"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. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load." Galatians 6:1-5 Paul, The Apostle of Grace Is it possible for a fellow believer to become addicted to a specific sin? Yes. And when that happens, who should seek to restore that person and how should restoration happen? Paul tells us in Galatians 6:1-5, the above verses. Who Should Restore? According to Paul, who was mentored by the Jesus after he ascended into heaven, restoration should be done by those who live by the Spirit. What does it mean to live by the Spirit? To live by the Spirit, in the context of Galatians, is to no longer live by the law of Moses where a person seeks to be justified by religious activity and morality, but rests completely by faith in the grace of God, which is everything God has freely, fully, and forever given to us in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Galatians 2:21, Galatians 5:4). In the context of Galatians, the person who lives by the Spirit lives by faith in Jesus who loves him and gave his life for him, rather than by the law of Moses (Galatians 2:20). Those who live by the Spirit live in a personal, grace-based, love- relationship with God where they call God "Abba Father" (Galatians 4:4-6). They do not relate to God in fear as slaves under law (Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:7). They do not relate to God through religious performance to gain God's acceptance. Those who live by the Spirit understand the grace of God, meaning God's unconditional love and acceptance, unmerited kindness, unearned blessings, and unlimited forgiveness freely, fully, and forever given to us in Jesus. Those who live by the Spirit are not ashamed of the grace of God. They do not condemn those who teach grace, because they, too, are teachers of grace. Since they are aware of the depths of their own sin, and how easily it would be for themselves to be caught up in the same sin their brother or sister is caught in, they have a deep appreciation for grace. These are the ones, the ones who walk by the Spirit not by the law, who should go and restore a brother or sister entrapped in or addicted to a specific sin. The goal of those who seek out fellow believers caught in a sin is restoration...to bring them back to spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, and physical health. Why does Paul say for those who live by the Spirit to go to this sin- sick brother or sister? Because the law-based believer would go with a prideful spirit of judgment and condemnation, rather than a humble spirit of grace and restoration. Condemnation does not bring restoration...grace brings restoration. If law-based believers were to go to one caught in a sin, they would push that one deeper into sin. In the context of Galatians, the non-spiritual ones (but highly religious and externally moral), had deserted grace for law (Galatians 1:6). They were not the ones who should go and help a fellow believer. The spiritual ones were those who were living completely under grace and who had matured in grace. It was those living under and matured in grace whom Paul instructed to go to a brother or sister who was addicted to a specific sin. How Should They Go? When a brother or sister is caught up in a sin, the ones who go to him or her should go in a spirit of grace...an attitude of gentleness and kindness. The one caught up in sin already feels condemnation, guilt, and shame. They do not need a law-based believer heaping more condemnation, guilt, and shame upon them. No...they need grace. They need someone who will come to them in an attitude of humility, lavishing upon them God's unconditional love and acceptance, unmerited kindness, unearned blessings, and unlimited forgiveness. It is in this response of grace to the one trapped in sin that restoration begins...that healing begins. So, is it possible for fellow believers to become addicted to sin? Yes. According to Paul, who is to go to them? Only those who walk in the Spirit...only those who relate to God as their loving Father under grace, rather than their judge under law, should go to fellow believers caught up in a sin. So rather than judging from afar those caught up in sin with an attitude of law-based condemnation, let's love them up close with an attitude of grace-based restoration. |
