemon on the basis of love.  Father God treats us the same way.  He does not force.  He invites.   He appeals.  He beseeches.
Paul also represents the Father in that he pays the price Onesimus owes (vs. 18-19), just as Jesus Christ, God the Son, did for us.

2.   Onesimus represents slaves like we (are/were).
He had gotten himself into a situation from which he was unable to free himself. He owed a debt he could not pay.  In trying to fix his own situation, he only made it worse.  However, upon hearing the gospel from Paul (which is not to say he had not already heard it in Philemon's household), he accepted God's "fix", God's solution to his sin problem...salvation through grace/faith in Jesus Christ.
So, Onesimus is not being "let off the hook".  Rather, a tremendous price was paid by God to "make things right" for him positionally and eternally, the price of God's own Son.  Being accepted in Christ does not automatically free the new believer of the consequences of sin here on Earth, as we all know. Physical scars remain.  Nor does salvation cause us to never sin again in this world.  Sin ever seeks to again enslave us, pursuing us as a cheetah pursues a gazelle.

3.  Philemon represents the Church, the brotherhood of the saints.  Oh how hard it is to model ourselves after the character of God, according to His Holy Spirit who lives within us!  Perhaps Philemon struggled with this as well.  Satan tempts us to deal with each other harshly and with an unforgiving spirit.  Again, the key here is that Onesimus was a changed person, a repentant brother in Christ.  Nowhere in Scripture is the covering-over of sin applauded. This letter is not advocating overlooking sin or condoning a lack of confession or repentance. True restoration must contain those elements before restorative grace can be applied to one another and fellowship reaffirmed.
May we never be a Church that defines repentant sinners in light of their sins.  Instead, may we "remember them against them no more" (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12)

I am reading a book that contrasts the Muslim faith with the Christian.1  The writer, a former devout Muslim, now a devout Christian, points out that Muslims struggle mightily with the concept of the Christian God's grace.  It is totally foreign to them.  "Why obey if you are already forgiven everything?"  The Christian's answer:  the law of love.  He/she who has been forgiven much, loves much.  (Luke 7:47)

The Bible does not tell us whether or not Philemon received the transformed Onesimus as he would receive Paul, who led the both of them to faith in Christ.  But, I imagine he did.  May we do the same.

Father God, I have so much for which to be forgiven, day in and day out.  But, I marvel at Your eternal grace, which has covered all my sin.  I pray that I may never make you ashamed of the grace You so lavishly poured out on me.  May I be even more emboldened and empowered to share that message of grace with others, who don't yet know You, who so desperately need to hear it, who so deeply desire to turn from their sins and find their eternal salvation (their soul's rest) in You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

1   Qureshi, Nabeel (2016). No God but one: Allah or Jesus?: A former Muslim investigates the evidence for Islam and Christianity.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

 

Baggage, Beauty and The Bride

When I awoke this morning I lay in bed and began to pray over a number of requests, my own and also those of others.  One that laid heavy on my heart was the small group of "home missionaries", Christian brothers, who are leaving town this morning to minister to flood-ravaged Denham Springs, LA, as well as their wives and children left behind.  Denham Springs received over 20 inches of rain over a 3-day period last month, more than they normally receive during the entire month of August.

One of my friends, who is also one of those wives, wrote eloquently on her Facebook page late last night that it was 11 years ago today she and her husband moved into the home of dear Christians in Denham Springs, as a result of Hurricane Katrina.  They lived there, in their home, sleeping on mattresses on the floor, for a year.  She spoke of what a blessing it was, because she was able to see firsthand how to "do ministry", how to be a "minister's wife".  Now, eleven years later, her husband is leading the team to go and BE the Body of Christ to them and their flooded church.

Such beauty!

On the morning news program a young singer (14 y.o) I'd never heard of was there to sing.  Her name is Mara Justine.  She is a beautiful child, seems to have a delightful spirit, and can sing like an angel.1 Honestly, this girl has "got it".  Long, long auburn hair, peaches-and-cream skin, huge smile, gorgeous voice....beautiful!

Mankind, God's second most amazing and beautiful creation!  Come on...ask me...."What's the first?"

His People...The Church.  Not the local church, per se.  We all know that the local church can be, but I am referring to the larger Church, what the old-time saints referred to as "The Church Universal". That sounds all "new-agey", now, doesn't it?  But, the term simply means "the total number of believers in Jesus Christ, scattered around the world, including the saints who have gone on before us and those yet to join us".

