August 23, 2026 - Restoration from Sin
- brooks16055
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Galatians 6:1-5 NIV
[1] Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. [2] Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. [3] If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. [4] Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, [5] for each one should carry their own load.
We are called to hold one another accountable and help each other recognize and repent from sin. I have some friends who are very good at speaking truth to me when they recognize my sinfulness. They are able to present it to me in a way that shows their concern for me and anyone else I may be sinning against. I think we can be tempted to point out someone else's sin with arrogance or with a heart of judgement or condemnation. That is something we need to watch out for because that is a sin in itself. If we are pointing out someone else's sin to them it needs to be out of concern for them and those they are sinning against and should be done with gentleness & humility. Humility means that we are putting others first. Our concern for them and what is best for them may even feel like a burden to carry but that is what it looks like to love our neighbor as ourselves. We need to make sure that we are not doing it out of pride and bragging because to point out someone else's sin pridefully is a sin in itself. Jesus told us to take the log out of our own eye so that we can clearly see the speck in our neighbor's eye. We must first evaluate ourselves with honest and sobor judgement, repent from our sins and humble ourselves before God, before we can point out the sin of others.
Job 29:7-17 NIV
[7] “When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square, [8] the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet; [9] the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands; [10] the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. [11] Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, [12] because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them. [13] The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing. [14] I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. [15] I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. [16] I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. [17] I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth.
Job who never blamed God and in that did not sin. However, he does sin here. I see all these things that he is remembering about his life before. He had power, position, respect and a good reputation. He makes his case as to why he deserved all these accolades. As he laments all these things he lost, I am wondering if these were points of pride in his life. The more he dwells on his situation and the more he talks about it he is fueling the temptation to sin in pride and self-interest. It is interesting to me that when he talks about all the things that he had done that people commended him for, they were things that he did in the best interest of others. Loving his neighbors. But now he is not thinking about others, only himself. Do you think Job could have still done things to serve others even in his state of suffering? I do. I am not saying it would be easy but to be eyes to the blind and feet to the lame would not have required him to have things and possessions to help. Being a help to others can be done in many different ways. Even though he had nothing left he knew God well enough to know that if he gave to others God would provide. If Job's friends would have taken the logs out of their eyes, they may have been able to gently restore Job's perspective from selfishness to humility. From self to God. From negativity to praise.
Restoring someone who is sinning is part of our responsibility to the body of Christ because we are all one and when one falls it affects the function of the body. But it must start with our own self-evaluation. If we are living in the Sprit, then we will first humble ourselves and seek wisdom from the Sprit regarding our own motives and intentions. Then as one who lives by the Spirit, we will be able to gently and lovingly restore that person.
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