GALATIANS 6
OPENS WITH...PAUL'S FINAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE GALATIANS...RESTORING THE BACKSLIDDEN TO JESUS CHRIST.
Verse 1 tells us RESTORING those overtaken in sin.
"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."
Paul KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS AND POINTS OUT that there may and will be those among the Christians in Galatia who have been overtaken in a trespass. Paul does not seem to exclude the overtaken one from the brethren, yet they should NEVER STAY in the place of being overtaken.
Paul's wording here speaks of NOT a determined, hardened, sinner. And by hardened sinner, Paul means those who DELIBERATELY, AND PREMEDITATIVELY plan and repetitively seek to sin and continue in sin without a thought.
The overtaken ones NEED to be restored. They are NOT to be ignored. They are NOT to be excused. They are NOT to be destroyed. The goal is always restoration.
This job of restoration is often neglected in the church. We have a tendency to either pretend the sin never happened, or we tend to react too harshly towards the one who has sinned. The balance between these two extremes can only be negotiated by the spiritual. It should be normal to do what God says here, but it is not. It is all too easy to respond to someone's sin with gossip, harsh judgment, ignoring it, or undiscerning approval.
Restoration must always be done in a spirit of gentleness, with full understanding of our own weakness and corruption. Those doing the restoring must guard against the temptation of pride, as well as the same temptation the overtaken one struggled with.
Verses 2-5 tells us bearing each other's burdens and bearing our own load.
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load."
When Paul brings up the idea of the one overtaken in any trespass, it paints the picture of a person sagging under a heavy load. Now, he expands the idea to ENCOURAGE every Christian to bear one another's burdens.
AND WE NOTICE, PAUL'S FOCUS is NOT on "expect others to bear your burdens." That is self-focused, and always leads to pride, frustration, discouragement, and depression. Instead, God always directs us to be others-focused, and says, "bear one another's burdens."
This is a SIMPLE command to obey. Look for a brother or a sister with a burden, and help them with it. It is NOT complicated, and it does NOT take a huge program or infrastructure to do it. Just look for a burden to bear and bear it!
As we bear one another's burdens, we are fulfilling the simple law of Christ.
John 13:34-35 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Paul has battled the legalists among the Galatian Christians. Here, he strikes another hit. Paul essentially says, "Do you want to fulfill the law? Great. Here is your law to fulfill. Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ."
If anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
What will keep us from bearing one another's burdens and fulfilling the law of Christ?
PRIDE...which is when anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing. It is often pride that keeps us from ministering to one another as we should.
PRIDE is self-focus.
Pride does not necessarily say, "I am better than you are." Pride simply says "I am more important than you are, so I deserve more of my own attention and love than you do." Instead, Biblical humility REMINDS us, "I am nothing but you are something. Let me care about your burdens and needs."
People, out of pride, will refuse to receive help when someone else reaches out to help bear their burden.
It is important to understand that Paul writes to every Christian when he says, "when he is nothing." In the sense Paul uses the idea here, it is not that some Christians are something, and others are nothing, and the problem is that the nothings think they are one of the somethings.
Instead, Paul writes with the same idea behind Philippians 2:3b-4: "In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. If I esteem you above me, and you esteem me above you, a marvelous thing happens."
Paul reminds us and the Galatian Christians...there are few things more self-deceptive than pride.
WHY?
To be proud is to be blind.
1. Blind to the freely given favor and gifts of God.
2. Blind to our sin and depravity.
3. Blind to the good in others.
4. Blind to the foolishness of self-centeredness.
This helps explain PRIDE...which is the GREATEST deception of the GREATEST of deceivers - Satan himself.
If there was anyone who thought himself to be something when he is nothing, it was Satan both before and after his fall. And if there is anyone who deceives himself, surely it is Satan - who works on and on against God in the self-delusion that he may one day triumph.
Instead of deceiving ourselves, we must take a careful and a sober examination of OUR WORKS before God. If we do not, and if we carry on under our self-deception, then we may think our works are approved before God, when really they are not.
We want to have our work approved before God, so that our rejoicing on the day of reward can be for our own work (himself alone), and not in the work of another.
