Pastor’s Corner: “Gently Restore”
Have you ever seen someone break an arm (Or maybe you’ve broken an arm, yourself)? What’s the first thing that happens? He or she cradles the broken limb in pain. And anyone who comes to help is extremely tender and gentle as they help. Keep this idea in mind as you read today’s devotional verse:
Galatians 6:1-3 (NLT) – Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
What does the way we treat a brother or sister who has sinned reveal about our hearts? Unfortunately, we have seen this scenario play out numerous times in our culture. A Christian gets caught in sin and gets blasted by their fellow believers. They get shunned from the fellowship of people who were once their friends, they are the subject of gossip, and they get called out publicly and humiliated. Social media takes this to the next level.
Paul reveals a different type of response. Instead, he says that those of us who live by the Spirit, which should be all believers, should gently restore those who have sinned. Why? Because those of us who live by the Spirit should all be able to say, “I have been there and but for the grace of God, I would be there again.”
Sin is serious business, and we are not being asked to ignore it. But when we are cruel to our brothers and sisters in Christ because they have been tripped up by sin, we become like the legalistic Pharisees who missed Jesus. We are also guilty of pride and hypocrisy. Legalists confront sin with a spirit of self-righteousness. After all, they would never commit such transgressions! But Jesus condemned this attitude of the legalists (the Pharisees) multiple times.
We should walk in the Spirit and approach the sins of our fellow believers with the spirit of restoration. The fact that we have received the love and grace of God ourselves should always be at the forefront of our minds. Humility should remind us that we have our own areas of weakness and that we, too, are capable of sin.
In fact, Paul also advises that we be careful. Sin can be infectious. We need to be on guard so that we do not get caught up in sin ourselves. “The Message” version of scripture says it this way: Galatians 6:1-3 MSG – 1-3 If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
Jude echoes this approach to dealing with the sins of others. Jude 22 “Be merciful to those who doubt, save others by snatching them from the fire, to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” Sin is not to be taken lightly, but it is meant to be dealt with gently. The way that we respond to the sins of our brothers and sisters reveals whether our hearts are being led by the law or the Spirit.
Ask yourself: Am I a gracious person who people can confess sin to without fear I will inflict more damage on them? Is there anyone in my faith family caught in sin who needs restored? Have I fallen into the same sin I’ve condemned in other people?
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton