Chapter 24
(Galatians 6:5)
WE ARE TO BEAR OUR OWN BURDEN
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father, please open our ears, our eyes and our heart so we can understand and do the things that You have called us to do. Father, we know we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Please Lord cause us to live our lives in His power and might.
Amen
We begin our study by reading the following passage from Paul's letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 6:5
"[5] for each one should carry his own load."
The load we are to carry or bear can be broken down into at least the following three major areas of our life,
1. Spiritual
2. Secular
3. Financial
Let us first examine some of the responsibilities we are to assume in our,
SPIRITUAL LIFE
Our responsibility for this area of our life can be summed up as follows:
Galatians 5:25
"[25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
As we read the Scriptures we discover at least the following five things we should be doing:
1. Spend quality time with our God.
2. Repent, confess and seek forgiveness for our transgressions.
3. Test what we see and hear.
4. Teach our children
5. Exercise the gift the Holy Spirit has given us.
With this brief introduction for this portion of our study let us begin by noting that,
WE ARE TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH OUR GOD
As we read the Scriptures we find there are at least two ways to do this. First of all,
WE ARE TO DEVOTE OURSELVES TO PRAYER
To see this we find that throughout the Scriptures we are encouraged to pray. To see this let us read following two Scriptures.
The first Scripture is in,
Colossians 4:2
"[2] Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
The second Scripture is from,
1 Thessalonians 5:17
"Pray continually;"
Secondly, in addition to prayer,
WE ARE TO KNOW AND FOLLOW GOD'S WORD
In other words, we are to spend quality time reading and digesting God’s Word. We must not forget that without knowing God's Word and His ways we become like a blind person attempting to cross a busy street without any help. Consider, what the Holy Spirit once said through the prophet Hosea in,
Hosea 4:6
"[6] my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge..."
To assist us in this area, one of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to teach and instruct us in God's ways. To see this let us read from,
1 John 2:27
"[27] As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him."
As we grow in the knowledge of God's Word we are to be true to Him and live our life in harmony with His ways. Consider the following Scripture,
2 Thessalonians 2:15
"[15] So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter."
Perhaps the best way to summarize this portion of our study is by reading Jesus’; “Parable of the Vine.” To do this we go to,
John 15:1-9
[1] “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. [2] Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. [3] You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. [4] Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. [5] “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. [7] If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. [8] By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
For this particular study, let us notice the following verses,
4-5 … In other words, as long as the branch of a vine remains in the vine, the sap of the vine will flow through it to bring forth the vine’s fruit. Thus, it is with us. As we, the branches remain in Jesus; the Holy Spirit will flow through us to bring forth His fruit. Note that without Jesus we can do nothing of “eternal value.”
7 … Here our Lord expands upon the parable a bit and tells us that not only are we to abide in Him but His Words are also to abide in us. Notice, if we abide in Him, that is follow His commands (1 John 3:24) and His Words abide in us, that is we know and follow His Word, then, we can ask whatever we wish and it will be given us.
As one contemplates the above parable, we come to realize that through the knowledge of the Bible, that is His Word abiding in us, we come to a better understanding of God and His will and desires. In addition, as we spend time reading the Bible we will find many prayers given by God's people that can be used as models for our situation. Consequently, we are in a much better position to pray in accordance with His will. Then, when we do pray in His will, Jesus promises us that we will receive what we ask for. To refresh our memories of this truth let us read from,
1 John 5:14-15
"[14] This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.
