Healing Words From Galatians 6

Healing Words From Galatians 6

Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

The following example is a short synopsis on how to use this powerful passage to bring healing and restoration to a person “caught in transgression”. Breaking down the verse we see how the Holy Spirit through His Word helps us to capture the healing process.

Caught in a transgression: Anyone who has been overtaken by sin, stands in need of being rescued from sin. (Genesis 4:7) “sin is crouching at the door”, sin desires to own us and rule us, sin is subtle and deceitful, so we compassionately and lovingly intervene. (Matthew 5:23-24, Matthew 18:15-17, 2 Corinthians 13:9–11) Note: We don’t exact punishment; we seek to restore the one “caught in transgression”. The level of “pressure or punishment” is in the control of the transgressor in their response to the process of restoration, Matthew 18:15 If he listens to you……… 16 But if he does not listen, we respond accordingly. We are not in the business of punishing; we are in the business of restoring. We grieve, are saddened, and are distressed, by the trappings of sin.

You who are spiritual: Not you who are sinless, but you who are spiritual. This is not some exclusive special group of Christians. Paul is simply speaking to believers who are filled with/controlled by the Spirit (Eph 5:18), walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, Col 1:9-10), empowered by the Spirit (Acts 1:8, Acts 10:38, Romans 15:13, 1 Cor 2:4, Eph 3:16), guided by the Spirit, (Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18). Believers walk into that person’s life, we run to their rescue, we help them bear their burden with Christ like compassion. We do not ignore sin in a person’s life, we do not excuse sin in a person’s life, we throw out the lifeline in a Spirit filled manner.

Restore him: Pick them up, lift them up, the concept of restoring to usefulness. The idea of setting a broken bone or mending a net and restoring the fallen back to usefulness. Spiritual brethren are to come along and “repair” or strengthen these “broken saints.” (Matthew 18:15, Romans 15:14, 2 Corinthians 2:1-10, 13:9–11) We love them where they are at with an eagerness to restore them. We would not allow a person to writhe around on the ground with a broken bone in pain without helping them, nor would we allow a person to spiritually struggle and thrash around with inner spiritual pain because of the brokenness of their sin. We care for them; we lift them up and spiritually reset the brokenness that has occurred in their lives. We allow ourselves to be used of God to mend the broken back to usefulness. This verse describes a willingness to get involved with others. The body of Christ relies and depends on each other for restoration.

In a spirit of gentleness: You who are spiritual are restoring, you will be doing it in a spirit of gentleness, as a healing medicine, we restore in gentleness. (Galatians 5:22–26, James 3:17). The fallen must sense in us a spirit of humility, an attitude of meekness, and tenderness just as our Lord modeled, (Matthew 11:29). Within that gentleness the fallen will find rest for their souls. This is the true essence of counseling/soul care.

Keep watch on yourself…….lest you too be tempted. We take heed to our own sinful brokenness; we confront with a loving and humble spirit because we are aware of our own brokenness and susceptibility to sin. The idea is that the one who is spiritual and is carrying out the restoring, needs to be humble and attentive to their own heart. An apt warning to keep the log out of our own eye. (Matthew 7:1-5), as well as carefulness in keeping watch over our own hearts, (James 1:14, 15). A spiritual person is cautious, circumspect, alert and guarding their own heart, (Proverbs 4:23).

Summary, the person who has fallen is in need.

• In need of restoration.
• In need of spiritual people.
• In need of being picked up.
• In need of gentle restoration.
• In need of humble restoration.

If someone comes to you and says my marriage is on the rocks, or I am really struggling with __________, what do you do? How can we grow in our understanding of how to approach that first conversation? How do you care for them initially? Start with two things.

1. Start with a high level or big picture response. With gentleness and humility, with careful, balanced, and fair data gathering. With spiritual/Scriptural responses, with hope in order to establish hope. You are carefully entering into this person’s life, they need to notice, gentleness, humility, carefulness in your probing and data gathering, as well as spiritual/Scriptural responses that is bringing about hope.
2. Start with three high level or big picture thoughts. Here are the three high level or big picture thoughts running in the background of your mind as you speak and ask questions.

First: Where Is God’s Glory? Here we are establishing focus in life. Where is their life’s focus? (John 8:28, 29, 1 Corinthians 10:31)

Second: Where Is God’s Gospel? Reproducing the attributes of the gospel in one’s life and becoming like God’s Son as a result of the transformational effects of the gospel. Here we are establishing purpose in life. (Romans 8:28,29)

Third: Where Is God’s Opinion? You are asking this to yourself as you engage the person or couple. You are trying to reorient their thinking and you are sticking to a plan that brings them back to Scripture. You are helping them to see themselves and their circumstances through the lens of Scripture.