There is another aspect to rejoicing in himself. It means having joy at your own walk with the Lord, instead of feeling spiritual because some around you perhaps are overtaken in any trespass.
Then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another has special relevance to those who preach and teach God's Word. It shows us that we can not and should not evaluate ourselves simply on what others think or say about us, whether it is good or bad.
In the beginning and the end of things, ONLY what we do for Jesus and what Jesus thinks of us as Christians is what matters and what is eternal.
Too many today, stand in their pulpits and blaspheme and prostitute Jesus word and His commands, and His promises by twisting, changing, and perverting The Bible to tell people what they WANT to hear, so that they will BE LIKED, they will be FAMOUS, and they NEED people to look to them for all things, instead of seeking Jesus, praying to Jesus, studying His Word and then TRUSTING our Jesus for our daily lives, needs, hurts, cares, worries and fears.
Prosperity and faith healing preachers in the pulpit tell the lost, hurting, and hopeless, God wants you to have whatever you want...that is a lie!
They say, God wants you to have your BEST life now in this life...that is a lie.
They say, You can ALL be healed miraculously if I touch you and if your faith in my words and touch are believed...that is a lie.
They say, We are ALL God's children...that is a lie.
They say, We all go to Heaven...that is a lie.
They say, You can learn and command the Gifts of The Holy Spirit, if you attend my teaching seminars...that is a lie.
They say, You are like God, you are equal to Jesus, you are a God and you command your angels to do your bidding...that is a lie.
They say, you know you are spirit-filled, holy ghost anointed, if you begin to laugh uncontrollably, bark like a dog, fall out in the aisles, run the aisles flapping your arms, waving flags to summon angels and the Holy Spirit, or begin to babble unknown gibberish, or you begin to shake, quake, and vibrate, or being slain in the Holy Spirit into the church...that is all a lie.
They say, Jesus BEGAN the saving work on the cross, but mankind must complete it....that is a lie.
PAUL WARNS...For each one shall bear his own load.
The Bible speaks of a day when our works will be examined before the Lord. This is the judgment seat of Christ described in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10. On that day, each Christian will be judged for what they have done FOR JESUS and HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM.
Verses 6-10 tells us doing good to others in the household of faith.
"Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."
What does Paul mean by share in all good things?
The idea is focused on financial support, but NOT limited to it. Offering a shoulder, a listening ear, share what you have, willing to pray, to instruct, to point people to our Jesus is sharing ALL good things.
This is a basic, though sometimes neglected spiritual principle.
Those who feed and bless you spiritually should be supported by you financially.
Paul repeated this principle in several other places.
1 Corinthians 9:11, "If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?"
1 Corinthians 9:14, "Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel."
1 Timothy 5:17, "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."
Luke 16:11, "If you trust them with your spiritual health, you should also trust them to steward the gifts of God's people."
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap...
For those who are hesitant to share in all good things with those who teach them, Paul reminds them of God's principle of sowing and reaping. Their giving (to share in all good things with him who teaches) is not like throwing away money; it is like planting seeds, and whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Paul point is that God's people should NOT share in all good things with him who teaches ANYTHING CONTRARY TO THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL.
THAT IS WASTED MONEY AND TIME IN GOD'S EYES...AND IT FEEDS THE LIES OF THE FALSE TEACHERS AND FALSE GOSPELS.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU STARVE THE LIARS AND FALSE GOSPELS AND FALSE TEACHERS...they will disappear.
THINK ABOUT THE BLASPHEMIES SPEWED IN THE PULPITS, PROCLAIMED ON THE INTERNET...THEIR ONLY COMMON THEME...IS I SPEAK FROM GOD, PLANT A SEED IN OUR MINISTRY, AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED.
THE SAD TRUTH IS THIS, IF YOU CHECK OUT THEIR BOTTOM LINE, THEIR FINANCIAL TRANSPARENTCY...ALL OF THEIR OUTREACHES AND MINISTRIES ARE IN THE RED. THEY ARE NOT EVER MET.