Jesus calls us His Bride, because He loves us so.  As such, He asks that we love one another.  When we do, we show our incredible beauty!  Don't you know?  It is HIS incredible beauty, at work IN us, and shining through us.

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

The law of Christ is the law of love.

Today, we begin the very short book/letter of Philemon (25 verses), another lovely example of the Body of Christ at work.

The book is titled, Philemon, because he was the immediate recipient, a friend of Paul's who lived in Colosse.  Paul wrote the letter from house arrest in Rome.  Actually, the letter concerns a man named Onesimus, a slave who apparently robbed his master, Philemon, in Colosse and then went "on the lam" to Rome, where he hoped to lose himself in the crowds there, to "disappear".

Providentially, though, he ran into Paul, who led him to salvation in Jesus Christ.  Those of us who know Jesus Christ as Savior understand the supernatural power of God to transform a life forever. This is what happened to Onesimus.   The Body of Christ gained a new member.  I look forward to meeting Onesimus one day, when I join him in Heaven.

We all either were or are the runaway slave, Onesimus.  Christians were, before they met and accepted Jesus as their Savior, lost and owing a debt they were unable to pay.  They realized with joy and gratitude that Jesus paid all of their debt...that all they had to do was to accept and receive it.  ("It is finished!", Jesus cried from the cross...)
Those who are currently firmly planted in the camp of unbelief today are Onesimus, enslaved by their own pasts, shackled to a unshakeable burden of sin, trapped, on the run from God, seeking asylum, thirsting for peace, craving relief from their bondage.

Ah, but like all of us, when we become His, we bring our assorted "baggage" with us.  Onesimus had some serious "junk in the trunk".  Jesus Christ forgave him all his sins, forever; but, Christ's forgiveness did not negate the earthly consequences of his thefts.  The law at the time demanded that he be executed for his thievery; however, it was within the control of the offended master to either hand him over to be prosecuted or decline to press charges.

*****

Can you guess what happened?  We'll explore the story more fully tomorrow.

Father, thank you for the love you show us, in all our life's circumstances.  Thank you for how you demonstrated your love for us most fully, through the gift of your Son, Jesus.  Please give us daily opportunities to share that love with this crippled world, so that they may see You and come to know You.  Please bless my brothers, who are traveling to LA today, and most especially bless the people of Denham Springs and surrounding areas who are struggling mightily to overcome the aftereffects of this terrible flood.  Make Your name glorious, precious Lord! Let Your marvelous, mighty works be known in all the Earth!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Joy and Crown

What is your conflict style?  It is impossible for us to live without encountering some kind of conflict. How do you handle it?  If you are a Christian, does your faith affect how you deal with it?  Or, do you set your faith aside, to get your way?

Are you an owl?  A turtle?  A fox?  A shark?

This morning's passage is Philippians 4:1-7 (NET)

1So then, my brothers and sisters, dear friends whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand in the Lord in this way, my dear friends!

2I appeal to Euodia and to Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3Yes, I say also to you, true companion, help them. They have struggled together in the gospel ministry along with me and Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! 5Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near! 6Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 7And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Conflict will arise in the best of situations: in that loving marriage, in that loving family, in that loving church, in that job situation, in any relationship into which you pour yourself ("joy and crown").  In the early verses of Philippians 4, we see that conflict has arisen between two godly women of the Philippian church.  And, although we are not told what it was, it was obviously no minor point of contention because it had come to Paul's attention.  In other words, someone had written him about it, and he felt compelled to intervene.  How did he do that?

1.  He reminds them all of their supreme worth to Him, to Paul and to each other.  He calls the believers whom he had won to the Lord "my joy and my crown".  He calls them his "dear friends", his "brothers and sisters".  When we have disagreements, our tendency is to alienate ourselves from each other, but Paul here is admonishing his dear ones to draw closer together in conflict.  Why?

2.  The goal is to find agreement.  Doing so is impossible if one of the parties runs away in avoidance. Doing so is impossible if one of the parties will do anything it takes to "win".   In verse 2, Paul begs the two women to "agree in the Lord".  What does that mean?   It means that each of their competing opinions must be held up to the standard of the Word of God, and that the Lord must govern their agreement.  Godly agreement is based on selflessness and on truthfulness.  Selfishness, lies and deception are tools of the Devil; they never lead to godly resolutions of conflict.

