Freedom: Grace for the stumbling

Paul has just finished talking about walking by the Spirit with a warning not to become boastful, prideful or letting ego get in the way and picks up in our passage tonight with the reason why.

This continues with the practical section of the book, tonight at practical grace being extended to the people who need it.

Restoring Grace

Oftentimes we demand justice on others and grace for ourselves. That is not the way God does things; He wants to offer mercy and grace to all who are willing to receive it. May we be willing to offer restoring grace to others who need it.

Galatians 6:1 NASB95

1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

If we are honest we can be a judgmental group of people. We want to judge those who stumble or don’t to things the way we think they should. Paul is addressing the issue here that we need to not be judgmental but be restorative.

Don’t rejoice when someone stumbles, we should try to help to restore them. Don’t talk about the stumble, come along side and love them and help them (1Pt4:8)

1 Peter 4:8 NASB95

8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Love covers a multitude of sin. Let me give you an illustration from Gen9:21ff, the story of Noah, no not about building the ark. Noah started farming after the flood and planted a vineyard, from the vineyard came wine, from wine came drunk Noah, from drunk Noah came shameful son and covering son’s.

Ham had gone into his fathers tent saw him passed out drunk and naked and went out to tell his brothers of dad’s shame, and was judgmental of dad.

Shem Japheth walked into the tent backwards so not to see the fathers shame and covered him up .

See love covers a multitude of sins and that is what they did cover the fathers shame, the fathers sin.

Love does not broadcast sin, it does not draw attention to sin, it does not call a prayer meeting about sin in an effort to talk about it (gossip).

Love walks in backwards and covers the sin with love and helps to restore not embarrass.

Love not only covers sin, love looks out so not to stumble or be tempted either (Gal6:1; Pro16:18; 1Cor10:12)

Proverbs 16:18 NASB95

18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

What does this mean pro16:18?

How about look at this one

1 Corinthians 10:12 NASB95

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

What does this mean?

Paul in the 2nd part of our verse (yes just still in v.1) points out conceit, pride where we need to be careful of having a prideful heart and we need to watch out and judge ourselves only to see that we too fall short and can stumble. We should not be quick to judge others, nor reveal to others people’s sins but be quick to help them to restore them and look how we are to restore them? - a spirit of gentleness

What does it mean to have a spirit of gentleness?

May we remember that we are likely to stumble at sometime and we maybe the one who is crying out “I’ve fallen down and can’t get up.”

Remember we are in the midst of a spiritual war (Mk2:17; Eph6:12; 2Tim3:1-5)

Jesus said He came to those who are sick, to the sinners (Mk2:17); we are to be a hospital for the sick, the broken, the sinners.

Our struggle is against the rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, spiritual forces of wickedness as it says in (Eph6:12)

Like all wars there are casualties, some because they know no better, others know better and have spiritually stumbled. Here is example.

2 Timothy 3:1–2 NASB95

1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

2 Timothy 3:3–4 NASB95

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

2 Timothy 3:5 NASB95

5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

These are the ones who were once walking in the Spirit, were recipients of God’s grace through Jesus and were bearing fruit who have turned the other way.

As a hospital for the sinner, for the casualties of this spiritual war, we should be a refuge, school, gym, a restaurant, temple and finally a travel agency (Gal6:1; Mt11:28-30; 2Tim2:15, 3:15-17; Php2:12; Heb5:12-14; Heb13:15; Mt28:20; Mk16:15-16)

A refuge for the hurting (Gal6:1; Mt11:28-30)

A school for the study, to teach and correct (2Tim2:15, 3:15-17)

A gym to work out our salvation (Php2:12)

A restaurant, serving milk and meat (Heb5:12-14)

A temple to offer sacrifice of praise (Heb13:15)

Most importantly we are to be a travel agency to help the casualties to get to their desired destination- Heaven (Mt28:20; Mk16:15-16)

(Insert picture: Sterile hospital room)

What kind of hospital are we,one that is sterile, no sight of sickness, disease or the like?

(insert picture: Trauma Center)

Or are we a hospital, a trauma center for the wounder, the hurt, the afflicted, the sick, the casualties of spiritual war that need to be restored. May we look at a few of the kinds of casualties we may see and can help.

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Spiritual war casualties

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The Overtaken Believer (ref. scriptures Jn13:1-15; Exo17:12-14)

Oh the overtaken believer can also be known as the blundering believer. Why you ask? I’m glad you asked for in the Greek it is the same word as blundering. This is the believer who by his own choices has gotten caught up in sinful lifestyle again. We who are spiritual are to help restore such a person.

The word restore here can be illustrated like a doctor who is setting a broken bone, so we are trying to help set someones brokenness so it can heal properly. It is our duty, our responsibility to come along side and help the person, if they are willing to be helped. This is not about judging or condemning but about comforting and helping in love.

