Gal 6:4-5 | KingComments | STEP | . To emphasize again his connection with the believers of Galatia and their connection to each other, Paul begins his closing admonitions with the wonderful word “brothers”. Of course this includes the sisters. This also is a good introduction to the following verses, which show that the connection is experienced in a special way, namely in the care which should be given to each other as ‘family members’. In the previous chapter Paul showed the contrast between the deeds of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. He clarified that the Christian life must have the character of the Holy Spirit, to expose the fruit of the Spirit. Now it may happen that at some point a person fails to walk by the Spirit. For that moment, sin lying in wait and overtakes him. That is how it is presented in this first verse. Sin is lying in wait and strikes at the moment when the vigilance of the believer weakens even for just a second. An example of how you can go wrong is: telling a lie to save yourself out of an awkward situation, by yielding to a sexual desire, or by taking somebody else’s money if you see it laying on the table. The law has no mercy on these trespasses, only righteous retribution ( ). The Galatians, who wanted to bring themselves under the law again, having received teaching about the Holy Spirit, can now be urged to deal with such a trespasser. However, they had to consider some requirements before they could deal with the trespasser. First such a person had to be spiritual. You may wonder: Who dares to say that of himself? The following points make that clear. Someone who is spiritual will have “a spirit of gentleness”. You cannot judge another person with an arrogant attitude. What a contrast to the harshness of the law! Second, “looking to yourself” will give the consciousness that I am no better than the other. What a contrast to legalistic people, regarding their self-esteem. A legalistic person is unable to suffer with someone else. I must be fully aware that if God does not guard me, I will make the same mistake, or maybe worse, than my brother did. Concerning this case I found a striking similarity in the book of Job. It is about the good mind we notice in Elihu, when he speaks to Job. Elihu says: “Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay. Behold, no fear of me should terrify you, nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you” ( ). If you want to deal with someone who has fallen into sin, it is necessary that you bow down to him and to make yourself one with him and his sin. That is the meaning of eating the sin offering by the priest who had to bring a sin offering for someone else ( ). That is the way to lead the other one to repentance and so to be restored by God. . After this example of bearing a burden with specific conditions, this verse appeals to all believers to bear the burdens of one another. The burdens that are meant here are all sorts of afflictions and struggles that can make life so difficult. The Lord Jesus was and is the great ‘burden Bearer’. On Him we may cast all our anxiety ( ). But God in His wisdom has invented ways for us to help each other to carry one another's burden so that we in this way will learn to appreciate and experience more of the fellowship we have as brothers and sisters. We can notice the power of a local church amongst other things by the way the believers sympathize with each other when there are troubles and try to lighten the burden. By bearing one another's burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ. The purpose of this law is that we see that the life of the Lord Jesus was focused on the will of the Father for the sake of others. In a way Paul is saying here to the Galatians: ‘Well, if you insist on having a law, here you have one; start with this one.’ Christ never did anything for Himself. . People who preach or keep the law are totally different. They honor themselves and think they are capable of doing everything they want, without considering the needy ones. But in fact such people are “nothing”. They are blind to seeing that no good thing dwells in the flesh ( ). They deceive themselves by believing that they are able to do good by keeping the law. Such people always measure others by their own standards and of course they seek to appear better than others. . We should not compare the things we do and what we have, with what others have or do. Your own work and everything you are doing for God, including your whole attitude and all your actions, you should examine in the light of God. It is yours and you do it for God. You should be happy with what you can do for Him. And at the end, before the judgment seat of Christ, you will only be responsible for your own work, your “own load”. The latter means that you have to appear before God with your own load of activities. . The third form of bearing loads is about supporting those who teach God's Word. Please note that this concerns teachers of the Word of God and not people who have their own ideas or interpretations about the Word. This support is called “share all good things”. Primarily this can be financial support. Are you alert to this need? It can also be a kind of sharing in spiritual blessings by which a minister of the Word is encouraged. Have you ever shared with such a minister a personal and wonderful experience you've had with the Lord, just to encourage him? Other ways of sharing involve all sorts of practical matters, such as transport and housing. Now read Galatians 6:1-6 again. Reflection: Where do you see opportunities to bear a burden? Does it bring you to bearing that burden?