3.  Sometimes, outside wisdom is needed.  There are times when dear ones are so entrenched in their own positions that they prevent themselves from seeing a solution.  In verse 3, Paul appeals to a fellow brother to help these two ladies find a way through the conflict.  These types of situations often arise because the two sides have already ignored others' wants, needs, viewpoints.  This continues into a full-blown conflict, with the two sides becoming more and more blind to the opposing side's perspective and/or resolutions to the conflict.  An intermediary is needed to help one or both sides say, "Oh, I see it (a possible solution) now!"

4.  The importance of reasonableness is mentioned in verse 5.  The word "gentleness" is translated as "graciousness", "reasonableness" in other translations.  Agreement does not mean that one side "gives up" (turtle response) or that the other side "burns it down in order to be right" (shark response).

5.  The centrality of earnest prayer to counteract anxiety and to lead to peaceful resolutions.  I'm not talking about the type of prayer that is prayed to sway opinions.  You have, like me, heard people pray in public in order to lecture people through the praying.  I believe the admonition in verse 6 is for, first, personal, private prayer, and then for one-on-one or small group prayer, in order to draw closer to God, to align our requests more closely with His will, and to thereby hear more clearly the hearts of our brothers or sisters.

6.  The importance of rejoicing in all things.  This is a separate post in and of itself, but rejoicing in conflict is not my idea of a good time.  Not.at.all.  However, when we realize that God uses all things to conform us more and more into the image of His Son, we can even embrace conflict.  Rejoicing in all things brings peace, that supernatural peace which will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

So, we must not run from conflict in our most precious relationships.

I discovered a little tool this morning you might find interesting.  It is not a perfect tool for a Christian, because it doesn't take into consideration the Word of God or the moving of the Holy Spirit in the resolving of our conflicts.  But, it is instructive to show each of us how we tend to handle conflict.  Take it for a spin and see if it describes your natural tendencies well:

http://academic.engr.arizona.edu/vjohnson/ConflictManagementQuestionnaire/ConflictManagementQuestionnaire.asp

The website makes this point, and I agree with it:  no one style is appropriate at all times. Depending on the source of disagreement each can prove to be valuable.  "Is it a mountain worth dying on?" is an appropriate question here.  Note these examples from parenting:
1.  Your child gets dressed for school and did not put the clothes together in a way you would have chosen.  The entire look is modern, but not immodest.  You resolve the conflict more in the line of the "teddy bear" response, because it is not "a mountain worth dying on".
2.  Your child gets into the car with you and does not buckle his seatbelt.  You refuse to move the car until he "buckles up": shark response.  His safety in the car IS "a mountain worth dying on".

Again, love grounded in truth is the standard.

So, there are times when it is appropriate to use one conflict resolution strategy over another.  If, though, we treat each other as our "joy and crown", our relationships can survive our conflicts and become stronger for having made it through them.

Father,  please forgive me for when I have chosen the wrong approach to resolving conflicts in my life, and give me the wisdom to choose the right approach in the inevitable conflicts which arise, so that love and truth will reign.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Big Things. Little Things.

Here is the scene in Romans 14.  Believers from the Roman church were gathering to share meals together.  And, when they got to the table, they began to criticize each other for their food choices. Worse, they began to equate food choices with holiness!  They weren't talking about the sin of gluttony, letting food consumption go beyond moderation or need.  They were arguing over whether one should eat certain meats or be a vegetarian and so forth. 

That was not the only thing they tore each other apart over.  As now, any minor disagreement became a reason to break fellowship. We see this today - - - believers criticizing each other over every, little thing and sometimes even changing to another church over it.

There are things we should stand strong over - - - real, actual sins. True acts of unholiness we willingly do, or true acts of holiness we omit.   But "the little things"?  Personal preferences or personal convictions?  That is another matter all together.

Why is it we think everyone should be exactly like us?  In Sunday School this week, we were talking about comforting those who are either losing or recently lost a loved one, and how differently people react to the love shown by others during those times.  Some people just want everyone outside the immediate family to leave them alone, to give them privacy.  Others want to be surrounded by as many friends as possible.  Does this make one wrong and the other right?  No!  It is a matter of preference.