I think I mentioned Jn13 and Jesus washing feet, Jesus knew they were all going to fall short, they were about to scatter, about to betray, about to deny, but He knelt down and washed them anyways.

May we be willing to kneel down and wash the feet of the overtaken believer to come along side and help him like Aaron and Hur for Moses in (Exo17:12-14).

The Arrogant Backsliding Believer (1Cor5:1-6; Lk15:12-20)

Here is the believer like we see in 1Cor5:1-6 that is impacting the whole church. He did not care about his backsliding nature, he was arrogant an even bragging about his immorality, and the church, well they were not doing anything about it.

Do you know someone who has chosen a sinful lifestyle after tasting the goodness of God? You have spoken to them, but yet they chose that lifestyle? Paul says in 1Cor5:5 to deliver over such a one to Satan.

1 Corinthians 5:5 NASB95

5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Delivered over with a purpose, may we remember that! The purpose is so the flesh may be destroyed and the spirit, the soul be saved. They they repent and return, come to their senses like the prodigal son did

Luke 15:17 NASB95

17 “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

Have you been the prodigal son before in your actions? Have you come to your senses and repented and returned? Then may we be grace givers to the arrogant believer with a prayer of restoration for them.

It may not be easy to hand someone over, and it is not to be done lightly,but it is for the protection of you and the body for we know a little leaven leavens the whole loaf as we saw illustrated in 1Cor5.

The goal is that they repent and return, to be restored!

The Beguiled Believer (Jm5:19-20; Heb4:12; Isa55:11; Jn3:10; Jn19:39)

The beguiled believer is the one who strays, wanders from the truth and is seduced by the things of this world

James 5:19–20 NASB95

19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

There is a story I have read of a man who knew God, in fact he served God, but he lacked understanding in somethings. He went by night to go check things out, to inquire, got the truth but did nothing with it for sometime. Have you figured out who this is? It’s Nicodemus found in Jn3. This is the beguiled believer who was take the truth so he could respond properly and did, eventually, but not then for he was beguiled by traditions of man.

We can help this beguiled believer by sharing the truth of God’s word with them and know it can pierce their heart (Heb4:12) sharper than a two edge sword, able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart, because the word is alive and it will not return void either (Isa55:11) it will accomplish what God desires.

The beguiled believer in Jn3 thought he was Ok, and found out he was not, for in the end it turned out OK for him, because he was reached by God’s Word

John 19:39 NASB95

39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.

The beguiled believer became a true believer. So thinking now back to the 2Timothy passage we looked at types of casualties to the spiritual war we are in we know there in the last days many casualties and we need to do something with them.

To the backsliding - we need to walk with them.

To the arrogant, bragging - we need to hand over

To the beguiled ones - we should talk with and share the truth.

I won’t put the pictures back up again, but I will ask the question again, what kind of hospital are we? Are we treating the wounded, the casualties of war? If so, then we are ready for the next section.

Burden Bearing Grace

As a hospital with open doors to the wounded, the sinner, the causalities of spiritual war we need to be people who are willing to be burden bearers too.

Galatians 6:2–3 NASB95

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Stop: What is the first instruction here? Why are we to do it? Can you see the element of humility is needed in this to be able to be a burden bearer?

OK, humility check time:

Galatians 6:4–5 NASB95

4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load.

Stop: what are we to do? Why are we to do it?

William Barclay says it like this, consider this saying and we will look at this more.

“There is a kind of burden which comes to a man from the chances and changes of life.”

People who need burden bearers, people who will come along side and fulfill the law of Christ and love people. That is what the command from Paul is here.

The people with life chances (i.e. unemployment, financial set backs, etc.)

The people with life changes (death, divorce, broken heart, etc.)

These are the ones we can help carry burdens for.

Burdens that people have to carry themselves.

Burden of sin; carry to the cross

Burden of consequences of sin

Burden of choices; leading to repentance

We cannot carry these burdens, but we can be there to help guide them, being gentle and humble so not to think more highly of ourselves.

(Soldiers field pack picture)

Like a soldier has to pack and carry his own pack, we can assist but we cannot carry it for them, nor should we.

Be sure when we pack our own pack we do not pack arrogance or pride in there. We need to examine our own worth, for outside of Christ we are not worthy of anything, inside of Christ we are worthy to die for!

So in your field pack that you have to carry, carry it to the Lord as it says in Mt11:28-30

(Encouragement slide- Come to cross -4 picture)

Are you burdened? Come to the cross, take the yoke of Christ, leave your burdens here.

Do you know someone who is stumbling, that needs the law of love poured out on them? How about someone to come by their side, come to the cross, bring your burdens there then go get up and come along side others and help them to be restored.

Go with the spirit of gentleness today, Go and fulfill the love of Christ by your love.