However, there will be times when it is not clear what God's will is for a particular situation. Thus, we will be unsure of what to pray for. During these times the Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit, living within us, will intercede for us with groans that words cannot express. To see this, let us read from,
Romans 8:26
"[26] … the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
In addition to praying in God’s will, the second benefit of knowing God’s Word is that as we read and contemplate them, God the Holy Spirit reveals to us the thoughts and intents of our heart. In other words, through the prayerful reading of the Bible we become aware of our sins and/or trespasses. Thus, we are to carry our own burdens and,
CONFESS, REPENT AND SEEK FORGIVENESS FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS
First of all, the Bible teaches us that, when it is appropriate, we are to do this to one another. To see this let us read from,
James 5:16
[16] Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
In other words, when we realize that we have sinned or trespassed against another person, we are to go to them and seek forgiveness. To expand upon this let us read what Jesus once said in His: “Sermon on the Mountain.” To do this we go to,
Matthew 5:23-24
[23] Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, [24] leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Secondly, when we have sinned or transgressed against the commands of our Lord and Savior, we are to repent, confess and seek forgiveness for committing them. This instruction is recorded in,
1 John 1:5-2:2
[5] This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. [6] if we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
[2:1] My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [2] And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
The third benefit of knowing God's Word and His ways is that we will be in a better position to discern what is and what is not from God. Thus,
WE ARE TO TEST WHAT WE HEAR AND SEE
Let us recall that because they tested the teachings of Paul, the citizens of Berea were declared to be noble. This is recorded in,
Acts 17:10-12
"[10] As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. [11] Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. [12] Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men."
An example of how knowing God's Word will help us discern what is and what isn't from God would be as follows:
We are in a church gathering. An elder is presenting a teaching about Christian giving. To help stimulate the body to provide more financial support to the ongoing ministries, a person stands up and declares that God told him to tell the congregation that he gave $500 towards the mission ministry. Knowing God's Word we know that God did not tell him to say that. The reason we know this is by reading Jesus' instruction on how we are to give,
Matthew 6:1-4
""[1] Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. [2] "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. [3] But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4] so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Consequently, we are encouraged to test everything.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
"[21] Test everything. Hold on to the good. [22] Avoid every kind of evil."
In addition to spending time alone with God in prayer and reading, digesting or contemplating His Word,
WE ARE TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN
In the Old Testament we clearly discover it is God's will for us to teach our children about Him and His ways. To see this let us read from,
Deuteronomy 4:9
"[9] Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."
And again in,
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
"[4] Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5] Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. [6] These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. [7] Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
For this particular study the last area of our spiritual responsibility is that,
WE ARE TO EXERCISE THE GIFT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS GIVEN US
To see this let us quickly review what we have covered in our previous chapter by reading from,
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. [7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, [10] to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
Let us notice the following verses,
4-6 … The Holy Spirit has given the body of Christ different kinds of spiritual gifts for various types of service and functions.
7 … The Holy Spirit has given each and every born again believer a spiritual gift. Also note these gifts are to be used for the common good.
8-10 … Some examples of the gifts the Holy Spirit will manifest through the born again believer.
11 …The Holy Spirit provides these gifts in accordance with His will.
Now that we have discussed some of the areas of the spiritual responsibilities of the born again believer, let us now explore some of the responsibilities in our,
SECULAR LIFE
As we study the Bible we find that God has appointed individuals and/or governments to rule and maintain order in our earthly society. Thus, it is His will that,
WE ARE TO OBEY THOSE IN AUTHORITY
To see this let us read from,
Romans 13:1-5
"[1] Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. [2] Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. [3] For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. [4] For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. [5] Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience."
However, we must not misinterpret the Scripture to mean that we are to blindly obey the commands from those in authority. We must never forget that the born again believer is not to do or say anything that contradicts God's will. In other words, we are to obey those who are in authority as long as their commands and/or directions are in harmony with God's will and ways. To see this let us read how Peter and John responded to the Sanhedrin’s prohibition for them to preach the Gospel. To do this we go to,
Acts 4:19
"[19] But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God."
In addition to obey those in authority, it is also God’s will that,
WE ARE TO PAY TAXES
To see this let us read from,
Romans 13:6-7
"[6] This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. [7] Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."
To further amplify the above responsibilities of the born again believer, let us read what Jesus did and said when asked about paying taxes. It is recorded for us in,
Matthew 22:15-22
"[15] Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. [16] They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. [17] Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" [18] But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? [19] Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, [20] and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" [21] "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." [22] When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away."
The last area of responsibility the born again believer is for us to assume or take responsibility for our,
FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
First and foremost we find that it is God's will that,
WE ARE TO WORK
The responsibility for the born again believer to provide for their own physical well being through work is clearly taught in Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians,
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
"[6] In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. [7] For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, [8] nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. [9] We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. [10] For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." [11] We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. [12] Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. [13] And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. [14] If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. [15] Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother."