OF ALL THE MONEY, TITHES, AND DONATIONS RECEIVED, AT BEST, MOST ONLY GIVE 10% TO THEIR CAUSES. 90% IS SPENT ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. IN OTHER WORDS, THESE PREACHERS, TEACHERS, OUTREACHES, AND MINISTRIES PUT 90% INTO THEIR OWN BANK ACCOUNTS.
GOOGLE SEARCH THEM OUT...BENNY HINN, JONI AND MARCUS LAMB, JOYCE MEYER, JOEL OSTEEN, THE CROUCHES, TD JAKES, CREFLO DOLLAR, KENNETH HAGIN, GLORIA AND KENNETH COPELAND...the list is seemingly ENDLESS...they all have HUGE BANK ACCOUNTS, HUGE COMPOUNDS, JET PLANES, SEVERAL VACATION HOMES, FILLED WITH THE MOST EXPENSIVE THIS WORLD CAN OFFER.
PAUL POINTS TO THESE PEOPLE...AND SAYS IF THE TITHES, DONATIONS, CONTRIBUTIONS WENT AWAY, THESE PEOPLE WOULD DISAPPEAR...THEIR FALSE GOSPELS AND FALSE TEACHINGS WOULD DISAPPEAR BECAUSE THEY WERE THEN AND ARE NOW IN IT FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL RICHES AND ICONIC STATUS.
SO PAUL WANTS US TO KNOW THOSE WE SUPPORT AND WE ARE COMMANDED TO SEEK, TO LEARN, AND TO KNOW IF THEY ARE TEACHING JESUS WORD OR THEIR OWN IDEOLOGIES..AND TO GIVE ONLY TO THOSE WHO PREACH AND TEACH SOLA SCRIPTURA. JESUS WORD AND JESUS WORD ALONE, AMEN?!
AND THAT WHEN WE DO GIVE, SHARE, AND SUPPORT THOSE WHICH HUMBLY AND STEADFASTLY TEACH AND PREACH JESUS WORD AND HIS WORD ALONE...THEN GOD WILL BLESS US FOR IT.
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
If we want to reap to the Spirit, we should not hesitate to sow to the Spirit with whatever resources God has given us.
A farmer reaps the same as he has sown. If he plants wheat, wheat comes up. In the same way, if we sow to the flesh, sow to those who tell us what we want to hear, instead of what Jesus teaches us, warns us, and commands us...then the lies of the flesh will increase in size and strength.
The farmer also reaps more if he has sown more, and the relationship between what he sows and what he reaps is exponential. A farmer can plant one apple seed and receive hundreds of apples over time.
The principle of whatever a man sows, that he will also reap has application beyond giving and supporting good or bad teachers and ministers.
It has a general application in life; what we get out is often what we put in.
Yet, Paul is NOT promoting some law of spiritual "karma" that ensures we will get good when we do good, or always get bad when we do bad.
WHY?
If there were such an absolute spiritual law, it would surely **** us all. Instead, Paul simply relates the principle of sowing and reaping to the way we manage our resources before the Lord.
He uses the same picture in 1 Corinthians 9:11 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-10.
PAUL WARNS...We may fool ourselves by expecting much when we sow little, but we cannot fool God, and the results of our poor sowing will be evident.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart...
As we wisely manage our resources before God under the principle of sowing and reaping, we need PATIENCE.
It is easy, but dangerous, to lose heart. In the ancient world, this phrase translated "lose heart" was used for the kind of fear and weariness a woman experiences during labor but before delivery. It describes a time when the work is hard and painful, but also unfinished and unrewarded. It's easy to lose heart when we feel like that, but that is exactly when we must hang on and not grow weary while doing good.
As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith: Not losing heart, we seek to do good with our resources, and to do good to all - but especially to those who are of God's family and faithful, humble, and steadfast to the preaching and teaching of JESUS word.
When Paul writes as we have opportunity and let us do good, he clearly includes himself in what he writes. He speaks to himself here as much as to the Galatians. Because of the danger brought in by the legalists, Paul's work among them had not yet really been rewarded, so he needed to remember not to lose heart either.
Verse 11 tells us Introduction to Paul's personal postscript.
"See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!"
