Click Here to Read Galatians 6:1-18

All throughout his letter to the Galatians Paul emphasizes the importance of understanding that salvation is not earned through works but by the grace of God and our faith in Jesus Christ.  He ends his letter, however, with some important notes about good works, and above all, love.  Works do not gain salvation for us, however as the body of Christ we are called to love and to do good works; works which He planned for us in advance.  “We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One.  Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!” (Ephesians 2:10 TPT).

When I first began to study the New Testament, I kept a notebook of my thoughts because it helped me keep my focus on what I was reading.  As I was nearing the end of the New Testament, I was reviewing all that I had noted so far and I remember seeing two themes throughout all of these letters: love and unity.  These two things are so important to God.  That was so clear to me. What was also clear to me was that I did not have the capacity to love the way God wanted me to love.  No one had to point that out to me, I knew myself without and with Jesus very well.  But even with Jesus, I knew I did not have the heart for the kind of love that he exhibited in his life on earth.  I sat on my couch that night and just cried asking God to give me the heart of Jesus so I could love the way he did.  It wasn’t enough to have a heart like his, I felt like I needed his heart.

I’m sure that reading this section of Paul’s letter about caring for others, carrying the burdens of others, and doing good works can make us feel like we have to live far outside of our capacity to love.  That’s why I’m so glad that Paul preempted this part of his letter with explaining the power and purpose of the Holy Spirit.  Since we have learned that it is the Holy Spirit that does the work in us to give us the desire and the power to do what pleases God (Philippians 2:13), we can feel much more empowered to be able to accomplish this.  And because we have received Jesus, we have received all that he has, including his heart and capacity to love.  And like we talked about in the last session, if we live a life fully and feely yielded to the Holy Spirit, he will produce in us the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control) that will flow from us in limitless abundance.

Paul’s first charge is to help one another within the body of Christ.  “…if you see a believer who is overtaken with a fault, the one who is in the Spirit should seek to restore him in the Spirit of gentleness.” (Gal. 6:1).  This represents family to me.  Regardless of my mistakes or my ridiculous ideas or decisions, my family always supported and loved me.  They were honest in pointing out areas of my life that was concerning, but they were also the first to come to my aid when I needed help.  They were always there to give me a hand back up to my feet when I fell down, restoring me in a spirit of gentleness.  God wants us to be like that.  When we see someone struggling with sin we need to reach out and help them.  We may think we want nothing to do with that, but in doing nothing we end up contributing to their fall.  Wouldn’t we want someone to help us if we felt we couldn’t break free of something?  Or worse, if we didn’t even realize we were participating in sin?

When my husband and I first decided to invite God into our relationship (we were not married at the time), I wanted to find a church for this very reason.  I knew that we would need some guidance, some support, some loving people to help us grow.  We would need those who had spent time walking with the Holy Spirit to teach us how to walk with him.  We are a family of believers and in Christ we are united as one body.  It is so important to God that we lift each other up and bring each other closer in.  And if we yield to the Holy Spirit, he will help us to help one another in that Spirit of gentleness. 

In addition to loving and caring for each other, we also have specific work that God has assigned for us to do.  “Let everyone be devoted to fulfill the work God has given them to do with excellence, and their joy will be in doing what’s right and being themselves, and not in being affirmed by others.” (Gal. 6:4).  This kind of relates to the beginning of Paul’s letter when he stated that he refused to water down his message to be popular with men, but his passion was only to please God.  “For if all I attempt to do is please people, I would fail to be a true servant of Christ.” (Gal. 1:10).  It is God’s approval that we really seek.  If we limit ourselves to man’s approval, we will always be seeking for more because we were made to crave God’s approval.  The One who created us, gave us life, and a purpose.  When we are doing what He designed us to do, we are truly happy.  I’ve heard it said many times, “When you discover who God made you to be, you never want to be anybody else.”  The more I discover my relationship with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, the more joy, peace, and love seems to fill me.

What work has God assigned for you to do?  In what ways can you devote yourself to that work?  For me this is still unfolding but I do know one thing: I am to share.  I am to share my testimony, share what I learn, share what I know of God, share my Jesus.  God is beginning to show me ways He wants me to do this, including “Step Into Jesus”.  If you haven’t yet discovered that which God has created you for, I encourage you to pray and ask Him to show you.  He will be faithful to reveal it to you, He wants you to fulfill it more than you do!   

Harvest is the last main point that Paul discusses in his letter.  “The harvest you reap reveals the seed that you planted.  If you plant the corrupt seeds of the self-life into this natural realm, you can expect a harvest of corruption.  If you plant the good seeds of Spirit-life you will reap beautiful fruits that grow from the everlasting life of the Spirit.” (Gal. 6:8).  We are all familiar with the concept: “you reap what you sow”, “what goes around comes around”, “treat others as you would have them treat you” etc.  How ever it is that you have come to know it, it is a principle instilled in all of us at some point.  Sowing and reaping is a part of the Kingdom of God that we see throughout the entire Bible.  But one thing I felt was emphasized here is that harvest is inevitable.  “And don’t allow yourselves to be weary in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming!” (Gal. 6:9).  We all have those things that we are contending for, those people we pray and stand in the gap for, those in need that we serve, those that we give to and lift up in hopes to see them truly set free.  And we can get weary in all of these things, especially if we see no change.  But harvest is inevitable.  And God doesn’t let anything we do go to waste.  So, keep on praying, keep on giving, keep on contending, keep on standing, keep on serving.  A day will come that you will see the fruit of your labors, and God never disappoints!

Let’s pray.

Father, we are so grateful to you for uniting us in Jesus, that we are one family to love and lift each other up and carry one another’s burdens.  We can take delight in this because your Holy Spirit empowers us and gives us the capacity to do it.  Thank you for making us each unique and with a unique purpose to fulfill in this life.  If we have not become aware of what that is will you reveal it to us so that we can start moving towards it?  It is only when we find what you have created us for that joy and fulfillment come.  Thank you for Holy Spirit who guides us in planting seeds of Spirit-life so that we can reap beautiful fruits that grow from the everlasting life of the Spirit.  Father, if any of us do have sin in our lives that we need to be free from we pray that you would send a faithful servant of yours into our lives that can restore us to you in a Spirit of gentleness and help us to be strong in our walk with you.  It is only by your grace that we are saved, the blood of Jesus we are redeemed, and Holy Spirit that we maintain our freedom.  Teach us how to walk according to the Holy Spirit that we may access the heart of Jesus that we have been given.  In Jesus’ name we pray these things, amen.