It's time now to turn together in God's Word to Galatians chapter 6. I'll be reading the first five verses. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
For if any one thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work. And then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. for each will have to bear his own load. Let's pray.
Yeah. Father, how we Thank you, and how we are comforted that we can bring our struggles before you because You are perfect in every way. You are true. You're holy. You are compassionate, you're gracious, you're merciful.
You're all wisdom. And so, Lord, as we continue to Struggle with self-preeminence with comparing ourselves to others as we continue to struggle with our own personal bent to sin. Lord, we thank you for the transforming power of your word, for the power of your Holy Spirit, and we ask you to be at work. in that way today. In Jesus' name, amen.
Good morning, church. Thank you. Received a Special some some gifts pretty interesting. I got one, it said theology-free coffee mug. I thought that's pretty neat.
I was thinking about bringing it up here today and just putting it right here, but that might be a distraction. I don't know.
So, anyway, thank you for that. Galatians, we're in chapter 6 of Galatians now. We're in the last chapter of Galatians. Two more sermons after today, and then we'll be through with Galatians. Not that we're in any hurry to do that, but I appreciate the reception that this teaching has had from this congregation.
And others as well, many watching online, live streaming, and watching the videos. Um This is this is powerful stuff. This is the gospel of grace. Paul is championing the gospel of grace. And we need to know what's so important about the gospel of grace.
What is the difference between the gospel of grace and the law? Because we're under the gospel of grace. Mm-hmm. And so Today we're going to look at the law of Christ. Because I have actually In the not too distant past, I have received some comments from people that say, you know, I think you're preaching so much about grace.
that is leading people to inactivity. And I'm like, I sure hope that's not true. I hope that's not true of you. It's not true of me. Is there nothing we ought to do?
Of course there is. But the whole point is What is the fountainhead of what we do? It's like Adam said this morning, we're saved by grace, full stop. Compassion doesn't save us. But we are saved too.
compassion, aren't we? We are created in Christ Jesus. Unto Good works. which God has beforeordained that we should walk in them. There is something to which we are called.
We are freed from. Remember how I would say this? We are freed from, and we are freed to. If your understanding of grace is only that we are freed from something, And you're missing half of it. We are freed.
Two, and we're freed to what? Follow in the footsteps of Christ. We're freed to become like Christ. Not under the burden of the law, but in the power of the Spirit. Big difference between those two.
We're going to see a huge contrast today. I'm so grateful for what Paul writes here in these first five verses of Galatians chapter 6, because what he provides for us is a very stark contrast. Between Grace, the gospel of grace. A life of grace, a church of grace versus. the law and the judgment that comes with it.
Okay.
Now, our focus is going to be on the statement that comes. At the end of verse 2.
So let's begin there. Look at. Verse 2 with me: Bear one another's burdens, and read it with me, so fulfill the law of Christ. Say, we're not under the law. We're not under the law of Moses.
But we are under the law of Christ. And what is the law of Christ?
Well, this has a lot of people asking. Questions and making a lot of statements about what the law of Christ is.
So, let me share with you a few scriptures. As we talk about this, Paul writes of this, 1 Corinthians 9, verse 21. He says, To those outside the law, what is he talking about? He's talking about Gentiles. To those outside the law, I became as one outside the law.
And then he puts in parentheses, not being outside the law of God. In other words, I'm not out from underneath God's authority. But under the law of Christ. What he says, 1 Corinthians 9, 21. Under the law of Christ, that I might win those outside the law.
Now here it is. Jesus says this, John 13, verse 34: A new commandment I give you. That you love one another. And he didn't stop there. Just as I have loved you.
You know what that does? That raises the bar. pretty significantly. Under the law of Moses, it says, Love your neighbor as what? Yourself.
You do love yourself, you know. You take care of yourself, you feed yourself, you warm yourself, you protect yourself, you care for yourself. You love yourself. And the law of Moses says, love your neighbor as yourself. The law of Christ says.
Love one another as I have loved you. Wow. You are also to love one another. And then he says, John 15, verses 12 to 13, and then 17, This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone laid down his life for his friends.
Now he's getting to helping us understand what love is. Because in our context today, when we think of the word love, we think of a warm, fuzzy feeling about somebody, don't we? Let's make sure that we don't allow the biblical use of words to be defined by what the world. thinks that word means. Let's think of it how God uses it.
