Galatians 6:1-18
Paul has written this urgent letter with his own hand. I think this was rare because of Paul's eye problems so his handwriting was large, but this message was so urgent that Paul could not wait for a scribe that would allow him to dictate this message. As Paul brings this letter to a close he wants to remind them of some basic principles that will allow them to stand firm and correct the pitfalls into which this church had fallen.
CORRECT ONE ANOTHER IN THE LORD: If the false doctrines of legalism as well as the sinful behavior of the flesh was going to be squelched, mature believes must step forward and get involved into one another lives. Correcting false doctrine and sinful actions is an important responsibility that every believer has to his brothers and sister in Christ. The goal of all correction is restoration and Paul teaches us some vital principles for how this is to be done. We must be humble and gentle whenever we seek to correct one of our brothers and we must be ever so careful that we are not caught up in the same sin that we are striving to correct. We are all members of the same body and we are called to help one another with the burdens of life that we are called to carry. We must not try to carry our own burdens without the help of the body and we should always be alert to opportunities where we can help others with the loads that they are trying to carry.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORK OF THE LORD: We are responsible to meet the physical needs of those who serve to meet our spiritual needs. When we contribute to the work of God we invest in that which is eternal and can expect to reap eternal rewards. Investments in the cause of Christ give us great joy on earth and I believe will be a means by which we can store up treasure in heaven. When we value our own comfort on earth and are stingy with our contributions to the work of the Lord, we experience unhappiness because we are focused on ourselves but more importantly we loose out on the eternal blessings of obedience. Giving for the purpose of advancing the fame of Christ is always a wise investment. It will also make us far less susceptible to the other sins of the flesh as well as false teachings.
CONTINUE FAITHFULLY WITH THE LORD: Paul concludes with one final reminder to not fall into the trap of legalism and circumcision as an attempt to gain favor with God. We must always remind ourselves of the sufficiency of the work of Christ on our behalf. Any time we are tempted to try to add to that work through our own efforts or religious activity we need to run back to the foot of the cross and recognize that faith in Him is our only hope. We can never merit our salvation and must never be tempted to try to add to the work that Christ has done on our behalf. Christ is enough we must rest our faith on Him alone.
CORRECT ONE ANOTHER IN THE LORD: If the false doctrines of legalism as well as the sinful behavior of the flesh was going to be squelched, mature believes must step forward and get involved into one another lives. Correcting false doctrine and sinful actions is an important responsibility that every believer has to his brothers and sister in Christ. The goal of all correction is restoration and Paul teaches us some vital principles for how this is to be done. We must be humble and gentle whenever we seek to correct one of our brothers and we must be ever so careful that we are not caught up in the same sin that we are striving to correct. We are all members of the same body and we are called to help one another with the burdens of life that we are called to carry. We must not try to carry our own burdens without the help of the body and we should always be alert to opportunities where we can help others with the loads that they are trying to carry.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORK OF THE LORD: We are responsible to meet the physical needs of those who serve to meet our spiritual needs. When we contribute to the work of God we invest in that which is eternal and can expect to reap eternal rewards. Investments in the cause of Christ give us great joy on earth and I believe will be a means by which we can store up treasure in heaven. When we value our own comfort on earth and are stingy with our contributions to the work of the Lord, we experience unhappiness because we are focused on ourselves but more importantly we loose out on the eternal blessings of obedience. Giving for the purpose of advancing the fame of Christ is always a wise investment. It will also make us far less susceptible to the other sins of the flesh as well as false teachings.
CONTINUE FAITHFULLY WITH THE LORD: Paul concludes with one final reminder to not fall into the trap of legalism and circumcision as an attempt to gain favor with God. We must always remind ourselves of the sufficiency of the work of Christ on our behalf. Any time we are tempted to try to add to that work through our own efforts or religious activity we need to run back to the foot of the cross and recognize that faith in Him is our only hope. We can never merit our salvation and must never be tempted to try to add to the work that Christ has done on our behalf. Christ is enough we must rest our faith on Him alone.
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