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Rightly Dividing
the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
Established
November 2008 Published Weekly on Friday
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
Galatians (6:1-5)
(Lesson
22)
Welcome one and all
to HBS.
This week we begin
working on the final chapter of our Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians and
we need to remember “context is king.” Every studious student of God’s Word should
be aware, if you’re want to understand what lies directly ahead, you have to
have a handle on where you’ve been. In
the first 12 verses of chapter 5, our Apostle Paul launched his final assault
on the Judaizers and their false gospel built around the rite of circumcision: Behold
I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision Christ will be of no benefit to you (5:2).
Just prior to this
he laid the groundwork of his argument by establishing the truth each Believer
in Christ Jesus is a child of freedom by
virtue of their identity as a child of the free
Jerusalem, whose children come into being by the promise (4:23-26): So then, brethren, we are not children of
the bondwoman (Hagar), but of the
free woman (Sari). It was for freedom that Christ set us free;
therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians
4:31).
In the first six
verses of chapter 5, Paul addressed the Galatians, the hearers of this message,
the ones he taught. Then in 5:7-12, he addresses the Judaizers
who preached their false message. In
both cases, the language is precise and not subtle. Freedom,
as Paul uses it here, refers to freedom
from the frustrating struggle to keep the law to gain God’s favor. It is the freedom of knowing with all certainty you are accepted by God,
because of what Christ has already done – it is
finished, indeed!
And yet, Paul had
to command them to keep standing firm
and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery (5:1). Paul isn’t telling the Galatians to keep standing firm in their holiness or
in their righteousness. He commands them to stand firm in their freedom or liberty;
this is what they are to robustly defend.
The yoke of the Law
is the yoke of slavery, because it
places those trying to keep it back under the burden of 613 commandments, which
they cannot possibly keep and thus under its curse, which they merit for we all are helpless, lawbreakers.
The particular yoke
of bondage the Gentiles were being
influenced to accept was the religious rite of circumcision. The Judaizers told
the Galatians they had to be circumcised
to be fully accepted by God, since they believed God only accepted those who
had this sign of the covenant. Paul was
stunned when he heard they were leaving his gospel for another gospel; having escaped the ritualism of paganism, they were
about to accept Jewish ritualism, which prompted him to write: You were running well; who hindered you
from obeying the truth (Galatians 5:7).
The Galatians had obviously changed
course; since they had abandoned God’s gospel of grace and Paul’s
leadership they were no longer running well. Paul preached the gospel and taught
the Galatians Christ’s substitionary sacrifice on their behalf was designed to
set them free from the Law.
He has indicated it is possible to yield that freedom because
we’re witnessing people in Galatia opting to become enslaved once again
to the Law or to bondage.
But Paul has also pointed out the approach one decides to take to God in
light of Christ’s sacrifice matters greatly.
This would mean to “run well” involves remaining solidly fixed
upon the correct approach they take to God, which is grace and not works.
A little leaven
leavens the whole lump of dough (Galatians
5:9). Leaven
is
used here to symbolize the false doctrine of the Judaizers. In our text Paul is issuing a warning to the
Galatians. If they allow the Judaizers,
the folks who have hindered their walk with
their Savior, to keep teaching their grace-plus-works gospel, that false gospel
would eventually spread to other congregations. Make no mistake, Paul’s
point is clear: legalism is no small thing. It
denies one’s liberty and puts them
into bondage and under the law’s curse. It nullifies the Lord Jesus Christ and His
work of the Cross, and it violates the work of the Holy Spirit. It puts people under obligation to the entire
law, and it keeps them from running the
race that has been set before us.
For you were called
to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for
the flesh, but through love serve one another (Galatians 5:13).
"Opportunity for the flesh" - is
the same as saying "Don't return to legalism." Paul is saying the same thing in verse 13
that he said in verse 5:1 that you have
been set free, therefore, don't use that freedom to once again subject yourself
to the yoke of slavery, to legalism. After all, what is legalism? A Legalist believes in my own strength, in my own power, in my
flesh - I can make myself
righteous and I can earn some favor before God.
We have been talking
about the flesh versus the Spirit - legalism versus grace.
Defining the flesh, as God defines
it in the book of Galatians, is that which I can do on my own, in my own
strength or my own power. "Flesh" isn't just the sins of the flesh that we typically think of. It is legalism
too. It is trusting in religious ceremonies
and rituals; it is whatever I think I can do in my own strength and in my own
power to make myself righteous. That is the flesh - that is legalism.