Paul's custom, typical in the ancient world, was to dictate his letters to a secretary. But he would often personally write a short portion at the end, both to authenticate the letter and to add a personal touch.
Other examples of this kind of postscript from Paul are:
1 Corinthians 16:21-24 (The salutation with my own hand - Paul)
Colossians 4:18 (This salutation by my own hand - Paul).
One reason Paul may have done this was prove that he really wrote the letter.
2 Thessalonians 3:17: The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.
Paul points out that he wrote his postscript with large letters. Many speculate this was because he had poor eyesight and could not read or write small print.
Verses 12-13 tells us A final word regarding the motives of the legalists among the Galatians.
"As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh."
Paul refers here to the legalistic Christians among the Galatians, and writes frankly about their motive: to make a good showing in the flesh. They worked to bring the Galatian Christians from a Gentile background under circumcision because it would be a good showing for them - but a good showing in the flesh.
The legalists pretended to be motivated out of concern for the ones they tried to bring under the law.
But Paul clearly SAW through this deception, and saw their motive was really selfish, simply desiring the honor and glory for themselves, their own fame, their own profit, so it was ALL a good showing in the flesh. They wanted the Galatians to become circumcised so they could wear the submission of these Gentiles as a badge of achievement. Even as David had boasted in the two hundred foreskins of the Philistines he had killed, so these legalists wanted the allegiance of these Gentiles primarily as a trophy.
Compel is an important word.
There was nothing wrong with a Gentile being circumcised. There was everything wrong in compelling a Gentile to be circumcised, saying they could not be right with God, take the 1st step of salvation, without coming under the law of Moses.
Only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ:
Beyond their own glory, their other motive was to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ. If these legalists had said "We are saved only by the work of the cross of Christ, not by our obedience under the law," they would have been persecuted. Probably the persecution would have come from other legalistic Christians, or from those still in Judaism. Their unwillingness to stand in the face of this pressure made them stand for false doctrines.
MORRIS gives us further insight to this day and time. "There is also another way to consider this. By aligning Christianity with Judaism through emphasizing circumcision and the law of Moses, men could escape persecution from the Romans. "To advocate circumcision was to align the new movement with Judaism, a religion that had official Roman sanction, and therefore one that avoided persecution. The preachers Paul was opposing may have included the cross in their proclamation, but by adding the necessity of circumcision they avoided persecution."
It is a worthy question for us: What sin or deception are we trapped in because we do not want to suffer persecution for the cross of Christ?
Do we loudly sing praises, pray, and read the Bible while in the privacy of our homes or in church, but once we walk into the world, do we hide our light, or worse, do as Peter did, deny our Jesus?
The original readers of the letter to the Hebrews were in the same kind of place (Hebrews 12:3-4). Through Paul's letter, to the Hebrews encourages them to make a stand for the finished work of Jesus Christ, and shows the superiority of Jesus' work to the old institution of Judaism.
Verses 14-15 Paul writes about his motives.
"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation."
Paul's heart cares NOTHING for the glory that came from fame. He cared NOTHING for the glory that came from riches. He cared NOTHING for the glory that came from status and power among men.
Paul ONLY cared about the glory of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
AND REMEMBER THIS...For people who knew what crucifixion was all about, had seen it, the words "cross" and "glory" just did NOT go together. They were direct opposites, because there was NOT a more humiliating, shameful way to be executed than the cross. It seemed much more logical to glory in your good showing in the flesh, instead of the cross. But Paul thinks and writes with a heavenly logic that surpasses anything of this earth.
Paul's implied contrast between his motive and the motives of the legalists reminds us, then and now:
1. All legalism, all attempts to gain righteousness or favor from God on the basis of our good works is an essential rejection of Jesus' work on the cross.
2. No one can trust in our own works, our own performance under the law, and at the same time glory … in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
By whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world:
In Galatians 5:24, Paul wrote about having crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Now, with the flesh on the cross, he also puts the world on the cross, and considers himself dead to the world. The world can NOT have any influence over Paul if it is dead, and Paul can NOT respond to any influence from it if he is dead to the world.