Let us notice the following verses,
8 … Paul and those who accompanied him worked night and day for the food they ate. In fact in Acts 18:3 we discover that Paul worked as a tentmaker.
9 … As a teacher of God's Word, Paul had the right to receive material support, which is food, money, etc., for his spiritual labors, see 1 Corinthians 9:11-14). In other words, he could have relied upon the body of Christ to provide for his physical support. However, to be an example to those he taught, Paul did not exercise this right.
10 … This is the rule; "He who does not work, does not eat."
14-15 … We are to avoid those who do not follow this rule. The intent is not to treat the disobedient person as an enemy but to move them to line up with God's will and way.
As we read further in the Scriptures we find that not only is the born again believer to work for a living, but in doing so they are to be diligent and do a good job. To see this, let us read the instruction Paul gave as what the proper relationship should be between the slave and his master. For this study I believe we could also substitute the term of employee for slave and the term of employer for master. With this in mind let us read from,
Ephesians 6:5-8
"[5] Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. [6] Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. [7] Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, [8] because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free."
Let us notice the following verses,
5-6 … As it is for the governmental authorities, if it does not contradict with God's ways, we are to obey the direction or command of our employers.
7 … We are to work as if we were working directly for Jesus.
In addition to providing for our own physical well being,
WE ARE TO CARE FOR OUR OWN FAMILIES
The care for the well being of our own families is so important that our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that it is to be one of the highest priorities of our secular life. In fact, it is more important to care for our families than it is to provide support for church buildings or ministries. To see this let us read from,
Mark 7:9-13
"[9] And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! [10] For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' [11] But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), [12] then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. [13] Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.""
Let us notice the following verses,
9-10 … Jesus is providing us with an illustration of how man's traditions or laws can cause us to disobey God's commands or ways.
11-12 … God does not want us to give the time or money to support church buildings and ministries that should been used to help provide for the needs of our families. In this particular case it was the finances that should have been used for the care and feeding of the people's parents that were being diverted to support the Temple and the Temple services.
13 … If we divert to support church buildings and/or its ministries the support, which includes both time and money, needed by our parents we would in effect be disobeying God's command to honor our father and mother. The consequence of doing this is recorded in,
1 Timothy 5:8
"[8] If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
Finally,
WE ARE NOT TO BE A BURDEN TO THE CHURCH
The first issue is that,
WE ARE NOT TO OVER GIVE TO CHARITIES AND THEN BECOME IN NEED
To see this let us read the following instruction for the proper stewardship of our offerings.
2 Corinthians 8:10-15
"[10] And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. [11] Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. [12] For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. [13] Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. [14] At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, [15] as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.""
Let us notice the following verses,
11 … The believers in Corinth were to provide their gifts for the needy in accordance with their means, that is by what they could afford.
12 … Our charitable gifts are acceptable in accordance with what we have, but not acceptable if we give beyond our means.
13 … The reason we do not give beyond our means is twofold: (1) As is written in these verses, we are not to give beyond our means so that in the process of our giving we do not become needy or hard pressed ourselves and (2) As we saw above, we are not to deprive our families of their needs.
15 … To illustrate this principle of giving, the Holy Spirit quoted from Exodus 16:18. In this chapter, Moses recorded for us how, during their exodus from Egypt, every morning the people had to go out in the desert floor and gather manna (the bread God miraculously gave them for forty years). After they gathered the manna and returned to camp, each one had an omer of manna for that day's sustenance. In other words, he who gathered much did not have too much and he who gathered little did not lack food.
Along with this principle of only giving what we can afford, we also discover that,
WHEN POSSIBLE, THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER IS TO AVOID DEBT.
To see this let us consider the following words of caution,
Proverbs 22:26-27
"[26] Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; [27] if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you."
CLOSING
Let us close our study by reading the following,
Colossians 3:12-17
"[12] Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. [13] Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. [14] And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. [15] Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Amen and Amen