Bear One Another’s Burdens

Galatians 6 — Bear One Another’s Burdens

In Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul gave instructions on how to live in Christian liberty as a result of being justified by faith and not by the Law. So, he told them that the Christian life is a life apart from the Law, and apart from license to sin. It is a life of walking according to the Spirit of God that indwells the believer. It is a life of service through love. However, this Christian service is not meritorious to earn salvation; rather, it is the outworking of faith through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Galatians 6, the Apostle Paul gives specific instructions on how that life of service ought to be lived out. While he will, later on, tell them to "do good to all" (Galatians 6:10), he first begins by giving instructions on how to deal with the believer who is overtaken by sin.

Those Who Are Spiritual
He says that those "who are spiritual" ought to "restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness" (Galatians 6:1). By "spiritual", the Apostle Paul is not creating a Christian cast system of higher cast of believers who are more spiritual than those carnal believers of lower cast. Rather, he is saying that those who are not in sin at that time should restore that believer. All believers can sin and "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8).

Overtaken by Sin
The term that the Apostle Paul uses for a believer who sins here is "overtaken." This interesting term implies that the believer was running from sin but that sin was faster and it caught up to him and overtook him. This further implies that this believer is not deliberately and defiantly pursuing sin and the work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19). The person who is brazen about his sin must be disciplined according to Matthew 18:15-17.

Restore in a Spirit of Gentleness
However, for the believer who is overtaken by sin, the Apostle Paul says to restore him "in a spirit of gentleness." Any time we look down on another believer for their sin, we are saying that we would never commit such a sin because of our own effort. We undermine the work of grace in our lives and we become prideful. That shows that we don't truly believe that we are justified by faith. We are reverting to legalism. The warning to us from the Apostle Paul is to be careful lest we ourselves are also tempted. In 1 Corinthians 10:12, he warned, "let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls." So, we restore a fallen brother in gentleness because we know that we are all prone to sin and that none of us is above any sin apart from the grace of God.

The Law of Christ
So, unlike the message of the Judaizers which unlovingly demanded perfection in fulfilling the Law, believers ought to "bear one another's burden" and "fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). What is the law of Christ? It is the law of love. The Lord Jesus gave us a new commandment that we love one another; as He has loved us (John 13:34, 15:12). That is the mark of the disciples of Christ. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). We need to give each other grace just like the Lord Jesus showed us grace.

Are you fulfilling the law of Christ?
Are you showing grace to others?