Posted on by Ezekiel Oghenekaro

RESILIENT FAITH

Text:               Galatians 6:2

By:                   Joel, Uto

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Paul writes this letter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the churches of Christ in Galatia Galatians 1:1–3.

In chapter 5, he contrasts the “work of the flesh” with the “fruit of the Spirit”. He explains further how the Christians should live in the Christian community, the Church by not being Prideful – verse 26.

Galatians chapter six, verse 2 is today’s message to the church and individually. It is a command to live by as Christians.

So what is the command? 

  • “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” 

The Verse gives us the full command or order, the reason and the result. It reinforces what verse one introduces. In other words, it states: the command and the consequence.

UNDERSTANDING THE PASSAGE PROPER 

  1. ‘BEAR’ as used means to lift up, to carry, to support, to shoulder, and to keep carrying (it is a present tense but the church designs and tags it a continuous tense, which of course is appropriate in times like these)

Bear means not just sympathize but get under the weight with the person.

  1. “BURDENS” from the Greek root word, means heavy, crushing weights.

Things that can break a person if carried alone. So burdens are somethings too heaving for one person to carry alone. This involves:

  • Moral and Spiritual trespass or Failures; In verse one this includes helping brethren (brother or sister) who are (is) overtaken in any trespass or sin. 
  • Emotional and Physical weights. This involves grief, Illness, financial hardship, accidents whether natural or man caused, (A case study is Lucky Oghenetega; Napoleon Ayeta & others). 

God never intended us to carry crushing weights alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10: …”If they fall, one will lift up his companion (fellow).

  • To bear a fellow’s burdens, it requires getting close enough to the person to know their struggling, pains.
  • It requires participation. This means taking a portion of the pain, stress and struggle, sorrows upon yourself to make the loads reduced or manageable.

This is where constant visit of one another is key in our religiousity irrespective of who you are. 

  1. “ONE ANOTHER” – This is mutual and reciprocal. This is not just the strong helping the weak.

Today you help, tomorrow you may need help.

Christianity is not a selfish or discriminatory against ourselves.

1 Corinthians 12: “If one member suffers, all suffer together, If one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it”

Romans 15:1 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities (scruples) of the weak and not to please ourselves”

Note: The Use of ‘SO’ connects our action to the purpose of the verse, ‘to fulfil the law of Christ’.

Bearing burdens is both kindness and obedience to complete what God requires. It shows that you are actively completing the ultimate requirement of the Christian life: Sacrificial Love. 

  1. ‘THE LAW OF CHRIST’ Christ put down this law the night before He was crucified!

John 13:34–35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” ‘By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’ cf Colossians 3:14.

  • Love of Christ is showing, empathy, concerned feeling of care for one another.
  • The Love of Christ is sacrificial.
  • So to bear burdens = to love like Christ loved.
  • It is obeying Christ and telling the world what His love looks like.
  • Christ saw our burden of sin and death and He came and bore it for us. Isaiah 53:4 “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows”.
  • Paul urges us Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look out not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
  • The Law of Christ moves us away from Self-Centredness.
  • You cannot fulfil this law if you are only focused on your own comforts and interests!

PRACTICAL STEPS/ APPLICATION OF GALATIANS 6:2

  1. Observance – Let us be alert to the “heavy loads” people are carrying amongst the christain fold (e.g. unable to come to worship; why?)
  2. Lack of Judgement – Bearing a burden requires humility. 

Let’s not judge a brother or sister on or for how they got under the weight but let us simply offer a helping hand instead.

  1. Active Support – We must ask ourselves daily, “what can I or we do today to make someone else’s load lighter?” 

Whether through prayer, financial help, or listening and proferring suggestions or solutions, you are fulfilling the highest law of the Kingdom.

CONCLUSION AND THE CORE TEACHING 

  • Christianity is not meant to be lived alone. It is communal
  • The law of Christ is love filled with empathy, concern and care for one another.
  • Love is proven when we voluntarily get under the crushing weights of your fellow brethren and help carry them just as Christ did for us. Matthew 11:28
  • To the Non-Christian: Obey the Gospel call.

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Bearing One Another’s Burden
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