1 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.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
When a fellow Christian trips up in sin, then a fellow believer who is more mature in the faith (you who are spiritual) should help them back gently (a fruit of the Spirit—meaning someone who is walking in the Spirit). And yet Paul warns that the believer who seeks to help should be careful that he not also fall into sin. Perhaps someone has fallen into the trap of pornography and you want to help them, but you too have had that same problem. While you may be more spiritual, in terms of your walk in the Spirit, it may not be wise for you to help that person because of the temptation for you. In that case, it would be wise to seek the help of another mature believer to help in that situation. We should all look for ways to help each other in our Christian walk and spur each other on to live lives of godliness and in doing so we will fulfil the law of Christ (That you love one another as Christ loved you, sacrificing himself for your sake).
There is also a warning that while helping others we don’t think we are in any way better than others, even if we are “more spiritual”. When Jesus judges us one day for the works we have done in Him, He will not compare us with others. He will evaluate us based on the gifts, talents, and opportunities He gave us and what we did with them. In that sense we need to carry our own load.
When you see a fellow believer fall, what is your reaction? Is it one of concern and love and do you seek to see them restored? Or is it one of superiority and self-righteousness because you didn’t make that same mistake?
Galatians 6: 3 really stood out to me because even if you are “spiritual” from other people’s point of view, you are not in God’s eyes
This has taught me that when others fall into sin, I should try to help and encourage them as best I can, be to them as I wish someone was to me when I’m in need of help and encouragement.
This reminded me to encourage Christians around me to grow in their faith but also not to get into the trap of envying them and the bad they are doing while not seemingly bearing any consequences
Verse 3 was the verse that stood out to me. What I learnt from it was not that you are nothing but if you become proud and get ahead of yourself that that isn’t what you should be doing.