The world, in the sense Paul means it here, is not the global earth; nor is it the mass of humanity (which God Himself loves, John 3:16). Instead, it is the community of sinful humanity that is united in rebellion against God.
There is nothing more worldly than trying to make a good showing in the flesh. When we live for the glory that comes from fame, from riches, from status, or from power among men we are very alive to the world and the world is very alive to us.
Paul and the world could agree together on one thing: they did NOT like each other. The world is crucified unto me,' means that I condemn the world. 'I am crucified unto the world,' means that the world in turn condemns me.
SPURGEON says it well, "To live to serve men is one thing, to live to bless them is another; and this we will do, God helping us, making sacrifices for their good. But to fear men, to ask their leave to think, to ask their instructions as to what we shall speak, and how we shall say it - that is a baseness we can not brook. By the grace of God, we have not so degraded ourselves, and never shall."
Without doubt, Paul knew Christians had a moral standard to live by. But what really matters is not what we do in keeping the law, especially in its ceremonies, but what God has done in us - making us a new creation.
For the legalists among the Galatian Christians, circumcision was a big issue, because it was the initiation to living under the Mosaic Law. Even though it was important to the legalists, Paul knew that it did NOT matter at all (avails nothing). If you were circumcised, but not a new creation, you did not belong to Jesus. If you were uncircumcised, but were a new creation, you did belong to Jesus.
We do NOT make ourselves a new creation; God does it in us.
At the root of salvation in Jesus Christ, Christianity is something God does in us, not something we do for God. This can simply define the difference between the systems of grace and law.
Verse 16 tells us a blessing on those who walk in God's truth.
"And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God."
And as many as walk according to this rule.
The Greek word for " to this rule" is "kanon", which refers to the surveyor's line by which a direction is taken." There is a rule for the Christian life, revealed by God's Word. We just do not make it up as we go along. We are to measure ourselves according to this rule.
Peace and mercy be upon them...
Just as Paul was willing to pronounce a curse on those who taught false doctrines (Galatians 1:8-9), he is also willing to give a blessing to those who walk according to this rule. These are those who are the true Israel of God, the descendants of Abraham according to faith.
Verses 17-18 gives us Paul's last words to the Galatians.
"From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen."
I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus...
Paul writes as someone who has suffered for Jesus, and who bears those marks on his body. Having suffered so, he can say from now on let no one trouble me, in the sense that it is fruitless for anyone to try, because he has already endured the worst.
In 2 Corinthians 11:23-25, Paul describes his physical suffering for Jesus' sake. What he endured was plenty enough to leave scars, marks of the Lord Jesus.
Some think "let no one trouble me" is Paul's way to say to the Christians of Galatia, "Do not be a trouble to me by continuing to play around with these false doctrines and false teachers- I have suffered enough already."
The marks of the Lord Jesus...
Some religiosities, wrongly and absurdly teach and believe in mysticism, and believe that Paul speaks here of a phenomenon known as the stigmata. These are said to be marks on the body similar to wounds of Jesus, such as wounds in the hands, feet, side, or head as a result of an intense mystical identification with Jesus. Such a view reads too much into the simple words of the text, and often they are used to justify an unhealthy mysticism.
The marks of the Lord Jesus are not wounds similar to Jesus' wounds; they are marks that identify - or even "brand" - Paul as a follower of Jesus. In the ancient world, slaves were branded with the name of their master. "Often a master branded his slaves with a mark that showed them to be his. Most likely what Paul means is that the scars of the things he had suffered for Christ are the brands which show him to be Christ's slave.
The practice of branding was also known in military life... "Instances are recorded of soldiers branding themselves with the name of their general in token of their absolute devotion to his cause." (Rendall) Paul says that his marks are his "brands" of allegiance.
Paul can wish nothing greater for the Galatians than that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. If this is so, they will walk in a grace relationship with God, instead of the legal, performance-based relationship that endangered them so - an appropriate end for the letter and prayer for all our lives.
Barclay, says it well, "After the storm and stress and intensity of the letter comes the peace of the benediction. Paul has argued and rebuked and cajoled but his last word is GRACE, for him the only word that really mattered."