Greater love has no one than this than someone who laid down his life for his friends. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. Romans chapter 13. This again written by Paul, verses 9 and 10, for the commandments. And he quotes the law of Moses, right?
The Ten Commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet. And any other commandment are summed up in this word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, that is the one commandment that sums up the entirety of the law. And he explains that: love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
So the law of Christ is summed up in love. We need to understand what that means. Love that is spirit led and spirit empower'd. As I've said before, this love of which we speak here is supremely. More than how you feel about someone.
That's not what God is calling us to. He's not calling us to feel warm about other people. Yeah. Jesus didn't come to earth. and die for us.
On a cruel cross, a wicked cross, and experienced the separation from the Father and absorbed the wrath of God in Himself because He felt warm about us. He loved us. He gave himself for us.
Now we're beginning to understand what love is. Love is, this is a definition, love is your investment in another. for their Godward movement. Love as I have loved you, Jesus said. How has Christ loved me?
He gave himself for me.
so that he could bring me to God. To the Father. That's love. Let's remember that. When the Bible speaks of love, this is what it's talking about.
When Christ speaks of love in the New Testament and the apostles speak of love, this is what they're talking about. They're not talking about how we feel. You might be able to love somebody you don't even like.
Now that got your gears turning, didn't it? While we were still sinners, Christ what? We were considered his enemies. And he gave himself to us to reconcile us to himself. That's love.
That's the love that we're talking about here. When he says, Love one another as I have loved you. Let your mind now move away from Move away from the way the world thinks about love, is this warm feeling, you know, the classic Hallmark line: I've never felt this way about someone before. That's not what he's talking about. Stick with me here.
Envision yourself. Moving towards Another person. Adam's living picture was perfect for this morning. I didn't plan it that way. But that was perfect.
Envision yourself moving towards another person. Ultimately. for their God-word movement. That's why Jesus came to us.
so that we could be reconciled to God. And you are moving towards another person, not out of any selfish ambition. No selfish ambition. But in a sincere desire to help them move. God word.
In mutual blessing. You in your love will contribute to their human flourishing. They're spiritual flourishing. Listen, this is a major reason why. This.
The church. This is why God established the church.
So that we who are in Christ Who have recognized and acknowledged his love for us in that he gave himself for us. That as we are together We move towards each other to contribute to each other's flourishing. That is love, folks. That's how it works. And this love.
If you take the first command, the second greatest command is to love your neighbor as yourself, right? And Jesus upped that. He says, love one another as I have loved you. What's the source of that? That is the outflow of loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and strength.
You see, that's priority. That love is first.
So, don't take it like I'm standing up here saying from the Word of God that you have to love each other. What you have to do first is. is love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Your heart and mind informed by the Word of God through the Spirit of God. Are you taking in his word, his self-disclosure?
I remember when Andrea and I were not married yet and she had stepped away from her last semester of college. to go to Michigan to prepare for our wedding. And I was uh finishing up college. And um She she was away, so it was a long distance relationship for five months before we got married. I looked forward to my letters from her.
And when I got the letter, you know, I would read it, and I'm reading it, and it's like, okay, she says this. And she says this. And she says this. So here is what she says. She says this and this and this.
And in preparing for the wedding, I should be doing this and this. Do you think that's how I read that letter? I certainly hope not. I would find a quiet corner. No distractions.
Sit down and read it. And I envision her, I hear her speaking to me. With love. Folks, that's the word of God to us. That's the word of God to us.
If you see the Word of God only as a list of commands, you are missing the message of God. You're missing it. There are commands, yes, there are. But God's self-disclosure to you is way more than just a list of commands. God says I love.
You. And I want you. That's the Word of God. And to the degree that that grips us. Our hearts and our minds are captivated by the love of God.
And I love God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength. Don't you see how that? is going to radically Alter The outflow of my love for other people. to move towards them. In love.
So that we live with the mind of Christ. Philippians 2 is our highest example of that, the mind of Christ and what is the mind of Christ. Let this mind be. in you which is yours in Christ. What is this mind?
And then he gives the supreme example of Christ leaving behind all of his glory and his privilege. And he comes to earth and he's born as a human and becomes a servant and obedient to the death, even the death on the cross.
Now, why did he do that? Because he considered your Godward movement more important than his comfort. That's love. That's the mind of Christ. And Paul points that out clearly, Philippians 2: the mind of Christ.
What is she which is what? Consider others more important than yourself. I'm going to quiz you now. What is the mind of Christ? Consider others more important than yourself.
