Galatians 6:1-10
Help A Brother Out
Galatians is a very important book. It is one of the New Testament
books which helps us in understanding why Christians are not
obligated to keep the Old Testament law. Two others would be Romans
and Hebrews.
Three times in this book, Paul spoke of our liberty
\\#Gal 2:4, 5:1, 5:13\\.
In 15 verses, he mentioned the Holy Spirit. The two go together.
Three thoughts we need to keep before us:
Liberty is not the freedom to do anything we want.
Liberty is not even the freedom to abandon the Old Testament Law.
The liberty that the Bible proclaims is the liberty to obey the
Bible—both Old and New Testaments—under the direction of the
Holy Ghost.
Simply put, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, we have the liberty
to obey the Word of God.
There are some advantages to that and some dangers. One of the
dangers is that without a detailed list of rights and wrongs, some
people are get into wrong. They are going to get too close to sin
and get pulled into it. In this chapter, Paul tells us what to do
to help them back out.
I. \\#Gal 6:1\\ The command is to restore. It involves two people.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an
one….
A. The first is a saved person with a need - Paul described the
possibility of a Christian getting into sin and needing help.
1. This is not what we do for lost people.
a. Certainly we would want to help anyone who is in sin,
but you cannot restore a non-Christian to a place
they never had.
b. Lost people need to be introduced to a Savior.
2. Fallen Christians do not become lost people.
a. Many believe that when a Christian sins, he loses his
salvation.
b. Then there is no such thing as a brother who has
fallen for as soon as he fell, he ceased to be a
brother.
B. The other is a saved person with an opportunity - Paul
described the possibility of a Christian helping the other.
1. The work of restoring fallen Christians requires Spirit-
filled believers.
a. To restore means to bring them back to a place where
they can:
(1) Fellowship with God
(2) Know they can obey God
(3) Be used of God.
b. This can be a difficult task as sin is both:
a. Addictive
b. Damaging
c. The believer who helps will need wisdom, endurance,
firmness, patience, kindness - all under the control
the Holy Spirit.
2. It would take a Spirit-filled person to accomplish that.
II. \\#Gal 6:1-10\\ What are some of the characteristics of the
Spirit-filled Christian?
A. To be a Spirit-filled helper requires compassion.
1. Compassion is the first requirement to help another.
Gal 6;1 …in the spirit of meekness, considering
thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2. This is why Paul spoke of having a spirit of meekness.
a. It means to be gentle.
b. The problem is that we can be:
(a) Impatient of those who fall.
(1) Why don’t they just do right?
(2) They’ll never learn.
(b) Condemning of those who fall.
(1) They did this to themselves.
(2) They knew better. What did they expect?
(3) Serves them right!
(4) I told them so.
3. Compassion comes more from the heart than the head.
a. Helping the fallen is not a matter of figuring out
what they did wrong as it is helping them where they
are.
b. Some are have a compassionate heart. Some do not.
c. Perhaps it is the way we were raised.
d. Perhaps it is just the way we choose to be.
e. But no one can help another who cannot put themselves
into the position of the fallen.
4. Compassion without firmness is dangerous both to the
helper and the one needing help.
a. People have to want to help themselves and they have
to move in the direction of help.
b. If they do not want help or will not move in the
direction of help, they will not only do more damage
to themselves but may hurt the helper as well.
c. The helper must be firm enough to make some goals,
demand some progress, and deal with those who will
not help themselves.
d. But all of that still falls under the umbrella of
compassion.
B. To be a Spirit-filled helper requires obedience.
1. At least three times in this section, Paul commanded the
Christian to help the fallen. (I think you could
actually make the case that there are more than that.)
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an
one in the spirit of meekness….
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so
fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let
us do good unto all [men], especially unto them
who are of the household of faith.
2. Interestingly, nowhere in this section did Paul give a
command to the fallen.
a. Paul did not command the fallen to try harder, to
obey the helper, or even to get right with God.
b. Not that those things are not important, but Paul’s
emphasis here is on those of us who think we are
right with God.
3. God has commanded us to do everything we can to bring
a fallen brother or sister back into the fold.
a. That does not mean that we are to empower them to do
wrong.
b. We must be wise and firm, but compassionate and
obedient.
