Woe Unto Me
Woe Unto Me
WUM Galatians 6
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Paul closes this letter with strong words of encouragement for the Church at Galatia and to us today.
Well, good afternoon, good morning, or good evening, or whatever time it is that you are listening today. I welcome to WUM. I'm Butch.
SPEAKER_01And I'm Rod, and we're back for another exciting adventure of Wo One to Me. How are you doing, my friend? I am doing well. How about you? Uh better now that we're inside, because it's hot outside, and just we were just talking about how that hot sun here in Arizona just zaps you of all your strength. And it's good to be inside under the AC.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it's funny because it the temperature is like 10 degrees cooler than it's been earlier, but it for some reason it still feels really, really hot. I don't know if maybe the humidity's up because our uh monsoon season is rolling in. Maybe so. Maybe because it's not hot yet.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01The heat's coming, but it just feels like it's so miserable. Nonetheless, God is still good, and we're back uh to close out uh Galatians with Galatians chapter six and um just enjoy what Paul has to say uh to these brothers that he's writing to at the church at Galatia.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and he gives us strong encouragement here at the end of just like, hey, here we go.
SPEAKER_01Right?
SPEAKER_00I love how he does that at the end of these chapters, kind of sums things up and then just gives you a really strong encouragement. Come on, let's go.
SPEAKER_01Hey, yeah, you're right. Absolutely. And last week I know Paul encouraged these folks to walk by the spirit and not to walk by their flesh. And he gave benefits for walking in the spirit, and he he told them what would happen if you walked by the flesh and to and kind of showed them and laid out for them the fruits of the flesh, over and against the fruits of the spirit, uh against which he says there is no law. And so if we're walking by the spirit and the fruit of the spirit is evident within us, there's no law for us to keep or to govern us.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, which talk about incredible freedom.
SPEAKER_01Right?
SPEAKER_00Right. Absolutely. And then an interesting little warning uh in verse 26 before we hop into Galatians 6 1. He says, Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. It's like how in how easy it is for us when we live in a in a state of freedom. It's easy to get a little cocky. And he's sort of like, hey, don't don't do that. Don't provoke each other, don't envy one another, don't be like, hey, that guy seems like he has a double dose of the fruit of the spirit, or you know, or his gifts, or we talked about that last week too.
SPEAKER_01You start envying where other people are, and you're like, Absolutely, especially especially since I'm circumcised and you're not, and I've got an extra N, and you can have an extra N too if you be like me. And right?
SPEAKER_00Here, take this extra step. Yeah. He's like, nah.
SPEAKER_01Be one of the special people.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Brother, I've been one of the special people all too often in a different way.
SPEAKER_01Oh man.
SPEAKER_00Alright, so let's hop into Galatians 6, 1. He starts off and he says, 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. Interesting humility here, right? Like we are a brother's keeper.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00All these things that you hear about, I'm not my brother's keeper, I don't have to do this and this. Well, when it comes to Christ followers, this is what Paul's telling us. If anyone, any of our brothers or sisters are caught in a transgression, any of us who are spiritual are supposed to restore them. Not out of arrogance, which is interesting, he warned that in the last verse, right? Being conceited. But in a spirit of gentleness, we're supposed to restore them.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00And I I love this last piece of it. Keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted.
SPEAKER_01It's so easy. And I love what Paul says as he kind of rallies the rest of the church to say that, hey, if you've got if if the brothers are they've fallen into sin, they've fallen into some issue, you guys restore them. Come alongside them and restore them. But be careful that you don't fall into the same trap. And so you make sure you check yourself.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that self-righteous thing that can happen, right? You see somebody, you're like, I can't believe brother so-and-so or sister so-and-so is falling into this, you know. Interesting, how many times I've seen it myself or watched someone else do that. Right. And then they fall to the very same thing.
SPEAKER_01Yes, they talk you into it.
SPEAKER_00Instead of going and restoring the other person, coming alongside saying, Hey man, I know you're going through a rough patch and you're struggling with this. Let's pray together. When you do that, it it somehow just diffuses the power of the temptation to fall to that.
SPEAKER_01Right on, right on. Um, and I love what Paul says. He's he says, bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ. And I love that command. It's like come alongside and you help carry that load. I love that. Not only restore, but walk with them during this time to help them get back to where they need to be. Um, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. Love God and love your neighbor.