We need to come to terms with the truth that not everyone is like us.  We can still love our Christian brothers/sisters as well extending Christian love to our neighbors, even when we disagree.

And, it just hurts the cause of Jesus Christ when we fight over minor issues.  Fight when fighting is required.  Stand strong for the truth.  But, don't "major on the minors".

The Message version translates Romans 14:12 like this:

So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

I love it!  "Tend to your own knitting!"  The Devil loves to plant critical thoughts in our minds, especially us ladies.  But, we don't have to receive them, stew on them or spew them forth from our mouths.  What Paul encourages us to do is to re-focus our attention. When we are tempted to criticize someone over a minor thing, we need to turn the focus to examining our own hearts.  
What is prompting that criticism?
Is it springing from jealousy?  Envy? A desire to be "holier than thou" (that is, pride?)  
Hm-m-m-m?
AHEM!  I can write about this so easily because I so readily fall into this trap.
But, you know, I really have my hands full, tending to my own business: walking in faith with my God.  (Or I SHOULD.)

Another translation, the NET translates the latter part of verse 12 as

 ....each of us will give an account of himself to God. 

He is going to evaluate our execution of the little things, personal convictions, by whether or not those decisions were made through the exercise of our faith.  In other words, did we make those decisions as part of growing closer to God, becoming more like Christ?  Or, did we make those preferential decisions out of personal convenience, selfish consumption, spiritual pride, etc.? What was the motivation?  You see, what is of utmost importance is what drives those decisions, and if we deal with each other selflessly in the making of them.

Whew...that's a tough one, Lord.  Basically, we just want our own way.  We want to make our Christian walk a "Burger King" existence ("Have it Your Way!), when what You require, what you call holiness involves self-sacrifice, compassion, building up others (as opposed to building up ourselves), giving Jesus the glory (as opposed to glorifying ourselves).  It's not easy to give our flesh the old "smack-down". Fortunately, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, it is possible.  Help us, Lord to distinguish between the big things and the small, and to honor You in all.  In Jesus' name, amen.

On Fire!

A few days ago, while walking in my neighborhood at dusk, I stopped to stare in wonder at a beautiful sight.  In my neighbor's front yard was this gorgeous tree, on fire with spring color and waning sunlight.  It truly appeared to be on fire.  As I almost always have my phone when walking, I took this picture which, I promise, does not even begin to capture the glory of that moment, in which God reminded me of the burning bush of Exodus 3.  (If you have been walking with me through Romans, no worries!  We will get to our Romans text in a few moments!)

1Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6Then he said, “I am the God of your father,^a the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—

Here was Moses, just an ordinary Hebrew man, doing what he did every day (working for his father-in-law) when God appeared to him in such a surprising, wondrous way!  I could spend several blog posts examining the beauty of this theophany of God (the angel of the LORD), but will instead refer you to the source at the bottom of today's blog so that you can explore that concept on your own.1

Our main text for today is Romans 13:8-10.

8Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

This admonition from the apostle Paul applies to anyone ("neighbor) that the LORD brings into our "circle of influence".  Paul echoes the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40 here.  He reiterates that a Christian may "follow all the rules" of Scripture perfectly.  However, if we do not show the love of God to those around us, we have ignored the two greatest commandments of them all.

As stunningly beautiful as was my neighbor's "burning bush", I am even more stupefied by the reality that this God, this immortal Being with no beginning and no ending (Psalm 90:2) desires a relationship with me, and with any person who truly seeks Him (Jeremiah 29:12-13 ).  He saw His people in their misery in Egypt and "came down" to rescue them, in the form of holy flames of fire that did not consume a bramble.  The Savior likewise, thousands of years later, was God-Come-Down, Immanuel - - God With Us - - (Isaiah 7:14), who came to rescue us from the slavery of sin. Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Theophany, who brings us into the "promised land" of eternal salvation! May His name be praised forever!  Baruch Hashem!2

How do we love our neighbors? If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, we must (as we should in all things) listen for His voice.  When He urges us to reach out to someone in love, we should do it.  So, the answer to how we love our neighbors is different for each of us.  There are some commonalities, of course - - - we are to feed the hungry and care for the sick.  We are to share the gospel of Jesus Christ's life and work, above all.  But, beyond that, we are to follow the leading of His Spirit, living inside us.

