Gentleness - Galatians 6:1

Restore him in a spirit of gentleness

Please pray with me. Father, we love you tonight, and we pray that you would bless this time that we have to open your word as we commit this time to you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Please turn. I trust everybody has already done that. It is such a pleasure and a privilege to be here opening the word with you all. Let me read Galatians 6 verse 1.

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.

We have a few markers tonight. Number one is who? Brothers reminds us that we have all been adopted into the family of God. You who are spiritual, have this spiritual sensitivity that comes only from the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. Someone who's being submissive to the Holy Spirit, who's being led by the Holy Spirit, who's being perfected by the Holy Spirit. Listen to Galatians 5, someone who is in step with the Holy Spirit and who evidences the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The reason that only spiritual people should confront someone who has transgressed is that only spiritual people can restore them. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can produce fruit of the Holy Spirit. A couple of quick caveats here. In somewhat of a broad-brush stroke, we know that the Holy Spirit is experienced in private, but it is exercised in public. It is meant to be shared, and it flourishes for the sake of others. We are also called to one another, each other, so that we all can grow in the grace of the fruit of the Spirit in gentleness. Number two, when. If anyone is caught in any transgression, may imply that the person was seen, committing this infraction or that he was caught by or snared by the sin. We're not talking here about a deliberate, intentional sin. We're talking about being overtaken here by a fault or a weakness. It's almost like we're surprised by this temptation. And we either attribute this to the enemy or to our own sinful nature. Couple of quick caveats here. We can justify, we're so good at justifying, we are good at rationalizing. So we can excuse the opportunity or ignore the opportunity to confront for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is fear of man. Number two, we can even think that we are extending grace to the individual by letting this pass. Regardless, we don't have the luxury of avoiding this confrontation. Number three, what? You should restore him. Now the implication here is this loving biblical confrontation, which is a good thing. And we can talk more about what confrontation is, how to define that, what that looks like. But Jesus himself gives us the pattern as well as the inherent protection in Matthew 18. So we're not going to do that tonight. The ward picture here talks about repairing or renovating to its former self, to its former condition. And the framework that's presented here is like we're mending or setting a broken bone. The restoration process highlights our diligent and faithful labor to convince, to persuade, to comfort others. And it is designed solely to move them with loving grace, loving mercy, to confess, to repent, and to find forgiveness. to confess, repent, and find forgiveness. And the goal of this effort is to heal the church, to restore this particular individual to the fellowship of their spiritual family. A couple of quick caveats here. Before we confront others, we need to spend some time in self-examination and self-confrontation. We need to make sure that we take the log out of our own eye. Number two, the restoration of a fallen believer is a responsibility that belongs to all of us. who are in Christ. Please don't allow someone else to do it. Don't think that it goes only to those who are so-called professional counselors. Brothers and sisters, we are all biblical counselors. You are all biblical counselors. Number four. How? You do it in a spirit of gentleness. Paul also writes about this in 1 Corinthians 4. Matthew Henry tells us that this confrontation is not done with passion and wrath, as if someone is actually triumphing when somebody else fails. Rather, you do it with sincere affection. I love this. As if you are mourning for them, that they have failed. You are mourning for them. Sincere affection, concern for their spiritual warfare. Martin Luther once told a pastor how to help a fallen brother. He said, quote,

you run into him, reaching out your hand, raise him up again. Comfort him with sweet words and embrace him with motherly arms.

Reminds me of Paul. John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion said the spirit of gentleness actually befits the church when we use it to pick them up, hold them up, and build them up. Couple of quick caveats. Paul also stated in 2 Corinthians 2 that it is important when you challenge this individual that they are convicted but they are not overwhelmed with sorrow. If that's the case, then the remedy is destructive. Thinking about the bruised reed when you think about this. Second one, some think that a certain anger is necessary here to defend God's righteousness. That's simply not the case. Number five, where? Keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted and ensnared because even spiritual people stumble. The where is the location of the restoration process. And the watch that he's talking about is a continual, again, diligent, attentiveness, also given the same attentiveness to the warning in 1 Corinthians 10. And we all know that Satan all too often uses the confrontation moment to tempt all concerned with their pride. So we need to be aware of his wiles. We also may feel a bit self-righteous when we're correcting somebody else. I mean, the more that we learn about somebody's depravity, we kind of puff up and look down. And that's why it's very important that when we confront, when we restore, we do it from a place of coming alongside, not looking down. Couple quick caveats. Quick-sighted enough to spot faults in others. But we're not always that adept at seeing our own sin and dealing with the enemy within. We are prone to wander and deceive ourselves. And so all too often, our self-deception, when it's clouded in a zeal for God, sadly devours any fruit that we have given. The final one, number six, is why. And this is a two-part response. The first one, the spirit of gentleness that he's talking about is reflected vertically and horizontally. It's across the board. We cannot pick and choose. The gentleness is a commanded behavior, and it's a divine ornament in Scripture, thinking about 1 Thessalonians 5. It has been said before that gentleness is our bridle. It cools the heat of our passion, and it curbs our tongue. The gentleness makes us fit for any occasion, any duty, any relationship, for a day of persecution and for eternity. Gentleness is the best way to melt the heart of an enemy, to defend the faith, and to profess the hope that it's in us. and any disobedience, any time, dishonors him and grieves the Holy Spirit. The second, and you know this, but I just want to reinforce, I want to highlight this tonight. In the four gospel accounts, there is only one place that Jesus talks about his own heart. Just one place. Matthew 11, 29.