Today we come to the end of our series on the Letter to the Christians in Galatia. It has been a great journey learning from St. Paul in regards to our identity as Children belonging to God and how we are to see the law through the perspective of the Gospel. We are concluding this series with the last chapter of the Letter which actually begins with the last verse of 5:
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
6 Brothers,[a] 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. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.
6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he 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 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which[b] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
This section is full of a lot of helpful and practical applications of how the Christian Community should live. But we want to look at the words of verse 2 which say "Bear one another's burdens and therefore fulfill the law of Christ!" This sounds so foolish when we think about how much time St. Paul has spent telling us that we are not under the law, but under grace. We are set free and we belong to God in Christ and therefore we are saved, apart from the law. We must find it unusual that he would spend so much time teaching, exhorting and pleading with the Galatians to not fall prey to the false teachers who want to burden them with the laws of the Jews and then say fulfill the LAW of Christ. I mean he spent time warning us of those who want them to be circumcised and keep all the rules (According to the Talmud there are 613 mitzvot ("commandments") in the Torah.) Paul has reminded them that if you want to live under the law, in Gal 5:1-2 then you are going back under slavery and are "obligated to keep the whole law." He is appalled that someone would give up freedom, for slavery. He reminds them the law of Christ, however is fulfilled in one word (Gal 5:14 "you shall love your neighbor as yourself"). We know that this is in the area of sanctification since he has spent a lot of time reminding the Galatians that we are saved by the Cross and Christ in the area of justification (Saved by Grace through faith working in Love)
So to apply it to us today in 2013: we say that our relationship UP between us and God, the first tablet of the Law (10 Commandments) is evident here. This fulfilling of the Law of Christ is flowing out of the second tablet of the Law which is the relationship of IN and OUT with the community of faith the Body of Christ and the world we live in. He is saying that as we live out our faith, which is the area of sanctification, we will show love. That is why love is the first Fruit of the Holy Spirit mentioned as live by the Spirit in the "Way of the Spirit" and the "Way of Christ." Needless to say we are to bear one another's burdens out of love for Christ=UP and for our brothers and sisters in the faith=IN as well as to the world=OUT.
St. John would make this evident in his letters to the churches especially in his Gospel chapter "13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
St. James in chapter 2:8 defines this love as "Royal Law" as he says:
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
So you can see we are to fulfill the Law of Christ in HIS Strength, with HIS Spirit's POWER by loving as HE first loved us! May we truly be faithful to fulfill this law and in so doing let the world know we are Christians by our LOVE!
I found this quote that I think could some it up:
Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord.
— John Baillie
My desire is that after this series we will see how important this living in LOVE is as we move forward both as individuals and as a family of Jesus followers. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
The Christian needs another Christian who speaks God's Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. He needs his brother as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ (Bonhoeffer, Life together, pg. 23)
Living as a Christian family is messy, sin and slip ups (that is what the Greek word "paraptoma" for "Transgressions" really means in verse 1) happen and we are to share the "truth in Love," "bear one another's burdens" and walk life together. This sounds hard and without the Good News of "grace" it would be just LAW. My hope is we will let the truth of God's Love in Christ and who we are as Children of God, Heirs of the Promise, Covenant people and Kingdom people, "a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a people belonging to God" soak into every part of our being so that because we love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, loving our neighbor as ourselves will flow out of us as joy not a chore. May we live in the light of love as we are called forth as children of God!
Love in Christ Jesus the incarnation of LOVE,
Pastor
