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magnet! It was just so in Paul’s life. When he turned from his sinful and willful ways to God, he no longer ran away from God. Paul was like people who are living today. When they are headed the wrong way, they get nervous and try to get away from God. What they need to do is to turn from their evil ways to God, and then they, like Paul, will no longer run away. After Paul was converted and had turned toward God, he remained true to God, and was “not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.” When the needle is pulled just a little way from the magnet, it immediately jumps back. Are there those here this morning, who, like Paul, would like to turn from their evil ways, accept Christ as Saviour, and serve God all the days of their lives? much both of shameful failure and of spiritual pride I II. D ealing with B urdens (2-5). The law of Christ is the law of love, and love will persist in easing others’ bur dens. Physical burdens may be lightened by the sympathetic and cheering word, burdens of poverty may be eased by friendliness and understanding compassion, even where the poverty cannot be removed. There is often the burden, too, Of a bad name that clings long after the cause has been removed. Whatever the weight of affliction, the Lord’s people are to serve as burden-bearers. The “burdens” of verse 2 mean infirmi ties and disablements, while the “burden” of verse 5 means the personal responsibility that every one bears, - III. D ealing with the M inistry (6-8). The embarrassment felt by the servant of the Lord in speaking of his own material support usually rises from a false pride. But such pride should be laid aside, because the method of support described by Paul is one that has been ordained by God Him self : “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? . . . Do ye not know that . . . they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel”. (1 Cor. 9:11-14). And even though at times Paul did not avail himself of this arrange ment, he nevertheless set the method be fore the Lord’s people as being a plan that God honored. “Let him that is taught in the word com municate unto him that teacheth” (v. 6). “Communicate” means to take part with another, or to share. The preacher shares with his hearers what the Lord has given BLACKBOARD LESSON
to him, and the hearers share with the preacher the material goods that the Lord has given to them—thus the sharing is a mutual matter. “God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Sow ing to the flesh, that is, centering attention on that which is of a material nature, and refraining from sharing what the Lord has given, will bring corruption. But sowing to the Spirit, that is, giving to the in dwelling Holy Spirit the right to guide the whole of one’s nature; will bring eter nal life. No one can earn eternal life by sharing his goods with others, for it is not by works of righteousness on our part, but according to His mercy that Christ saved us. But whefi one is saved, he enters into the practical enjoyment of eternal life in which Christian giving has a part. While these verses are usually applied to sinners concerning their sins, they really are ad dressed to saints concerning their selfish ness. The Lord certainly expects His min isters to look to Him. for their support, but He gives other saints the opportunity' to be His agents in supporting the minis ters, C: IV. D ealing with the N eedy (9, 10). Believers are exhorted to be unwearied in welldoing. In all their actions, they are to show forth the fruit of the Spirit. Christians are to do good to alfrrwhether sinner or saint, rich or poor, lovable or unlovely. And especially are they to do good to those who are of the household of faith, that is, to brethren in Christ. “Do good unto all*, men,” the apostle exhorts—and that command will find its fulfillment when the fallen are restored in the spirit of meekness, when burdens are carried for those who faint beneath them, and when communication is maintained' with those who go forth to preach the Word of life. P oints a n d P roblem s 1. “Overtaken in a fault” (Gal. 6:1). The English version here is somewhat mis leading in two points: First, “overtaken" seems to suggest that the offender fell in the face of sudden temptation. But the Greek word means rather that he was detected openly in the act, and therefore is, actually guilty. Second, the English word “faulf’ is too weak for the Greek “paraptoma,” which refers to sin or tres pass:. See Ephesians 2:1, “dead in tres passes.” Trench says that the word means “a falling when one should have stood up right.” 2. “Ye which 'are spiritual) restore’ such a one . . . considering thyself." There is an instructive lesson here in the change from the plural “ye" to the singular “ thy self." The restoration of the fallen brother is the collective duty of the spiritual mem bers of the chqrch. But upon each indi vidual member personally rests the duty of self-examination. 3. “Bear ye one another’s burdens... For every man shall bear his own burden" (vs. 2,5). These two statements are not con tradictory, as they appear at first glance. “Bear ye one another’s burdens” describes my responsibility to my fellow Christians, while “every man shall bear his own bur den” describes my responsibility to God. The burden that each one of us must bear, which we cannot escape, is the burden of bearing the burdens of others. But there is still another passage to remember in this connection: “Cast thy burden upon the Lord” (Psa. 55:22). If it is our bur-
wrong with Paul. He was sincere, for we read in 1 Timothy 1:13: “But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in un belief.” Very often, sincere people for a time run away from God. Notice what happens to the needle when I turn it around—it jumps toward the
AUGUST 16, 1936 SOWING AND REAPING , G alatians 6:1-10
Lesson Text: Gal. 6:1-10.- Golden Text: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). O utline an d E xposition I. D ealing with F aults (1). N ear the close of the previous chap ter this exhortation occurs: “If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk” (Gal. 5:25, R.V.). Follow ing these words in the sixth chapter there is an explanation of what it means to walk by (or in) the Holy Spirit. Chapter 6 begins: “Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass„ye who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (6:1, R.V.). Christians are to walk humbly in their relation to others. When a brother has fallen under the weight of temptation, those who are spirit ual are to restore that one. The word “restore” is a surgical term, meaning “re set.” The thought is that the member has become “dislocated”-pspiritually out of joint. The injured member is not severed from the body, but is out of fellowship with the Head. The process of resetting is a delicate one, requiring skill and careful handling; only those who are spiritual should attempt the task. The service of restoring the erring brother requires the love of Christ in control of the heart and mind of the one who would help. There can be no place given to harsh judgment and rough dealing; the spirit of humility must abound. When one under stands the exhortation to consider thyself, “let thou also be tempted,” one will be sure to take a lowly place in his dealings with others. The passage does not say, “Consider thyself lest thou fall," but “lest thou be tempted,” and the implication is that if one were tempted in the same way that the fallen brother was tested, one would be as subject to failure as was he. So far as human strength and fortitude are concerned, believers are equally weak; but the Lord is able to make each trusting one strong and victorious. The thought of the verse is this: “You stand because you were not tempted; you have no reason to be proud of your position.” To be proud of one’s standing in grace is as bad as to fail under temptation. What need there is of the application of this lesson today, when there is among the Lord’s people so
SOW ING AND REAPING A B O U N TIFUL H A R V ES T CAN B E A TR A G ED Y
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