Fulfilling the Law of Christ

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:1–2

If you broke your arm, you’d go to a doctor. A broken arm almost always needs a doctor to check it and make sure the bone is lined up right (set) so it can heal properly and you don’t lose movement or strength.

That’s what the word “restore” means in today’s verses.

When someone sins, there’s a break. This means there’s a need to gently restore that break—and that’s everyone’s job who lives “by the Spirit.”

Now, we all sin. So what kind of sin is Paul talking about?

Just the really “big” ones like adultery or stealing? Or even the “small” ones like gossip or lying?

Here’s the deal: there is no distinction between “large” and “small.” Sin is sin.

Instead, Paul is talking about those “caught in a sin,” which means sin that surprisingly overtakes them. It means we’re called to help those who genuinely want to follow Jesus… and to do so gently.

But have you noticed gentleness can be a lost art today?

I’ve seen Christians be exceptionally harsh to one another, especially on social media. Remember, our goal isn’t to point fingers and feel self-righteous because we’re not as “bad” as someone else (Galatians 6:4). It’s to help carry their burden of sin into restoration in God’s family.

Do you know what Paul says that does?

It fulfills “the law of Christ.” Which means two things in our context.

Fulfilling the law of Christ means:

1. Submission to Jesus’s teachings
2. Life in the Spirit

When we live like that, we’re not motivated by finger pointing and mud slinging. We’re motivated by Jesus’s heart and the Spirit’s leading toward restoration.

How do you react to opportunities to restore a brother or sister?