A L M A C I A S

OVERTAKEN IN A FAULT

In the book of Galatians, we are able to find many great lessons that are so important for us as Christians. In Galatians 6:1-5, the apostle Paul teaches a lesson on how to deal with a brother or sister in Christ who has been overtaken in a fault. The apostle Paul was really an extraordinary man of God in many ways, and one of those ways was that he practiced what he preached to others. He would do whatever was necessary to help those who needed him. He had such concern for the churches of Christ that whenever he heard they were having any kind of spiritual problems, he would do whatever he could to help them. In the passage before us he offers instruction the Galatians, as well as to us, as to how to handle the restoration of someone who has been overtaken in a fault.

He begins by saying that the spiritual would be the ones to go to the brother who was in need of restoration. Now the first question that should come to mind is, "Who are the spiritual?" Not just anyone was to go but those who were the spiritual. It is not always the case that those who have the greater knowledge of the Word of God are the ones who are spiritual. The spiritual are those who are striving to live the best Christian lives they can possibly live. The spiritual are those who try to be good students of the Bible and who are not just hearers of the Word but doers of it also.

The spiritual are instructed by the apostle Paul to go to him who has been overtaken in a fault and to try to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness. Why did Paul say this? Paul said that this is necessary because someday we may be the ones in need of restoration. Restoring someone to the Lord is a very delicate operation and a very serious one also. Our own salvation may depend upon whether or not we put forth the effort to restore someone. We as Christians not only have the responsibility to take the Gospel to the lost, but also the responsibility to restore those who sometimes are caught off guard by the temptations of life. They, too, are in need of spiritual help. The greatest help we as Christians could ever give anyone in the family of God is the help of restoring them when they have been overtaken in a fault. Are we taking this responsibility as seriously as we need to?