Carrying One Another's Burdens

 Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to your lives so that you are not tempted too. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:1-2 NET

Paul's opening words in chapter six are a powerful reminder that his message is not exclusive but inclusive. He addresses all brothers and sisters alike. The Greek words used here could also be translated as “fellow Christians,” a term that embraces both genders, reinforcing the idea that everyone is a vital part of the Christian community.

Paul points out that “we who are spiritual are to restore such a person in gentleness.” A lot could be said here. The Spiritual people he refers to are those who walk in the spirit and are led by God; in other words, those who are not pursuing carnal things in their lives but are led by God and respond to Him regularly. Those who have visibly been reborn or regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit and walk out their faith in Christ accordingly.

The spiritual men and women of faith play a crucial role in restoration. They are the ones who are called to restore such a person; Paul refers to discipleship here. The word restore here assumes that those caught in sin or a transgression were once in a healthy spiritual place in their walk with Christ. There is the understanding that these healthy spiritual men and women are to put those in error back into order with Jesus and the fellowship of their fellow believers. To restore, build up, mend, equip, complete, train, prepare, and ordain. There is so much being considered here that we would tend to miss the full ramification of the word ‘restore’ if we gloss over it and do not fully consider its entire meaning.

Restoration, in the context of this passage, is not just about correcting someone’s behavior but about bringing them back to their original state of spiritual health and fellowship with God. It’s about mending what was broken, equipping them for their journey, and preparing them for their role in God’s Kingdom.  This is the beauty of being in Christ. God is so gentle with us and takes the time we need to come to repent and receive Him with gladness.

There are times in our spiritual walk with Jesus when God shines His light into the dark recesses of our lives, not because God is pushy or desires some type of result, but because He is patient and gentle with us, giving us time to process and heal.  We must model this same patience with others as they grow and change. Not everything is healed instantaneously in their relationship with Jesus; sometimes healing and growth require a different approach, which is (Therapeuo) or therapy, a word used forty-two times in the New Testament. And it is through that gentleness that God demonstrates healing through His body. We are to be firm but gentle in how we approach other believers caught in sin, firm in the awareness that we are all fully loved wholly and equally in the love of Christ, and that nothing can separate us from that love. Our firmness should rest on those facts and nothing else. We can then approach others with a heart of compassion and gentleness and disciple them so that we might restore them to God and fellowship within the church.

Paul urges us to exercise caution in our lives and not be quick to condemn or judge others for their faults or missteps. These missteps could be anything from a moment of inappropriate anger to a prolonged period of doubt or even moral failure. The enemy prowls around like a lion, trying to find fault in us so that he may stifle or handicap our testimony and ministry and accuse us of any deficiency in our walk with God. As I said earlier, we are qualified to serve in this type of ministry because of the death, burial,  and resurrection of Jesus; it has nothing to do with our worthiness or what we can do; it is about what Jesus does through us as we surrender to Him.

Paul reminds us that we are to “carry one another’s burdens; in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  Carrying someone’s burden may seem like a strange way to fulfill the purpose of Jesus and His coming, but it demonstrates that we lift, bear up, sustain, and tolerate others’ burdens as a servant, just like Jesus is a servant to us and bears our burdens. That’s how His purpose is fulfilled. It is the body of Christ in operation, equipping the saints and doing the stuff of the Kingdom!

Paul discussed this extensively: that the law of Christ is the law of freedom, not bondage. The book of Galatians is replete with quotes from Paul attempting to convince the Galatians and others that we are given freedom and that we no longer live under the law of sin and death, even though many keep returning to it. He has vehemently and successfully argued that the only law we hold is the law of freedom in Christ Jesus. This freedom in Christ is not just a concept but a reality that empowers and liberates us from the bondage or grip of sin and death.

By keeping this law, we fulfill the purpose of Jesus’ coming in us: to live in His freedom and to expose others to that same freedom.

Stephen Barnett