So, Believer, if He prompts you today, if He speaks to You today from a "burning bush", don't run the other way.  Listen!  And, then ... love your neighbor.

Father, I can still see that ruler, in my mind's eye - - - that little wooden ruler, given to every student at Clarkesville Elementary all those years ago.  I can see "The Golden Rule" written on it, "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You", which is basically a restatement of Romans 13:8-10.  Please make me more sensitive to the needs of others and give me more opportunities to share the greatest news this world has ever heard - - - that in You is freedom and life and joy, forever!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

1   http://www.gotquestions.org/burning-bush.html
2   Hebrew: Blessed be G_d!

I Love You (Not Really...)

Let's consider the human body for a moment:
Does the healthy body fight against itself?
Does the toe try to outdo the finger?
Do the arms try to outdo the legs?
I could ask several more redundant, anatomical questions along this line.
The answer to all of them is "NO".
In a properly-functioning human body, the various parts faithfully carry out their designated roles.
As a matter of fact, they help each other.  Here's an example - -
When the human encounters a situation which requires "flight"  (you know, "fight or flight"),
the adrenal glands, above the kidneys, produce adrenaline, which gives the muscles used in "flight" (the leg muscles primarily) the ability to skeedaddle quickly away.  But, the arms also help.  Have you ever tried to suddenly run very fast?  You can't do it unless your arms start pumping, to help propel you forward.
I think you get my drift.

In Romans 12:9-10, we get a taste of Paul's larger treatise on the topic of love in 1 Cor. 13.

9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

The word "genuine" in verse 9, is translated from the Greek ἀνυπόκριτος. which means literally "without hypocrisy".  The title of today's post reeks with hypocrisy, doesn't it?

Remember, now, that Paul is speaking to the Christians in the young church of Rome.  He is exhorting us to love each other sincerely, genuinely, without hypocrisy.  He is urging us to function as a healthy Body of Christ, group of Christ-followers.

Those of you who have ever associated yourself with a group of believers know that this is not always the case.  Sometimes, The Body acts as though it has an auto-immune disorder; it eats/tears-down Itself.  The "ME Syndrome" can be quite prevalent.  Examples:

"I'd be a better chairman of the deacons that he."
"I'm glad Pastor preached that sermon today; _______ really needed to hear it!"
"Can you believe he chose her to sing that solo?  Ghastly voice!"
"{Construct your own carnal statement here.  I'm sure you can think of one.}"

Obviously, I've been in some churches....as have many Christians reading this.  If we love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, we will do what verse 10 says, which is to "outdo one another in showing honor".  That doesn't mean we will be immune from carnal, fleshly thoughts, such as the ones mentioned above. Satan is not going to abandon his very successful strategy of causing dissension in the church.  It does mean, however, that we will choose to reject such carnal impulses, put them "under the blood", release them to the Holy Spirit and not act on them in a sinful fashion.

Let's be honest: God's range of variety in His creation is amazing.  Accordingly, there are members of the Body who will just make you roll your eyes or drive you crazy, and that is when they are being totally holy!  They are just so different from you that they might as well be aliens.  Still...

Over and over again, we read in the Bible about the power of choice.  It's inescapable, despite our all-knowing, all-powerful God knows our choices before we make them.

Here's verse 10 in the beautiful Greek:
"With the brotherly love toward one another devoted; in honor, one another esteeming"

Let's be known for the love we have for each other, for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Unless and until we CHOOSE love and we honor each other well, we will be hampered in our capacity to love an unsaved, bound-for-Hell, spiritually dying world.

Really.  :)

Father, I thank you that You did not create us all the same.  If You had, we would be a grotesque representation, a monster (as I've heard it said).  Instead, we fit together as a Body of Christ, as beautifully as a properly-functioning, healthy human body does.  May we choose daily to honor You by showing humility in our honoring of each other.  In Jesus' name, amen.

When Siblings Sin

The other day I went hiking, by myself, in a state park.  The trail led alongside a steep cliff, down to a waterfall.  There were signs every few feet, warning hikers to "stay on the path!"  Those signs are there because the tendency for hikers is to get as close to the edge as possible, supposedly in the name of experiencing the hike to the fullest, or somesuch.  This is a great analogy of the Christian walk.  While Christians do not dwell in, wallow in sin (or else they are not truly Christians --- Galatians 5:21, for one...) there are times that we wander off the resplendent path.  What to do?

