Galatians 6:1-2
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
–
Accountability is Love
Each and every one of us has probably known what it was like to “be in sin”. It’s that yucky filling of gunk deep down inside of you. That feeling like you know what you just did has tainted you in some way, that feeling of needing a shower and scrub for your soul.
The thing is, personal sin is NEVER personal, it spills out in our relationships and in our walk with The Lord.
For example, when I am hiding a porn addiction, that “hidden sin” doesn’t just effect me, it also spills out into the way that I treat my wife, which in turn causes a strain in the relationship which if left untreated can turn into even more hurt for both me and her. Our children, noticing the friction between me and my wife, would then be affected as well. This might later on affect the way they treat their future spouses too. It just goes on and on.
If you have a constant habit of lying, that not only affects your own perception of reality by you eventually believing the lie, it also affects other’s ability to rely on what you say. Instead of taking you at your word, others begin to doubt every word that comes out of your mouth. You become labeled as untrustworthy and in a work setting become a hindrance to the team.
One last example, let’s say you and I have a tendency to live for us. No one else. Yes, we may say that others matter, but in reality they only matter inasmuch as they help us, help us. This becomes extremely harmful to the relationship because in this scenario, people become merely tools for us to use which devalues and dehumanizes them on a massive level.
I hope this helps you to see that our sin really does spill out into the lives of others and thus, needs to be dealt with.
Encouragement from the Bible
Because of this, Paul urges us to be there for our brothers and sisters in the faith to help them out when they are ensnared/trapped in sin. Even James (the Lord’s brother) similarly urges us to confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed (James 5:16,19-20).
What good does it do the body of Christ if we just sit back and watch as our brother or sister falls deeper and deeper into bondage? How is it loving if we stand idly by as they destroy their lives and their relationships? In what way is it honoring to God if we just passively hope for them to change and grow in their walk with the Lord without lovingly calling them to repentance and showing them the way back?
But When and How Can We
So knowing this, when should we correct a fellow believer? Aaron Menikoff in his Christianity.com article says:
When you see a brother or sister persisting in a pattern of unbelief, a pattern that calls into question the genuineness of his profession of faith, you should speak up. It is your word of exhortation that the Holy Spirit may use to soften your sister’s heart, lead her into an attitude of repentance, and spare her from God’s wrath.
If we see this going on, how can we bring them back, how can we “restore them” into the community and relationship in which they were/are a part of?
Well, first off we must “Live by The Spirit“. For us to do that means we are living in accordance with the will of God ourselves. We are following His ways and are allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work of sanctification (or the process of making us more like Christ in our character and motives) in our lives.
Next, we need to “Watch Ourselves and Resist The Enemy“
We MUST be aware of what causes US to sin. We MUST take note of the stumbling blocks in our own lives so that in the process of helping others we don’t trip and fall into that same sin that we were trying to help them out of. What a horrible moment that would be, instead of being a blessing we become a curse and affirmation to their sin. Instead of leading them to Christ who is the light, we instead drive them further away into the domain of darkness.
All of that is to say, we really need to know what our own temptations are so that we can be on guard against them when helping our fellow believers out of theirs.
After all, I can just about guarantee that this is one of those areas where when we try to follow God lovingly in restoring or brother, the enemy is going to do everything he can in our lives and theirs to stop our brother from remembering and taking hold of the freedom that was bought for us by Jesus our Lord. (Galatians 5:1)
And it’s because of that freedom that we should do this! We honor God when we face bravely and prayerfully our responsibility to lift others up in this manner. (1 Thessalonians 5:8-11)
We act as light when we remind our brothers and sisters that darkness is no longer their home.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has set us free and this freedom, defined well by the Focus on the Family authors:
Jesus was not setting us free to do whatever we wanted; He was freeing us to do what we ought to do. He was liberating us to walk in relationship with God and to be the kind of people He created us to be. This spiritual freedom is what I call “inside freedom” — the ability to obey God and choose His will for our lives.
And this is the freedom that sin had long denied us.
When we do this, we become reminders of the freedom that Jesus brings to those who are called His!
Carrying Each Other’s Burden
We all know the feeling of being under pressure because of our limitations. The feeling of being so close to sin that you can just about to taste it. That secret whisper in our minds that says it will be so much easier if we just do this or that.
But for many of us, we also know the feeling of resisting that temptation and how wonderful it feels to taste the love and grace of Jesus in those situations instead.
So let’s fulfill the “law of Christ” by carrying each other’s burden!
Let’s be aware of what’s going on around us and lovingly restore a brother or sister when needed and show grace wherever possible! Here’s how David Mathis wonderfully described loving rebuke in his Desiring God article:
Often it is easier for others in our lives not to say anything, but just let us go merrily on our way down the path of folly and death. But reproof is an act of love, a willingness to own that awkward moment, and perhaps having your counsel thrown back in your face, for the risk of doing someone good. When a spouse or friend or family member or associate rises to the level of such love, we should be profoundly thankful.
These actions fulfill the law of Christ-like love for our fellow believers. And that is one of the best ways of sharing God with others. Because as our Lord says in John “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)
All of this happens when we lovingly and gracefully “Carry each other’s burdens”
Additional Scripture to read:
Proverbs 27:5
Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Luke 17:3-4
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
