“Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. Carry one anotherʼs burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else. For each one will carry his own load. Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it. Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.” Galatians 6:1–10

In the first part of chapter six, Paul describes what life in community looks like when we live in the freedom Christ gives and then use that freedom to serve one another. Paul offers the example of dealing with a member of the community detected in a transgression. “You who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness”. Gentleness, after all, is one of the fruits of the Spirit just mentioned at the end of chapter 5. The goal of dealing with the transgressor is restoration and healing. The verb “katartizo” (in Greek) is often used as a medical term, to refer to setting a bone or joint right so that proper healing can occur. As such, while seeking to restore the transgressor, community members are to take care that they themselves are not tempted by a false evaluation of the self in comparison to the fallen brother or sister — in other words, as the Pharisee prays, “Thank G-d I am not a sinner like that person” (Luke 18:11).

Instead, we are to “Bear one another’s burdens,” Paul says, “and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”. Paul has a radical understanding of the responsibility believers should have for one another. They are to share all burdens, even the burdens of guilt and shame when one of them goes astray (another way of fulfilling the command to love neighbor as self). Loving our neighbor this way means resisting self-deception, recognizing that I am every bit as vulnerable to temptation as my neighbor, and every bit as dependent upon the grace of G-d. It means that rather than comparing myself to my neighbor, rather I should engage in self-examination: and we all know which is harder, Amen?

Pastor Dave

“Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.” Galatians 5:19–26

We can put these fruits in three categories:

1. Love, joy, peace. For the Christian our first love is our love for G-d, and this is demonstrated through love for our neighbor; our chief source of joy is the joy of the Lord; and our deepest peace is our peace with the G-d of all peace.

2. Patience, kindness, goodness. Patience is sometimes called long-suffering, suffering without a sense that it will end. Kindness is our disposition towards other people to do them good. Goodness is actually doing others good as there is opportunity.

3. Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Faithfulness is reliability, loyalty, steadfastness; gentleness is being calm and humble; self-control is self-discipline over our lives.

All these are fruit of the Spirit — not individual fruits — but all one fruit. Imagine a fruit tree laden with fruit rather than individual pieces of fruit on individual branches. It’s a natural part of the life cycle of the tree — it produces fruit, like apples, or oranges, but there are multiple fruit that are produced in one season. In the same way spiritual fruit in our lives should be a natural (or supernatural) consequence of the Spirit-led life — all part of or produced in a season, in an “aion” or age of our lives. And just as it takes time for natural fruit to grow and develop, so it takes time for the spiritual graces to grow in our lives.

Pastor Dave