True Spirituality

Galatians 6:1-5

Early one Sunday, a husband and his wife was getting ready for church.
It was about time for the service, when she noticed her husband was making no effort to get ready.
She asked, "Why aren't you getting ready for church?"

He said, "'Cause I don't want to go."

She asked, "Why do you not want to go?"

He answered, "I have three good reasons.
First, the congregation is cold.
Second, no one likes me.
And third, I just don't want to go."

The wife replied, wisely, "Well, honey, I have three reasons why you should go.
First, the congregation is warm.
Second, there are a few people there who like you.
And third, you're the pastor! So, get dressed!"

What is true spirituality?
Do you have it?
Do you know those who are spiritual?

Sometimes, we make bad judgements about who is spiritual.
We think that a pastor is spiritual because he is a pastor.
They should be, but just because one is a pastor doesn't mean that he is spiritual.
This is also true for deacons and other church leaders.

Many have had bad encounters with those who are in church leadership.
They were perceived to be spirit controlled, when they weren't.

Some have been hurt by the unchristian behavior of a church leader.
Some have been hurt by a church leader who criticized them.
Some have been hurt by a church leader who had sinned, but refused to acknowledge his sin.
Some have been hurt by a church leader who made them feel guilty.
Some have been hurt by a church leader who had misappropriated money.
Some have been hurt by a church leader who exercised unreasonable authority and abused their authority.
Some have been hurt by a church leader who sexually abused them.

And those who have been hurt by such behaviour have concluded -- if that is spiritually -- they don't want
anything to do with it.

In Galatians, Paul describes true Christian spiritually.

The Judaisers had said, "To be true Christians you have to be like us:
You have to be circumcised and you have to obey the Jewish law."

Paul explained that wasn't the essence of Christian spiritually.
Prim and proper is not the way Paul describes spiritually.
Galatians 5:25: "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

That describes true spirituality.
It is keeping in step with the Holy Spirit.
This means following the leadership of the Spirit in our hearts, and not following the demands
of our old sinful nature.

Paul provides some examples of true spirituality.

Galatians 6:1: "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.
But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted."

A spiritual person seeks to restore those who have fallen into sin.
We must do this only as the Holy Spirit leads us.
We cannot do this as one who is superior, but as one who truly cares and with humility.

Paul is not talking about habitual sin.
Paul was talking about accidental sin.

The word translated, "overtaken," was used
to describe someone who slipped and fell on an icy road or a dangerous path.
It was not a sin that they had planned to do, but they made a wrong choice.

It could be a failed marriage.
It could have been an angry outburst.
It could be a gambling.
It could have been gossip.
It could have been a hastily-made wrong decision.
It could have been a weak moment.

You don't plan those sort of things.
They just sneak up on a person.
They are the result of sin, but they leave the person broken and wounded.

The true spiritual Christian will lovingly restore those who are broken.
The word translated, "restore" is the word meaning, "to set a broken limb".
The healing is done with a spirit of humility and love.

The spiritual person understands that the grace of God guards his life.
The spiritual person is aware that he or she have also sinned,
and have received the forgiveness of God.
The spiritual person's purpose is to restore not to condemn.

Those who have a legalistic attitude and approach to one who has sinned are not spiritual.
This is not spiritual.
Their purpose is to criticize and condemn, not to restore.

Nothing reveals the wickedness of legalism more than the way legalists treat those who have sinned.
Remember the Pharisees who caught the woman in adultery.
They only wanted to condemn her.
Jesus loved her and restored her.

The legalist does not care for facts or proof.
They will act even with suspicion or rumor.

The legalist will condemn the brother or sister because it makes them look good.
Therefore, Paul says in Galatians 6:4:
"Each one should test his own actions.
Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,"

The legalist lives by comparison and competition.
He hopes to look good by making the other look bad.
He feeds his pride by believing that he is better than others because he has not done what they have.

This is not the attitude or action of a spiritual Christian.
A spiritual Christian treats the sins of another with confidentiality.
Their love will not allow them to talk about the weaknesses or mistakes of others.
The spiritual christian restores the fallen with gentleness and love.

In Galatians 6:2 we read:
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

The spiritual christian will share the burdens of others.
The spritual christian is filled with the love of Christ.

In contrast, the christian, who is not truly spiritual will give cheap criticism from the sideline.

Here is a man in a boat about to go over a waterfall.
He is frantically paddling, and is fighting a losing battle against the current.
There is one guy standing back from the edge of the river,
so his shoes don't get dirty, shouting, "Row harder."

There is another man trying to rig a rope to throw the man in the boat, who is about to go over the falls.
He shouts, "It is too dangerous for me to try and help you, but grab this lifeline."

The third person swims to the man and climbs into the boat.
He says, "I don't know if I can help, but I am here to help you row."

That is true spiritually.

He doesn't just offer unneeded advice, he shares the burden.
That is true spiritually.

Look again at the spiritual person in Galatians 6:5: "...Each one should carry his own load."

This might seem to contradict sharing burdens.
But the word is that which is used to describe a soldier's pack.
Each soldier carries his own pack.
It is his or her personal responsibility.

The spiritual christian carries his own pack.
He carries the load that God has given him.
It is his load, his ministry, his trials, and his calling.
It is his responsibility and he does not expect anyone else to carry it.

The un-spiritual person is not interested in someone's burdens.
He is not interested in helping to carry another's burden.
Often, they add to the burdens of others.
They are always harder on other people, than they are on themselves.
The spiritual christians usually expect more of themselves, than they expect of others.

Many have been victims of pride and condemnation from people in churches.
Many that have been hurt by greed, criticism and abuse of power by church leaders.
They have left disillusioned with Christianity.
Many never come back and never go to another church.

That is not true spirituality.
Such people are not controlled by the Spirit.
They are controlled by their own sinful desires.

The true spiritual person restores with humility and love.
The true spiritual person gets in the boat with the desperate and hurting.
The true spiritual person bears his own load and helps others with theirs.

This is a challenge to all of us.
There is a challenge to those who have been hurt.
They must recognize that true spiritual christians do love them, and will be with them in their time of need.

we must demonstrate true spiritually.
We must edify.
We must build up.
We must promote healing.
We must share burdens.
We must take responsibility for our own lives.

Let us pray to be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God.
Let us also pray that those who have been hurt will pray this prayer with us.
We must remove every unchristian attitude and every unchristian action from our lives.
We must not stoop to legalism, condemnation and criticism.
Let us lift up our wounded soldiers. Let us pray for the healing of wounded spirits.

When we live true spiritual lives,
we will bring the needed healing and love to those who so desperately need us.

This will bring victory to all our churches!

Sermon by Dr. Harold L. White