You will ask these questions at the appropriate moment at some time during counseling. “Jamie, do you think God is glorified in your behavior? If so, in what ways?” “Jamie, I have heard you say things that are not in harmony with gospel thinking. You said you could never forgive Fred and you were very unkind in the way you said that. Aren’t you glad that God did not say this about us, but in our sin, He still forgave us?” “Jamie, I am thankful that you have given your opinion, but what is God’s opinion about the situation? I am not hearing from you thinking or language that has entered God’s opinion into the equation.”

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Determine what the main problem(s) is (are) as you gather data about what is going on.

How have they contributed to the problem, how have they responded to the problem.

Listen for heart idols and attitudes of the heart. Listen for hidden motives and agendas. Listen for repetitive themes and answers, slogans or expressions. Listen for viewpoints, world views, views of marriage, family, philosophies, etc.

Remember that you are looking at the big picture of how their life is oriented, what has been their focus in life contrasted against (God’s glory, God’s gospel, God’s opinion.)

RESPONSE

Ask general questions about issues at hand and then drill down as you converse working toward more specific questions. General: “What were the causes of your anger”? Specific: Drilling down might be something like, “what did you wish to accomplish by your anger”?

WHAT IS REQUIRED? WHAT DO THEY NEED? HOW WILL YOU MEET THIS NEED?

1. Solve some initial problems by suggesting a reorienting of focus. #1. Focusing on God’s Glory. #2. Focusing on the Gospel. #3 Focusing on God’s Opinion/Scripture against their struggle. Where have these basic life truths been missing in their life, and how has this impacted their lives. They will see past their problem or problems and begin to see how this has been missing as you carefully explain and present this to them. This will help you to help them solve some initial problems. Helping them to reorient their thinking will help them to see life much differently than they see it now.
2. Assign homework. The purpose of homework is to orient or reorient the person toward God and godliness. God is in the struggle and God is the answer to the struggle, we are going to engage our counselee at that level no matter what the situation might be. Homework helps a counselee move forward, to make progress and to grow. Initial homework is reorienting, restoring, and bringing about self-examination, as well as hope. Future assignments will move toward specific areas. Homework should be specific to the area they are struggling with and should always require some type of growth and change.
3. Elder Care. We all need to submit to and be exposed to their spiritual care. Be sure to describe how the Shepherding Group works. Enlist accountability partners within Shepherding Group first if possible. One another ministry is a major role within the Shepherding Groups and is the best source of loving accountability.

Case Study

As you think through the case study, what questions could you ask or what words could you use to focus on God’s glory, God’s gospel, God’s opinion in this marriage.

Jack and Jill are perfect church attenders and always look like the perfect couple and family. They even ask and answer question during the elective hour and have great input during our shepherding group gathering. But Jack and Jill come up the hill to see you without a pail of water, there is hole in their marriage bucket, it’s all gone it’s all drained out. There is nothing left to our marriage! That’s the way Jack put it as he ended a long tale of disagreement, heartache, and frustration. To which he added, “I don’t have a speck of love left for Jill anymore.” She was quick to agree: “And I don’t love him either; all of the feeling I once had for Jack has drained out.” They had come not for help but to obtain personal salve for their sore consciences. As Christians, they knew they had no biblical grounds for the divorce which they were contemplating. Yet, they were intent upon getting it because life together any longer seemed unbearable.

Jill spills out in frustration and anger, “he spends all of his time at work, sometimes late, and he works around a lot of women.” “Oh! I see says Jack, you have been at it again with those women you hang out with all the time, those gossips that say the same thing about their husbands that are not true. Your mother probably is saying the same things. All I have done for you for all these years, I’ve taken care of you and the kids. Have you ever had anything to worry about financially? NO! But you want more! All you do is complain and all you want is an argument. I am tired of yelling at you, and I am tired of being yelled at. You don’t appreciate anything I do!”

Jill looks over at you. “See, he doesn’t get it, he thinks he is the great provider! He pays no attention to me, I do all the work around the house, he never fixes anything, he comes home, plops down, eats food and watches TV and acts like the kids and I don’t exist. I am sick and tired of being his maid, of taking care of his kids, of not being appreciated for all the things I do for him and these kids. My mother is the only one that understands, she is always there for me, she is the only one I can talk to. He wonders why I spend most of my time at my parents with my mother. My parents have always supported me and all he does is criticizes them because I talk to them. I can’t talk to him! He just doesn’t get it!! “