Living in the Grace of God: Liberty in Love

April 19, 2015

Living in the Grace of God

Liberty in Love

Galatians 6:1-10

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Introduction

In today’s world we appreciate our privacy.

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• We try to keep every aspect of our lives to ourselves...build up walls and don’t let anyone in.
• When someone does try to get inside we call them nosey!

While I appreciate privacy, this is not a good thing.

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• There use to be a time when we would sit on our front porch and talk to our neighbors.
• Everyone knew everyone...today we likely don’t even know their names.
• How will we ever be able to help them with their deep need?

We have brought this privatization into the church.

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• Often times we focus on what we can get  and not on what we can give to others.
• It is time that the church saw the church as the body of Christ.
• We must stop trying to work independently from one another, but rather become committed to the work of the gospel.

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• We cannot minister to one another is your life is your own and you don’t let me in.

This is essential in sharing the ‘grace of God’ to others.

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Text

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.

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The Problem - restring a sinful brother

• What does it take to be called a brother’?
• You will live the way God wants, and this means “living in the Spirit.”
• What if...this ‘brother’ falls in the “works of the flesh”
• ‘restore’ - to put into order
• There is a caution that the restorer not also fall away
• To properly restore a fallen brother an emphasis is placed on the attitude we should have.
• ‘gentleness’ - humbly courteous...even-tempered.

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The Principle - to love one another

• There is a contrast between the ‘law of Moses’ and the ‘Law of Christ’
• The law of Christ is summed up in this...LOVE.
• It is following Christ, and living in submission of His will!
• Possibly this verse brings to mind the ‘Good Samaritan’
• In the acts of the Good Samaritan we see this love in action

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The Danger of Pride

• The restorer must be watchful!
• Pride should not be allowed to take over.
• In the end we are each responsible for our own actions before God.
• We cannot look to others as grounds for judging ourselves

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6 Let the one who is taught the word 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.

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Supporting One Another

• There is a responsibility to “share all good things.”
• Well, does this mean financial, physical or spiritual
• Yes, yes, and yes!
• Since we alone must stand before God, we need to help one another because sometimes we can’t always carry our own load.
• Especially when people are being looked down upon, treated differently or being disrespected.
• This is not a life that is consistent with God’s Grace or Spirit!

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Our Spiritual Accountability to God

• A theme of this passage is that we will one day stand before God, but shouldn’t we LIVE before Him now?
• This is the ‘law of Christ’...the grace of God.
• Paul returns to another favorite image...sowing and reaping.
• When you sow the flesh you reap the flesh.
• In contrast when you sow the Spirit  you will reap the Spirit.
• Do not grow weary.
• Grow weary of what?
• ‘doing good’ - to please the Spirit
• Especially, towards the ‘family of believers.’

Lesson  

What do these principles look like for a church that is trying to live in the grace God?

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Bearing Other’s Burdens - vs. 1-5

There was a crisis in the church in Galatia.

• People saw themselves as one particular ‘type’ of Christian, and looked down on other types
• These groups were defined in terms of status, not detailed behaviour.

It is desperately easy for this kind of attitude to creep into the church.

• Divisions in a large society can quickly lead one group of Christians to look down on another.
• What has that got to do with the kingdom of God?

Every member should care for everyone else.

• Paul has just explained life in the spirit...apply that to the church!
• Be...live out the ‘law of Christ’
• So, as Jesus the Messiah carried the cross for others, so Christians must carry one another’s burdens.

Any church that takes these verses seriously will be on the way to the only victory that counts.

• The victory of the cross of Christ, lived out in community and under the eyes of the wider world.

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Sharing Blessings - vs. 6-10

Paul’s primary illustration to the church is that of planting and harvesting.

• If church members ‘plant’ in the Spirit grace and mercy, in due course it will bring a harvest.
• However, if church members plant the ‘flesh’, then the harvest will be rich in corruption and decay.
• The ministry of the world builds up people and even communities.
• The Christian view of money is that it is a responsibility given by God.
• When used wisely, it will have a lasting benefit to individuals and the community.

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Paul is eager for the church to ‘do good to everybody’!

• Specifically, those that have been ‘marked’ by their faith.
• Think about the effect that ‘doing good’ has on individuals and on...

In the wider moral life, as well as the financial, it holds true that those who persevere with patience, not growing tired or losing their enthusiasm for living the life of the spirit, will reap the true harvest.

Conclusion

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Care for one another...carry one another’s burdens...share in the Lord’s blessings.

God’s people get weary and tired.

• We get discouraged when we don’t see results.
• We grow tired when we see people around us hindering the work.
• We grow weary from all the criticism.

There IS a way to combat this weariness!

• Focus on the reward...the life that we now live as followers of Him.
• Focus on the work...the advancement of the gospel of love and grace.
• Ultimately we should FOCUS on the example that Jesus set for us!

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“let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” - vs. 10