Fulfilling the Law of Christ

Notes

1. Before beginning the study of this lesson, review the preceding one, and indeed the whole of the fifth chapter carefully. From the last part it is evident that the Galatians had begun to quarrel among themselves. They had allowed themselves to be drawn away from God, and disunion among themselves must necessarily follow. Having set out to gain justification by works, they naturally became critical, as each thought that the other's works did not reach his standard. Their mutual criticisms, intended of course to set one another right, resulted only in mutual provocation to retort. There were envyings and emulations, and they were biting and devouring one another. A vainglorious spirit was taking the place of the meek and gentle Spirit of Christ. Having seen this from what we have already studied, we can readily see the pertinence of the exhortation that is given in the scripture composing this lesson. Study every word of it most carefully. It is as applicable to us as it was to the Galatians.

2. The Bible presents the sinner as sick and bruised. "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores." Isa. 1:5, 6. Christ came "to bind up the broken-hearted" (Isa. 61:1); "to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18); and He "went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38). His work is to heal and restore. A very tender Physician is He. "A bruised reed shall He not break, and the dimly burning wick shall He not quench." Isa. 42:3, R. V., margin.

3. He says, "As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you." John 20:21. All His followers are His ambassadors (not executioners), praying men in Christ's stead, "Be ye reconciled to God." 2 Cor. 5:20. He Himself is not sitting as judge, but as pleader. He "came not to judge the world, but to save the world." John 12:47. When He is lifted up, He does not repel, but draws all to Himself. John 12:32. Consequently, His disciples are, with Him, "to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10. They are to instruct in meekness even those who set themselves in opposition to the truth. 2 Tim. 2:25. Much more, then, are they to be considerate of a brother who has been pursued by a fault and has fallen into its power.

4. The word here rendered "restore" means to adjust, to set in order. It is used with reference to a bone that has been broken—to set it. This reminds us of Ps. 51:8: "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice." If a brother has fallen and bruised himself, he is to be treated carefully, so that he may recover. The carefulness with which a man with a broken leg should be handled represents the treatment that should be accorded to one who has fallen into sin.

5. Who is to restore him?—"Ye who are spiritual." Some one will say, "But suppose I don't know that I am spiritual?" Evidently then the thing to do is to find out. If there is any doubt in the matter, our business is with ourselves, rather than with the other man. "But suppose there is no one in the church who is spiritual; is the erring brother to be left to go his way without correction?" The question suggests its own answer. If there is no person spiritual enough to restore the faulty brother, then it is evident that all the rest are at fault as well as he, and each needs a personal work done for himself.

6. It is plain that the first question for each one to ask when he sees a brother in error is, "Am I spiritual? Am I walking in the Spirit?" It can be seen that if the exhortation of the Spirit through the apostle Paul were followed, the sight of a brother in the church who has fallen into sin, would be the signal for a general revival; and it would be strange if, by the time all the rest got into a live spiritual condition, the specially erring one were not also restored. But let no unsanctified, unspiritual man presume to try to restore an erring brother. If he does, the work will be done in the most bungling manner. Christ said, "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be truly sanctified." John 17:19, margin.

7. "In the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Remember that no temptation comes to any one but such as is common to all men. Our brother is the same flesh as we are, and we are liable to the same sin that has caused his fall. Christ helps us, because He places Himself by our side, as sharer of our weakness, and oppressed by the same temptations. If we would help a sinner, we can do far more by confessing to him our own weakness, perhaps our own fall into the very same sin that has snared him, and telling how the Lord gave us the victory, than we can by any stern rebuke. He knows that he is a sinner, but does not know the way out of his trouble. Spend more time telling him what he does not know than in telling him what he already knows.

8. Christ bears the sin of the world. Whether we acknowledge Him or not, our sins are on Him, and He bears them. The law is in His heart; it is His life, and it is love. The law of Christ is that of self-giving. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." We can fulfil the law only by coming into "the fellowship of His sufferings." Christ associates His true followers with Himself as saviours of the world. We are, therefore, to bear the burdens of others' sins in so real a manner as to lift the sins from their shoulders.

9. "If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing." Better rendered, "though he is nothing." In the Greek the participle is used, "If a man think himself to be something, being nothing." We are nothing. "Every man at his best state is altogether vanity." Ps. 39:5. Compared with God, all nations together are "less than nothing, and vanity." Isa. 40:17. Therefore, if any man think himself to be something, he deceiveth himself. That is not the way to bear one another's burden of sin. Christ, the Sin-bearer, says, "I can of Mine own self do nothing." John 5:30. The thought of the first two verses is still continued. We bear one another's burden of sin, thus relieving him of it, and restoring him, by acknowledging in the spirit of meekness that we are as weak and as helpless and sinful as he is. This is the only way; it is Christ's way.