C. To be a Spirit-filled helper requires empathy, or a self-
emptying.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so
fulfil the law of Christ.
1. The word "bear" means to pick them up and carry them.
2. To bear another pretty much requires that you empty
yourself.
3. The damage sin causes can be universal.
(1) Mind
(2) Family and social life - They may be all alone with
others fed up with them.
(3) Finances
(4) Health
4. These kind of situations are not simple with quick
solutions.
(1) While we are working to restore, we need to help take
some of that load off of them.
(2) Of course Jesus is the One who must shoulder the
majority of the load, but we are His body and want
to do what we can to help.
D. \\#3\\ To be a Spirit-filled helper requires humility.
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be
something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth
himself.
1. The "FOR" tells us that this is another requirement of
helping restore the fallen Christian.
2. The characteristic is a type of humility but it is
specific.
3. If you think yourself too good to help a fallen Christian,
then you are not spiritual at all.
From the depths of his pit of despair,
Christian’s cry for help filled the air.
A second Christian went over to see,
But was convinced, “Such things could never happen to me.”
Suddenly the ground under his feet gave out,
He hit the bottom with wonder and doubt.
There is a moral to this man’s slippery slide,
He fell because he stood on the banks of self-righteousness and
pride.
E. \\#6:2, 4-6\\ To be a Spirit-filled helper requires
responsibility.
1. Two selections of verses speak of the responsibility
necessary.
a. One speaks to the responsibility of the helper and the
other the responsibility of the helped.
b. While they may seem to contradict one another,
together they show us the wisdom that is required to
help the fallen.
2. The first commands the spiritual Christian to carry the
fallen Christian.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so
fulfil the law of Christ.
3. The second tells us that we are each responsible for
ourselves.
Gal 6:4 But let every man prove his own work,
and then shall he have rejoicing in himself
alone, and not in another.
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate
unto him that teacheth in all good things.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
4. How do these two seemingly contradictory statements go
together?
a. Even though we are helping the fallen, they must help
themselves.
b. We can bear some of the fallen’s load, but they will
always be the ones responsible.
c. It is their life and they must live it and give an
account to God for it.
d. Spiritual helpers are responsible to get this truth
to the fallen and help them get up under their own
responsibilities.
Gal 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word
communicate unto him that teacheth in all good
things.
F. \\#6:7-9\\ To be a Spirit-filled helper requires wisdom.
1. To restore a fallen Christian, we must see things as God
sees them.
2. Not only do we need wisdom, so does the fallen.
3. It is possible that the reason they have fallen is because
they did not yield to the Holy Spirit.
4. Two principals need to be understood both by us and
those we are trying to help.
a. \\#7-8\\ You will reap what you sow.
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the
flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
(1) Paul used a parable to teach truth.
(a) Like with seeds, you will reap what you sow.
i. There are only two types of life to be
lived.
ii. A life lived for God will reap a godly
harvest.
iii. A life lived for self, pleasure, and
the devil, will reap a corrupt, sinful
harvest.
iv. Let’s make it simple and straight forward.
aa. Good relationships don’t come with
sinful people.
bb. Good experiences don’t come out of
sinful places. (bars, dance
halls, night clubs, back seats)
cc. A good life doesn’t come from
sinful actions. (Lying, stealing,
drinking, drugs, lazy)
(b) Like with seeds, you will reap more than
you sow.
(c) Like with seeds, you will reap later than
you sow.
(2) Then God adds that if sinful seed did not bring a
sinful harvest, God would be mocked (made fun
of).
(a) God is not going to let that happen.
(b) So you and I can rest assured that if we sow
sinful seed, we are going to reap a sinful
harvest.
b. \\#9\\ To the godly, don’t quit before you reap the
good you have sown.
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint
not.
a. Like with seeds, you reap later than you sow.
b. Even strong Christians can become discouraged.
(1) Our prayers and efforts do not appear to be
making a difference.
(2) Bad things happen even though they have tried
to live right.
c. If strong Christians can get discouraged, how much
more so fallen Christians?
d. They will need constant encouragement and you will
needs some too.
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