Restoration Reminders

"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." (Galatians 6:1)

This is a short but extremely important verse in the Bible regarding daily interactions with the people in our lives. Here are a few of the gleanings from it:

1. When we desire to help others by pointing out their sins, it should be with the motive of restoring them to spiritual wholeness and helping them to grow in sanctification, not for the purpose of attacking them or of defending ourselves.

2. As Jesus warned in Matthew 7, when we are concerned with dabbing the specks out of the eyes of others, we must first take care of the tall timbers in our own. We will be of limited help to others if we are refusing the help of the Holy Spirit in our own lives in regard to our own sins.

3. Helping others, however, doesn't have to wait until we are absolutely 100% positively sure we have attained sinless perfection. Quite to the contrary, we should help others in all humility (the word translated "gentleness" includes this concept), fully acknowledging our own weaknesses, our own helplessness apart from the help of God, and our own ongoing need for repentance. "There but for the grace of God go I."

4. When we are on the side of receiving "rebuke," humility is always to be our response as well--regardless whether we think our "helper" is following all of these other "rules for rebuking." In other words, if someone is steeped in his own pride, not being gentle, blind to his own sins, but is still, despite all that, making some rather obviously good points (ouch) about my obvious sins (double ouch), my only good first response is to admit my faults, turn from my sins, and thank both God and my "rebuker."

"Dear God, we give thanks for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Fill us with Him and His sanctifying power. Make us holy as You are holy. Thank You, dear God, for loving us enough not to let us continue in our sins without saying something about them and calling us to repentance. Thank You also, dear God, for using others in our lives for this very purpose as well. Help us to be faithful to repent of our own sins in all humility, and help us, again in all humility, to seek to restore each other to walk in Your ways for the sake of our love for You and for our neighbor. Help us to help others, heavenly Father, that we might be like You in Your great work of conforming us to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen."