Session 7 True Compassion Galatians 6:1:1-10; 14-15 October 13-14, 2018 Summary and Goal This is our last lesson in Galatians. As you might recall, some Israelites wanted to impose the Law and circumcision in the flesh as the path to righteousness. Paul consistently declares that righteousness comes only through Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross. In this chapter, we are commanded to exchange the regulation of circumcision with true compassion which flows out of our spiritual walk with the Lord. Main Passage Galatians 6:1-10; 14-15 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. 2 Bear one another s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 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. The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. 14But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Session Outline True Compassion 1. Defining the Spiritual a. Restoration, Gentleness, Self-examination 2. Fulfilling the law of Christ a. Bear one another burdens b. Humility c. Perseverance 3. Boasting in the Cross Session in a Sentence: The true compassion of Christ, written by the Holy Spirit in our lives replaces the regulations and circumcision practiced under the old covenant and serves as evidence of our new identity in Christ. Christ Connection: Just as Christ exchanged our sins for His righteousness to save us, He has written His life on our spirit to sanctify us. We are the bible that anyone can read 24/7. 2 Corinthians 3:3 puts it this way - Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it not with ink, but with God s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives and we publish it (The Message Translation).
Missional Application: We who are spiritual are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be Christ-like - forgive, restore, bear one another s burden, persevere and boast only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. True Compassion Page 2
Session 7 True Compassion Introduction Paul s message throughout Galatians is very clear. There is only one way to be saved, and it is by faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. Romans 10:9 eliminates any argument about other ways to be saved. Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Paul is very direct in his verdict and sentencing of anyone who promotes another message of salvation. Look at Galatians 1:10 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! In this chapter, Paul has moved his focus from convincing believers to say No to the Judaizers to saying Yes to spiritual living. When we are saved, we are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Old things have passed away. We take off the old and put on the new. In this chapter, we are going to talk about putting on True Compassion as part of our newness that grows in our daily walk. 1. Defining the Spiritual Paul speaks to those who are spiritual when he begins talking about true compassion. Of course, this opens up the truth that Christians can be saved, but their walk with the Lord will be described as spiritual or fleshly. 1 Corinthians 3:1 draws a distinct line between these two realities. Paul says And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. There are distinguishing harvests from the flesh and the spirit. The flesh yields corruption and the spirit leads to life. Verse 7-8 tells us that For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Some of the characteristics named in fleshly men and women are immaturity, jealousy, and strife (1 Corinthians 3:2-3). Our passage today describes spiritual men and women men as having a spirit of gentleness with restoration as their heartbeat. They love their neighbor as themselves while guarding themselves against any temptation. As spiritual believers, we persevere in the Spirit with humility. We have one thing that we consistently boast about, and that is the Cross. The Bible tells us that Christ has engraved His life on every believer s spirit through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in us, and as a result, we have rivers of living water flowing through us. But the harvest is determined by our choices. Although saved, we can still make decisions based on the flesh which does not bring life, or we can walk by the Spirit which highlights the life of Christ in us. If we walk by the Spirit, our fruit is described in Galatians 5:19-23: True Compassion Page 3
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Remember we want people to taste the Lord and see that He is good (Psalm 34:8) through our relationship with them through Him. In the spirit, we make two statements to the world and each other We love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and strength and we love our neighbor as ourselves. (Luke 10:27). When we walk in the Spirit, we are the bible that anyone can read 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 2 Corinthians 3:3 puts it this way Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it not with ink, but with God s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives and we publish it (The Message Translation). Application: Would you describe yourself as fleshly or spiritual Christian? Give the reason(s) why you describe yourself in this manner? Would the people who know you best describe you as fleshly or spiritual Christian? Give the reason(s) why they would describe you in this manner? a. Restoration, Gentleness, Self-Examination One of the opportunities available to those walking spiritually is restoration. Restoration is allowed for any of us who have failed. I think it would be safe to say that we all have failed. A great example of restoration surrounds our baseball team, the Houston Astros in our 2018 season. The Houston Astros signed Roberto Osuna to a contract after he was found guilty of domestic abuse and was suspended for 75 games during the time that He played for Toronto Blue Jays. He will be eligible to play for the Astros on 8/5/18. The announcement was made by Astros President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jeff Luhnow "We are excited to welcome Roberto Osuna to our team," said Luhnow. "The due diligence by our front office was unprecedented. We are confident that Osuna is remorseful, has willfully complied with all consequences related to his past behavior, has proactively engaged in counseling, and will fully comply with our zero-tolerance policy related to abuse of any kind. Roberto has some great examples of character in our existing clubhouse that we believe will help him as he and his family establish a fresh start and as he continues with the Houston Astros. We look forward to Osuna's contributions as we head into the back half of the season. As you can imagine, there has been some significant controversy regarding this contract and Osuna s past behavior of abuse, but it is a perfect example of what Christ expects us to do when restoring someone and giving them that second chance. When we know that God wants us to restore a person, we are to put them back together again immediately. True Compassion Page 4
