Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are Spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear you one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the Law of Christ.
The great Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, and in the Sixth Chapter, he tells how to respond to a fellow believer who has been overtaken by sin. It's very important to understand this is in relation to how we are to treat FELLOW BELIEVERS.
Much of the Church today casts people out of their fellowship if they sin, but the Word of God says we are to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear you one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the Law of Christ.
As Christians, we are to conduct our lives as Jesus did when He walked this earth. He is our example for living, and the Word of God instructs us in how to live a life pleasing to God, which should be the goal of every believer.
Jesus put all Ten Commandments into two when He said, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul and treat your neighbor as yourself.
No one wants to be judged and condemned by fellow believers. If we were in their shoes, we would not want them to condemn us. It doesn’t matter what they have done or if we believe they “deserve it." The Word of God clearly states how we are to respond to a fellow Christian who has fallen into sin.
Our goal should be to see this person restored. Condemnation does not bring restoration. Nor does acceptance of the sin bring restoration, and that’s where we find the quandary. How do we not accept the sin without judging and condemning the person?
The Word of God says we do this by fulfilling the Law of Christ. What is the Law of Christ? The Law of Christ is Love. At all times and in all circumstances, Christ operated in Love for the people. No matter how many demons they had or what sin they had committed, He loved them. He did not fail to confront them with their sin, but He did it in love.
We discipline our children out of love for them. If we didn’t love them, we would ignore the sin and just let them go on. Out of our love for them, we bring the sin into the light and discipline them appropriately.
When we consider how Jesus handled the situation of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery, we see the Law of Christ in action. The people were within their legal rights to stone her to death, but the Law of Christ intervened.
She knew she was a sinner, and she knew she deserved to die by stoning. However, with Jesus by her side, she never denied her sin but put her trust in Him, and He brought resolution to the situation. He saved her from her rightful punishment (death), but He did not condone her sin. After all the people had gone, He gave her His instructions for the rest of her life. He said, go and sin no more.
Out of His Love and Mercy for this woman, He stood by her, forgave her, and corrected her all at the same time. This same Love and Mercy is given to each of us every day. This is the Law of Christ, and this is our example to follow.
The Law of Christ will……..turn the tide
Praise God! Doreen
