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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 15 July 2024:
Galatians 6:1 – 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.
God wants us to work to restore sinners in gentleness.
Galatians 6:2-4 — 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.
Many Christians quote “Bear one another’s burdens” someone out of context, referring to ministering to a person’s physical needs (which is indeed virtuous), but it is really about responding to offenses or the sins of others — “…if anyone is caught in any transgression.” It involves bearing the burden of the offense without responding in personal defense, not countering boastfully but forgiving and “taking up your cross” in the situation, remembering that you too are a mere sinner and not subsequently sinning in your anger by failing to be patient, knowledgeable, gentle, timely, gracious, thoughtful, refreshing, instructional, and humble.
Taking care of someone’s physical needs is noble, but it is much easier than bearing the offenses of others which hurt you without any resentment or bitterness, with a heart that truly wants only the very best for the offender. This is the Christlike character God is seeking to develop in you (Romans 6:29) and in order to do it, He will give you plenty of offenders for your practice of righteousness.
- Matthew 5:43-48 — “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- Luke 6:27-36 — “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
Galatians 6:7 — Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
The Principle of the Farm: A man reaps what he sows. You cannot rush a crop. You cannot wake up one morning and say, “I need to grow corn in a week.” It takes time, daily discipline, hard work, and perseverance to grow a crop as it does to achieve all the things that matter most in life. Spiritual maturity, wisdom, knowledge, physical fitness, strong relationships, financial security, talents, etc., all take time and daily, consistent discipline (as in disciple) to develop. After the seeds are planted, you have to be willing to water dirt with no apparent results for some time until eventually you start to see a small sprout; but even then, it is hard to tell what you are growing — you have to keep working. Also, if you love flowers, you must hate weeds. You must protect what you are growing from that which corrupts — this too takes effort; it is not a passive defense but an active one. One thing is certain, at harvest time, the product of your labors, good or bad, will be revealed. What are you cultivating? What disciplines to you practice consistently well in order to produce a harvest in your life that will glorify and honor God?
The Chinese have a saying, “The best time to grow a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time to grow a tree is today.” Every day is a fresh start. Make the most of every opportunity. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Do not be motivated by pride or fear but rather love. Do not compare yourself with others or judge others compared to you — keep your eyes affixed on Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit. Seek first the Kingdom, and be joyful in all things, even the trials which are strengthening your character. Also, take the time to help the farmer next to you. Having lived for a time in Nebraska, I learned something about the farm culture — people are not only patient, but they are also very friendly and cooperative, having learned to depend on each other during hard times. We need each other’s support.
Galatians 6:9-10 — 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.
Doing good can be wearisome. Don’t give up. People in the church can be some of the hardest people to love and be patient with.
Galatians 6:10 – So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
To whom does God command us to do good? Everyone! But especially fellow Christians. And what is our standard for “goodness”? Total, loving, sacrifice, without regard for merit. Why is this so hard for us? Because it goes against our notions of fairness (thank God grace isn’t based in fairness), and in our doubt, we feel we need to guard ourselves and our resources. However, it is in proactive and costly giving and forgiving where we experience God in our lives.
Galatians 6:12 – It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
People often make great religious sacrifices and place great demands on others for all the wrong reasons. Too often, religious and philanthropic acts promote self-righteousness or a sense of earning God’s favor as opposed to trusting in God’s grace and demonstrating love solely because He first loved us all the way to the Cross.
- 1 John 4:7-21 — Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Galatians 6:14, 17 — But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world…. From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
The reality of the cross should kill worldly pressures in your life. Who can stress you out when Christ has declared you worthy, victorious, righteous, and unconditionally loved? What worries can overwhelm you when the Almighty, Sovereign LORD, who loves you as He does Christ (John 17:23), has promised to take care of you and bless you beyond your imagination for eternity?
Galatians 6:15 – For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Religious activity is nothing, a heart for God and others is everything. What you do matters, but why you do what you do matters even more. God isn’t just trying to control your behavior; He could do that very easily if He desired. God wants you to have a heart which naturally, by loving choice, does what He wants, not through tremendous force of will which enables to win a battle over your desires in order to obey, but rather through a passion which would make disobedience unthinkable to you.
- 1 John 5:3 — For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 15 July 2024: Endeavor to do good to EVERYONE today, particularly to those who clearly don’t deserve it – that is called grace, a reflection of the grace that you have receive through Jesus. The grace you give others reveals your level of appreciation for the grace you have received. What could someone possibly do to you that would come close to being comparable to the offenses from which we have all been forgiven by our perfectly Holy God? (Galatians 6:10-17)
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 