In contrast, when the
Believer is walking in the Spirit they
understand fully they cannot make themselves righteous. They can't make themselves like Jesus Christ. Therefore, they depend on the power of the Holy
Spirit to do the work they cannot do themselves. They also fully understand they don’t deserve
what the Holy Spirit is doing for them. There
salvation was not on the basis of merit or because they did enough good works
to gain God’s attention. It is purely on
the basis of God’s grace that they
experienced salvation and the life of the Spirit in them.
But if you bite and
devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another (Galatians 5:15).
This is a significant
verse for us as we move forward into chapter 6.
You see, the Galatians were already at
each other, because the legalists have come in and convinced them they have
to compare themselves with one another and compete with each other. This is how it was in Galatia, and for many
churches it isn’t any different today.
The legalist mindset is alive and well because people are either
ignorant of what this book teaches or they ignore Paul’s teachings
outright. But legalism feeds people’s
pride and where you find pride you will always find its cousin, strife.
But I say, walk by
the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
If we live by the
Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying
one another (Galatians 5:25-26).
In Galatians 5:16
Paul urged Believers to "walk by
the Spirit," but in 5:25, although he seems to be issuing the same
command, he is not repeating himself. There
is an important difference in these two Koine Greek words that are translated: "to
walk," in these two verses. In
5:16 he used the common word for putting one foot before the other in the
ordinary process of walking. The word used in verse 25, however, means: "to
get in line with," or "to
follow after." Here Paul views Believers
not as a group of individuals, each of whom is seeking to walk in the Spirit. Instead,
he compares them to an army (a unit) marching in line, in harmony.
Thus, from this we learn
we are not only responsible to care for ourselves, but also for each other;
and we will make progress only as we march together in harmony; as God’s one
Church. A group of people cannot
march properly and successfully as a group if someone in front is stumbling or someone behind is lagging, or if someone fails to get in line. We cannot make progress unless we are walking together in the Spirit. So, Paul is saying we are responsible for one
another.
One of the practical ways
we can determine whether we are walking
by the Spirit or walking according to the
flesh is in our relationships. Paul
said in verse 5:26 if you are not walking by the Spirit, then you become boastful, which is a term that means: "to
have an over-inflated view of yourself."
Building on that
thought, the one word that best describes a legalist is arrogant. Legalism is a very
selfish way to live. It is selfish,
because, by definition it means: my eyes and my interests are turned inward. I am constantly assessing how I am doing. The legalist is continuously
re-evaluating: how do I measure up, how do I compare with everyone else? Since they have an arrogant heart, they also have
a challenging heart. They feel spiritually superior to those around them, even if they’re not, (and
they’re probably not) and they’re willing to go out of their way to prove it. The spirit of competition is present within them
and waiting for an opportunity to exploit the failures of others for their own
personal gain. If they lose a
competition, then an envious heart
is cultivated widening the gap in the church community even further.
The paragraph above describes
the situation in Galatia and I pray you can see there wasn’t a lot of harmony in the church. There was little unity in that congregation, which meant there was little, if any, fellowship in that community of
Believers, because they were boastful, challenging,
and envious of each other. That’s a recipe for failure, because people by
nature will bite and devour and consume one another. In Galatians 5:15 Paul said that is exactly
what was happening in Galatia.
In their desire to
maintain at least the appearance of severity toward sin, the legalists of Paul's day had become
calloused and even cruel toward those who had stumbled in their walk. It is this problem that is addressed in Galatians
6:1-5. Legalism has no interest in reducing the burdens humanity must bear. Instead,
it produces burdens for them to bear
and then refuses to assist those on whom they are imposed. However Jesus contrasted Himself with the
scribes and Pharisees with respect to burdens:
"And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they
themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger (Matthew 23:4). "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you
rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn
from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR
SOULS. For My yoke is easy, and My load
is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
Peter rightly
criticized the Judaizers when he said: "Now
therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the
disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to
bear? (Acts 15:10)
Thus it’s appropriate
for Paul to address the subject of burden-bearing
with respect to the "Galatian
problem" and in view of the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. As I
pointed out at the beginning of this lesson, understanding the context of
chapter 5 is essential, if were to properly understand the written material in
Chapter 6. The contention and strife
which characterized these churches was further evidence that legalism, rather than liberty, was the norm (5:1, 13). It’s obvious the strife among the saints in Galatia was a product of the "works of the flesh," rather than
the "fruit of the Spirit."
********
Please
open your Bible at Galatians chapter 6:1.
Galatians 6
1:
Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you
who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one
looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
In
verses 6:1-5 Paul provides the Galatians with a practical example of how the
"walk in the Spirit" is
supposed to work in the Body of Christ.
