When we catch someone in transgression, how should we respond?
By Dean Collins
Nearly every day we hear a news story of someone who is caught in a transgression. I suspect there are many reasons we hear these stories so often. For one, we live in a fallen world; every person is flawed and in need of forgiveness. In other words, there are no perfect people. But I’m also guessing we hear about the transgressions of others because we enjoy getting such news. And since we enjoy it so much, there are plenty of professionals and a plethora of amateurs eager to capture and report someone’s tragic slip-up.
We especially like it when someone outside of our tribe makes a mistake. We tend to enjoy seeing someone from our nonpreferred political party, faith community, or social status stumble. Sadly, many who profess to follow Jesus behave in exactly the same way as the world in this regard. Some church folk relish a good fallen-pastor story.
Restore, don’t enjoy
But the first verse of Galatians 6 says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” How shall we obey this verse? It almost seems as though some think they have a responsibility to set the trap or turn on the camera to make sure you catch someone sinning. But that is certainly not what Paul was suggesting.
If you back up to chapter 5, you’ll read Paul presenting a rather lengthy discussion of the difference between living to please the flesh versus walking in the Spirit in order to please God. The apostle said we could sum up the whole Law by loving our neighbor as ourselves. We typically don’t go around making sure everyone knows our mistakes, so why would we do that with someone else’s?
Paul followed his thoughts in chapter 5 by saying if we go after each other pointing out flaws and arguing about everything, we certainly are not walking in the Spirit and practicing the love of Christ.
Help, but gently
Chapter 6 is clear that inside the community of Christ-followers we have a responsibility to help the fallen sister or brother get up and get their life back in order. But we do it carefully, lovingly, and not in isolation, or we might just trip ourselves. As believers, we have a family obligation to assist each other with the burdens we bear. When we do, we look like Jesus to the world and to each other. When we don’t, we look selfish and unloving.
The tone of this section of chapter 6 is that we are responsible for ourselves in terms of the management of our day-to-day lives. Each of us has a responsibility to walk in the Spirit and not to seek the desires of the flesh. But we also have a responsibility to be loving, helpful, generous, and caring to those who have fallen to sin or who have been crushed by the troubles of the world.
Give, and then get
Paul picks up one of the farming illustrations of Jesus and reminds us that we reap what we sow. If you want others pointing out all your mistakes, then act that way to them. If you want to see the world around you become more generous and loving, then sow the seeds of Jesus. There’s much that can wear us out each day. Paul exhorts us not to grow weary doing good. Ultimately every good deed is honored by Jesus.
I’m guessing today we will both have the opportunity to sow some good seed and practice a little grace, or maybe much of it. And the result might just be that we will all sleep well tonight and watch the seeds sprout in the coming days!
Your time with God’s Word
Galatians 5:14-17, 25-26 ESV
Photo by Rodolpho Zanardo from Pexels
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