SPEAKER_00And one of the best ways to do it is to bear some other people's burdens. Right. Right. The joy can be multiplied, but the the sorrow can be eased when we bear these things together or we enjoy them together.
SPEAKER_01Right. You know, it's one thing to say, brother, I love you. But it's another thing to demonstrate that love by walking alongside them, a brother that's caught in any kind of trespass, so that they can be restored. I mean, that's what Jesus did for us.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01And and we need to do the same, Paul says. And that's that that's that present imperative. You keep on bearing that that brother's burden and and and demonstrate your love for them. Don't just say, brother, I love you, but work it out. No, no, no, no. Get in the mud and the muck with them. And help them get back to where they need to be.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the irony of of thinking in the self-righteousness, like, oh, I'm so sanctified, I'm above these things.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00That that's those are the people if you really are that spiritual one, you're the one that should be going to people out of humility and saying, Let me walk alongside with you.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00I've been there, I've done that, I bought the t-shirt, I have all the scars to prove it.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00And can I help you through this? I'd love to walk you through this. Yeah. Or walk together.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And that's where that humility comes in, comes into play, because Paul talks about that in verse 3. For if anyone thinks he is something, I'm very spiritual, I can help you when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let everyone examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone and not re and not in regard to another. Um, and I just love this. Just when you're helping one another, just check yourself. And don't think that you all that because you're the spiritual one. Uh, because it it's easy for you to fall in the same trap too. And I just love this. Keep keep a cool head about who you are. And don't, again, don't think that you're all that in a bag of chips, and I got this. Um have a little humility. And go ahead.
SPEAKER_00Oh, so then he goes on in verse 5, for each will have to bear his own load. So let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Isn't that interesting? Amen. Sharing each other's loads. Right? There's so often that we just assume that because somebody's teaching and everything's good with them, and I'm just gonna receive and take, take, take, take, and not think like, man, this person's spending a lot of time studying, preaching, teaching, sharing God's word. You know, brother, uh-huh, how much effort and time it takes when you're really trying to be a good workman who really searches the scriptures. Um, and he's saying, like, hey, if somebody's going to be teaching, you should be sharing good things with them.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Because that gives the person that taught you encouragement, and it lets them know that you're listening and that you're growing and that you're you're headed in the right direction spiritually.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you appreciate and the work that this takes.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, because it does take work. Ministry takes work. Coming along another brother to walk with them takes time and energy, and sometimes you just get drained. And and if you don't see progress or you don't hear about progress, you just wear it on you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and sometimes the ministry is lonely where all you're doing is taking on problems. Right. And so it's interesting. This may not just be sharing just some good things, it's saying share all good things. Right. Right? So when you have great things happen in your family and things, some lots of people that are teaching you need to hear that. Right on. They can rejoice with you. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Right? And then there's this warning in verse 7. He says, Do not be deceived. Don't you dare be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, this he will reap. And I love this. Don't y'all think that God is slack? And don't think that he's not watching. Don't think that he doesn't know. He says, God is not mocked. Do not be deceived. Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. If you sow to the flesh and you think, oh well, God, God hadn't done anything just yet, so maybe he hadn't. No, no, no, don't go down that line of thinking. God sees and he knows. Don't take that lightly, Paul says. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the spirit shall from the spirit reap eternal life. You got two choices. If you sow to the flesh, you're gonna wind up with corruption. But if you sow to the spirit, Paul says it's eternal life. Which do you want? You want the law and the corruption, or you want the spirit and eternal life. It's like, yo, guys, wake up. Here's your choice.
SPEAKER_00This is a spiritual battle. It is good and evil. And he keeps giving us different angles to look at all of this. Right. To walk the the press to walk in the spirit. Yes. That there's rewards and there's consequences and all these things that he's just saying. Come on, folks. Stay in there. And I love verse 9, right, where he says, and let us not grow weary of doing good. Because it does, it can get hard. Sometimes you don't, sometimes you don't see what you're reaping, the eternal life. Sometimes you don't always feel the fruit of the spirit. Right? Yeah sometimes we want that feel good and the oh my gosh, this is so awesome. What a great season in life. But sometimes it's just gutting it out. Like keep doing good. Don't grow weary, right? So it's like there is a point in time, there is a due season when you will reap. But it's conditional.
