The Anchor of Mercy
Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Bear one another’s burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.
Galatians 6:1-5 (NASB)
It is a nearly daily occurrence that we see some headline where a Pastor has fallen into public sin. The comment sections are always the same: people professing to be Christians are either dismissing the sin as something we are all guilty of or abjectly condemning the person as a permanent and total failure. The reflection of online discourse is often seen within the church in far less dramatic fashion, and yet, it is still quite clearly there.
While much of the Christian population fails to discuss sin, how to combat it, and how horrifying its outcomes are, throngs of people show up to our churches looking for an answer in the Christ we claim to believe. We often either ignore sin or vocally condemn those caught in it. And yet, Jesus cries from the pages of scripture that His people were meant to be freed, to be restored even when they fail.
In Galatia, they were clearly familiar with the traps of sin, and they too were caught in the same patterns we often see within our churches. They were not trying to rescue the sinner from the agony of walking in habits that destroy all joy. They were so concerned with controlling what those other people were doing that they had to be reminded to be gentle. They had to be reminded to test themselves to ensure that they were walking out Christ’s commands. They had to be reminded that the measure is not what someone else is doing. The measure is God’s Word.
I think back to the early days of my walk when I read the start of this chapter. I think back to going to church hungover after a night at the bar. I think back to nights spent at the bottom of a bottle and with people doing things that had long cut off joy from my life. I remember God’s grace rescuing me even as I was unable to cutoff the habits I’d had for decades. I persisted in attending church and I persisted in pursuing the disciplines of the faith even as I was caught up in sin.
I remember feeling deeply conflicted and even profound pain over my sin, and I remember thinking, “will I ever really change?” Over and over in my life I had tried to walk out my faith. I had failed as my unbelieving friends stood by and shook their heads. I had walked away from church as some simply said, “TRY HARDER!” And yet, I had seen my dad change. I had seen my brother change. They were unrecognizably different. I knew there was something there for me, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever find it.
During this time they heavily encouraged me to continue attending church, reading scripture, and praying. I simply refused to give up, even as I was still drinking. Slowly the sin peeled away. It took years, and so then, what do I have to brag about? Nothing but Christ. I have Him to point at and say HE LOVES ME and so my life is transformed.
Do you remember being rescued? What did any of us do to deserve being dragged out of the mire we buried ourselves in? Nothing. And yet, through other men who lived obediently to Christ, walking in humility, I saw the hope of the gospel. By this hope I found the motivation and strength to persist. Do others see this hope in you? Do they hear it in your words? Do they experience it in your responses when things are tense? Have we “examined our own works” to see if Christ is reflected there?
Look long and hard upon Christ, the anchor of God’s mercy holding us fast to an eternity with Him. Stand fast and extend a hand back to those who fallen into sin. Become a part of the chain of brothers linking arms to drag men out of the depths of sin’s despair. Become the grace of God to a falling or fallen believer. That is what Paul is commanding us to do here in Galatians.
This is what He and the brothers have done for us. This is what we must do for His name’s sake.
There is no power to save or transform in comparing ourselves to another other than Christ. The more we behold Christ, the more His humility will flow in us and through us. The more we ponder His mercy upon us the more His mercy will flow from us. The world will be transformed as we keep our grip upon the cross and He who was nailed there with an open hand held out to our brothers and sisters who are struggling to advance toward freedom.
We must not relent. All of heaven is watching and eternity awaits.
