It’s been an amazing journey reading through the book of Galatians and getting to learn about the Law, circumcision and uncircumcision, freedom in Christ, life by the Spirit, gifts of the Holy Spirit and much more. Today we finish the book of Galatians with chapter 6.
The headline in chapter six is ‘Doing good to all’ and Paul kicks it off by writing, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently . But watch yourselves or you also may be tempted” Gal 6:1. I won’t mince my words, as Christians, we are our own worst enemies! Quick to judge, quick to condemn, and quick to alienate and sideline when one of our own has committed a sin, 😞🥺 how sad. We forget that we like all human beings are prone to sin and none of us is better than the other. Therefore we need to change the narrative of how we’ve been handling issues and situations in the church and restore our fellow believers who have sinned or gone astray because if we don’t, the world outside will accept them and they will take their love as gospel truth. Why should we be happy or laugh when one person goes down? Instead we should hold their hand, walk with them and bring them back, this way we would have showed an example of Christ like living.
Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burden’s and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” God didn’t create separate islands where each one of us lives by themselves, no! He created us to live together in unity and in love. When one of us is down, we should lend our ears to listen and shoulders to cry on so that they feel the love of God in us, this is our duty in Christ Jesus. Galatians 6:3-4 “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.” In other words, don’t think too highly of yourself, or that your better than the rest! James writes in 4:10 “humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.” When you lift yourself up, you will fall, when the world lifts you up, it will pull you down too! but when The Lord lifts you up, no body can take you down you will be firmly grounded in a firm foundation.
There is a song that we sing in our swahili language that goes like “kill mtu atauchukua, mzigo wake mwenyewe,” meaning everyone will carry their own load. This is what Paul is referring to in verse 5 of chapter 6, “For each one should carry their own load.” I cannot carry my children’s load as a parent, its my duty to guide them, and they will have to make decisions for themselves. The same it is with everyone else, no matter how heavy a load may be, each one carries their own path and load, but we bear the burdens by showing love and compassion, this way the load becomes lighter and the path is smoother.
A farmer who plants maize cannot reap beans or vice versa! How is it then that we try to corner God by living double standard lives? Christians on Sundays, while for the rest of the week, we live a life of compromise and lies 😞. Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” You cannot corner God! He’s everywhere, He sees everything, even those inner secrets that no one else sees, the struggles and addictions your facing, everything is all bare before God. Instead of pretence, come to Him and lay it all before Him, allowing Him to work in you so that the struggles and addictions that you have will all fall off even without you realising it.
Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Am sure every one of us in this world has been hurt somewhere along the way, either by friends, family or just people around us. For some, this kind of hurt and betrayal has led to the change of who we are and this shouldn’t be the case, nor should it stop us from doing good and being kind. We should not allow the circumstances and the situations around us to change us into unkind, unloving people, but we should hold on to the hope we have in Christ Jesus, knowing that in the very end we shall reap a harvest and a bumpy one for that matter.
What then matters, circumcision or the new creation? Galatians 6:15 sums it all up, “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation,” and as Paul writes, in Galatians 6:14, “May we never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to us, and we to the world,” and when you follow all this, ‘peace and mercy to you all.’
As we close on the book of Galatians, make a personal choice today to follow Christ and live your life for Him. Pick up your cross everyday, crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit and be like Paul, bear the marks of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!
Galatians 6:18The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen
Memory Verse Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Sinners prayer:- Lord Jesus, I come to you, I am a sinner, please forgive me of my sins. Write my name in the Book of Life, from today, I belong to you.
Blessings!!
cynthiagitongablog.com 