This time to restore someone with a spirit of gentleness is also an excellent opportunity to examine ourselves. When we examine ourselves, we might have to admit that sometimes we want people to prove that they have changed before we will give them a second chance or we like to keep them on probation for an allotted period before we restore them. We have to admit that in some situations we will renege on our decision to restore them if we see any hint of the past failure. We are very quick to remind them of their past and reduce the outpouring of grace toward them. The foundation that restoration rests on is "forgiveness." Forgiveness wipes the slate clean, and we who is spiritual should do as Christ does Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more. Application: Is there someone in your life that the Holy Spirit wants you to restore? Have you restored that person in the same way that you would want Jesus to restore you? 2. Fulfilling the Law of Christ Another aspect of saying Yes to spiritual living and No to another gospel is fulfilling the Law of Christ." The Law cannot make anyone righteous, but love fulfills the law. Galatians 5:14 promises us that the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. a. Bear one another burdens We are directed by the scripture to do good. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith (verse 10). The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual nudges in our spirit to help one another. These nudges are His personal invitation to be His co-worker in expressing God s love and grace. The beauty of these nudges is that they are divine because God Himself orchestrates their timing and holy impact. Have you ever texted someone and they tell you that your timing is perfect, or that your message was just what they needed to hear? Many times, your obedience to those holy nudges is an answer to someone s prayer. Remember our work is to shine before men but all the glory is intended for God Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven Did you know that God has already set you up for success in fulfilling the Law of Christ? He has prepared and assigned these opportunities to us as part of our growth in His image. We are simply called to walk in them. Look at what He tells us in Ephesians 2:10: True Compassion Page 5
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Is God asking you to be His hands and feet on earth by meeting the needs of another person? Look at the encouragement that He gives us in James 2:15-16: If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? There will always be obstacles that will appear to be more appealing than God s invitation to be His co-worker. One of the challenges I have faced is time management. When the Lord calls us to bear one another burdens, He gives us everything we need to fulfill the need. He supplies the material goods and provides us with the time to serve others. I don't know about you, but sometimes, I don't have the time. But I have come to realize that I would have the time if I had said "no" to something instead of "yes." In essence, I have committed to do something that is not God's will, and it is stealing the time that God has allocated for His opportunity Application: Is there any opportunity that God is inviting you to help others? If your answer to the previous question is Yes, write down what He wants you to do and when He wants you to do it? Add it to your calendar as a commitment to fulfilling the Law of Christ. b. Humility After being saved, our first act of humility is making Jesus our Lord by obeying His word. Look at what Jesus says in John 14:23-24; If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father s who sent Me. Jesus is not asking us to do any more than what He did when He humbled Himself for us. He gives us a clear example of humility in Philippians 2:5-8 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus gives us clear direction about humility in Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. True Compassion Page 6
Jesus also restores us through our humility. Remember Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:1 that restoration is part of being spiritual. Look what the Lord says in 2 Chronicles 7:14-15: If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. c. Perseverance It is impossible to complete the spiritual work of God by using our natural strength, wisdom or talent. I believe that when Paul says 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary, he is not encouraging us to work harder and longer but encouraging us to persevere in the Spirit. Remember in Galatians 3:4, Paul asks us a very important question Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? During the 2018 Bible Study summer curriculum, we studied David s life and saw perseverance in action. One of the battles that David fought as king but lost was at Ziklag. The city was burned, and all his men lost their sons and daughters. 1 Samuel 30:8 tells us Moreover, David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. When I am tired, or I realize that I am working in my strength, I want to be like David and strengthen myself in the Lord. I pray to the one who gives me perseverance. Romans 15:5-6 tells us that our perseverance comes from the Lord: Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I plug into the Holy Spirit and ask Him to fill me with His power (Ephesians 5:18). I wait and rest in His word found in Isaiah 40:29-31 29 He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might, He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Application: Are you weary or restful? If you are exhausted, let us encourage you to be like David and strengthen yourself in the Lord. True Compassion Page 7
3. Boasting in the Cross It seems as though we have covered quite a bit in our study, but we know that everything points back to the cross. Let's remind ourselves of what Paul says in verses 14-16 in today's passage. 14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. I like the fact that everything points back to the cross because if I do get off track, and start embracing another gospel like good works, I can always return to the cross for renewal in my spirit. Romans 7:18-25 describes what I bring to the Cross spiritually and I praise God that it is at the Cross that I find the true compassion of Christ. Romans 7:18-25 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! True Compassion Page 8