2.  1a: “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.”  The Greek word, katartizete, signifies to set in joint, like is someone has a dislocated bone.  Doing this in wrath will likely not convey our desired intent.  1b: “But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”  Vs. 2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  Love this from Guzik: “Through this whole letter, Paul has battled the legalists among the Galatian Christians. Here, he strikes another hit. Paul essentially says, “Do you want to fulfill the law? Great. Here is your law to fulfill. Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  “Though as Christians we are freed from the law of Moses, yet we are under the law of Christ.” – Henry.  It’s a law; just not the same law. We are blessed to weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15.  Two Christological exhortations:  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” John 13:34-35.  Matthew 18:15-19. This is what we talked a bit about last week.

3.  “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.”  Do we understand that the grace upon which we stand is 1) not of us, and therefore 2) is certain.  I believe wholeheartedly that Christians are saved by works!  It is because of this that I believe salvation is certain.  My field experience.  “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us,” 2 Corinthians 4:6-7.  Is this the foundation of your belief system? I assure you this is not worldly wisdom.  If you think you are something (of yourself) you deceive yourself.

4.  “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”  Paul says elsewhere: “Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace,” 2 Corinthians 1:12.  Lack of conscientious confidence I’d say is the number one reason genuine believers don’t share their faith.  There is no “gift” of evangelism.  Hebrews 10:22 says, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” We’ll do that in proportion to our assurance being based on Jesus alone.  The fact that they don’t share their faith is why they can’t pray for others to share it. Their own consciences condemn them in the prayer.  This is probably not the same the first six months after they started coming around the things of God.

5. “To preach the Gospel for praise is bad business, especially when people stop praising you. Find your praise in the testimony of a good conscience... For anybody to covet praise is foolish because the praise of men will be of no help to you in the hour of death... As it is, the praise of men stops when we die. Before the eternal Judge it is not praise that counts but your own conscience.” –Luther. You Outside you Christ Confidence Performance Christ

6.  Vs. 5: “For each one should carry their own load.”  There is no contradiction here between this load that we all bear, and the load we are to help one another carry in vs. 2.  In this life we help one another.  At the judgment I can’t help you and you can’t help me.  Vs 6: “Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.”  This does mean financially. Sorry, I know in our day this is a touchy subject in the church. Today many of us have seen more “profits” than “prophets.  It means what it says: “All good things.”  The message of Hebrews 1:1-2 is essentially a message intended by all of the NT. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…”  How does He do it though?  “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” Ephesians 4:11-12.

7.  “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”  “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous,” 1 John 3:7.  You sow tares you’re going to reap tares.  This is what I call getting as practical as you can get.  It is no secret why some are stronger in Christ than others!!!  These verses apply to your life both private and public.  We all need public affirmation. Rather I should say the affirmation of other believers be that private or public.  I will tell you my goal in life: it is to live in unblemished conscience before God. That’s my goal through it all! That’s all I want!  I hope you want something similar.  “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God,” 2 Corinthians 7:1.

8.  “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  This can be both a direct application of what we just read tonight, or an application to our whole lives in every regard.  Question: What are you dying for?  What do you want your life to say about you throughout eternity?  How about hearing: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” Matthew 25:21.  Don’t lose heart. “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-

9.  “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  So be about the Lord’s work.  Find ways to look out for one another.  Examine yourselves before God, and then also keep an eye on those around you.  “…remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye,” Matthew 7:5.  This is the gentle restoration you would want for yourself, and that which you should give others.  “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven,” Matthew 18:21-22.  That’s not 490 times tops!

10. See you next week. Invite a friend.