Love One Another

 

“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. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.” (Galatians 6:1-3)

Christian, when someone is found to have sinned, you who are living Spirit-directed and close to God should, with God’s given meekness and gentleness, strengthen and help that person walk close to God and do His will. Carry each other’s burdens as they are tempted and endure trials, just as Jesus helps you carry your burdens, so they are not too heavy and give encouragement to each other. This is one way to love God and neighbor. It fulfills the law of Christ, which Matthew recorded in Matthew 22:37-40.

In case you think you are important or better than another, rid yourself of that idea. Don’t deceive yourself. None of us is better than others. We each are tempted, sin, and carry heavy burdens. That’s why Jesus told us to love each other, so we receive help, encouragement, and love, and then grow closer to God and more like Jesus.

Notice the person who sees the sin of another is aware, confronts the other person in love, encourages, and walks with that person all in the power and will of God. Living in this way affects the mind, heart, body, and spirit of a person. It grows both the helper and the recipient in their faith and walk with God. One should never note a person’s sin and broadcast it, but should invest in that person by heart, word, and action through the Holy Spirit.

Imitators not Imitations

 

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2, NASB)

Before we jump into the two verses above, we must understand the first word we read in verse one, the word, therefore. Some Bible translations put this word after the word imitators. This verse’s word placement does not matter. The important part is that Paul wrote it, and we need to understand what Paul intended with this conditional word. Therefore implies that an action or statement will result in something happening. This tool is a literary technique used to help a person consider what the speaker states next when considering his previous statements.

To help us understand what Paul wrote in Ephesians 5, let us grasp what he wrote before chapter five. Chapter four told the Ephesian believers and later believers, there must be unity in the body of believers, the body of Christ. Verse one said believers must walk in a manner worthy of their calling by Christ. What is this manner? The manner of Christ is one of humility, gentleness, and patience (4:2-3). This manner includes bearing with each other and being eager to keep the unity. Paul reminded the Ephesians they are one body and spirit made so by having the same Lord, faith, baptism, God, and Father (4:4-6). He reached the heart of the matter. Paul said God’s grace gives gifts to Christians through the Holy Spirit (4:7). These gifts equip saints for ministry, building up the body of Christ (4:13). This enables all believers to reach the pinnacle of the unity of the faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ and to become a mature believer to the full measure of the stature of Christ (4:7-13). For the rest of chapter four, Paul said by growing toward maturity and unity among the body of Christ, each believer will speak truth and be kind, which shows itself in tenderheartedness and forgiveness toward others of the body (4:25 & 32).

Paul wrote, because of this unity and growing maturity of Christlikeness, believers can, therefore, be imitators of God (5:1). He wrote the word, therefore, to show the result of maturing and being united. Every believer should and will resemble their Father God. The tender image Paul gives is of a loved child’s relationship to his or her father. People can relate to this image of a loving father. For those who cannot for whatever reason, the love of a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, neighbor, or church member can understand. For others, the relationship of the heavenly Father to him or her is very close because of His protection and provision before he or she became a Christian. Whoever was in your life and deeply touched your heart, consider that relationship like the relationship of the Father to His beloved child.

To extend this comparison, what does a child aspire to become as they mature? Often, he or she will want to imitate the person with whom their heart intensely connects. My mother was a nurse. As a child, my first aspiration was to become a nurse. Why? Because my mom was very loving, caring, and compassionate. This image portrays part of what Paul tried to explain with his analogy. A child desires to imitate their Father. The Father (or the analogized parent, grandparent, etc.) takes great pleasure and honor in the child looking up to Him. He desires for His child to become ever more like Him each day. The Father wants His children to mature into Christlikeness.

What does it mean to be imitators of God? Paul began explaining it in chapter four. He said He wants His children to reach full maturity in likeness to Christ so that they have unity among their brothers and sisters and are kind (tenderhearted and forgiving) and speak truth (the truth of God, not the world’s idea of truth). Paul continued this thought in chapter five. He said imitators of God walk in love (5:2). Paul did not mean phileo love, a brotherly love a person has for his or her close friendships. He wrote saying imitators of God will walk in agape love. Agape is the love shown to people by God. This love is sacrificial love, beyond mere feeling. Sacrificial love intentionally chooses (wills) to act. Agape love shows a preference for the other person over oneself, no matter what the cost. Most parents willingly would risk their lives to save their child’s life. They prefer the life of their child over their own. This love is about what Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:2. God’s children are those who mature and become imitators of Him. This means they will live out this preferential love toward their other brothers and sisters in the faith. These believers prefer to help one another grow, survive, and receive forgiveness. They make the choice to ensure the unity of the body of Christ, regardless of the personal cost to themselves.

