1 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. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. (Galatians 6:1–5, ESV)
I’m sure you’ve been in the room when friends or family members start bickering in front of you. I’m sure, at least once, you’ve been the one bickering! So you know how awkward it can be. There you are, at the dinner party, just enjoying life, when—bam!—all the energy is sucked out of the room. You just want to crawl under the table, find your keys, and run for your life.
Since the Galatian church was flirting with legalism, they were in danger of becoming that kind of unattractive community. Legalism produces a competitive environment where pride and envy abound, so their church was on the cusp of becoming the awkward dinner party of New Testament churches. Paul has told us that only the Spirit can produce real transformation in us—we need to walk in the Spirit—but the Galatians were squeezing him out of their environment. And because they were, true growth was not happening.
God had not called them to legalism, but the gospel—and a gospel community, according to Paul, is unlike the church legalism produces. It is a beautiful community, full of grace and truth because Jesus, its leader, is the embodiment of both (John 1:14). And the people within it are helped and transformed.
In our passage today, we’ll discover three elements of a gospel community. Each element supports the others, so when all three are present, the church becomes an environment of true life change.
1. Restores Others (1)
The first thing a gospel community does is restore those caught in a stranglehold or pattern of dominating sin (those caught in any transgression, 1). Paul evoked the image of someone run down by a predator. It is a perfect analogy because it reminds us that we are being pursued. Our enemy walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). And not all that infrequently, we are overcome by the predator.
Quite often, when this occurs, friends in Christ know about it. And what are they to do? They might rush to expose it if they are part of a legalistic church community—the kind the Galatians were tempted to become. If they are part of a liberal church community—meaning they take the Bible and the subject of sin very lightly—they might quickly dismiss it.
But neither of these is the right approach. Just as we would not openly broadcast a child’s failures in front of their friends, we should not unnecessarily expose transgressions. And just as we would not ignore cancer, we should not dismiss transgressions. Paul tells us that a Spirit-led person does not take either of these routes but instead seeks to restore their wayward friend.
“Restoration never minimizes the damaging reality of sin, but while it takes sin seriously, it also believes in the power of restorative grace. It believes in God’s power to turn a heart and rebuild a life.” [1]
It is important to provide nuance to the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to restore those entrapped by sin. The Bible teaches that love will cover a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things (1 Cor. 13:7). We are to be forgiving people. The Bible teaches that we should not become hyper-aware sin hunters.
But when someone we know and love is “overtaken” (CSB) by a habitual, damaging, and enslaving pattern in their lives, mature believers respond with a Jesus-like rescue mission. They know that sin can sink in its hooks to the point it becomes difficult to break free, so they do what they can, as the Spirit’s instruments, to set the captive free.
Paul knew this would take godliness, maturity, wisdom, and a sensitivity to God’s Spirit, which is why he said that only those who are spiritual should attempt such acts of restoration (1). Don’t be quick to dismiss yourself from the qualification. This isn’t like saying only those around seven feet tall should play center in professional basketball—I guess that’s not me! Paul’s sentences right before this one are all about how we can walk in the Spirit, meaning any Christian can be spiritual—and should strive to be spiritual (see Gal. 5:16-26). But, because of all the skills needed to restore a wandering believer, Paul wanted to make sure only those walking in the Spirit attempted it.
To be spiritual means the restorer must be a person of prayer willing to go into the spiritual dimension to deal with someone’s issues. Just as Moses prayed to God when the Israelites were wayward, this person must go to God on behalf of the person engulfed by sin. Praying will soften them and release God’s power toward the person they want to help.
Being spiritual means they are alive and sensitive to the Spirit’s guidance and encouragement. And, because enslaving transgressions cause a tangled web of chaos, they need to sense God’s leading to break through the confusion the other person has caused.
Another attribute Paul mentioned was a spirit of gentleness (1). This is a fitting word because it is all too easy to be overly frustrated by the decisions others make. And if they are entangled in sin because of their choices, gentleness can seem like the worst way to approach them. But “restoration must be approached with a humility and gentleness…yet with a firmness that confronts the ugly reality of the sin and its consequences.” [2]
Another attribute is that the restorer knows how to keep watch on themselves so that they aren’t also tempted (1). They know what they are capable of and make sure not to fall into the same pit. They do not feel they are better than the person they are trying to restore. Like a soldier helping an injured comrade on the battlefield, cautiously alert for enemy fire, the restorer knows to proceed carefully lest the same traps entangle him! When he helps someone break free of pornography, substance abuse, drunkenness, or sexual addiction, he is on guard. He knows he can’t have a cavalier attitude about these toxins. Like someone sensitive to poison oak is cautious while hiking through a forest, the restorer is hyper-aware of their own tendencies while restoring another.
But the main skill these spiritual and gentle people must have is the ability to restore them (1). The term Paul chose was often used for setting a dislocated bone back into place or mending fishing nets that had busted. The restorer needs surgical precision to do the fine needlework of repairing someone else.
It takes tender nuance and care—knowing when to offer a strong word or, on the other hand, offer a soft place to land. It is hard and complicated work. You never know what you’ll discover when entering someone else’s mess, but when they are ready, you’ll need a Spirit-led, gentle, and wise approach.
Many years ago, when our family dog was still a puppy, our girls were sad about their first long summer vacation away from him. They grieved that he would miss them too much while they were gone. Quickly, I came to the rescue by explaining to them that since he’s a dog and the person we left him with would give him care, food, and shelter, he would be fine. Then I said, “In fact, he will probably have such a good time he’ll forget all about us,” which led them right to a new set of fears about how their dog wouldn’t even know who they were when we returned. Not Spirit-led. Not gentle. Not wise. And, if we aren’t careful, this is the kind of hack spiritual help we will offer—not Spirit-led, gentle, or wise.
These aren’t the only ingredients Paul thought necessary to restore someone to the gospel community. There has to be an open door, an opportunity. The wayward believer has to, at least eventually, be repentant, want restoration, and demonstrate a change of behavior. Even in this paragraph, Paul said that each one of us will have to bear our own load (5). And the restorer often has to initiate one-on-one. If that is unsuccessful, they must try again with a trusted friend. And if that doesn’t work, they sometimes have to bring in church leadership (Matthew 18:15-17). They often have to explain sin, repentance, confession, and forgiveness carefully. They have to wrestle in prayer. They have to provide a safe and supportive environment. They often have to offer accountability. They need to maintain confidentiality.
All this to say, restoring someone who’s been caught in a transgression is hard work! Like putting together a machine that has been dismantled, it takes tedious and slow precision. But it is good work. It is beautiful work. And it is Jesus-like work—he rescued and restored us!
Next week, we’ll look at the second element Paul says contributes to making the church a life-changing environment.
[1] Tripp, Paul David. 2020. Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
