Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted (Gal. 6:1). Because the Galatians, at least some of them, were listening to the Judaizers, which means they were forsaking the Cross and going into Law, they had started to observe sin breaking out in their lives, in other words, “the works of the flesh.” The word “overtaken,” as it is used here, refers to a person doing all that he can do to escape sin, but nevertheless falling into sin. It happens because the Believer has forsaken the Cross and has gone into Law. Despite all of such a Believer’s efforts, the end result, every single time, will be sin. Moreover, if the problem is not corrected, the sin will get worse and worse, despite all the individual’s efforts otherwise! The word “fault” speaks of a moral lapse, which means a sin of some magnitude. The word “spiritual” has to do with the realm of the Holy Spirit; consequently, we will learn something here. The only Believers whom the Holy Spirit judges as truly “spiritual” are those who have their faith anchored solidly in Christ and the Cross, which refers back to Galatians 5:24. Otherwise, though the person may be saved, may even be a Preacher of the Gospel, still, there is no spirituality! The word “restore” is for the Greek “katartizo,” which means “to repair, to restore to a former good condition, to prepare, to fit out, to equip.” It is used of reconciling factions, of setting bones, of putting a dislocated limb into place, of mending nets, or of supplying an army with provisions. It is used by Paul in a metaphorical sense of setting a person to rights, bringing him into line. So, how is the “restoration” to be effected? The one who is “spiritual” is to inform the one who has failed that the reason he has failed is because his Faith has been transferred from Christ and the Cross to something else, and it really doesn’t matter what the something else is. Such a Believer is then to be encouraged to put his Faith where it ought to be, namely, in Christ and the Cross, which will then guarantee victory (Rom. 6:1-14). This is to be done “in the spirit of meekness,” meaning that the failed one is not to be lorded over, or subjected to further punishment. The fact of sin is punishment enough! Moreover, only one who truly is “spiritual” can deal with such a person with a “meek spirit.” He can do so because he knows that his victory is not because of any greatness on his part, but solely because of what Christ did at the Cross and his Faith in that Finished Work. Such a “spiritual” person knows and understands sin, why it occurs, and how it was defeated at the Cross, which tends to humble one – and greatly so! Outside of the Believer understanding Christ and the Cross and there placing his Faith, there is no such thing as humility. The Cross alone produces “meekness.” When one properly understands the Cross of Christ, one then properly understands himself, what sin is, and, above all, what Christ has done to address this terrible problem. There are three things the Believer should know: 1. Who and what he is; 2. What sin actually is; and, 3. What Christ has done for us at the Cross. The third is the most important!
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 10:51:46 +0000
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