Galatians 6-4.19.22

SCRIPTURE:

Galatians 6:14

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

OBSERVATION:

In this chapter, Paul talks to the brethren about the importance of restoring someone gently who has been caught in a wrong doing. By using the word, 'caught', he wasn't necessarily talking about someone who had been found out, but someone who had been entangled in their sin. In the restoring process, Paul emphasized the importance of watching out for themselves so that they wouldn't fall into the same temptation. Paul's instructions to the ones who had been entrapped in sin is like the process we call intervention. The sins that Paul was referring to were: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. (Galatians 5:19-21). As we live by the Spirit, we are to help our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in bondage to the works of the flesh so that they can be restored back to the Father and enjoy the benefit of living in true freedom that is provided through Jesus.

UNDERSTANDING:

Paul loved people! He wanted the very best for everyone! He had a pastor's heart. He was a servant of the Living God, and the motives of his heart were pure. Even though he was physically challenged, he pressed on by showing his love to people by preaching the gospel, and carrying out God's Word. He was deeply concerned about the Galatians, and did his best to warn them against false teachers, and made sure that their conversion to Jesus was real.

Paul endured a lot for the sake of Christ, but one thing he never did was to boast about himself, or his credentials. He gave all the glory to the Lord for the strength and endurance that he had received from God after he had become liberated from his sins. Paul learned that the most profitable way to exercise his newfound freedom was to become a servant of Christ.

LIFE APPLICATION:

I'm so grateful for the example of Paul. He was an outstanding leader for Christ. He taught the importance of relationships, not only among leaders, but among all believers. His love for Christ is what inspired and motivated him to want the very best for everyone, including the ones who had been caught in their sin.

I pray we will follow the example of Paul by loving God, loving others, and carrying each other's burdens.

-Robin Orefice