Galatians 6:1-5 – Community Change is a Dangerous Project
There will be dangers as we seek to help each other overcome the sins in our lives. That’s not a reason not to do it. But it is a reason to be prepared. Our attempt to intervene could be done harshly — or from a sense of pride. That’s why Paul says in v1 that we are to restore others in a spirit of gentleness. The sin we’re being called to deal with here isn’t obstinate rebellion against God. It’s that of genuine believers who have been ensnared by the devil in one of his traps. And if we genuinely want to see them restored, coming down like a ton of bricks isn’t the way to go about it. Paul goes on to say at the end of v1: ‘Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted’. He doesn’t mean by that: lest we too are tempted to do the same thing that they’re doing. But: lest we too are tempted and fall into the sin of pride. That’s why he says in v3: ‘For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself’. Our biggest temptation when correcting others will be to do so out of a sense that we’re better than them. But if we come with that sort of attitude, it means that we’ve become proud and self-righteous.
V2 here is a verse that’s often quoted. ‘Bear one another’s burdens’. And we tend to assume that means to bear peoples’ practical burdens. The principle certainly applies to those things. But in context, the burden we’re being called to carry is the burden of others’ sins. If we’re not ready to bear the burden of someone else’s sin, then according to these verses the root of our problem is pride. That might be the pride that comes from a fear of man, where we wonder what they’ll think of us. It might be the pride of thinking we’re too good to get involved. But if we really care about the person, we’ll try and help them.
V4 is another warning about the danger of pride. It’s saying: don’t make comparisons. Don’t compare yourself to others in the church to try and make yourself feel better. The only person who the Bible calls us to compare ourselves to is Jesus Christ. And we all fall far short compared to him. The last verse of our passage, v5, reminds us that judgement is coming. We won’t have to answer for others’ sins. We’ll have to answer for our own. So don’t get distracted by comparing yourself to others.
Questions
- What are the dangers of pride when trying to help someone?
- Who should we be comparing ourself to?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.