“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”
– Galatians 6:1
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you know a kid – or a guy or gal, who has broken a bone? How well do you think that a broken bone will mend if the kid – or the guy or gal, who has broken a bone does not go to a doctor? What does a doctor do to ensure that a broken bone mends properly? Why do doctors have to sometimes use a cast to hold a broken bone together? How long do you think that it takes for a broken bone to mend? Do you know a kid – or a guy or gal, who has been caught in a sin? What is to be done with a kid – or with a guy or gal, who has been caught in a sin? What is to be done to help the kid – or the guy or gal, from being caught in the same sin again? A radiating physical pain will let a kid – or a guy or gal, know that he or she has broken a bone. An agonizing emotional ache will let a kid – or a guy or gal, know that he or she has been caught in a sin. A mental lapse may lead to a kid – or to a guy or gal, breaking a bone. A spiritual lapse will lead to a kid – or to a guy or gal, committing a sin. There is generally something external that contributes to a bone being broken. There is always something internal that leads to a sin being committed.
In his letter to the guys and gals in the Galatia Christ-follower fellowship, Paul – in Galatians 6, addresses the issue of how to proceed with a ‘brother’ – a Christ-follower guy or gal, who is caught in a sin. Paul – in verse 1, says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” Paul makes several blanket assumptions and observations as he finishes up the letter that he couriered to the guys and gals who are in the Galatia Christ-follower fellowship. Paul knew that because of sin’s insidious nature that Christ-follower guys, gals and kids will succumb to sins. Paul knew that because of sin’s desire for secrecy that the only way that the kind of internal havoc that only sin can cause can be stopped is for sin to be caught as it proactively acts out in a guy, gal or kid. Paul knew that because sin has an innate, inherent ability to be contagious that when the restoration process is begun with a Christ-follower guy, gal or kid who is caught in a sin and who accepts that he or she needs to rid himself or herself of the destructive, leaching effects of sin that only spiritual guys and gals should volunteer to fight that battle. Paul knew that the implementation of an offense that is built on accountability is the ideal deterrent against repeated sin attacks. Paul knew that helping to carry the burdens of other guys and gals will underpin sin’s defusing offense. Paul knew that a self-promoting ego of a guy, gal or kid is time and again a wide open door for a sin. Paul knew that self-testing motivation is critical to always maintaining healthy, non-comparing relationships that are invaluable to the building of a strong networked communal hedge that will keep a sin’s enticement arrow from finding a heart’s bulls-eye of a guy, gal or kid. Paul knew that when a guy, gal or kid appeases with his or her sin nature’s DNA that the sin will misalign the moral bearings of the guy, gal or kid. Paul knew that when a guy, gal or kid pursues with an embedded imputed craving for God – as God the Father, that God – God the Spirit, will align the spiritual direction of the guy, gal or kid. Paul knew that as a guy, gal or kid thinks healthy, caring thoughts that are communicated outward towards another guy, gal or kid, that he or she will strengthen each other’s firewalls from a sin foray.
The probability of breaking one of your 206 bones is . . . during a school outing when your Aunt Connie was in first grade at the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, your Aunt Connie broke an arm when she tumbled down a sand dune. Your grandmaa – about six years ago, while she was vacuuming the guest bedroom in the condominium that your grandmaa and grandpaa was buying in Colorado Springs, Colorado, your grandmaa shattered her right wrist when she tripped and fell. No matter how hard a guy, gal or kid may try not to sin, the guy, gal or kid cannot keep himself or herself from . . . the subtle influences of gossip, bitterness and pride spirits may not seem like they should be on the same playing field as the sinister impact of infidelity, larceny and homicidal spirits but they are. The excruciating pain of a broken bone will have a guy, gal or kid urgently desiring help from a doctor. The agonizing humiliation of being caught in a sin and the ostracizing potentiality from guys and gals in a Christ-follower community when caught in a sin may drive a guy or gal to seek being restored to an active role in the Christ-follower fellowship. Caught in a sin caught up with Ted Haggard – who was when he was caught in a sin the senior founding pastor of an over 10,000 member church in Colorado Springs. Ted Haggard was also the United States evangelical pastors’ association’s President. Caught in a sin caught up with Gordon McDonald – who was at the time when he was caught in a sin the pastor of a large church outside Boston and who was a well-known Christian author. Steve Holt – the pastor of the church that your grandmaa and grandpaa went to when they lived in Colorado Springs, was one of the pastors who met with Ted Haggard when . . . Bryan Wilkerson is now the pastor of the church where Gordon McDonald was once the pastor and remains being a member there. Bryan Wilkerson was at one time the pastor of the Manhasset, New York church that has been faithfully supporting your grandmaa and grandpaa since 1981. Your grandpaa believes that Christ-follower guys and gals must avow a mindset to restore.
Galatians 6 (1095)