Galatians 6:1-10; 14-16 | July 11,2010
Have you heard people say; I have. I’m not religious, but I am spiritual . The reason I bring it up is because Paul writes here: You who are spiritual. Understand something. There’s a world of difference between those two statements.
The person who says I’m not religious but spiritual has chosen to go his or her own way. I can understand that with a Christian estranged from a church where trust was betrayed and ugly things occurred. I can understand that Christian keeping his distance for a time. But more often than not this denial of religious involvement is something else, something very different than what our Lord calls us to. Think about it. What would you think if someone said to you: yes we’re married, but we don’t live together.
But let’s put the negative aside. What is Paul describing when he says spiritual. He is describing a person whom the Holy Spirit has brought to faith in Jesus Christ. That faith spills into our lives. The life I live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. It spills into the lives of others. For the Spirit has adopted us into God’s family making us brothers and sisters in Christ. That means we concern ourselves with our fellow believers.
It also means we are growing in God’s Word, and through that word becoming more the person that Christ wants us to be. That’s God’s design for his church, So don’t tell me: I’m not religious but I’m spiritual. That may be some kind of spiritual, but it sure isn’t Holy Spiritual. — Now we can talk about this Word for today
You who are Spiritual…
I. Come to the aid of your brother
II. Sow the goodness of the Holy Spirit
III. Boast in the cross of your Savior
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual, should restore him gently. Say someone has gotten into an ugly habit. Maybe its profanity or these countless, O my God’s that treat God’s name like its nothing. Maybe they’ve gotten away from being in God’s house, hearing his Word. Maybe they’re an incessant gossip. They’ve gotten caught. Not caught by you or your pastor. No they’ve gotten caught in a sin as if they stepped into a trap.
The devil wants us to believe this about that. It’s none of my business. It’s not!? Just suppose you are sitting by the campfire. You notice smoke coming from the bottom of your brother’s pants. Is that none of your business?. Of course not, you come to your brother’s aid before he gets badly burned.
It’s the same with your brother or sister in Christ. You who are spiritual should restore him… The Greek word for restore is a word used for setting a broken bone or mending a net or restoring friends. The believer caught in a sin needs to be restored. And you’re the man or woman. In fact ,it is sometimes a very noble mission. Think of these words of James. Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5:20) So go to him. Don’t hold your brother at arm’s length. Rather Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Restore him if you can .
But do it gently, Paul urges us. We can be tempted to come down on someone caught in a sin. Like I would never be guilty of such a thing. But that comes from an over inflated view of ourselves. Paul pops that balloon. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he misleads himself. Each one should test his own actions . What do we find? We’re not some sparkling saints. Anything good in me, God has worked. NO, you and I are sinful beggars going to help another. So you who are spiritual, come to the aid of your brother. But do it gently.
Paul now uses a picture not all that familiar to us. The sower of seed. A farmer would go through his field broadcasting seed. What would grow? A lot had to do with what seed he was sowing. Were a lot of weeds mixed in.
What are we sowing; not in our community garden. What kinds of words and actions are you sowing in your little corner of this world? You who are spiritual… Sow the goodness of the Holy Spirit.
The wonderful good news of Jesus Christ is that we are saved by grace through faith in what Christ has done for each of us. We are forgiven and dearly loved by God through faith. But faith that is real, faith that is alive will produce good things in our lives. There will be kindness. There will be love. There will be generosity and self control. You see, our Spirit given faith move us to sow good seed and when there is something else, something wrong, we will repent.
Anything else is hypocrisy which is really no faith at all. And here Paul speaks in no uncertain term.s He warns everyone that God is not just going to ignore people who let their sinful nature run their lives and in a sense thumb their noses at him. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who reaps to please his sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction.
You and I need that warning so that we don’t get careless and lose what Jesus earned for us. We also need this encouragement. If we sow to please the Holy Spirit, we will reap eternal life. Does that sound like we are saved by the good stuff we do? In this letter, Paul has made it very clear. We’re not. Yet the path of faith is a path of good things. It’s a path where we make it our goal to please God in whatever we do. Well that path of faith leads to the life that Jesus has earned for us.
So don’t get weary of doing good. Sometimes we feel that weariness. People call it compassion fatigue. It can happen when people are unappreciative. When people take you for granted. Sometimes people take advantage of you. Why bother, we might think?
Keep sowing the goodness of the Spirit. God is not unaware. He notices the time you give someone, the help you offer. And he promises your goodness will not go unrewarded . At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
But here’s the hard part. That goodness is not just for the people you like, not just the people who are good to you. Jesus says, of what credit is that? Instead think of your Savior. He prayed for those who crucified him. Therefore Paul writes, As we have opportunity, let us do good to ALL. Sow the goodness of the Spirit.
Even to the preacher. Even to the Bible teacher. 6 One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. I have no complaints. You support my family well. That goodness regularly comes my way.
But there is another kind of goodness that comes my way. Your appreciation for the Word. I enjoy that goodness being shared. Make sure you share it with your Bible teachers. A simple thank you goes a long way, or a pie or cake. For after all, They are bringing you wisdom from God, the One thing needed. You who are spiritual sow some goodness their way.
So far this is about making progress in our Christian walk. It’s about serving God and the people around you. It’s about being the salt of the earth and lights in this dark world. But when you make that progress, when you become more of what God wants you to be, remember. Remember where the credit goes. It is God who redeemed my life from the pit. It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Paul knew that well. He gave his all to Christ’s service. He gave his all to get people to know their Savior. He suffered all kinds of things to do it. Finally he suffered a martyr’s death for the gospel.
I suppose Paul could have boasted about all he did for the Lord. But he did not. And neither should we. If we are going to hold something up, if we are going to boast about something: You who are spiritual boast in the cross of Christ.
For there our Father did something remarkable. Isaiah says it so well: He was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him. (Is 53:5) Then it was finished. The Son of God gave up his life that every sin was now paid for and forgiven.
So now you are a new creation. By your Spirit-given faith in your crucified Savior, you are something new and special. Think about it. We who once were destined for a real place called hell are now heaven bound. We who were shut out of God’s presence have been welcomed into his family through the washing with water through the Word, holy Baptism. We who once were spiritually dead in sin are now alive to God in Christ.
So we have something to boast about don’t we? But not in ourselves. You who are spiritual boast in Him who loved you and gave himself for you. Boast in his cross. Amen.
