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Galatians 6:1-4 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. 2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

The great Evangelist Leonard Ravenhill said before he went to be with Jesus:

“I don’t ask people if they’re ‘saved’ anymore. Who isn’t ‘saved’, from the White House to the jail house? I look a person in the eye and say, ‘Does Christ live in you?’ ‘I was saved in…’ ‘I didn’t ask you that. I’m asking you does Christ live in you?’ Christianity is the only religion in the world where a man’s God comes and lives inside of him. A Chinese scholar was given a copy of the New Testament. He’s read the Quran, he’s read the Vedas (the Hindi writings), and all the (other) sacred books. (He was asked) ‘What’s the most amazing thing you read?’ He said ‘The most awesome thing is in Ephesians chapter 2. It says ‘I times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. At the end of that chapter it says, ‘You are the habitation of God’. Does your God live inside of you? That’s the most awesome thing I’ve ever read! I’ve never read where a man’s God comes and makes that man the habitation of God.”

God lives in the Christian. Paul starts out this section with the word “BRETHREN”. He’s not talking to Jews (as Paul was a Jew), but but to fellow believers in Christ. The Christian is a person who has been “born again” or “quickened” by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23). The Christian is “indwelt by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 8:9). The Christian, as we saw in the last chapter, is called of God to:

Galatians 5:16, 18 (KJV) WALK IN THE SPIRIT… 18 if ye be LED OF THE SPIRIT, ye are not under the law.

The Child of God, the Christ follower, is not to follow after the flesh and after sin, but to follow after the Spirit of God. The Christian is not to be a sinner, but a saint, a disciple of Christ. Saved by Grace, the Bible says to the children of God:

Romans 6:14-18 (NKJV) For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, YOU ARE THAT ONE’S SLAVES TO WHOM YOU OBEY, whether of sin [leading] to death, or of obedience [leading] to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that [though] you WERE SLAVES OF SIN, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been SET FREE FROM SIN, you became slaves of righteousness.

The Christian is set free from the dominion of sin. God lives inside of us. We are to “walk in the Spirit”, that is, walk yielded to God’s leading. But here’s the question:

What if a Christian sins?
How should we as family handle this?

Galatians 6:1 BRETHREN, if a man be OVERTAKEN {prolambanō} in a FAULT {paraptōma}, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Word Study: The word translated “OVERTAKEN” is interesting, because it means “to be grabbed, to seize”. The word translated “FAULT” means “something that trespasses against or deviates from truth and righteousness”. When we as believers do something that God within us tells us not to do, do something which God has clearly forbade in the Scripture, then we can become seized by it. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Sin is a trap. Sin is offensive to God. Sin is counterproductive to the mission of the Church, a stain on the gown of Christ’s Bride. Sin is not to be winked at, but repented of, and left alone.

Sin is spiritual poison ivy – handle it, and it spreads and devastates not just you, but others around you!

Word Study: In the event that a believer in the Church falls away, and begins to walk in the flesh rather than walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-21), then the Apostle calls on “those who are SPIRITUAL” to do something with that believer. The Spiritual, God led believers are to “RESTORE” (katartizō, “to render sound or complete, to repair”). This word is first used in the New Testament when Jesus began to call His Apostles:

Matthew 4:21 (KJV) And going on from thence, {Jesus} saw other two brethren, James [the son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, MENDING {katartizō} their nets; and He called them.

The fishermen James and John were not making new nets. Their nets had been torn because they had been catching fish, and pulling them into their lives. Sometimes believers, like nets, cast themselves in the direction of something that God has forbidden. It tears their souls. Like nets, the fallen brother in Christ needs repair. Let’s use the imagery of the fishermen and the net being restored, and apply this to our text.

1 The net cannot be restored while it is filled with fish. The net must be emptied before the breach can be closed. Even so, no believer can be “restored” or mended while they are actively in their sin. In the Church of Corinth, The Apostle Paul was aghast! He wrote:

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (ESV) It is actually reported that THERE IS SEXUAL IMMORALITY AMONG YOU, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for A MAN HAS HIS FATHER’S WIFE. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be REMOVED FROM AMONG YOU.