I'm continuing on in Galatians, almost ready to finish this Pauline letter.  Galatians 6:1-5, our text for this morning, is one of those neglected texts.  I have heard very few, if any sermons about it.  But, it is an important bit of teaching.  So, we are not going to gloss over it today.

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.4 Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each one will carry his own load.

First, notice that this passage (like the entire letter of Galatians) is addressed to believers, Christians. So, this is not to be applied to non-believers.  Regardless of an unbeliever's sin, their highest, greatest need is to enter in to a salvation relationship with Jesus Christ.  Trying to apply Galatians 6:1-5 to an unbeliever is like trying to "put lipstick on a pig" (to quote Sarah Palin, who I am deeply disappointed in, but that's another story...).  "Brothers and sisters" always refers to those who are Jesus Christ's children and followers, those forever saved by grace.

What Paul is doing here is instructing this young group of believers in how to deal with sin in the church, because Christians will lapse into sin.  "You who are spiritual" does not mean "the most perfect person in the church" - - - what a ridiculous concept!  It refers to a mature Christian who has examined his or her own work, as directed in verses 1 and 4.  We read in verse 2 that the Christian who has gotten bogged down in some sin - - that the situation is a burden to him.  Absolutely right! One of the marks of the Christian is that the HolySpirit will not leave him/her alone about a sin, but will pester and nudge and sometimes wallop until the believer confesses it and makes it right with those who have been wronged.

Mature believers who see another believer in a sin must, after self-examination, restore that brother or sister with gentleness.  Obviously, this is tricky business.

Sometimes, a brother or sister will confess his or her sin to a fellow believer, because this is scriptural:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 NIV

In that case, the restoring brother/sister will listen with gentleness, comfort with gentleness, and advise with gentleness and pray for the other person.  It is a great blessing to be chosen by another believer in this way.  It is a sign of tremendous trust.  God promises His healing when we restore each other in this way.

At other times, believers do NOT realize their sin and go confess it to God and then to a fellow believer.  At still other times, believers DO realize their sin and don't want to confess it ... or give it up for that matter.  It is at those times that a loving brother or sister in the faith should prepare his or her heart and speak to the other person privately and gently about the matter.

What about that fellow believer who stubbornly refuses to confess and repent?  That's the subject of another blog post.  But, here are a couple of relevant scriptures for you to study:
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
And, if you want to read an excellent, thorough treatment of this subject, I highly recommend John MacArthur's commentary on it, which you can find here:
https://www.gty.org/resources/print/bible-qna/BQ081012

Here is where we fall down as the Body of Christ.  We simply do not do Galatians 6:1-5.  Let's just 'fess up, here.  We make all kinds of excuses to avoid doing it.  Here are a few:
"It's none of my business."
"If I'm honest with myself, I'm doing the same thing...or something worse."  (There's a real stinger!)
"It will ruin our relationship if I mention it."
"It's 'judging' ".  (total hogwash, and worthy of an entire blog post in the future! See the MacArthur link above, as a starting point.)

Let's consider for the moment the repercussions of not doing Galatians 6:1-5, of not examining ourselves, routinely confessing our own sins, and holding our fellow Christians accountable.
The number one, major result of this is a sin-filled church that not only doesn't win others to Christ, it propels them AWAY from our Savior!  A sin-filled, self-centered, hypocritical church is offensive to "the unsaved world", and it should be equally offensive to us, His Own.  Then, obviously, the sin is hurting the Christian who is sinning.  If we love our brothers and sisters in the Lord, we should long to see them restored.

In closing, let me emphasize that these matters MUST be bathed in fervent prayer.  Don't fire off the gun of your mouth with the hammer "half-cocked", as the expression goes.  When God lays on your heart to speak to a brother or sister in the spirit of this Galatians passage, hit your knees first...and stay there a while, listening to the Spirit give you wisdom and direction.  Then, proceed with gentleness, as the Scriptures command.

Father, first of all, make me even more diligent about allowing Your Spirit to root out my own sin, before I even notice the sins of my brothers and sisters.  On those occasions when you want me to speak to someone else, to share Your words with a burdened believer, fill my mouth, Lord.  Don't let me say one ungentle word, one unloving word or one word that is contrary to Your desires.  In Jesus' name, amen.