SPEAKER_01It is.
SPEAKER_00If we don't give up.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Don't get tired. Because it's easy to get tired and worn out and frustrated and exacerbated because I'm a little sick of doing this. I don't see any progress. And God says don't lose heart.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because this is like this life is that funny thing that it's it's a marathon, but it's a sprint.
unknownRight?
SPEAKER_00Because in a blink of an eye, your life's over.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00But then sometimes your life is 80, 90, 100 years.
SPEAKER_01And you're like, no.
SPEAKER_00In the light of eternity, it's a blip.
SPEAKER_01It's just a it's just a vapor, man. You're right. Um but just Paul says just keep keep your head on straight. You you you reap what you sow. And don't get discouraged. Because in due time, I love this, in due time, we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So stay in the fight. Stay in the struggle. Keep bearing that brother or sister's burden and walking with them. And when you find yourself getting tired and exhausted, hang on and just just just get through the struggle. God's got you. And you will you will reap what you sow. Just hang in there. And so Paul continues in verse 10. He says, so then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith. There's our charge. We have a every day that God gives us breath, we have an opportunity to do good. So was Paul saying that every day we should be doing good and helping to bear the burdens of these brothers or sisters who are in a fault. Every day we should be trying to do something to encourage them to help them get back where they need to be.
SPEAKER_00And then singles out especially those who are of the household of faith.
SPEAKER_01Now I wonder why he says, especially to those of the household of faith. What's special about these people?
SPEAKER_00It's the body of Christ. It is.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00To bring faith, hope, and love to a world that doesn't know this. Absolutely. So it's like you have a whole organism that is that sometimes struggles with, man, I need to keep doing what's right and not to get overtaken in some transgression that's keeping me from being all that God wants me to be.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00And so when we have opportunity to encourage somebody in that, like, come on, stay in the fight. Yeah. Don't get tired. Right. Don't grow weary. Keep going.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And secondly, this is family. These are brothers and sisters in Christ that we love and that we we connect with, that we pray with, that we hang out with. This is family. And and that's we're, you know, truth be told, uh, brothers in Christ and sisters in Christ are oftentimes closer than blood family.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01And we're going to spend eternity together.
SPEAKER_00You might as well get to know each other.
SPEAKER_01You might as well get to know one another now and love on each other now, because we got we're going to have forever to enjoy God and to enjoy one another. So, especially the household of faith, because we got Christ in common and he's going to keep, I mean, we're family. Yep. Um, right on. And I love what Paul says here in verse 11. He makes this letter very personal. Because he's not using a scribe. He's actually with his own hand. He is writing this letter to the church at Galatia. He says, See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. So he wants them to know this is personal. I'm writing, actually writing this to you. Because most times we don't hear about who's writing. It's just these are here, these are Paul's words. But Paul makes his emphasis. I'm writing this, not using a scribe. I'm the one writing this with my own hand. Look at the large letters with which I am writing. That says, guys, you were important to me. And I want you to know how much I care about you that I'm doing I'm pinning this letter myself.
SPEAKER_00And it's interesting, he kind of wraps this back around with the same old thing of circumcision.
SPEAKER_01Right, right.
SPEAKER_00Verse 12. It's those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised. So it goes against this grain. These people are forcing you to do something. Yeah. But I am personally writing to you. Uh-huh. I mean, very different. Yes. Even the gentleness that he says before, right? If people are struggling in a transgression, you are spiritual, restore them in a spirit of gentleness. Isn't he showing this very thing by saying it this way?
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00They're trying to force you to be circumcised.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00I'm trying to gently pen a letter in my own handwriting to encourage you not to fall to this trap. That's right. And only, right, in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
SPEAKER_01Hmm. So if I don't get circumcised, the other Jews who believe the same way are going to are going to come at me and talk about me and persecute me and put me down because I chose not to follow them. And that's what they want to do to you. So they want to avoid the persecution by going into circumcision so they can say, see, look, guys, I'm one of you. I did it.
