Galatians 6:1
"Dear brothers and sisters, if another Believer is overcome by some sin, you who are Godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself."
[Emphasis added]
As Believers, it is important and it is also our duty and honor to soundly and Biblically minister, disciple and witness to others in the hopes that they will accept Christ and get Saved or even come alongside a fellow hurting Believer. But it is also necessary that we guard ourselves while doing so. What do I mean? Not guard as in be disingenuous and closed off, but guard as in be mindful of particular past or present struggles, stumbling blocks or sin that may prove a snare for you and cause you instead to sin. Such can hinder your ability to effectively win souls for Christ or assist your brother or sister in Christ.
You probably know by now that Dr. Quahana loves her some cake and despite my consciously limiting my intake of it, it remains a temptation for overindulgence. As a health enthusiast and former athlete; while I can and have certainly come alongside others to encourage their pursuit of healthier living and eating, I know one of the safest ways to do this is by NOT holding prayer meetings in a cake bakery! Instead, I can share helpful resources and words of affirmation through other means and places of communication. The compromise? I buy one small slice to take home for a once a week treat post-Church services. Don't wreck yourself because you didn't check yourself by The Holy Spirit is my running theme.
While first hand knowledge is a powerful weapon and witnessing tool, if you don't have proper accountability measures in place to safeguard your heart and mind, it can all be for naught. Our spirit and our flesh are constantly at war and thusly we need The Holy Spirit to lead us and keep us from sin. One of the ways He does this is by alerting us to situations that can become dangerous to our walk with Christ or even hinder others observing us in their walk with or accepting Christ. At the end of the day Christians are under no obligation to sin but instead must answer to The Spirit of God. Don't forget the Truth that as a Believer you are a new creation in Christ.
In Galatians, after defending his Apostolic authority to false teachers in earlier chapters, in chapter six Paul turns to righteous living and is outlining how to treat fellow Christians when they sin. More specifically how Grace by Faith, not by Law, equals freedom in Christ and being led by The Holy Spirit's Power through us to serve others in love. We are all susceptible to the same temptation to sin. With sin, nothing is new, the Devil just repackages it from time to time. Don't be deceived or bind yourself by partnering with sin in any capacity. Yes, God always provides a way of escape, but He also admonishes us to use common sense and discernment to avoid the temptation in the first place. Who to help and how to help will be made known by The Holy Spirit not by human flesh.
Don't be disheartened because there is great joy when we humbly and generously serve others in love. Led by The Holy Spirit this help will speak to the needs of the individual in ways we couldn't do so on our own. It all boils down to living by The Holy Spirit not by the Flesh. And my dear Masterpiece, do not grow weary in well doing or give up, because the fruit of The Spirit will spring forth and at the right time you will reap a harvest. What type of harvest is fully dependent upon our Perfect and Sovereign God.
Takeaways for you to remember:
#1. We are all subject to temptation to sin.
#2. Avoiding sin is accomplished by submitting to and being led by The Holy Spirit.
#3. Helping others is rewarding and should be done with wisdom and discernment via The Holy Spirit.
Yours in Christ!
Dr. Quahana
Want to enjoy some of the Scriptures inspiring this entry?
[NLT version unless otherwise noted.]
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