You ready for the quiz? Here it is. What's the mind of Christ? Remember that. And in vision The second person of the Trinity, leaving behind all of his glory and privilege.
And coming into a filthy stable And being born as a human and growing up In our brokenness in experiencing all of it. And living a perfect life, and then laying down his life for you and me so that we could be reconciled to God. That's the mind of Christ. That's love. That's our standard.
That's our criteria. This is what John says. 1 John 3, verse 23, and this is his commandment. That we believe in the name of Jesus, his Son, and love one another just as he has commanded us.
So to believe In Jesus. In the name of Jesus, his character is everything he stands for. That's what the name of Jesus means. That I know him fully. I know him, and therefore I entrust myself to him.
As a result of that, we love one another just as he commanded us. That's the command of Jesus. 1 John 4:21, and this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. Let me use A directional illustration, if I may, to love is to draw near someone. To consider them important enough for you to draw near to, to hate someone is to walk away from them.
That's the biblical understanding of love versus hate. To hate someone is to turn your back, to walk away from them. Consider them insignificant to you. That's hate. Could talk about that a lot.
We will someday, but today is not that day. This is a commandment that we have from him: that whoever loves God must also love his brother. You say you love God? And you walk away from a brother, you ignore someone who is your brother, your sister in Christ. How can you say you love them?
It's powerful, isn't it? 1 John 5:1, everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. Because we're in the same family. Rich, did you have to use family?
Well, see, it's not my illustration, it's the Lord's. Mm. Because some of us struggle with our family. I don't. But some people do struggle with their families, right?
Some people struggle with their families. Like the whole concept of God being Father. Oh man, you don't know the kind of relationship I had with my father. That doesn't change the fact that he is our father. He is our perfect Father.
And the family of God is the family that He has designed and called together and birthed. And we are his family, and in his family, we are brothers and sisters. in a community of love. Everyone who loves the Father must Everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. Wow, that's a fascinating.
S statement, isn't it? Yeah. Before we get into Really, what this passage is about. Let's talk about two inhibitors that keep the law of that. Inhibitors to keeping the law of Christ.
And the law of Christ is love, to love one another as I have loved you. And he mentions two inhibitors here. They're big ones. They're very big ones. And we're all, we all struggle with them.
We all struggle with them. Number one is conceit. Conceit. Verse 3: For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing?
Conceit says I am above that. I am above that. When you think you are something, you think you are great, you think you are important, and that. is a sense of superiority to someone else. gives you a disposition of judgment over them.
You and I are not called to that. We are not called to that. We are called to discernment. But we're not called to judgment out of a sense of superiority over someone else.
Okay.
This is if someone thinks he is something when he is nothing.
Now there's some contrast there, isn't there, right? What does that mean?
Well, just like Adam pointed out, we are all saved by what? Grace. It is the grace of God. And grace is holy, undeserved favor. Undeserved.
We are saved by grace. We are all a redeemed work in progress. We're a work in progress.
So conceit is a huge inhibitor to keeping the law of Christ. Do you need to deal with that this morning? Is the Lord working on your heart? Is the Spirit speaking to you through His Word this morning? Do you ever feel your sense in yourself, a sense of superiority over someone else?
Maybe someone who's not been walking with Christ as long as you have, and you think you've arrived? And therefore, you have a tendency to look down on people who have not arrived as you have. Careful with that. That's not the mind of Christ. Remember the mind of Christ.
The second inhibitor to keeping the law of Christ is comparison. Verse 4, but let each one test his own works, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. Folks, listen, this is a perfect reason. Verse that gives us an example of why context is so important.
Okay? Because you can take that verse out of context. Plastered on a coffee mug. And think that You, if you're good enough, God's going to be happy with you. It's not what that verse is saying.
Okay.
This is not a verse about self-redemption. First of all, when it speaks of the boasting, it speaks about there's an accountability coming. What is your boast when you stand before Jesus Christ? We sang about it this morning. I've nothing to boast.
Look at verse 14, Galatians chapter 6. Look at verse 14. This is what Paul says, Far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. To practice comparison is to look at others and say, I'm doing better than you, or I did better than you. And what we do is we make them the standard for.
What is good or best or better? And the truth of it is, to use others as a norm is a kind of escape. But we all have a tendency to do that. I want to think about how well I'm doing by comparing myself to other people. Folks, that is a tactic of the adversary of your souls.
