Morning Moments

VIII. THE APPROPRIATE ATTITUDE 6:1-18

A. How to Restore 6:1

1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

The text is addressing believers about anyone for the word for man is "anthropos" or human being, which includes women and children. So whoever might be overtaken or caught by surprise in a misdeed or trespass is to be repaired or restored by those who are "pneumatikoi" which means spiritual as opposed to carnal or natural, and this whole process of repairing or restoring is to be done with gentleness or humility. This eliminates the unacceptable spirit of judgmentalism or criticism which the carnal mind might display.

Recently at a church meeting one of elderly ladies had baked my wife and me a cake and some cookies. It was cold with a strong wind outside, so see pulled her car close to mine, got out, came into the building and asked me to come open my car. As we walked between the cars I stumbled but did not fall. She followed and fell. I knew she had parked too close and should have said something but she so wanted me to get those goodies. She wasn't hurt, but of course I helped her up and made sure she was fine before I let her drive home. It broke my heart. After I got home I phoned her to make sure she was okay. That is what Paul is talking about here. When someone stumbles, don't laugh and kick them and leave them down. Help them up gently and lovingly because it could have been you - and it may be the next time.

B. What to Fulfill 6:2

2. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

The "law" of Christ is love; love for God and love for one another, so it makes sense that we help each other. A burden is a weight or a load and we do not have to look far to find those carrying loads that are pretty heavy.

I think of a lady that is in her early 80s who reported her own son for molesting his eight year old daughter (her granddaughter). There were three children in the home ages 8, 5, and 3 years. The children were taken from the home and placed in the custody of the grandmother. With pending shoulder surgery and a broken foot, she is caring for the three small children. THAT IS A LOAD, A WEIGHT, A BURDEN. She is a godly widow over 60 with no child to support her, so it is the "church's" responsibility to make sure she has what she needs.

Look around you and you will find many grandparents today rearing their children's children because their kids are druggies or drunks. It is pitiful and shameful, but it is a burden that we must help them with.

C. Who to Renounce 6:3

3. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

The word translated man here means anyone, so the text reads, "If anyone thinks he is someone (something) when he is no one (nothing), that person is deceived in his/her own mind. You can never be something until you meet the Someone who can make you somebody with God and until you are the somebody God designed you to be, realizing that you are nothing without Him, you will continue to be a nobody regardless of what awards and accolades you receive in this life.

God made man in his own image and after his likeness, man sinned, and Adam then had children after his image and his likeness and it is not until you are born of God that God creates in you "a new man in righteousness and true holiness, after the image of God."

We renounce the old man to live the resurrected new man.

BLESSINGS!