Paul
begins this section of the letter with a conditional clause and a hypothetical
situation in the church. He doesn’t have
a specific event in mind, but he used the word “brethren” which confirms
the fact he wants the saints in Galatia to deal with his theoretical
problem.
The
word “you” is not meant to be singular but plural, which emphasizes the
obligation of the church as a body of Believers to respond to the sin of a
saint in their midst. It is inferred in
this verse that the sinner “(the one caught in any trespass) is a saint, so we are dealing with the church’s obligation
to respond to the sin of a Believer.
The
word trespass is a unique word. It is different from the word transgression,
which Paul has used elsewhere in this letter.
It is the Koine Greek word Paraptoma
(par-ap’-to’mah), Noun, Neuter, Strong’s Greek #3900, meaning: a
falling away; lapse a slip, to stumble. In
other words, hypothetically speaking, one of the Believers is not willfully
sinning against God, but that individual has stumbled; has had a momentary lapse
of reason.
That
thought leads us to the word caught. Paul uses it here to suggest this hypothetical
Believer was caught off guard. Paul is describing a person who usually
demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit,
but has suddenly been overcome by the
flesh. The word caught was used back then for a bird or animal caught in a trap, which is why Paul chose the word. It describes a Believer who has suddenly been
overcome by some temptation; his or her lusts, or passions, got the best of
them. In other words, Paul is not
dealing with a calculated, premeditated, and habitual sin, but with a person
who has suddenly surrendered to or has been caught in one of Satan’s schemes and this has taken everyone in the
church by surprise (2 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 4:15-16; 2 Thessalonians 3:5).
All
Believers experience times when they walk
in the flesh and not in the
Spirit. When this happens, we can
expect those who are walking in the
Spirit to respond biblically by confronting our stumbling, i.e. our sin (Matthew 18:15; Romans 2:4; 1 Corinthians
5:12; Galatians 2:11-13; 1Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 4:2).
I’m
sure you noticed it’s difficult to remain spiritual
24/7. You and the family dress up, grab
your Bibles, and head on out the door to attend church on Sunday morning and
the experience is uplifting. But before
you sit down to Sunday dinner that same day you’ve already had at least one
argument with your spouse or the children.
Tempers flare and words were exchanged that were probably wish you never
said. Our “mountain-top” experience or
being spiritual is fleeting; we can
go from one to the other very quickly. Never
underestimate how strong the flesh
is. Yet, Paul tells us in this verse who’s
responsible or should respond to the
brother or sister who has sinned: “you who are spiritual.” Who would that be since we can’t maintain our
spirituality? Let’s all turn in our Bibles to 1 Corinthians
2:15-16 for the answer:
But he who is spiritual
appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT
HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the
mind of Christ.
According
to this passage, being spiritual is
the same as having the mind of Christ, which
is the same thing as walking by the
Spirit. So, the legalist is unable to help this brother or sister who was overcome
by sudden temptation, and is no longer in
step or in harmony with their
congregation because the legalist is wrongly
motivated. They see it as an opportunity
to “get ahead,” to assert spiritual superiority. It is an opportunity for the legalist to judge and condemn, which
places them a bit higher in the pecking
order.
But
Paul defines this by saying the spiritual
one is the person who is walking by
the Spirit. The spiritual one has the mind
of Christ. This is someone who has
yielded control and is under the control of the Holy Spirit. If a Believer is drifting off into sin, the only people who can help are “those who
understand God’s grace;” i.e. those
who have the mind of Christ, who are
walking by the Spirit.
Paul
has identified who the spiritual people
are for the Galatians and for us, but it would be nice if a set of instructions
came with that? So, from a hypothetical
aspect, we know there’s a Believer in our midst, overcome by temptation and has
sinned, but now what? Should we draws straws
and the short straw fixes this problem? That
would be no. Paul clearly said, “you who are spiritual, restore such a one
in a spirit of gentleness.”
The
Greek word rendered "restore"
is Katartizo;
meaning: to mend torn fishing nets (Matt. 4:21). In ancient Greece this word was for the
setting of broken bones. In Ephesians
4:12 the same term is used for the "equipping"
of the saints. In 1 Corinthians 1:10
Paul used this same Greek word to describe divisions within the Corinthian
church. Clearly, the term conveys the
positive implication of healing and restoration. This word is used for knitting something
together or restoring it to its
original condition, and that's exactly what Paul is calling these Believers to
do. The spiritual Believers are urged to restore their fellow Believer who has been over-powered by sin back into harmony. It’s a unified effort of restoration and this is a process.
It does not happen overnight.
