Don't Give Up Doing Good

 

Don’t Give Up Doing Good

Galatians 6:1-10

 

In 1910 William Booth was too ill to attend the Salvation Army’s annual convention. He sent a telegram to encourage the other members. It was a one-word telegram it simply said, “Others.” Paul’s message in Galatians 6:1-10 is saying do good to others.

 

Verses 1-2: 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.

 

Paul gives us guidelines for helping other believers.

Restore a fellow believer with gentleness.

Remember that we all are vulnerable to being tempted.

Bear other’s burdens.

 

When we do these things, we fulfill the law of Christ. We fulfill what Jesus desires for us to do.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about, through gentleness & humility & love, doing what Jesus desires for us to do.

 

Verses 3-5: For if anyone 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.

 

One key to helping others is to realize that we must be willing to submit our lives to Jesus & exalt Him, not ourselves. It is to not be dependent on parents or spouse or friends but understanding that Jesus looks at our works done out of our faith. We are to see ourselves as accountable to God.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about submitting ourselves to Jesus & being accountable to Him as our Lord.

 

Verses 6-8: Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For 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.

 

A second key to helping others is to understand that God has established spiritual principles just as He established natural principles. God wants us to share the blessings that He graciously gives us with others. What we sow is what we will reap. If we sow to our own flesh, meaning we spend our lives focused on gratifying our old sinful nature, we will reap corruption which means to waste away. When a person lives as self-centered, they waste their life. If they sow to the Spirit, meaning the Holy Spirit, they will reap eternal life. Life lived directed by the Holy Spirit will enable us to live helping others & our lives will have meaning.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about living our lives with Jesus as Lord & enabled by the Holy Spirit to be a help to others.

 

Verses 9-10: And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

 

A third key to helping others is to believe God’s promises. God promises that if we do not grow weary doing good, we will reap a good harvest. We continue to do good by using the opportunities that God gives to help others. We are to help other believers, but others also all have needs. Just as the parable of the good Samaritan illustrates, our neighbor is anyone who has a need.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about reaping a good harvest by doing good to others who have needs.

 

Jesus came to serve & not to be served. We as the body of Christ need to serve & not be served.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls,

Joe