Today’s Reading: Galatians 6:1-10

Paul ends his letter to the church at Galatia by once again encouraging us to pursue holy living instead of giving into our sinful nature. This last chapter is full of great advice from Paul. Let’s spend the next 2 days diving into each piece and asking ourselves some hard questions.

WHAT IF GOD WANTS TO GREATLY AFFECT THE LIFE OF SOMEONE ELSE TODAY THROUGH YOUR LIFE?

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. – Galatians 6:1-3

Humbly and gently – let’s not miss these very important adjectives. The heart of Paul’s message is that we should not be so concerned about ourselves that we do not care about our fallen brother or sister enough to lovingly help them back onto the right path. We know that God’s plan for them is to live to please the Spirit and not their own sinful nature, and living in the center of God’s plan will bring them more joy than the world ever could. Perhaps our loving and kind words can help them see that they are missing God’s perfect plan for their life.

But first, Paul warns that we are to be sure we ourselves are on the right path, living to please the Spirit and not ourselves. Jesus taught us the same thing. We cannot point out the speck of dust in someone else’s eye if we have a plank protruding from our own, right?

WHAT IF GOD IS CALLING US TO DO SOME COURSE CORRECTION OF OUR OWN?

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” – Matthew 7:1-5

Jesus clearly commanded us to not judge others. In Galatians, Paul is not giving us the right to be judgmental, but neither is he encouraging us to mind our own business. Our intent in having an honest conversation with someone needs to come from a place of humility and concern, using the fruit of the Spirit (kindness and gentleness) to help someone find their way back into a relationship with Christ. But first, we need to ask the Spirit to reveal any needed changes in our own life.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. – Galatians 6:4-5

We are saved by grace, it is a gift from God that we have not earned. No amount of performance or good deeds can earn my eternal reward. But I must cooperate with this gift of grace through obedience and submission. I must live to please the Spirit who is daily guiding my attitudes and actions. I cannot live as if God owes me regardless of the way I live my life.

Don’t be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith. – Galatians 6:7-10

Paul reminded the Galatians that God is not only loving and the source of this incredible grace, He is also a just God. If we as Christians continue to satisfy our sinful nature instead of responding to the Spirit God has given us, we will harvest what we sow – death and decay. God cannot be mocked by someone who says, “I prayed the prayer, my eternity is secure so I have the freedom to do what feels good to me right now instead of what I know God wants me to do.” That is not the servant’s heart God wants us to respond with. He wants us to listen to the urging of His Spirit living within us and harvest a blessing instead of a curse. He wants us to live for others because we live for Him, not to live for ourselves or to please our own sinful nature.

Lord, we ask you to continue to do a work of transformation in our hearts and lives. May we daily respond to the urgings of the Holy Spirit, and may we glorify you in all that we say and do. God, reveal to us any areas of our life that need to change, and use us to encourage others towards the Spirit-filled life you are calling all of us to, humbly and gently helping them get back onto the right path. Amen.