SPEAKER_00It's like he boy, he says do it in a spirit of gentleness, but those are strong words. They are.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00When Jesus said, Blessed are you if you're persecuted.
SPEAKER_01Right, right. And the person, and avoiding the persecution isn't going to help you because then you've gone back to the law, which he's already told us you're going back into slavery. It's not going to help you. Um there's no more sacrifice for you.
SPEAKER_00And it's all being done because these people want to have a little notch in their belt. Right. This is what it is.
SPEAKER_01Look at my disciples. See, I got circumcised, I made them get circumcised.
SPEAKER_00See, we're you know exactly what he's saying in verse 13.
SPEAKER_01Right?
SPEAKER_00For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. Yeah. Look at how many people I've had sir get circumcised because I told them that they must still keep this part of the law.
SPEAKER_01Right on. And look at my followers. They're they're following behind, they're following in my steps. Going straight into slavery.
SPEAKER_00And Paul lays the juxtaposition about what he's gonna boast about versus what they're boasting about. They're boasting in the flesh.
SPEAKER_01Yes, right?
SPEAKER_00But he says, But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
SPEAKER_01That's right. If you want to boast about something, don't boast about your circumcision or getting circumcised so you can go back to the law. You boast about the cross.
SPEAKER_00How about the instrument of death that brings eternal life to whoever believes?
SPEAKER_01Isn't that isn't that really an oxymoron that this instrument of death brings eternal life to those who believe?
SPEAKER_00That is, it still makes me giggle. Right. It's the most unbelievable, absolutely believable story.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00Because it's true. He uses an in the one of the worst instruments ever devised to torture people, to have them live longer, to suffer longer and greater and more intensely. And he Paul's saying, hey, brag about that.
SPEAKER_01Right, right.
SPEAKER_00But not just a cross, it's the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, the cross that made a difference in the lives of humanity, in the lives of the world.
SPEAKER_00And then Paul Paul makes it clear the by the it's the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ to which he's been crucified to the world.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00And the world to him. Like this whole world system, let it blow up, let it go away. Yep. Stop. And I'm preaching to myself now. That's okay. Stop running down this road of being so worried about the wars and rumors of wars and who's gonna get elected and who's not gonna get elected. Yeah. Focus on the cross, right? There you go. This is what Paul's saying. There you go. If you want to boast about something, here's what you boast about. Absolutely. Because neither circumcision, verse 15, counts for anything, nor uncircumcision. But what counts is that you're a new creation. God told I love it.
SPEAKER_01What's the point, Paul? You are a new creation in Jesus Christ. You don't need to go back to the slavery of the law. You don't need to get circumcised. And if you're uncircumcised, it doesn't matter. You're a new creation in Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00Even if you're caught in a transgression, he's saying the rest of us come alongside. Remind you of the fact that the cross of Jesus Christ paid for it.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00Past, present, future.
SPEAKER_01That's right.
SPEAKER_00Because this circumcision doesn't mean any stupid thing. Or even if you're uncircumcised, it doesn't mean anything.
SPEAKER_01In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't help you. What helps you is the cross of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00Because that's what can make you a new creation.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and if you if you placed your faith in Christ, you are a new creation. Old things. Passed away. Behold, everything has become new, right?
SPEAKER_00Right. The whole world looks different when you look through the cross. Absolutely. With the mind of Christ. Yes.
SPEAKER_01So who needs to go back to the law and back to that slavery? When you've got freedom in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
SPEAKER_00It seems like an easy choice when he lays it down this way.
SPEAKER_01It really does. And I love how Paul closes this letter in verse 16. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. I love this. Those who will follow in this vein of thinking, remember that they're a new creation in Christ. Peace and mercy be upon them. And I love this. And upon not the nation of Israel, but the Israel of God. God's people. Jew and Gentile. Who follow him?
SPEAKER_00Who doesn't want more peace and mercy? Oh man.
SPEAKER_01I know I do.
SPEAKER_00Man. Bring it on. Each and every day. When we're talking about even the fruit of the Spirit, but then you say this, right? For walking by these rules to love people as Christ loved us and focus on these things. Yes. Helping other people to do good and stay in the fight. That can help us get through this difficult, sometimes very, very challenging life.