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Categories1 Corinthians1 Corinthians 1:18 1 Corinthians 13 1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15:22 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 1 Corinthians 3:17 1 Corinthians 8:1 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 1 John 1:9 1 Timothy 1:7 2 Chronicles 7:14 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 2 Corinthians 12:9 2 Corinthians 3:1-5:21 2 Corinthians 3:17 2 Corinthians 3:7 2 Corinthians 5:13 2 Corinthians 5:17 2 Corinthians 5:21 2 Timothy 2 Timothy 4:6-7 Acceptance With God Acts 16 Acts 16:13-15 Acts 2 Acts 20:32 Acts 26:15-18 Acts 28:16-31 Addictions Alive With Christ Anger Anxiety Apologetics Balancing Grace With Truth Baptized In The Spirit Believe Bible Verses In Context Birth of Christ Build Each Other Up Caesar Caesar's Household Children Obey Your Parents Christmas Christ's Love Church Growth Churches Colossians Colossians 1:11-14 Colossians 2:10 Colossians 3:12-13 Comfort Communication Complete In Christ Condemnation Confession Contentment Corinthians Cut Off Your Hand Dads Dangerous Teachings Death Depression Devil Disappointment With God Discouragment Disillusionment With God Distant From God Doctrine Does God Exist? Drawing Close To God Drifting From Grace Epaphroditus Ephesians Ephesians 1:3-8 Ephesians 2:1-5 Ephesians 2:7 Ephesians 3 Ephesians 4:15 Ephesians 4:29 Ephesians 4:30-32 Ephesians 5:1-2 Ephesians 6 Ephesians 6:10-11 Ephesians 6:12 Ephesians 6:13 Ephesians 6:14 Ephesians 6:16 Ephesians 6:17 Ephesians 6:17b Ephesians 6:18 Ephesians 6:19-20 Ephesians 6:2-3 Ephesians 6:4 Ephesians 6:5-9 Eternal Life Euodia and Syntyche Evangelism Faith Fake News Fall From Grace Families Father Fathers For Me To Live Is Christ Forgiveness Freedom Fully Devoted Follower Of Jesus Future Galatians Galatians 1:10 Galatians 2:20 Galatians 3:1 Galatians 3:25 Galatians 4:21-31 Galatians 4:4-6 Galatians 5:1 Galatians 5:25 Galatians 5:4 Galatians 6:1-5 Genesis 3:15 Genesis 39 Gentiles God's Acceptance God's Glory God's Kindness God's Love God's Power God's Punishment God's Wrath Gospel Gospel of Grace Gospel of the KIngdom Grace Grace-Based Giving Grieve The Holy Spirit Growing Guilt Healing Hebrews Hebrews 10 Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 10:26 Hebrews 10:29 Hebrews 12:1 Hebrews 12:28 Hebrews 2:1 Hebrews 6:1 Hebrews 6:1-4 Hebrews 6:19 Hiring Process Holy Homes of Grace Honor Your Father And Mother Hope Humility Hurts Identity In Christ Impossible To Be Brought Back To Repentance In Christ Intelligent Design Isaiah 42:1-2 Isaiah 62:1-2 Jesus' Love Jews John 1:14-17 John 3:16 John 4:23 Joseph Judas Jude 4 Justification By Faith Knowing God Law Leadership Legalism Liberty Listening Love Love The Lord Your God... Luke 10:25-37 Luke 18:18-27 Luke 4:16-22 Luke 6:32-34 Lydia Managment Marriage Mathew 5:29-30 Matthew Matthew 6:14-15 Matthew 7:12 Meetings Memories Missionaries Mystery Nero New Covenant New Creation In Christ New Earth Nicademus Not Ashamed Of The Gospel Offspring of Satan Old Covenant Opposition To Grace Paul Peace Peace On Earth Perspective Peter Pharisees Philippians Philippians 1:1 Philippians 1:15-18 Philippians 1:19-26 Philippians 1:2 Philippians 1:21 Philippians 1:27-30 Philippians 1:3-5 Philippians 1:6 Philippians 2:1 Philippians 2:12 Philippians 2:12-13 Philippians 2:1-4 Philippians 2:14-16 Philippians 2:16-18 Philippians 2:19-24 Philippians 2:2 Philippians 2:25-30 Philippians 2:3-4 Philippians 2:5-11 Philippians 3:10-14 Philippians 3:15 Philippians 3:17-21 Philippians 3:3 Philippians 3:3-9 Philippians 4:1 Philippians 4:10-19 Philippians 4:20 Philippians 4:21 Philippians 4:22 Philippians 4:23 Philippians 4:2-3 Philippians 4:4-9 Pleasing God Pluck Out Your Eye Power Praise Prayer Problems Prodigal Son Purpose Reaching Your Goals Reconciliation Regrets Relationships Repentance Responses To Grace Resting Resurrection Rewards Rightoueness Romans Romans 1:16-17 Romans 10:4 Romans 14 Romans 15 Romans 3:31 Romans 3:8 Romans 4:14 Romans 7:14-25 Saint Samaritan Woman Satan Saved Serving Shame Sharing Your Faith Slavery In The Roman Empire Social Anxiety Speak The Truth In Love Spirit-Filled Church Spirit-Filled Life Spiritual Blessings Spiritual Warfare Strength Struggling With Sin Success Suffering Suicide Temptations Thanksgiving The Apostle Paul The Armor of God The Authenticity of the Bible The Cross The Golden Rule The Good Samaritan The Kingdom of God The Kingdom of Heaven The Lord's Prayer The Lost The Lost Coin The Lost Sheep The Lost Son The Mind of Christ The Prodigal Son The Return of Jesus The Rich Young Ruler The Sermon on the Mount The Sin That Easily Entangles The Sword of the Spirit The Ten Commandments Thoughts Timothy Titus 3:4 Titus 3:9 Tongues Truth Unity Walking By The Spirit Weaknesses Words Work Out Your Salvation Workplace Works World Worship Worship By The Spirit Worship In Spirit and Truth Wow Factor Wrath |
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