Gently Restore

Gently Restore

Galatians 5:25-6:10

Two weeks ago, I created a wrong impression that I must correct.We were examining Matthew 18:15-18. We were considering the process Jesus gave the church to exclude members who insist on sin and rebellion. I labeled such people imposters.

I left the impression that any person in the church who commits sin is an imposter. I should have said that he is potentially an imposter.I failed to emphasize that the immediate goal is restoration. Even when a church member commits serious sin, the church has the authority to restore to sweet fellowship. That's the focus of this morning's message: Restoration.

Galatians 5:25–6:10 (ESV) - If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Galatians is all about the gospel. After a short introduction Paul calls for a curse on any leader who declares a defective gospel. “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”[1]He expects local congregations to hold their leaders accountable for the doctrine that they teach.

Guarding the gospel is critical because it is not a human idea but a heavenly treasure.

Galatians 1:11–12 (ESV) - For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

The early chapters of Galatians describe a conflict between Paul and Peter. At issue was the gospel. “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas [another name for Peter] before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”[2]

What is the truth of the gospel? At the heart of the letter is this summary:

Galatians 3:21–22 (ESV) - 21 .... For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

We cannot find life by trying to keep God's law. It only shows us what a failure we are. It puts us in prison on death row awaiting judgment.Jesus Christ died to take that judgment. By believing in Him a sinner is declared right before God. He or she receives God's promise of life forever.That's the gospel.

The breaking news is that God through Jesus has earned what you could never earn for yourself.He has endured the punishment that you will have to endure in hell if you reject Him. He offers you freedom through the gospel.You must respond by embracing Him by faith. You must believe that this gospel is the truth that will govern your life.

In the same vein, every church must act to demonstrate the eternal significance of the gospel. The last half of Galatians describes how.We are going to look at one way a church demonstrates the significance of the gospel. A church restores members who sin and repent as a way of putting the gospel on display.

A local church

First, let's review this passage to remind ourselves what a local church is. A local church is a brotherhood (6:1; 3:15; 4:12; 4:28, 31; 5:11, 13, 6:18). Eight times in Galatians Paul refers to the people in the church as brothers. In our passage it is at 6:1.The title "brothers" does not limit church membership to men. We could translate it as "brothers and sisters."The church is an organization with strong ties between her members.

A local church is a household (6:10). Another way to emphasize the same truth is to call the church a household. In 6:10 Paul distinguishes the members of a local church from the rest of society. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”[3]In the ancient world, there was a definite structure and culture to each household. There were rules governing its activity.

A local church is where the law of Christ rules (6:2). In the case of the church, it is a household where the law of Christ rules. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”[4]

A local church is also the household wherethe word of the gospel is taught and teachers are honored (6:6).It is the arena of the "one-anothers" (5:26; 6:2).

Five times in the letter we encounter the phrase "one-another."Christians do not have a one-another relationship with everyone. It is a special relationship among believers.The local church is the context that makes the "one-anothers" meaningful. They make the gospel visible.One way a church does that is by restoring members who fall into sin.Let's look at that this morning.

The Local Church Restores People in order to Demonstrate How the Gospel:

• Changes us at the core.
• Challenges popular assumptions about the self.
• Compels endurance.

Changes us at the core

First, when we in the church restore people it demonstrates how the gospel changes us at the core. Look at Galatians6:1 (ESV), “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”

Here's the situation. A member of the brotherhood falls into a pattern of sin from which he or she cannot break free. It seems to have taken control. It's become a form of idolatry.It may be something evil, like pornography or bitterness. Or it may be something good like work that has become an obsession.

Why would the church get involved? Why seek to restore?The word restore refers to setting a broken bone after an injury. Paul does not describe a detailed process for restoration. He simply commands the church ("you who are spiritual") to restore the sinning brother or sister.

The process will be difficult and messy. Setting a broken bone is tricky. There's a wound to dress and blood to clean up.

The process will be painful. In Paul's day, those setting a broken bone could not offer the kind of anesthesia we take for granted today.

The process will take time. A reset bone must heal. The injured person must learn to use the limb again. Restoration means bearing burdens (v.2).

So what's the incentive for getting involved in a long, messy, difficult, and painful process?When Paul confronted Peter he saw how the Galatian church had handled sin. If someone broke the law, you just separated from them.You kept your distance. You defended your reputation.

The religious background of many in the Galatian church had bred into them a kind of legalism. They acted like the priest and the Levite that passed the victim by the road in the parable of the Good Samaritan.They didn't want to get involved. We can respond to those caught in sin with the same attitude.

The problem is that such a response is inconsistent with the gospel. Commentators point out that the phrase "you who are spiritual" cuts in both a positive and negative way.You who think you're spiritual may look down your noses at those who sin; but those who are truly spiritual exhibit the fruits of the Spirit.

He's just listed them at the end of chapter 5. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...”[5] These are on display when we take up the difficult task of restoring those who sin. Paul's argument in 5:25 is: "If we live by the Spirit then we must stay in step with the Spirit."In other words, new life through Jesus Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit. The evidence that we have this new life is that we depend on the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside-out.