Don't let yourself get swept into that. measure up rather to the character of Christ. Measure up to the character of Christ. And that's what we need to strive for because that's what we're predestined to. We're predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ.
So if you're going to compare yourself to anybody, compare yourself to Jesus. And then remember, you cannot measure up to him except by the grace of God.
So important. I want to point out something here, too, because it says if you read in verse 1. Um I'm sorry, verse 2, bear one another's burdens. That's what we're called to do, and so fulfill the law of Christ. And then at the end of verse 4, it says, Reason to boast will be in himself alone and not his neighbor.
Verse 5: For each will have to bear his own load.
So, what is it? Bear one another's burdens, or each has to bear his own load?
Well, he's talking about two different things there, and he's using two different words. All right? Burden is when it says bear one another's burdens, it's something that's weighing somebody down, a sin, a brokenness, that's weighing somebody down. We share that. We share that.
That's what love does. We share that. We'll talk about that some more in a minute here. But when it talks in verse 5, where each one will have to bear his own load. That's the sense of personal responsibility that we have before the one to whom we will give account.
Okay.
In other words, carry your own weight. Carry your own weight. It's an accountability. When it talks about the reason to boast. When you are standing before Christ, will you hear him say, Well done, good and faithful servant?
That's what needs to be your aim. Paul said in 12 Corinthians, he says, We make it our aim to be pleasing to him. Why? Because his his opinion counts. You live for the opinion of one.
I really like how the New Living Translation Translates verse 4. to give us understanding of it. Pay careful attention to your own work. For then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. It's good, isn't it?
That's the gist of what Paul is saying.
So com but Understand this comparison. is a massive inhibitor. To the law of Christ. to loving others. You'll have a hard time loving others if you're comparing yourself to them.
You'll have a hard time loving others if you're conceited. Let's talk this morning now about two ways to fulfill the law of Christ. Two ways to fulfill the law of Christ. Number one, pursue restoration. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any trespass, You who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.
Should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Stop for a moment. If anyone among you is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Let that wash over you. As the grace of God.
This is how grace works. This is the contrast between law. And judgment. And Grace and restoration. Do you deserve favor from God?
You do not. Has he done something to restore you? to reconcile you to God. He has. And so should we.
Then so should we. If anyone is caught in any transgression.
Okay.
When it comes to light that someone is overcome by a trial, what do we mean by a transgression?
Somebody has stepped over God's loving boundaries. They're consistently stepping over God's loving boundaries. They're headed for a precipice because, listen to me, sin is inherently self-destructive. You don't want to see anybody, anybody you love and care, you don't want to see them head in a destructive, self-destructive direction, do you? And if you just sit back and do nothing about it, can you say you love them?
I want you to chew on that. I want you to chew on that for a while. Contemplate that. And it's, you know, someone is overcome by a transgression, God's loving boundaries, whether it's perceived or actual. I might be seeing someone, a brother or sister in Christ, and what I'm seeing in their lives, it's like, You know, it looks to me like they're headed for the precipice.
Their attitude is just has so different recently and the things that they're saying, I just it feels to me like they are seriously drifting away from Christ. What am I gonna do about it? And you're looking up at me and saying, Yeah, Rich, what are you going to do about it? What does verse 1 say? You that are.
Who is that? Any child of God who is Indwelt with the Spirit of God. And he is walking by the Spirit. That's not reserved for the leaders of the church. This is for brothers and sisters in Christ who are willing to come alongside each other because they love each other.
Yeah. So, whether it's perceived or actual, sin, what is sin? Here, let's define it, all right? Any thought or behavior that counters the character and purpose of Christ. Any thought or behavior that counters the character and purpose of Christ.
If we see somebody walking in a pattern, whether it's an attitudinal pattern or a behavioral pattern, that is. Contrary to the character and the purpose of Christ. If I love them enough, what am I going to do?
Well, let me tell you what normally happens. and what is natural behavior for us to do, even as Christians. Sam. Can I use you for an illustration? Would you mind coming up here?
Please. I did not prepare him for this, so. Please forbear him. And Sam is my brother. I love him.
Now let's say Sam has been showing some Attitudinal. Patterns That shows in how he speaks to his wife. How he speaks to us here. He's not here half as much. We don't see him.
He's a care group leader, and he's given all kinds of reasons why he can't attend a care group.
Okay.
And don't go too f I don't don't be legalistic about that. He's showing attitude and will be changes. And and and I c get the sense That Sam is headed for the precipice. Take a step up there, Sam. And I'm like Wait a minute.
