Study in Galatians

Study in Galatians Presentation 13

Burden Bearing Chap 6v1-5 Presentation 13

Introduction In our last study we looked at the positive and negative principles associated with ‘walking in step with the Spirit’. In order to introduce a positive practical example of such a walk – ‘bearing one another’s burdens’ it may first prove helpful to examine the potential hindrances to such self-giving service that Paul outlines for us. “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.” 5v26 Presentation 13

Being Out Of Step With The Spirit The Greek word Paul uses for ‘conceit’ describes someone who has an opinion of himself which is empty, vain or false. This person cherishes an illusion about himself. Someone has said, "Self-conceit is a magnifying glass through which we look at ourselves; we seem much bigger than we are. Plain window glass is better." When we are conceited, our relationships with other people are bound to be poisoned. When our relationships with other people begin to deteriorate, conceit is nearly always the basic cause Presentation 13

Being Out Of Step With The Spirit When a person is filled with self-conceit he takes great delight in doing one of two things: provoking others or envying others. The Greek word translated here as ‘provoke’ means to challenge someone to a contest. It implies that we are so sure of our superiority that we want to demonstrate it. We read of such a man in 3 Jn.v9... Diotrephes was a conceited fellow. He thought very highly of himself and doubtless provoked everybody else by his attitude and as a result the whole church fellowship was out of joint. He was constantly challenging people to consider if they measured up to him. He couldn't bear the thought of having a rival, someone who might be as good or, better than he was! Presentation 13

Being Out Of Step With The Spirit This leads to the second fruit of self-conceit : envy. Such a person is constantly jealous of the gifts and attainments of others. Whether we provoke others or envy them is usually determined by whether or not we consider them our inferiors or superiors. If we think them our inferiors we provoke and belittle them, we challenge them, we parade our prowess before them. But if we see them as our superiors then the canker of envy gnaws away in our hearts. We grudge them their success. We wait hopefully and expectantly to see them fall. Do you know the saying, "envy provides the mud that failure throws at success". Presentation 13

Being Out Of Step With The Spirit To behave in this way is to be out of step with the Spirit and with the fruit of love that he wants to produce in the believer’s heart. To walk by the Spirit involves crucifying conceit, of not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought, Rom.12v3.The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see both our own sin and unworthiness and the value which others have in the sight of God. It is as we begin to value others in the way that God does that we will look for opportunities to serve them. The Christian attitude to others is not, "I'm better than you and I'll prove it," nor is it, "You are better than I am and I resent it," but, "You are valuable to God and therefore to me and so I want to serve you." Presentation 13

An Example Of Burden Bearing Paul gives us a particular example such service under the general heading of ‘burden bearing’ in v1ff. To be part of the fellowship of God’s people is not to be perfect. There is no level of spiritual attainment to which we can rise from which it is impossible to fall. The word "sin" in v1mean’s literally, ‘a falling away, a failure to achieve, a false step, a blunder’. It can be a blunder of any sort; moral, spiritual, social, intellectual, emotional or spiritual. This is the tragic aspect of sin. Paul speaks about a member of the fellowship being "caught" in a sin. The word has the force of taking by surprise, or seizing unawares. When we are blinded for a time by Satan, then our normally acute spiritual perception is dulled and we blunder into sin. Presentation 13

An Example Of Burden Bearing What then are we to do for such a brother or sister? First we are encouraged to "restore him". A word used to describe the setting of a dislocated bone, or to bring something back into its former condition. If this does not take place in the life of the one who has fallen into sin they will remain out of spiritual circulation. Like a train that is shunted into some siding, spiritually redundant, no longer fruitfully engaged in serving God's purpose. Think for a moment of John Mark. The young man who proved himself so unreliable on Paul's first missionary journey, which resulted in Paul wanting nothing more to do with him. He was side-lined! Presentation 13

An Example Of Burden Bearing But then much later Paul writes, "Bring Mark with you for he is profitable to me”, 2 Tim.4v11. Why? Clearly Mark had been restored. Had some brother talked wisely, quietly and firmly to him thus bringing him? Can you see how positive this instruction is? We are not to stand idly by and say, “If a brother has blundered into sin it is none of my business”. Nor are we to despise or condemn him as he experiences the consequences of his behaviour and say "It serves him right, let him drown". Nor are we to make his sin the subject of church gossip. Instead, we are to restore him. We are not told here precisely how we are to do this but cf. Matt.18v15-17. We are to go to our brother and tell him his fault face to face and privately. Presentation 13

