Church Is Not About You!
A series on the “one another’s”
Part 10 – Bear one another’s burdens
Galatians 6:1-2
-Just about a year ago to the day something very special happened. I got the privilege of preaching my first sermon at Faith Christian Church! I am actually amazed by the number of people that remember that sermon. I only know that you remember it because some have talked to me about it recently. I understand that some of you don’t remember it. There is still time to confess your sins and go to heaven!
-Anyway, that sermon was about a similar topic to what we’re going to be talking about today. In that sermon a year ago I mentioned a situation that I was going through with some long time family friends. These friends need to be confronted on a sin and I did just that. At that time I was using 1 Corinthians 5 to teach you the concept of confronting sin.
-You see in 1 Corinthians 5 Paul is telling the Corinthian church that they are to be concerned about the sin of those in the church not the sin of those outside the church. He’s addressing the specific issue of a man who is sleeping with his father’s wife (most likely stepmother). The problem, besides the obvious, is that the other members of the church were proud of this man’s accomplishments. So, Paul’s focus when writing to them was the fact that this man needed to be removed from their fellowship because of his sin. His most famous statement in that passage is one that we’re probably all familiar with, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” That’s the need to get rid of this sinning brother; his sin is corrupting the whole body of Christ.
-We are dealing with a similar issue here. Paul takes it in a different direction, however. Let’s read our text.
Galatians 6:1-10 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (2) Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (3) For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (4) But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. (5) For each will have to bear his own load. (6) One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. (7) Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. (8) For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (9) And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (10) So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
-Does Paul say here that “if anyone is caught in a transgression, you who are spiritual should remove him from the church?” No, he doesn’t say that, does he? He says that we are to restore such a person. Is this contradictory, then, to what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians? At first glance, maybe it seems to be that way, but a deeper study reveals that Paul is dealing with two different issues here.
-In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul is addressing the issue of sexual immorality, “and of the kind that is not tolerated even among the pagans.”
-Here, in Galatians 6, Paul is addressing an issue that is a little less “carnal,” if you will.
-The whole thrust of the book of Galatians is addressing the issues of Judaizers. Judaizers were Christian Jews who were trying to make Gentile Christians adhere to some Jewish traditions such as circumcision.
-These Judaizers would say that if you weren’t circumcised you weren’t actually saved.
-That’s just one example of the things that the Judaizers added to the gospel.
-We can be guilty of this same sin. Some modern churches add baptism to the gospel. Some add speaking in tongues.
-Adding anything to the Gospel empties the cross if its power! It’s saying that Christ’s death wasn’t enough, so we have to add some sort of outward act to it.
-There are fewer things that frustrate me more than that! It’s a perversion of the work of Christ, and I hate it. And you should, too.
-But, as much as I hate the gospel being perverted like that, the people who are dragged away by that teaching deserve our gentleness and restoration.
-I think I could make a case that the people who drug them away with the false teaching deserve harsher punishment, though. 2 Timothy deals with how to handle false teachers.
-So here, Paul is saying that this particular trespass needs to be handled with gentleness.
-Now some of you are probably sitting there saying, “Wait, you’re saying that Paul is talking specifically to a person caught in the sin of Judaizing but this verse says, ‘If anyone is caught in any transgression.’ What’s the deal?”
-To you I say, “Well done! You are right!”
-The issue is that every sin needs to be dealt with in a spirit of gentleness with the hopes of restoration. Even the “evil brother,” as Paul calls him in 1 Corinthians 5 is to be restored back to the fellowship according to 2 Corinthians 2.
-The next command that Paul gives is really helpful and necessary.
Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
-We must be careful as we minister to other people who are caught in sin because we are weak and vulnerable human beings. Paul’s concern is that we will become compadres rather than confronters; renegades rather restorers.
-This is the main reason that he is calling the spiritual ones to be the restorers.
-Now we are finally getting to the part of the text that has our one another statement in it.
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
-This command is generally looked upon as a command to help people in their time of need. For instance, some of the people from the church went and helped Marijo move a week or so ago. Some could say that the church was helping her bear a burden. When Nicki had cancer and the community and the church rallied around some would say that they were helping the family bear a burden.
-Those things are good and right and commanded, but I just don’t believe that this is the verse that commands it.
-In the case of Marijo, the command that was followed was the command to serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
-In the case of Nicki the command that was followed as the command to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). Also, the command to serve one another as everyone rallied to help out.
-Contextually, however, we see that the command to bear one another’s burdens is referring to the transgression that they are caught in.
-Being caught in a sin is a very weighty thing. It can be very cumbersome and miserable experience. That’s what Paul is talking about when he says anyone who is “caught” in a sin.
-The idea behind caught is not that they were caught in the act, but that they are ensnared in sin. The Greek word carries the idea of a fish that has bitten down on a hook.