That sacrificial love made Jesus' offering of Himself in our place a fragrant aroma to God. What parent, when seeing his or her child do a kind and selfless act, does not beam with pride and love for his or her child? God beams with pride at His children when they become imitators of Him in this way, when they love as Jesus Christ loved them.

The Holy Spirit, by God’s grace, gives each believer gifts to equip himself or herself to mature in Christ and to aid in bringing unity as God designed for His body. This unity builds the faith of other believers, speaks truth in love, and is kind—tenderhearted and forgiving. This unity in the body causes each believer to be imitators of God. Each believer will desire to be so close to God that they reflect the presence and love of Christ, allowing others to see God. Those imitators of God are true. They are not an inferior imitation; one the world says is sufficient. The believers who radiate the presence and sacrifice of Christ are imitators of God, not imitations, like faux leather. These believers desire to be closer to God. They crave it. Believers want everyone to know about God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They care that the truth gets out and all experience life-changing and eternal forgiveness. These Christians are tenderhearted and dedicated to spreading the message of Jesus and His salvation. God's children, imitators of Him, aspire to be nearer to and resemble Abba, the one who never gave up on them and offered forgiveness. Their goal is to be like Jesus, regardless of sacrifices. That is agape love. Agape love is a love that prefers to benefit others instead of oneself.

“Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Will you live out what Jesus Christ put in you—the new person—by His Spirit when you believed in Him? Agape love requires action. It prefers other people over oneself. Consider what Jesus would do?

Be imitators of God, not imitations.

Have This Mind: A Galatians 6:1-2 Devotional

^{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.” Galatians 6:1-2 [NASB]

When one reads these two verses, we are apt to get caught up in the words “caught in trespass.” Yet the focal point of the verses is the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ? Christ said we are to love the LORD God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as our self (Matthew 22:36-40). So the law of Christ is love.

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins because of His love for us. He did not say some people are worthy to receive His love and some not. We are all unworthy to receive His love, but because His love is magnanimous, He loves everyone no matter what the person did. That is love.

Jesus said a man showed no greater love than laying down his life for his friend (John 15:13). Being a human made in the image of God means we are created to be in relationship with God and other people. Relationships require love and forbearance. With this attitude then, Paul told the Galatians to approach one of their Christian brethren who is caught in trespass.

Paul told the spiritual brethren – those who belong to the Holy Spirit and are filled with Him - of Galatia to approach their Christian brethren caught in trespass (deviation from truth and uprightness be it sin or misdeed) to restore that lapsed brother or sister in gentleness. Notice the person who approached the trespassing believer had to be filled and led by the Spirit, not with haughtiness at being better than the other. The confronting Spirit-filled person had to do it with gentleness, which comes from the Spirit and does not contain pride or arrogance, but meekness. This person knows it could be he or she who other people caught in sin and so goes to the person in that humility and with the love of God through the Holy Spirit. Notice the confronting person does not address the trespasser as if he or she is better than him or her, but as a loved and forgiven one of God. This thought tends to tame the sinful attitude of a person. Paul told the Galatian Christians not to think too highly of themselves. He said, “Let each one look to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

In the second verse, Paul added to this thought. He told the Christian to bear the others’ burden – weight and trouble – and, thus, fulfill the law of Christ. This verse does not stand alone, but goes in conjunction with the first verse. The brother who approaches the trespasser must have the mind of Christ – humility, gentleness, and love – and must be willing to help the brother or sister in Christ. It is one thing to talk to a person and tell them where they are going wrong. Still better is it to walk with the person, actively being a part of the person’s life, helping him or her with his or her weight and troubles that led him or her to trespass. James spoke about this when he said in James 2:17-18, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

Paul did not intend the Galatian Christian to hunt for sinners and bring them before people to shame them. He meant for them to approach them with love and humility as well as to walk with them helping to carry the burden so the person would be less tempted to sin. It is easy to point our fingers at someone and speak of his or her sin. We must get to the point where we take the burdens of other people on our shoulders and help them walk through life. Jesus told us He would help carry our yoke. We should be willing to do that. Speak to the person. Understand what is happening in his or her life. Walk with the person so they are not overwhelmed and give in to sin. That is what the law of Christ truly is – loving and bearing one another’s burdens.

Have this mind, which is in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:2-5). How now will you approach people? This is a real challenge for each of us every day. What do you choose to do?