Restoration does not mean to look the other way. When someone in the active membership of the local Church – someone who is supposed to be a believer in Christ – gets into sexual sin, they are to be “REMOVED FROM AMONG YOU”. We are not to wink at the heterosexual or homosexual sinner in “tolerance”. God does not tolerate it, and neither should we. Before anyone can be RESTORED, they must first REPENT. The net must be emptied of sin. Paul told the Church at Corinth:

1 Corinthians 5:4-7 (ESV)When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to DELIVER THIS MAN TO SATAN FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FLESH, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

The Church is a Body of Believers walking in the Spirit, walking with the Lord Jesus Christ. If someone begins to walk in the flesh and will not repent, we are to lovingly withdraw fellowship from them. Paul goes on to say:

1 Corinthians 5:11-13 (ESV) But now I am writing to you NOT TO ASSOCIATE WITH ANYONE WHO BEARS THE NAME OF BROTHER if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler–not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “PURGE THE EVIL PERSON FROM AMONG YOU.”

The unrepentant and flesh walking “brother in Christ” – we are not to embrace him, but to remove fellowship from them. Can that person still come to the Church? Certainly! We want the sinner to come to Church. But we do not commiserate with that person, nor justify that person.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. A little sin spreads and infuses the whole Church. We love them, but do not condone their action.

At a Church I pastored a certain man began to live in sexual sin with his girlfriend. When he came to Church, it was reported to me that several members approached them, and encouraged them to get married. He professed to be a Christian. She professed to be a Christian. I myself talked to them, but they made excuses and refused to repent. They stopped coming to Church, mad at the Church for saying anything about the situation.

Good! Beloved, the wages of sin is death. If we love our fellow believers, we will encourage them to get away from sin.

2 Once the net is emptied, the person has repented, they are to be repaired. The net is not repaired with non-net material. It is repaired with the same material that was broken. We repair the net by loving the person, and sharing the Word of God with them. We pray with them, and care for them. If we were offended, we forgive them. Jesus said:

Luke 17:3-4 (KJV) Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, REBUKE HIM; and IF HE REPENT, FORGIVE HIM. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Word Study: Restoration of the fallen brother or sister is done “IN THE SPIRIT OF MEEKNESS; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted”. We are to be very careful not to fall into self righteousness. Restoration is done “IN THE SPIRIT OF MEEKNESS”. The word “MEEKNESS” is the Greek πρ ότης praiótēs, {pronounced ᾳ prah-ot’-ace}, which means “gentleness, mildness, in a humble way”. Meekness or humility is one of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)But the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 MEEKNESS {praiótēs}, temperance: against such there is no law.

Meekness or humility does not add to nor take away from the Word of God, but submits to it. We are to be humble with the returning fallen, for Beloved, we ourselves may fall! The Scripture says in

Ephesians 4:1-3 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and MEEKNESS (PRAIÓTĒS), with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, MEEKNESS (PRAIÓTĒS), long suffering”.

We pray for one another. We share Scripture with one another. We need one another.

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another’s BURDENS (Báros), and so fulfill THE LAW OF CHRIST.

If a brother or sister in Christ fall, but repent and return, we are to receive them as the Father received the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-31). We are not to be like the fault finding elder brother, puffed up and angry.

Those who are spiritual are the ones who seek to fulfill “THE LAW OF CHRIST”.

The Law of Christ is God’s Law of Love. Romans 13:8, 10 tells us, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love [is] the fulfillment of the law.” We fulfill the Law of Christ when we encourage our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We point the fallen to Christ. We do not condemn them, but love them as wounded members of the body.

Galatians 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

We are all broken creatures, and could all be overtaken by sin. Let us rest in Christ, and love one another. We are all broken creatures who could be snared on any day.

Our strength is to be not in ourselves, but “In Christ”.

I was reading a book this morning called “Lessons From The Upper Room” by Sinclair B Ferguson. In that book Pastor Ferguson noted that the word “Christian” is only found three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). The believer in Jesus is called “in Christ” over two hundred times. When a brother or sister in Christ falls from Christ, we are to show them how to get back “in Christ” through repentance and obedience. We are not superior to them because we have not fallen. We have not fallen because we are “In Christ”. Beware of pride! 1 Corinthians 8:2 warns us that “if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth NOTHING yet as he ought to know”.

