Galatians 6:1-2
"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. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ," Galatians 6:1-2. We have a great responsibility towards each other. In our walk as Christians, we are in the sanctification process. We have been given the Scriptures, that instructs us in our walk, we have been given the Holy Spirit Who empowers us to live according to the Scriptures, and we have been given each other to hold each other accountable and to help each other remove sin in our lives. Yes, we help each other remove sin in our lives, and keep the sin gone. To clarify, we are not paying for each others sin debts, which means we are not removing sin as Jesus Christ does when He saves us. In and through Christ we are fully forgiven, forever. Positionally we are seated in the heavens. According to Romans 8 our glorification is a done deal secured by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. The bible also teaches us that though we are delivered from the penalty of sin, while we are alive on this earth in these earthen vessels, we must deal with the presence and the pleasure of sin. Dealing with sin means we are fighting against our fleshly desires for sin. At times we can be overtaken by these desires. When we are overtaken the weight of sin seems like it is crushing us. We have guilt. We can get tunnel vision and block out people, and the Scriptures that will help us deal with these things. We need brethren who are walking in the spirit to come along side of us and help us. We are a needy people. We need help removing sin, and refraining from that sin. This is another reason it is so important to be part of a local body of believers. We help each other.
False teaching always causes us to worship self. A popular false teaching of today is that we can live without sinning. We end up with people who really believe they have not sinned in five years, and they look down on others who have not attained what they think they have attained. Instead of bearing one another's burdens they kick others while they are down. This has a snowball effect. Out of embarrassment, people begin to pretend they do not have a problem with sin. They put on an act. This is called being a hypocrite. When people are acting like they do not have problems with sins, they are not being real, so they do not seek help in dealing with their sins. The end result is that they will fall again and again. When this happens, they usually separate themselves from the local church. They may still attend, but they isolate themselves. When people isolate themselves, they will not get help, and they cannot help others.
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ," Galatians 6:2. "Bear ye" in this verse is through the idea of removal; to lift, literal or figurative (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.): bear, carry, take up. This is in reference to sin. We are to bear ye one another's burdens. "Burdens" in this verse is through the notion of going down; weight; a load;- burdensome weight. We come along side each other and bear, or lift, this weight off of each other. We do this by being honest and accountable to each other. When the Lord saves us, there are some sins that are gone and we no longer have problems with them, but there are other sins that are a constant hinderance to us until the day we lay this ole body down. Then there are other sins that are new to us as we walk through life. We know Christ is our Mediator and that we can go to Him to find help in time of need, but these verses in Galatians are commanding us to help each other in this area. We have a responsibility to bear ye one another's burdens.
We usually have a desire to help others, but we do not want to seek help from others because that means we would have to confess the sin or sins that is weighing us down. The sin that is weighing you down, how often do you fall under it? Wouldn't you like some help? This is another reason we build relationships with people. We must be approachable in order to fulfill what Christ has commanded us to do (Galatians 6:1). We must also be trustworthy. This means we are not gossipers, etc. We should be sincere in holding each other accountable. We hold each other up in prayer, and we check on each other. When we find out what others are struggling with, we do not look down on them, instead we have compassion on them. We may not be struggling with what they are struggling with, but we are struggling with something. Hebrews 12:1 tells us about the sin which doth so easily beset us. "Doth so easily beset" defined is a competitor; one who thwarts in every direction. The idea is a racer who is weighed down no matter which way he tries to go. In order for the racer to be able to run like he should, the weight must be removed. It is not do you need help, but rather, we all need help. The question is, do you want help? Find a brother or sister you can confide in. Get up next to them and allow them to lift that weight from you.
When we do this, we are obeying the Scriptures. "Fulfil" in Galatians 6:2 speaks of a work or duty: to fulfill, to perform. "The law" is the perfect law, meaning the more perfect law for the Christian dispensation, in contrast with that of Moses. Of the laws and precepts established by the gospel, e.g. the law of Christ. Here are some Scriptures we can turn to; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 38-39, 43-44; I John 2:7-8; 3:11-24.
We must be careful that we are not influenced by this world into viewing others as being in competition with us. All of us are in this battle, and all of us need help. A competitor is one you try to conquer. You try to get the upper hand. We aren't in competition, but rather we should be full of compassion. None of us here have attained, but we are all striving toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. When we look around at others inside the church, we see others who need help, just like us. Let's help each other remove sin from our lives for the glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If you do not have any struggles with sin, then it is obvious that you are not truly saved. I beg you to look to Jesus Christ to save you from your sins. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out," John 6:37.
Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. Soli Deo Gloria.