SPEAKER_01Just don't give up. Stay in the fight. Stay in the battle. Stay in the struggle. Keep walking by the Spirit. That's right. Man, and then Paul closes. Amen. Oh, you missed verse 17. Did I? Oh, you're right. Sorry. From now on, let no one cause trouble for you. For I bear on my body the brand marks of Jesus. Don't let anybody trip you up, Paul says. Because I bear the stripes from the from the beatings and the scars from the stoning and and all that comes from following Christ.
SPEAKER_00You just think of the list of things that this dude has physically endured. Yes. For the cross.
SPEAKER_01For the cross.
SPEAKER_00He's like, hey, I'm not going to let anybody give me any trouble about any of that. Because I know what I have suffered for the gospel's sake. That's why he says, like, I'm not ashamed. Right. I'm going to boast in the cross.
SPEAKER_01That's right, right?
SPEAKER_00I love it. So encouraging. And with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And I I hope that the folks at Galat, the church at Galatia, when Paul wrote this, hurt his heart. And the other brothers and sisters rallied around those who were being tempted to walk away and go back to the law. And I hope and pray that they encourage these folks to don't go to the law, but remember that you're a new creation in Christ. The law can't help you. It'll put you back in slavery. You are free.
SPEAKER_00And as a reminder, probably good, this is not a one-time deal to just say, hey, don't get fooled. Don't be deceived by the fact that you could get sucked back into the law, following the law, doing something that is other than putting your faith and trust in Jesus. Because the devil is so crafty. Even when Jesus was tempted, at the end of all of it, it said he went away for a more opportune time. So it's that when you're weak, when you're tired, when you're weary, these all these seeds of doubt start coming in. Right. These are the times then to go back and reread this and be reminded, like, wait a minute. Yeah. I can boast in the cross. That's where my trust is in, right? It's in the finished work of Jesus. That's right. Not in me not feeling like I'm doubting or I mean I think about this quite a bit where I'm like, well, I believe, Lord, but that thing of help my unbelief, my areas where I do still doubt sometimes.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Help me with that. Yeah. There's nothing shameful about showing the humility of I'm not a spiritual giant. I'm not in Hebrews 11. Last time I checked, Butch's name isn't in Hebrews 11.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00So I probably should be in humility thinking, wow Lord, I need to stick with you. Yeah. Yeah. Abide in you. Right. I'm not strong enough to go out there on my own and think I'm going to take on the devil and his demons.
SPEAKER_01Not even not even Michael, the archangel, did that. He's he's like, you know, the Lord rebuke you.
SPEAKER_00And he was out of there.
SPEAKER_01Right. Yeah. And the folks in Hebrews 11, none of them were perfect. They all had their shortcomings.
SPEAKER_00Right. As you read through that, sometimes that is encouraging to you to be like, wow, Samson's listed. Yeah. So that there's hope for me.
SPEAKER_01Amen. Right? So we we hope this has been encouraging to you this entire book, but especially check chapter six, where Paul really, really hits home the importance of us looking out for one another and walking with one another and bearing one another's burdens and being there to encourage one another. For the long haul, realizing that we ourselves can be tempted to walk away as well if we're not walking in humility. And keeping our eyes on Jesus, being aware, as Butch just said, that the enemy is still out there working, and he's very crafty. And so don't let your guard down.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and so we're we wrapped up Galatians today, and Rod and I haven't talked about it for a little while, but we were thinking before. We just keep going, go right to the next book. So we'll probably hop up and into Ephesians unless God speaks to both of us somehow and say, no, do this instead. But we're excited and encouraged and look forward to hopefully speaking some more with you if we don't meet each other in the clouds before then. Amen to that. Because perhaps today.
SPEAKER_01You never know.
SPEAKER_00Maybe we'll come back today.
SPEAKER_01That'd be a good day. Right? It'd be a good day. Well, we hope this has been a blessing to you who are listening. Um drop us a line. Let us know what your what your thoughts are, how we're doing, uh, if you've been encouraged. And you can do that by by emailing us at wmthenumber two guys at yahoo.com. That's wemthenumbert guys at yahoo.com. We'd love to hear from you.
SPEAKER_00The Lord bless you.
SPEAKER_01You have an awesome day, and we'll see you soon.