I don't want you to fall off there. Why? Why do I want not want him to fall off there? Because I love him. Because I'm operating in the mind of Christ.
Now here's what normally happens. Sam is headed for the precipice. You don't have to fall off. What do I normally what normally happens? Tell me, what normally happens?
You judge him, you label him, and then what do you do? You talk about him to other people. Am I stepping on your toes right now? That behavior, loved ones. is what the adversary of your soul wants you to do.
Thank you, Sam. I may call him up again.
Somebody walking toward the, and I can tell, in their behavior, maybe they're doing a behavior. That is contrary to the character and purpose of Christ. Maybe they're getting caught up in some kind of a vice.
Some kind of a habit. That is doing damage to them. And I'm going to label them and shun them and talk about them to other people. Uh Is that the mind of Christ? No, not even if you talk about them with other people by sharing a prayer request.
Hypocrites. We think we're so spiritual.
Well, you know, we need to pray for our brother Sam. Have you spoken to Sam? And listen, I'm in a position where it's not uncommon for someone to come to me and say, Rich, do you know what this person is doing? Do you know what they did to me? And what am I?
What should I say? What should I say? Have you? spoken to them. Have you come alongside them?
Here's the difference, loved ones, listen to this, please. Is this receiving me? I mean, Okay, I want to make sure the Live stream is getting this.
Okay, very good. Thank you. What does the law do? If you break the law, there is what? Judgment, consequence.
Broken law, consequence. Period. To use Adam's turn, full stop. That's how the law functions. Listen to me, please.
What Paul is writing about in Galatians is. That's what we're free from. We're free from the Broken law, consequence, bondage. We're free from that. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, there is now no what.
Condemnation. We're free from that. Instead We are to Restore them. And if you are spiritual, if you are keeping in step with the Spirit. It is your job to restore them.
It is your privilege to restore them.
So let me ask you this: restore them to what? To right behavior. True or false? Then restore them to what? Restore them to a Godward movement.
That has to come first. And this is where we go back to that dawdling faith. The habits of regeneration. Draw near to God. Abide in Christ.
Walk by the Spirit. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.
So that if those four things are true, then the fifth will also be true, that you love one another as I have loved you. And when I see Sam walking towards the precipice, instead of Poof. And labeling him and shunning him and talking about him, what do I do? I go to him. And I put my arm around him.
And say, Sam, walk with me. Let's walk together in a godward direction. Can you do that? Will you do that? You cannot do it.
Alone That's why you have the Holy Spirit. Isn't that awesome? That's powerful. You're not expected to do this in your own grit. In your own specialness.
You do this in the love and power of the Spirit. Where you put your arm around somebody and say, let's walk together in a God-word direction. That's restoration. The law will judge. But we are called to walk in the new way of the Spirit, which Paul says, he writes in 2 Corinthians 13:11.
Aim for restoration. Aim for restoration. You restore them to clarity. This is our freedom. You restore them to a relationship, a walk with God.
And help them to understand that it's not about being busy for God because, listen to me, you know what you can do, you know what you can do, what I can do, we can all do this. You can be doing things for God. while drifting away from him. Did you know you can do that? You can.
And we've seen so many examples of that from high-profile Christians over the last couple of decades. And you might be sitting back thinking, how could they do that? These men are spiritual giants. No, they're not. What they are is busy for God, but they're not walking with him.
And that's why they fall off the deep end spiritually, morally, financially, whatever. Because they're not walking with God. They need a brother who loves or a sister who loves them enough to come alongside them and put their arm around them and say, let's walk together in a Godward direction. That's the law of Christ. And every one of us needs to rejoice.
that we are not under the judgment of the law. Because the law simply says if you break the law, you get judged. That's all it says. The Law of Christ says. Walk with me towards restoration.
Because that's what he did for us. That's what he did for us. And he says here, we do it two ways. Number one, in the spirit of gentleness. In the spirit of gentleness, In other words, if Sam's standing here at the, I'm gonna keep using you, Sam, Sam's standing here at the precipice.
I'm not going to say, you jerk, get back over here, right? It's not, I mean, that'll build a wall. Right, in a spirit of gentleness. You don't do it out of a sense of superiority. Good.
It it's not like Rich coming at Sam saying, Sam, You need to be more like me, buddy. Isn't that just nauseating? But we have a tendency to do that. Right. We do it in a spirit of gentleness as opposed to a rod.