God Will Hold YOU Accountable – No One Can Live The Christian Life For Anyone Else

Galatians 6:4-5 But let every man PROVE HIS OWN WORK, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For EVERY MAN SHALL BEAR HIS OWN BURDEN.

I might not have fallen into trespasses, but one thing that can sneak up on us all is complacency and laziness. When God calls us to salvation, He does not just call us to HEAVEN, but to LIVING FOR HIM. He calls us to WORK. Though Adam was created perfect, God placed him in a perfect garden to “dress and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Salvation is entirely by Grace. Retention of salvation is entirely by Grace. But once saved, we are called to DO GOOD for GOD.

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand that WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.

The Christ follower is to “WALK in GOOD WORKS”. God expects His Children by faith in Christ to work for Him. We are to “let our light shine before others, so that the world may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Salvation is not just a moment in time, but it is a continuing event, a work in progress. Believers are to live our lives bringing glory to our God.

Our works are the proof of the genuineness of our faith.

Christians are to live for Jesus, to glorify Him. Jesus said “I am the Vine, and you are the Branches” (John 15:5). We are called together as Christ’s Church to do good and to glorify our Lord. Pastor Voddie Baucham preached before going to be with Jesus:

“Be careful about how you talk about Christ’s Bride (the Church). He is her Head. He loves her. He’s perfecting her. And He is One with her. We do not hold the Church in the kind of esteem that we ought to if we truly love the Lord Jesus Christ. There are those who say, no, no, no, I love Jesus, just not the Church. It’s like coming up to me and saying, I love you, I believe we just should be friends. But I just need you to keep your wife away from me because I don’t like her. I love you, and want to have a close, intimate relationship with you, but I hate the one that you have united yourself to in a one flesh covenant that we call marriage. Can that be okay? And the answer is absolutely not! Yet that’s exactly what we do with Christ and His bride, the Church.”

Voddie went on to say, “I have been asked why is it that these charlatans have churches with thousands and thousands of people. My answer is that those are not churches – they’re goat farms, filled with people with itching ears!”

Beloved, ever believer in Christ is saved to a Church, and within that Church every believer is saved to walk in good works. There is coming a judgment day for the lost, and what a terrible day that will be. But there is coming a judgment day for the believer. The Bible says:

Romans 2:6-11 (ESV) {God} will render to each one ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS: 7 to those who by patience in WELL-DOING seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who DOES EVIL, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who DOES GOOD, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality …

Works and salvation are tied together. You do not work to BE saved, but once saved by faith you do good BECAUSE YOU ARE SAVED. You do good within a Church Family. You do good within the Kingdom of God.

God said:

Romans 14:10-12 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

At the Judgment Seat of Christ, the SOUL of the Christian is not in question, but the VALUE OF THE WORKS that Christian did for God while on the earth. You and I will “bear our own burden”. We will not be allowed to blame others for what we did. We won’t be able to find ways to deflect our guilt, nor ways to manufacture innocence. God the Son, using God the Holy Spirit, will examine the deeds that we have done while in this body, whether good or bad. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (ESV) … each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation {of Jesus Christ} survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s WORK IS BURNED UP, HE WILL SUFFER LOSS, THOUGH HE HIMSELF WILL BE SAVED, but only as through fire.

We were left on this earth to be “laborers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9). The Apostle continues:

Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

The lost person may walk an aisle, be baptized, join a Church – then walk away, believing themselves to be saved when they think nothing of Christ and His Kingdom. Listen Beloved:

The proof of new birth, of the indwelling Spirit of Christ, is in your works. If you walked the aisle years ago but perpetually live sowing to the flesh, then, dear friend, YOU ARE NOT SAVED. If you are saved you love Jesus, you love His Word, you love His people, and you love the lost person. There is no such thing as a fruitless Christian!

So for you who are true believers, born again of the Spirit, indwelt by God, heed these words:

Galatians 6:9-10 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Do Good, for Jesus and for His glory. Amen!