Paul
said the restoration process is to
be done in a spirit of gentleness. This is the same Greek word used in 5:22 of the fruit of the Spirit. You say, “That’s
all well and good but you still don’t know where to begin.” If you still have doubts. If the task of restoring a Believer appears too daunting, and there’ no reason why
it should; you can always start with these words of Jesus Christ who simplified
the process: ‘YOU
SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF’ (Mark 12:31).
Just
about everyone has heard of the Golden Rule, “Treat others the way you would
want to be treated.” Start with this for
everyone knows how to love in some form or fashion. Who hasn’t taken care of a kitten or a
puppy? Who hasn’t attended to the needs
of an ill child or an aging parent? Who
hasn’t volunteered to serve where
there was a need? Restoration is nothing more than caring, showing up, to demonstrate
compassion and to love on someone
with needs.
Lastly,
Paul said “each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be
tempted." What does this mean? I’m glad you asked. The word tempted
here is the same word found in Matthew chapter 4 used of the “evil one” tempting Jesus in the wilderness. In this context, it means, “to tempt with a view toward destruction.” Paul wants the Galatians to know Satan will
test and tempt all Believers in
order to bring about their destruction. Therefore they must be on guard at all times
(1 Corinthians 10:12 2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:11).
I
find it remarkable Believers will lock their cars and homes to protect
themselves and their families from evil, but then they willingly permit evil a foothold into their lives via their
television sets, personal computers, laptops, smart phones, I pads, and various
other streaming devices. Do you not
know: “The eye
is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be
full of light… (Matthew 6:22-24).
The
Lord Jesus Christ is saying all people should keep their eyes on God, or things
of God, because the eyes are the windows
to the soul. Therefore we should not put any unwholesome thing before our
eyes. If Jesus would not sit next to you
on the sofa and view it with you, then change the channel or better yet, turn
it off. God cares about your music
selection too, by the way. You see, the
eye regulates the motion of the body; an individual who is not focused on the
things of God is unsteady. In short they
are not spiritual. In order for a person’s conduct to be
“right,” it is important for them to fix their eyes on spiritual things (Colossians
3:2). Having their affections, their
concerns in perspective, and unwavering; their conduct will line up with God’s Word. Jesus said, “You cannot serve two masters. So the question is, “Who are you
serving?” “Who or what is the Main Thing
in your life?”
Verse
2:
Galatians 6
2: Bear one
another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.
Maintaining
the word-picture of walking, Paul
says that when you are going along the road and see someone who has fallen
under a crushing burden too heavy
for him, you should get under the load and help him bear it.
When
we walk by the Spirit, we bear one another's burdens. The law of Christ
is the law of love. I put it this way: “Seek
the other person’s highest good.”
God put it this way: Love your neighbor as yourself. Paul has already explained this in chapter 5. One
of the ways we help a person is by helping them bear their burden or their load.
The
problem is the legalist doesn't help
carry the load; the legalist piles
more on top of their load. That’s
exactly what Jesus said referring to the Pharisees. The legalists
don't make the load lighter; they make the load heavier, because they come with
criticism and confrontation.
The
"burden" we must bear is one that the stumbling saint cannot bear alone. Just what is meant by the term "burden"? The burden
here is something the sinner is not able to bear
on their own, whether it is the guilt of their sin, its controlling power, or
the consequences of that act. The burden could be depression, poverty,
sickness, or deep remorse.
The
bottom line is simply this: we are our
brother's keeper. The legalist will deal with sin as the Law
of Moses directs - by condemning the sinner; they pick up a stone… However, those who have experienced the grace of God, which delivers men from
sin, will manifest grace in response
to the sin of others. Only those who understand
God’s grace can impart it.
One
way in which we can help bear a
brother's load is to help provide accountability for them. Let's say you tell a struggling believer who’s
dealing with a drinking problem, "If
you feel you are going to cave or give in to this temptation, here’s my
telephone number. Call me anytime; allow
me to help you carry the load." You can bear
somebody's burden by offering to come alongside in their time of need and
holding them accountable.
Another
way we can bear a person’s load is
through a faithful prayer life. We can
also bear the burdens of others through encouragement. Those facing temptation need lots of
encouragement. Paul was an
encourager. You might try following his
example: Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians
4:18).
We,
who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, are called to come alongside those who have stumbled in their walk,
pray for them, walk with them (it is
a process), and help bear their burden. The sad thing is in many churches the burdens of those who are hurting are
ignored or overlooked altogether because the people attending church today are shallow,
meaning, they don't want to get involved in other people’s business. “You do
you, and I’ll do me” is the mindset of most folks today. You’ll find this is especially true in many of
the larger churches where cliques are formed up, and newbie’s are generally not
welcomed. The sense of community or
unity has gone missing or it never existed.
