GROUP GUIDE: Galatians 5:26-6:5

We live in a digital age. You see everyone around you with a phone, a tablet, and they're starting to build a community through their devices, but instead of community, it often ends in loneliness. The same thing happens with the church. As believers, we've struggled to understand how important the church (community) is for our thriving. The life of a believer is not a life of solitude but a life of community. The passage we looked at this week tells us how a life in the Spirit should guide believers to live their faith in biblical community. The first thing we saw was:

A Call to Humility (v. 26)

We have seen that walking in the Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit. Paul tells us that if we live by the Spirit, then we must let the Spirit guide our steps, let the Spirit guide our lives. Let us live a life that depends entirely on God. But it is also a call to humility, a life that recognizes that who we are is because the Spirit has worked in us, it is through the grace of God in our lives. Let us be careful not to think that even our spirituality is our own doing or something we have earned, but rather let us see that it is the work of the Spirit in us, and this should produce humility in us and not pride, because pride provokes envy in others. Living in community implies a life of humility; if there is greater maturity in us, it is by the grace of God, and our dealings with others will be different because we recognize the work of God in us, the grace of God within ourselves.

Do you recognize the work of God in your life? Or do you think your “maturity” is based on your effort? Recognizing what God has done for us and living lives dependent on God and walking in the Spirit should produce humility in our lives, and we will approach others with a humble heart. A life that walks in the Spirit is a life that reflects humility.

A Call to Restoration (6:1)

Notice the familiar language used. Paul begins by saying, “Brothers and sisters.” The church is a family. You need a family to care for you spiritually. The church is a “family” (6:10) of brothers and sisters (cf. 6:18) who call God “Abba, Father!” (4:6). An outsider might think, “You have a strange family!” Yes, it should be diverse. God likes variety. There’s nothing like the family of faith. Paul tells Timothy that the church should treat one another as brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers (1 Tim 5:1–2; cf. Mark 3:35). One of the things God does through the gospel is form a people (cf. Titus 2:14). Being part of God’s family is a gift of God’s grace. Acknowledge his glory and invest your life in it. The goal is restoration, not judgment. The nature of the one who restores is to walk in the Spirit; we must first remove the plank from our own eye before we can remove the speck from someone else's. We must do this with a spirit of gentleness, showing love and tact without diluting the truth. We must also be careful not to be tempted, recognizing that it can happen to us as well, and depend on God for guidance.

A Call to Bear One Another's Burdens (6:2-5)

We are not only called to help restore people who are struggling with sin, but we are also called to bear one another's burdens. Undoubtedly, while we are here, the people around us, or even you, will have burdens, and if we walk in the Spirit, we have a calling to bear one another's burdens. The reality is that we cannot carry burdens alone; we need our family. The ministry of bearing burdens is not just a suggestion, and it is not reserved for pastors. To be an obedient Christian and operate under the control of the Spirit, we must help others carry their heavy burdens. That is what it means to love. That is what it means to be the church. We should not be crushed by this commandment, but rather delight in it and realize that we have the power to fulfill it through the ministry of the Spirit in our lives.

But if there is anything that prevents us from bearing one another's burdens, it is pride. Often, we are unwilling to help others because we focus more on ourselves. This passage reminds us that we are not the most important people in our lives, but rather that we should measure our lives in light of who Jesus is. To live in the Spirit is to live in community - restoring our brothers and sisters, bearing one another's burdens, and not letting pride blind us.