When we see Sam walking toward the, he's really piling up on you, Sam. We see a brother or somebody we love walking toward the precipice of sinful behavior or attitude. It's our tendency to beat him with a rod of truth. Truth needs to be a velvet glove that draws them back. The Christ.
Spirit of gentleness. And then it also says, keeping watch on yourself. Why is that? Because every one of us without exception. Can easily fall into the rut.
of distraction and drift. Every one of us. Keep watch for yourself. You're no better. than the person you're trying to restore.
You are equally under the grace of God. Keep watch for yourself. This is why it's so necessary. That every one of us, day after day, morning after morning, every day starts a new day. Am I drawing near to God?
Am I abiding in Christ today? Am I keeping in step with the Spirit today? Am I letting his word dwell in me richly today?
Well, I did it yesterday. No, but are you letting his word dwell in you richly today? Because those are the things that will give you the grace. To restore someone who's caught up in a trespass. To exercise the law of Christ.
with the mind of Christ.
So the first way to Practice the law of Christ is too. Restore to pursue restoration. The second way is to bear one another's burdens. Verse 2. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
What are these burdens? It is the groaning. We groan under the weight of brokenness.
Sometimes we groan under the weight of the brokenness of others. Or often we grown under the weight of our own brokenness. Either way. What do loving family members do? We come alongside and we help.
them carry the weight. That's what the church is for, folks. We help them carry the weight. And helping them carry the weight could be helping them hone the craft of walking with God. Helping them overcome evil with good.
This is the beauty of discipleship. One life. coming alongside another so that together they walk in a godward direction. That's the beauty of discipleship. Part of following Jesus is helping others follow Jesus.
It's the family of God.
So instead of, there's a word that he used before, provoke, he used this at the end of chapter 5. Look at verse 25. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another. That word is pro kaleo. And I interpret that as coming at somebody.
So we're not commanded to come at somebody. Who is in the process of crossing over God's loving boundaries? We don't come at them. We don't provoke them. Instead of practicing pro colour or I call you today to practice para-kaleo.
And what does para-kale-o mean? It means encouragement. It means coming alongside someone. To walk with them in a Godward direction. This is the beauty of the church, folks.
This is what we're called to do. And one last thing, let me mention this, I'm going a little bit long. Let me mention this. Oh please, please hear this. Are you as a child of God?
Willing. To let A brother or a sister who loves you. Come alongside you. to restore you to a Godward walk.
Well, this morning we've been talking about restoring one who's been caught in a trans Transgression. But this morning it it might be. You. It might be your attitude. It might be your behavior.
We're not in this degree. It's not about judgment. Are you willing to be one who receives loving truth? And a loving embrace. and an invitation to walk together.
in a godward direction. All of that. is part of being the church. And when the church is being the church. She's beautiful.
She's beautiful. Last statement here to fill in the law of Christ. This is the understanding: the law of Christ raises the bar for the behavior of God's people. And provides the ability to rise to the character of Christ. at the level of heart and mind.
in the power of God. The law of Christ raises the bar for the behavior of God's people and provides the ability to rise to the character of Christ at the level of heart and mind. In the power of God. And listen to me. This is not just for you individually.
This is something we do together. We do this together. That's why the church is called out ones. And we are called together. to be together, to do this.
together.
So that's why Paul says back in 5:13, you were called to freedom. Through love, serve one another. That's what we're called to. May the Lord work in our hearts this mornings. been a challenging This has been a challenging sermon, hasn't it?
May God work in our hearts. to form the mind of Christ in us.
So that we By God's grace. will live under the law of Christ. Stand with me, please. Father, there is so much good in what you have to say to us. Because you are good.
And, Father, you have challenged our comfort levels this morning. I pray that your spirit would open our eyes to see what the love of Christ is and how we can love each other. With the love of Christ. Mm-hmm. as he has loved us.
Father, we want to be the church beautiful. We want to magnify the Lord Jesus. We want to bring glory to you. Our Creator. our God our sustainer.
The one who is our highest good and our deepest satisfaction. And so, Father, I pray. That you will do a work among us this morning. That the peace of Christ would rule in our hearts. As we Grow in the mind of Christ and function in the love of Christ under the law of Christ.
Thank you, Father, for the work that you're doing in us. Thank you for what you are doing now. We thank you, Father, for what you will continue to do. In the days and weeks and months ahead. We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