‏ Galatians 6:4-5

Bear One Another’s Burdens

Gal 6:1. To emphasize again his connection with the believers of Galatia and their connection to each other, Paul begins his closing admonitions with the wonderful word “brothers”. Of course this includes the sisters. This also is a good introduction to the following verses, which show that the connection is experienced in a special way, namely in the care which should be given to each other as ‘family members’.

In the previous chapter Paul showed the contrast between the deeds of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. He clarified that the Christian life must have the character of the Holy Spirit, to expose the fruit of the Spirit. Now it may happen that at some point a person fails to walk by the Spirit. For that moment, sin lying in wait and overtakes him. That is how it is presented in this first verse.

Sin is lying in wait and strikes at the moment when the vigilance of the believer weakens even for just a second. An example of how you can go wrong is: telling a lie to save yourself out of an awkward situation, by yielding to a sexual desire, or by taking somebody else’s money if you see it laying on the table.

The law has no mercy on these trespasses, only righteous retribution (Heb 10:28). The Galatians, who wanted to bring themselves under the law again, having received teaching about the Holy Spirit, can now be urged to deal with such a trespasser.

However, they had to consider some requirements before they could deal with the trespasser. First such a person had to be spiritual. You may wonder: Who dares to say that of himself? The following points make that clear. Someone who is spiritual will have “a spirit of gentleness”. You cannot judge another person with an arrogant attitude. What a contrast to the harshness of the law!

Second, “looking to yourself” will give the consciousness that I am no better than the other. What a contrast to legalistic people, regarding their self-esteem. A legalistic person is unable to suffer with someone else. I must be fully aware that if God does not guard me, I will make the same mistake, or maybe worse, than my brother did.

Concerning this case I found a striking similarity in the book of Job. It is about the good mind we notice in Elihu, when he speaks to Job. Elihu says: “Behold, I belong to God like you; I too have been formed out of the clay. Behold, no fear of me should terrify you, nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you” (Job 33:6-7). If you want to deal with someone who has fallen into sin, it is necessary that you bow down to him and to make yourself one with him and his sin. That is the meaning of eating the sin offering by the priest who had to bring a sin offering for someone else (Lev 6:26). That is the way to lead the other one to repentance and so to be restored by God.

Gal 6:2. After this example of bearing a burden with specific conditions, this verse appeals to all believers to bear the burdens of one another. The burdens that are meant here are all sorts of afflictions and struggles that can make life so difficult. The Lord Jesus was and is the great ‘burden Bearer’. On Him we may cast all our anxiety (1Pet 5:7).

But God in His wisdom has invented ways for us to help each other to carry one another's burden so that we in this way will learn to appreciate and experience more of the fellowship we have as brothers and sisters. We can notice the power of a local church amongst other things by the way the believers sympathize with each other when there are troubles and try to lighten the burden.

By bearing one another's burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ. The purpose of this law is that we see that the life of the Lord Jesus was focused on the will of the Father for the sake of others. In a way Paul is saying here to the Galatians: ‘Well, if you insist on having a law, here you have one; start with this one.’ Christ never did anything for Himself.

Gal 6:3. People who preach or keep the law are totally different. They honor themselves and think they are capable of doing everything they want, without considering the needy ones. But in fact such people are “nothing”. They are blind to seeing that no good thing dwells in the flesh (Rom 7:18). They deceive themselves by believing that they are able to do good by keeping the law. Such people always measure others by their own standards and of course they seek to appear better than others.

Gal 6:4-5. We should not compare the things we do and what we have, with what others have or do. Your own work and everything you are doing for God, including your whole attitude and all your actions, you should examine in the light of God. It is yours and you do it for God. You should be happy with what you can do for Him. And at the end, before the judgment seat of Christ, you will only be responsible for your own work, your “own load”. The latter means that you have to appear before God with your own load of activities.

Gal 6:6. The third form of bearing loads is about supporting those who teach God's Word. Please note that this concerns teachers of the Word of God and not people who have their own ideas or interpretations about the Word. This support is called “share all good things”.

Primarily this can be financial support. Are you alert to this need? It can also be a kind of sharing in spiritual blessings by which a minister of the Word is encouraged. Have you ever shared with such a minister a personal and wonderful experience you've had with the Lord, just to encourage him? Other ways of sharing involve all sorts of practical matters, such as transport and housing.

Now read Galatians 6:1-6 again.

Reflection: Where do you see opportunities to bear a burden? Does it bring you to bearing that burden?