It is the nature of God to restore. Did you know after a bone is set and healed, its strongest place is at the point of the break? It is because it is in the heart of God to restore. Far more hurtful than broken bones are broken relationships. When people we love break trust, it can be the deepest kind of hurt. As a pastor, I see it every day, broken marriages, broken pasts, and broken lives. Thankfully, scripture does not leave us to ourselves to figure out how to repair such hurts. Galatians 6:1 instructs us what to do.
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). The first word that strikes me is brothers. This means Paul is not speaking to the unconverted. He is speaking to the family of God. When someone falls in a transgression, often it is the Church that kicks them while they are down. This ought not be. Paul says those of you who are spiritual should take the lead in restoring those who have fallen.
The Greek word picture for restore is quite fascinating. Paul gives the image of setting a broken bone. If you have ever broken an arm, you know how painful, yet necessary, it is to set the bone. If the bone is not set and the arm cast, it will not heal properly. So it is with relationships. It is a painful thing to address sin. It is difficult to have hard conversations, yet it is necessary if the broken relationships in our lives are going to heal properly.
My favorite phrase of this scripture is Paul’s instruction to restore in a “spirit of gentleness.” Once again, if you have ever broken an arm, you would not want your doctor to examine you roughly. Instead, you would want your doctor to treat you gently. Is this not how we should treat others who have failed us and broken our trust? Lastly, Paul is going to warn those whose responsibility it is to restore. He says, “keep watch on yourself, lest you, too, be tempted.” In other words, there is no room for judgment, because you and I face the same potential temptations as others.
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