Paul emphasizes one fruit of the Spirit in restoration: gentleness. You see it in 6:1.Gentleness does not mean cowardice. Paul stood up to Peter.But he did it with a gentle spirit of compassion that marks someone transformed by the gospel.

The gospel tells us that we were all caught in sin. God restored us when we were his enemies. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”[6] Jesus Christ came as the gentle Savior with compassion. He showed mercy even to those who put him to death.When this gospel comes alive in a human heart it transforms the old attitude into the new. A church committed to such a gospel will restore sinning members in the same Christ-like spirit.

Challenges popular assumptions about the Self

Second, the local church restores sinning members to demonstrate how the gospel challenges popular assumptions about the self. We've already mentioned one possible self-righteous response to a sinning member.

This is the response that thinks, "I'm better than he is. I'm not my brother's keeper. I don't need to get dirty bearing anyone else's burden. It would tarnish my reputation."

Paul addresses this response directly in verse 3: “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”[7]The person who prides himself in keeping all the rules thinks he's above others. The gospel sweeps away this empty pride.

From God's perspective everyone is nothing. No one is righteous.Any good we have is Christ. When we take up the hard and messy work of restoring a sinning brother or sister, we challenge our pride.

We live in a culture that promotes self-esteem as key to the good life. Paul calls this deception.The gospel challenges such status quo thinking. Note the paradox of Jesus' invitation: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”[8]By humbling ourselves to restore others we put the spotlight on Christ and not self. The result is true love, joy, peace, etc.

The other response is to think that because I'm nothing, I can't do anything to help a sinning brother. This is an opposite form of pride. It paralyzes us from getting involved in difficult situations.Paul addresses this in verses 4-5: “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”[9]

Paul does not contradict himself and insist that we should brag about our own ability. Rather, each person must recognize that in the gospel God has done a personal work of transformation.We cannot boast about what God did for others while we remain disengaged. Everyone has to bear his own load.

It's easy to read about the spiritual ones in verse 1 and think that the phrase refers to someone else. I'm not spiritual enough to help a sinning brother or sister.The gospel reminds us that when we received Christ, God gave us his Holy Spirit.

Galatians 4:6–7 (ESV) - And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

You have the same Spirit that empowered Jesus as he served in this world. We have no excuse to avoid what God has called us to do. We can restore.

The gospel challenges both the prideful self-righteous and the prideful self-protector. When we engage in the difficult work of restoration we demonstrate that there's a better way.But we may still be reluctant.

Compels Endurance

So thirdly, consider that God calls the church to exercise her authority to restore because the gospel compels endurance. The principle is found in

Galatians 6:7–8 (ESV) - Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

A local church committed to the gospel will realize that responding to the gospel is not just a matter of praying a prayer or even being baptized.A genuine believer will evidence the work of the Holy Spirit by consistently sowing to the Spirit and so reap eternal life.As we learned two weeks ago, it is possible for someone to claim to be a Christian and be an imposter. The person who consistently sows to the flesh will reap corruption, the opposite of eternal life. Such a person does not have the Spirit.

Realizing this, a gospel church will acknowledge how serious it is when a professing believer falls into sin. She will seek to restore and not take anything for granted.She will not show partiality to anyone but call everyone to repentance through the gospel. She will insist that a genuine response to the gospel will produce endurance.

The church will act on the truth of God's promise through James.

James 5:19–20 (ESV) - My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

The restoration process in the church highlights the gospel in all its power and glory.

What does that mean for each of us personally?

If you've never truly trusted Christ through the truth of the gospel then turn to Him right now. One of our elders will be at the front after the service to talk to you and pray with you.

If you have trusted Christ but do not belong to the church, become a member.Engage in your responsibility as a Spirit-led person. Restoration is not just about private reconciliation but a visible community united in obedience to Christ.

Seek to develop character that balances courage with gentleness.The character necessary for restoration cannot instantly appear when its needed.

Take sin seriously in your own life and the life of fellow believers in the church community.The church is not a collection of private investigators. Paul speaks here of someone being caught in sin. It is obvious and obviously destructive.

Our culture encourages us to just look the other way and hope a problem goes away. Members of a local church dare not go there.We have a church covenant. The members of this church commit to a common standard of Christian conduct. You can read the covenant at the website or get a copy through the office.

The covenant does not describe everything necessary for obedience. But it is a solid foundation.If we ignore persistent violations of the covenant, we treat this sacred commitment as a collection of mere words. We act as if the gospel is only a theory and not a life-changing message.

Pray for restoration in our fellowship.I am aware of several situations at Grace where a church member is caught in sin. Small groups are working for restoration while guarding privacy.You may not be directly involved but you have role. The church consists of those who are either spiritual or in need of restoration.

May the Spirit prompt us to pray for repentance and may we respond to his leading.

[1] Galatians 1:8 (ESV)

[2] Galatians 2:14 (ESV)

[3] Galatians 6:10 (ESV)

[4] Galatians 6:2 (ESV)

[5] Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)

[6] Romans 5:6 (ESV)

[7] Galatians 6:3 (ESV)

[8] Mark 8:35 (ESV)

[9] Galatians 6:4–5 (ESV)