-When a godly person is ensnared in sin it is a desperate situation. It is against the Spirit that lives in a godly person to gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Galatians 5:17).
-Keeping with the analogy of the fish that has bitten down on a hook, think of the process that restores that fish to its right relationship with the water. The hook has to be ripped out of its mouth. With a fish, this is sometimes done gently, or as gently as one can remove a hook from the mouth of a fish.
-Here are some of my experiences removing hooks from the mouths of fishes. There are a couple of different ways that fish will bite a hook.
-Sometimes, if the fish is lucky, the hook will just go through its lip. This is a fairly easy hook to remove as you can generally back the hook out the way it came in. Then I take the fish and toss him back in the water.
-Then there is the bite that is a bit deeper and the hook gets embedded in the roof of the fish’s mouth. That one is a little harder to remove and I am sure is more painful for the fish. Often with that sort of hook I will take a pair of needle-nosed pliers and grab that hook and then shake it until the hook is released, usually with some portion of the fish’s flesh with it. Because the fish falls on the ground he will either flop his way back in the water or I’ll help him along with a little nudge from my foot.
-The final way that is common for a fish to bite a hook is for it to be swallowed. Generally for this sort of hook you will not be able to spare the fish’s life. But, there are few things that I dislike more than tying a hook to the end of my fishing line, so I’m willing to sacrifice the life of a silly fish for my hook! With this sort of hook the best thing that I found is to lay the fish on the ground, step on its tail or other part of its body to keep it from flopping around and sliding away and then grab hold of the fish line and pull really hard. The hook will stay embedded in the flesh and usually when it exits the body it has lots of entrails and other such goodies with it! That fish I usually left laying on the shore or my friends and I would play fishy baseball…
-Often times there will be different levels or ways that a person is ensnared in sin. The amount of pain that this person will feel during the restoration process is directly dependent upon the severity of sin and/or the length of time that they have been involved in it.
-When a godly person who is trapped in sin is confronted that person will often times lash out and act in ways that are very contrary to that person’s normal demeanor.
-This is why in verse 1 Paul tells us to approach the restoration with gentleness.
-Lashing out and acting unbecomingly is not always the result when a godly person is confronted, some will respond humbly and repent.
-Either way, however, we are to restore them gently.
-The call to bear one another’s burdens is the call to help this brother or sister find ways to overcome the sin that they are ensnared in.
-I have a friend who is a pastor and he exemplified this command perfectly.
-He was counseling a couple in the church who was experiencing difficulty in their marriage. The husband had been having a homosexual affair for a long time.
My friend discerned that by stopping this affair there was going to be a gap in this man’s life; one that he was used to filling with a very unhealthy relationship. The pastor decided that he needed to step in and fill that gap. So he started spending a lot of time with this man to show him what a healthy male to male relationship looks like.
-That is bearing one another’s burdens. That is what Paul is calling us to. Stepping in and filling the void or providing alternatives to the sinful behavior that one is used to doing with righteous behaviors and/or relationships.
-The next question the text presents is how do we fulfill the law of Christ by bearing one another’s burdens and what is the law of Christ?
-The law of Christ is almost certainly referring to John 13:34-35.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (35) By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
-So, Paul then is saying that we are fulfilling the commandment to love one another by bearing one another’s burdens. This is one of the most loving things you can do—provide an escape from the entrapment of sin!
-That’s what the passage in John is referring to when Jesus says, “just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
-How did Jesus love us? By giving himself up for us and by providing an escape from the entrapment of sin!
-Therefore, we fulfill the law of Christ by bearing one another’s burdens.
-In conclusion, then we must evaluate our actions to see if we are truly bearing one another’s burdens. Do you have people in your life that you are coming along side and empowering them to escape the snares of sin? Are you not only demanding that they stop doing whatever it is that they are doing but also trying to be discerning on filling the gap that is going to be left?
Also, there is an interesting underlying responsibility here. It is not stated in the text that we have been looking at but it is definitely implied. There is a responsibility on the person who is in sin to be forthright with a spiritual person. James gives us the command to confess our sins to one another.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
In this day and age a lot of sins are private and can be hidden for a long time. Affairs, internet porn, lying, cheating, stealing, or whatever the vice is, can all be covered up fairly easily. That’s why we see so many pastors that have had affairs for years before they are caught. Or politicians that are abusing drugs and/or alcohol for extended periods of time. But the Bible tells us that our sins will surely be found out (Numbers 32:23). And when they come to the surface a lot of times the ramifications are very painful. However, it is my experience that when a person is forthright and honest about the sin they are ensnared in the ramifications are less painful.
It’s not that there isn’t any ramifications, just that they are less painful. Your family and friends will respect you a lot more if you’re open and honest about it than if you continue to hide it and it’s brought to light by some other means.
So let someone bear your burdens by sharing what those burdens are. There are spiritual people in your life who are ready, willing and able to provide that gap-bridging help. Seek it out!
