Gentle Restoration
Passage: Galatians 6:1-5
Points
1. When someone has been caught in a transgression, individuals who are mature should restore them with gentleness.
2. We must be careful because we too can been caught in temptation as well.
3. We must be careful and not be deceived, thinking we are something we are not. We must be the judge of our own works.
Personalize
In the church there arises situations that call on us to confront individuals who are living lives of sin and transgressions. Often our initial response is to disengage and we lose touch with those who have been led astray. We don't want to get involved and we stand on the sidelines while individuals and families destruct before us. Instead of standing back, Paul challenges us to engage the individuals who have committed transgressions. We should engage them with gentleness as we seek to bring them back to fellowship with Christ and the church.
Our engagement is not directed by doctrinal correctness or self righteousness because Paul challenges us not to think of our selves as individuals who are above sin because we too can be tempted. He encourages us to take an honest evaluation of ourselves and not think we are somebody we are not. When we look at ourselves with an honest perspective then we will gently deal with others who have fallen. We realize we are ultimately responsible to ourselves and humbly encourage others who have been caught in sin.
There is a phrase that states: "but by the grace of God, so go I". No one is quite sure where the phrase originated, but some believe from John Bradford (circa 1510–1555). I recently found a description of this phrase.
"The story that is widely circulated is that the phrase was first spoken by the English evangelical preacher and martyr, John Bradford (circa 1510–1555). He is said to have uttered the variant of the expression - "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford", when seeing criminals being led to the scaffold. He didn't enjoy that grace for long, however. He was burned at the stake in 1555, although, by all accounts he remained sanguine about his fate and is said to have suggested to a fellow victim that "We shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night". (www.phrases.org.uk)
When we have a brother or sister that is living a life of transgressions we should take an honest evaluation of ourselves and approach them with love, mercy and gentleness, as Christ has done for us through His grace. Our focus is to restore the individual and to assist others in finding their way back to forgiveness and grace. Lets get involved and engage the lives of others as we humbly approach them and guide them back with gentleness.
Prayer
Lord we praise you for your grace and gentleness given to us in spite of our transgressions. Lord empower us to engage others and assist them to find their way back to you and restoration.
Created 4 months ago
