I was putting the dishes in the dishwasher just after 10:00pm on a Friday night, when it came to me; when it came together. What a beautiful, though unexpected, way to end the book? A fitting end to a life changing revelation.
Nearing the end of this great book, Paul has argued passionately that having begun by faith, and not the law, we will also be perfected by faith, and not the law. That we are saved by grace through faith and not the law, is the bedrock of our faith. But that the just shall live by faith and not by law, in practice, has not been so solid.
Whenever I preach or teach Galatians, I inevitably have those who say, “You can’t just believe and do nothing. Right? You have to do something?” Some ask the questions genuinely, others in order to trap me by my words. For many, faith alone saves, but sanctification requires effort; effort to keep the law, in some way, effort to be obedient to something; the voice of God, His word, something. And in no uncertain terms, this effort is absolutely necessary. Already some reading this are nervously hearing permission to disobey God, though walking by faith is no such thing.
It’s a good and fair question. Surely walking by faith does not look like apathy to right behavior. If I’m to be perfected by faith, just as I am saved by faith, what must I do? How do I live like that? What does walking by faith look like? Fortunately for us, we don’t have to reason our way to an answer. Maybe the one inspired to answer is indeed answering the question.
Though I’ve always known that chapter six follows five, for whatever inexplicably bad hermeneutical reason, it never dawned on me that chapter six would complete the argument of the book. If I am right, then Paul is answering the questions. He is telling us what we must do. Telling us what law we must follow, yet leaving perfected by faith uninjured.
Bear One Another’s Burdens
Galatians 6:2 (NASB95): 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
The law we must follow is what he calls the law of Christ. It is unlikely this is a law in the technical sense, but a play on words. For those who are saved by faith and yet foolishly, like the Galatians, choose to live by the law, then this law, the law of Christ, can be fulfilled by bearing one another’s burdens.
There it is. It’s been in our bibles, but not at all in our practice. Rendered inexplicable by the all consuming individualism of this age. It’s been there, flying in the face of our personal struggles toward sanctification. It’s there closing the book. Suggesting we take our eyes off our own individual efforts to be perfected, and look to bear the burdens of another. Also, powerfully suggesting, we will all be perfected together. You can’t be perfected without me, nor me without you. There is a mutual bearing of one another’s burdens. I bear yours, and you bear mine. What is also powerfully suggested, is that to be perfected by faith is to become more like Christ. There is nothing more Christlike than to bear the burdens of others, thus the aptly ascribed, law of Christ.
The Burden of Restoration
Galatians 6:1 (NASB95): 1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
The burden we bear for others has devolved into the culture’s idea of accountability, though that’s not what the passage says. The passage says it’s restoration. I bring this up because, while accountability may be in the restoration process, restoration is not consummated by accountability. In fact, if we have only reached accountability, we can be certain, restoration has not been obtained. Accountability may be only the first step in the process. It may also be more easily achieved if we had some sense that restoration would follow, and not the more common Scarlett Letter. Sadly, there is no expectation of restoration following our often painful acceptance of accountability. We are left to bear our shame alone.
Because of the abundant use of the term, it must be noted that repentance is also not the goal. It’s an important step, but it too falls short of restoration. Restoration implies bring them close again; accepting them as members of the body again. It’s not something they must earn or win back, it’s something we graciously bestow upon them after accountability and repentance. The way in which we call for repentance alone, allows us to escape the responsibility to enter into our brother’s burden; to bear it with or for him.
As if the Apostle foresaw the excuses we would make to limit our burden, he states explicitly we are to bear our bother’s burden even if he is caught, ensnared, or held captive by any trespass. Our burden remains even if we know our brother will not walk away from his trespass easily, and there is no trespass that exempts me from my burden to restore. Just as there is no sin that Christ did not bear on the cross for us, there is no trespass that we are not to bear for our brother. Even if my brother walks away from me, or I must walk away from him, my burden to restore remains, whether in pursuit of him or in prayer for him. By doing so, in faith, I come to know and understand more deeply the work of Christ on my behalf. I come to identify with the depth of His struggle to restore me from any and every trespass. I come to discover the many layers of His love, as He faithfully bears my burden. For surely there is no greater perfection than to become like Him.
The Law’s Attitude
The qualification the author gives for restoration attaches great importance to the manner in which we bear the burden of restoration. Those who are spiritual are the first qualified to restore. As used in the book, the spiritual are those who understand that they have begun by faith and that they will also be perfected by faith. They have no delusions about their own efforts. Efforts which foolishly leads to boasting. Because the spiritual get it, and believe deeply in the work of Christ happening to them by faith alone, they don’t stand aloof, calling out sin and demanding repentance. They draw near, getting their hands dirty, entering the struggle for their brother’s sake, just as Jesus did for them, and in doing so, they fulfill the law of Christ.
The second qualification is that each one who bears his brother’s burden to restore, continually looks to himself. Soberly looks to himself as an act of humility to keep in view one’s own frail attempts to be perfected by anything but the work of Christ by faith. Remembering that it was while we were yet sinners, that Christ died. This is an active remembering that keeps us grateful, humble, non-judgmental. This qualification comes with a not so subtle warning; “lest you too be tempted.”
It is interesting that the Apostle does not say, “lest you too find yourself caught in any trespass.” No, he knows that all it takes is a temptation, and you too will find yourself caught in any trespass. It’s as if he is in relentless pursuit of exposing the folly of our attempts to be perfected by law. Those who are spiritual know that the only reason we are in position to restore, and not in need of restoration, is that we have not been tempted. He knows that the work of Christ in our lives keeps us from temptation.
The Load Were Bear Alone
Galatians 6:3–5 (NASB95): 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load.
Thinking soberly about ourselves as we are perfected by another’s work is the one burden we must bear alone. We must each examine our own work. I love that the Apostle is emphatic that this applies to each one, and is limited to his own work, so that any boasting can be in regard to himself alone, and therefore kept to himself and himself alone. What a powerful yet simple answer to the deadly games of comparison that leads us to believe we are something, when we are nothing. Examination of work should be limited to our own, but the burden of restoration is extended to our brother. How often we get these two backward, leaving a brother to restore himself apart from the body after we have examined his work and judged it insufficient.
The Way
It seems the Apostle’s instruction has been soaked and dripping in the person and work of Christ. His writing and instruction is patterned on Jesus. He seems to have found the powerful, unbreakable link between the incredible work Jesus accomplished, and the way in which He accomplished it. Suggesting loudly that there is power in the way to accomplish the work.
Jesus’ way was to come, walk among us, bear our burden to keep the law, then turn and offer His righteousness to us by faith alone, to restore us who were all caught, trapped, and enslaved in any and every trespass. His own work He bore alone, but for our restoration, He bore our burdens. And Paul, is asking us to imitate Christ in our relationship to our brother. In this way we all can be perfected by faith together, as we bear one another’s burden, restoring one another. Even those caught in any trespass. So for all the law keepers out there, this is how we fulfill the Law of Christ. This is the law we live by.
Blessings.
The Point of Reflection 