People attend church services but they are just one family unit among
thousands in attendance. These folks
will make contact with a dozen or so individuals while they are there, but they
are not there to establish new relationships.
Sad to say, churches and the activities that take place in the church
aren’t much different as you’ll find in the Civic Center, or the local sports
arena. People have come to see the
church as a place to be entertained.
They arrive, sit down in their familiar seats, week after week, and
watch the players do their thing. They
each have their favorite portion of the program, and some will take advantage
of the sermon to nod off. But here’s the
thing, people aren’t being taught church doctrines today so they really don’t
know how to deal with this problem. And
yet, The Creator God has spoken; we are commanded to bear one another’s burdens.
It is the law of Christ.
Do
nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each
of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look
out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4).
The
word "look" is Skopeo;
it means: "to fix the attention upon with desire for, and interest in." We are to be looking out for the interests of others. How can we fulfill this command to bear one another's burdens if we don't
look out for the interests of others? We
can begin here: if we esteem others as better than ourselves, we will look out
for their interests; we'll be concerned with their needs. Please turn to Philippians 2:20-21:
Here
Paul was concerned for Timothy’s welfare so he wrote: For I have no one else of kindred spirit
who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests,
not those of Christ Jesus (Philippians
2:20-21).
Notice
that he doesn't say others care for themselves and not you, but others care for
themselves and not for Christ. To be concerned for other Believers is to be
concerned for Christ, to love Christ is to love His people,
and be willing to bear their burdens.
In
the next verse Paul mentions a danger we should all consider. When you see your brother or your sister suffering or stumbling, don't excuse yourself, get involved. Love
is a verb, remember?
Verse
3:
Galatians 6
3: For if anyone
thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
First
things first; our Apostle Paul is not
saying we are nothing. Paul is saying apart from the grace of God,
in us, we amount to zero, morally, and that’s due to our sinful nature. "There
dwells in me, (in my flesh), no good
thing," (Romans 7:18); “Apart from me, you can
do nothing," (John 15:5); "Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who
gives the growth" (1 Corinthians 3:7).
Permit
me to ask this question. Do you honestly
believe God would send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die a horrible death for nothing? Every person born into this world is made in
the image of God and has an eternal
soul. People will argue with me but from
a biblical standpoint our time on this earth is for one purpose only and that
is to come to a decision about Christ Jesus.
After this life you will spend eternity
in one of two places, heaven or the Lake of Fire. A person is either saved or not saved at the
end of their life. I can cite numerous
Bible verses that clearly say true Believers are “the temple of the living God” and “we are God’s children” and also “God’s heirs,” which by adoption
makes us brothers and sisters of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now do you call
that nothing? I don’t think so.
So,
Paul is speaking of the self-evaluation of pride that each legalist has in their own righteousness, based on their plan of
obedience to the Law or works-based
faith. Self-righteousness causes a
person to think he or she is something
special when in fact they are not (1 Corinthians 3:18, 4:7). Grace
removes all grounds for boasting (2
Corinthians 10:12; Ephesians 2:8-9).
The
solution to the problem of Believers measuring themselves by the performance of
others is given in verse 4. Paul
commands Believers, who seek to elevate themselves at the expense of others, to
focus on their own responsibility and accountability before God.
Verses
4-5:
Galatians 6
But each one must
examine his own work, and then he will have reason
for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to one
another. For each one will bear his own
load.
Paul
says the competition and the confrontation has to stop; the Body of Christ is
not about comparing yourself with one another to get ahead of each other. Just examine your own heart because ultimately
that is what you are responsible for. When
you stand before the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat Judgment, He won’t be
comparing you with other people in the church.
He’s going to be examining your account.
It will be all about you. You are
responsible for your own heart.
Paul
tells these Believers to stop comparing with everybody else and just look inward.
In verse 5 he said: each
one will bear his own load. There is
no contradiction in the statements made in verse 2 and verse 5, because he uses
two different Koine Greek words. In
verse 2 it’s the word Baros, which means:
a burden, a load so heavy you can’t
carry it alone. But in verse 5 it’s
a different Koine Greek word; it’s the word Phortion,
which means: a soldier’s backpack. This
is something you have to carry yourself.
By this Paul means to say you are responsible for your own heart and
that is a load you have to carry yourself.
Paul
is talking about the practical fleshing out (the doing) of what it really means
to walk by the Spirit. It has to do with how I help those who are stumbling into sin. It’s about my willingness and ability to bear one another's burdens.
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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