Galatians 6:1-6
Verse 1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
Though we know we can’t be prideful and therefore judgmental in our relationship with others, there are times when it becomes necessary to lovingly help each other see a truth about their lives. This shouldn’t be a comfortable thing for any of us in the situation but we need to be comfortable enough to take the step. We’ve mentioned before how if we feel good about going to someone about their sin, we shouldn’t go to them.
Restoring someone isn’t about us bringing them back to ourselves or even the church, it is about helping them restore their relationship with the Father. Loving each other enough to want everyone in open communion with the Lord is what Paul was trying to help the believers in Galatia to understand. It is important for us to see how much we need each other to walk in His way.
While this is the loving thing to do for those in our life, it is important for us as well because we have to remember what Jesus said about pointing things out in other believers lives, we can’t look over our own sin to point out theirs (Matthew 7:3-5). To help each other deal with the sin in our lives we have to be honest about the sin in our own life.
To deal with the sin in our lives takes admitting it and addressing it, part of which is confessing and repenting. If we aren’t intentional about our relationship with God and keeping it with good communication, we could never love others enough to make sure they also have a clear relationship with Him and are living in His ways.
When we address the issue with our fellow believer, we need to make sure we are speaking out of love and doing it one on one. It shouldn’t be done in a way which will humiliate them and we need to make sure we are doing it humbly so they don’t feel as if we are lording our righteousness over them. We also need to remember it isn’t up to us to convince them of their sin, once we make them aware of it we need to let the Holy Spirit do His work in their hearts just as He does in ours when we are soft to His working in us.
Making It Personal
Has anyone loved you enough to point out a sin in your life? How did you respond? What does it mean to you to have someone point out your sin to you?
Making It Personal Kids
Have you ever had someone tell you that you should stop doing something because Jesus wouldn’t like you doing it? Did you stop doing it? Have you ever tried to tell someone else about something Jesus wouldn’t want them doing?
Closing Prayer
Father, this isn’t an easy or popular topic but it is something You told us to do. Give us wisdom of what to say and how to say it so that it appears to be correction from You instead of us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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