The Ministry of Restoration

Chapter 1
Who Is To Be Concerned
The question of “Who is to be concerned” is loaded with opinions, limited actions, finger pointing and excuses. Any situation that comes along in life whether spiritual or social has raised the question and many times has faced the comments “it’s not my job, why should I be concerned, let someone else deal with it,” or “I’m not sure if I have the training to handle the situation.” The truth of the matter is that you “can” do something such as calling an ambulance, police or someone nearby who can assist in the matter.
The brother or sister that falls into sin, referred to as the offender in this work whether seen as a personal or relationship sin condition, will be examined more closely because the questions still come up as to who is to be concerned. Oh we may say that we are concerned about sin, and we should be, but who is to ultimately extend the hand of help? Do we leave it to the pastor to handle? And then how deeply should we be involved to effect change in the other person’s life?
The churches at Galatia, being many churches in the area of Galatia, are no different than we are today….needing guidance, instruction and at times some scolding. Paul begins Galatians 6:1 with the term “Brethren” because matters of the Christian Church involve the framework of being a family in Christ…therefore, when it comes to “brethren,” the finger of responsibility points to us all, young and old alike. Sin does not affect just one person, it affects the whole body of Christ as is well demonstrated with the illustration of a cut on a finger. The pain is felt in the finger yet recognized in the mind and influences the function of other parts of the body which compensate for the care that that one finger must take to not pull apart the stitches. So Paul addresses many issues, as if cuts to various parts of the body, beginning in chapter one of Galatians.
It is important to understand that the rudiments of instruction must first take place before corrective action can be initiated. Without those rudiments, understanding is void; action is limited, nonexistent or misinterpreted. The end result is confusion, discouragement and a further falling away of rightful living. This is precisely what Paul encounters as he writes in Chapter 1, verse 6 as he “marvels” that believers have turned away from the Gospel so soon after their belief in Christ. He continues by dealing with the matter of “Grace” as it pertains to those who have come to faith in Christ whether Jew or Gentile in chapter 1 and 2, and then moves on to the topic of the Holy Spirit, “works” and faith in chapter 3. Chapter 4 begins with a discourse on being free from the bondage of sin and his plea for them to become mature in Christ!
The mortar that holds the bricks of a disciplined Christian life and a Community of “oneness” can be found in Chapter 5 as a prelude to Chapter 1, verse 6. The key to the concept of community in growth, serving, evangelism, helping, counseling, ministering, building, edification, education, doctrinal soundness, correction, prayer and praise can be found in chapter 5, verse 13. In this verse the “Who Should Be Concerned” comes home in a two-fold way with a “Warning to heed” and a “Way to follow.” Paul states that if we use our Christian liberty, or in other words our attitude to do what “we want,” we will be self-serving….an “opportunity for the flesh.” In this context it is the “I” factor that prevails in our Christian relationships in the form of “I don’t want to be involved in teaching,” or “I don’t want to be involved in serving as a bus/van driver.” If that were the case, there would be literally thousands of people that would not be believers in Christ because of a self-centered attitude, including this writer who would have never come to Christ had it not been for a friend of a sister of mine who invited her to Pioneer Girls Club, a worker in that club that impressed upon my sister to learn Scripture verses from a memory packet and a pastor who was pro-active in visiting my home. It took those dedicated workers in Christ to “be involved” and help in some way, planting the seed and watering until the harvest would come when an evangelist came to the evangelical church we had now been attending for several months to present an altar call with the plan of salvation. The point will also be demonstrated in the pages to come regarding our need to not only unite together in evangelism, but also in serving one another in times of trial, a very defining time that in decades past in the Evangelical Community was not altogether being applied and many churches suffered the fallout as if “serving Christ” when in reality it was against the Biblical mandate of restoring the brother or sister to fellowship through a defined approach and process.
Paul continues in chapter 5 and verse 13 by laying the matter on the line by stating that “through love serve one another.” In years past, such as during the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s, when someone fell into what would be defined as a major Christian sin, sexual promiscuity, alcohol usage, smoking, breaking the law and divorce, the local evangelical church family would feel bad about it and back away from the person or persons involved. The pastor and church board would be reluctant in dealing with it and the church family floundering in how to react to it. There was an air of “non-association with that individual” that prevailed as if they had some deathly disease. If the person returned to church they were either shunned or avoided. So the question now comes up of “what is serving one another” and “who is involved in the process” in the context of Galatians 6:1?