An Example Of Burden Bearing Who is to do this job of restoration? Who is to throw the drowning brother a lifeline? Is it the pastor? Notice, Paul says, "you who are spiritual". What does he mean? Those who are mature Christians, those who walk by the Spirit and who have begun to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit listed in 5v16-25. Indeed, this loving ministry of restoration is exactly the kind of thing we shall do when we are walking by the Spirit. Nor must we seize this qualification as a excuse to evade the task of restoration by saying, "I'm not spiritual". All Christians should aim to be spiritual and as such we have a common responsibility for restoring the sinning brother. Presentation 13

An Example Of Burden Bearing Paul also tells us how this task is to be done. In a ‘spirit of gentleness.’ Note this is part of the fruit of the Spirit. ‘Gentleness’ is something that is born in the incubator of our own weakness and our awareness of our proneness to sin. When we see a fellow believer who has blundered into sin we should be able to say, ‘there but for the grace of God go I’. Now if we find ourselves in the secret place of our hearts saying, "Oh but in my worst moments I would never descend to that kind of behaviour", then clearly we just don't know our own hearts. Presentation 13

An Example Of Burden Bearing There is no sinful behaviour that we couldn't descend to if God were to withdraw his grace. Helping believers who have fallen into sin is the particular burden referred to here. And we must not turn away from them in distaste or impatience. We must recognise the possibility of the great and protracted struggle they may have had with temptation before falling. When we do seek to offer support and help it ought not to be in a spirit of censoriousness. Clearly, the man who is full of a sense of his own superiority[5v26] is not equipped for this task. Presentation 13

Burden Bearing While Paul may well have had this example of burden bearing particularly in mind- helping the bother who has fallen into sin, there are many other burdens to which this principle applies. Now it is important to recognise, not only that we all have burdens, but that God does not mean us to carry them on our own. Some believers try to be brave and stoical and cope with their burdens on their own. But God gives us burdens to share with others. Indeed, it is this process of sharing that reveals our dependence upon and concern for others. It helps bind the fellowship of God's people together. Presentation 13

Burden Bearing A marvellous example of burden-bearing is found in 2Cor.7v5-6. Paul had been burdened and concerned about the church in Corinth. He wondered how they had received a rather severe letter which he’d written to them. His mind was restless and he speaks of "fighting without and fears within". But then he continues: "But God who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus." Paul's comfort came through the companionship of a friend who brought good news. Human friendship, which is a particular vehicle for bearing one another's burdens is part of God's purpose for his people. Presentation 13

Burden Bearing To ‘love our neighbour,’ to ‘bear one another's burdens’ and to ‘fulfil the law’ are three equivalent expressions in the N.T. When we see somebody with a heavy burden we must be ready to get alongside them and share their burden. Similarly, we must be humble enough to let others share our burdens. At the same time we must be aware of the fact that it is a dangerous thing to constantly compare ourselves with others and so Paul goes on to say in v4-5“Each of you should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.” Presentation 13

Burden Bearing So then instead of scrutinising our neighbour and comparing ourselves with him, we are to “test our own work" for we will have to "bear our own load". We are responsible to God for our work and must give an account to him one day. There is no contradiction between v2 and v5. The Greek word for ‘burden’ is different in each case. The burden in v2 refers to the hardship or temptation that the believer is suffering and which is trying to drag him down. The burden in v5 refers to the personal responsibility which the believer cannot shelve of pass onto anybody else. Presentation 13

Conclusion Because of the cohesive nature of the church Paul says, our concern for our relationships within the body of Christ shows that we are in step with the Spirit. This part of the N.T. answers Cain's question in Gen. 4v9, "Am I my brothers keeper?" with a resounding "Yes". I am to care for him and be concerned for his welfare. I am neither to assert my fancied superiority over him and provoke him, nor resent his superiority over me and envy him. If he is heavy laden then I am to help bear his burden. If he falls into sin I am to restore him gently. It is in these very practical ways that I can demonstrate that I am in step with the Spirit. Presentation 13

Study in Galatians