Carl Bradford, Dean of Texas Baptist College, Assistant Professor of Evangelism, and Malcolm R. and Melba L. McDow Chair of Evangelism, preached from Galatians 6:1-10, in SWBTS Chapel on February 27, 2025.
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I thank you TBC choir and Miss Chloe for leading us in song and worship. Want to rush on and thank you, Dr Dockery for the kind words and the invitation to preach. Want to thank the staff and the faculty here for giving me the opportunity to serve with you as a co worker. And also want to thank the students of Texas Baptist College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Yeah, it is a pleasure to serve Texas Baptist College as dean and to also serve here and teach evangelism.
And I love being in the classroom with the students, and love hanging out with them as well. So I appreciate you guys being here today. Every semester in contemporary evangelism, which is our core evangelism class here at Southwestern there are questions that arise regarding the gospel. There are several topics that come up regarding the gospel, and often these discussions reveal that there is some type of confusion about the gospel among the body of Christ. Take, for example, we discuss and we examine the question, is there a gospel Dr Williams in the Old Testament, and if there is a gospel in the Old Testament, is it the same as the gospel in the New Testament? We bring up and we discuss questions like, Is Are there different gospels? Is there such thing as a social gospel? Is there such thing as a therapeutic gospel? Is there such thing as a political gospel?
As much as we hear that in our pulpits today, then my favorite, we end up at some point discussing and asking the question, is it theological and scripturally correct to say one can’t live out the Gospel if the gospel is what Jesus did on behalf of all humanity. In that class, every semester, there is confusion. Now let me go on record and say, Dr Dockery, I’m not trying to bring confusion, but ultimately there is confusion, but the purpose of answering and asking those questions is to clarify the gospel message. We had a similar issue in the book of Galatians. The Book of Galatians was written, Paul wrote this to those in Galatia to clarify the truth of the gospel message. There were those that aro that arrived in Galatia preaching a message that you can have faith in Christ, but you also need to keep the law. There were those that preach this, and we know this is the truth when Paul, when Paul recounts in chapter two his discussion in Jerusalem with Peter and others, and also in chapter five, verse two, as he goes through following we see that he’s talking about how these individuals were calling for people to keep the law, to be circumcised and To keep the whole law in addition to believing in Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul clarifies the gospel, though, in the book of Galatians, in chapter three, he essentially says we are justified by faith alone. In chapter four, he says that you have become sons and daughters of God.
There’s a sonship, there’s a daughtership in the Lord. You belong to the Lord. And in chapter five, he clarifies the gospel and says that God has given us freedom from the bondage of sin. Notice, even in Galatians chapter one, he says it was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Paul says we have been set free by the bondage from the bondage of sin, so don’t go back into slavery. The gospel has given the believer freedom in Christ. But here’s the disclaimer, the freedom is not an excuse to sin. The Freedom is not an excuse for you to even live unto yourself. Paul says in Galatians, chapter five, verse 13, for you were called to freedom. Brethren only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another. In other words, we have a freedom in the spirit to practice goodness. Paul lets us know that the gospel message does something to us. It justifies us. But not only does it does something to us, it ain’t. Means to do something through us.
It compels us to glorify God by serving one another in the body of Christ. Here’s the main idea of this text today, because you have freedom in Christ, and because you are able to walk in the Spirit through Christ, this Spirit enables you to glorify God by practicing goodness towards the believers of Christ. But the question comes so there will not be confusion, so there will be clarity. How does one practice goodness in the spirit? How does one use their freedom to practice goodness in the spirit towards those that are of the believers of the Community of Christ. Notice here, as you go to the text in Galatians, chapter six, Paul first lets us know that there is a responsibility of practicing goodness among the body of Christ. In verses one through six, he says, first, brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you, who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness, each one looking to himself, so that you too will not be tempted early In chapter five, verse 16, Paul called the believers. He said, I say to you, walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. As he move on to Galatians, chapter five, verse 25 he says, if you live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
But even though believers are exhorted to live in the spirit and walk in the Spirit. They’re expected to live in the spirit and walk according to the Spirit. Paul knows that it’s highly likely that individuals believers often find themselves in the clutches of sin. These individuals are deceived. They are tricked. They are deceived. They are even overtaken by sin because they did not stay in step with the Spirit. And before you know it, they cannot escape. These are individuals that did not align with the Spirit. They didn’t hear the words of the Spirit. They got too close to the line and flirted with sin, and the next thing you know, they were in the clutches of sin. These individuals, they’re not walking in premeditated sin, but they find themselves in the clutches of sin.
These are individuals that didn’t plan to lie. You know, they started off and said, I’ll go to chapel. I’ll swipe the card and I’ll leave just this once, because I got work to do. But then the next thing you know, you’ve missed five or six, seven chapters. You call in this miracle and saying this miracle, Will I pass chapel? They didn’t plan to lie. These are individuals, maybe not here at this seminary, but somewhere else, right? They could look over on the other person’s test and see an answer, and they wrote down just one answer, but then the next thing you know, they find themselves consulting with the individual and and getting the answers before the test.
They didn’t plan to cheat, but it just happened. They fell into it because they didn’t heed the words of the spirits professors. No Professor plans to gossip. They were just minding their own business. Walked into by some other professors and heard some juicy news. And the next day, they just start to listen, but then they begin to talk and join in and they begin to spread the Gospel. It wasn’t premeditated. They found themselves being overtaken by sin. But what does a believer to do when you see your fellow student cheating? What is a believer to do when you see your fellow student lying, what is a believer to do when you see your coworker over there gossiping? What is a believer to do when you see your brother and sister in sin, who they have been caught in sin?
Paul says, here, restore a person, restore a person, save that person. Paul says that we are to restore the person. Paul is interesting here. He uses surgical term that means to connect or to set a bone or a joint back in its place, back in its proper place. Also, this idea of mending the neck. Like fishers who the nets are breaking their mending their nets. And we see this in Matthew chapter four, verse 21 we are talking about restoration, not condemnation. And he says, here, restore that person, bring that person back, those that are spiritual in the spirit of gentleness, not by tearing them down, but lifting them up. We don’t gossip about them or spread the faults to others about them. We don’t stand in judgment pointing our fingers at them. We don’t look at those who stumble as people to punish, but as brothers and sisters to restore with a spirit of gentleness. It’s a call to action that brings healing and not harm, restoration, not rejection, grace and not guilt. You know? Dr Seiberhagen, it is a good idea if we would think about the Christian community as a church, the church as a hospital for the broken, rather than a courtroom for the condemned.
Too often we rush to go to Matthew chapter 18 and execute judgment on a person, kick them out, do away with them, off with their head, but we neglect to show grace. We neglect to offer them goodness, just like a surgeon doesn’t break a person’s leg further. Can you imagine that a person comes into the doctor’s office and they’re limping on one leg, they’ve hurt their leg, and instead of caring for that person with the spirit of gentleness and maybe putting that leg in a cask or giving them something for the pain. What about the doctor? He just kick your leg from I need you and kick off the second leg. He says, now listen, both of them are broke. That should give you some evenness, and that’s usually how we treat people. Now your equilibrium is no longer off, but that’s how we treat people, instead of the spirit of gentleness. Notice here we have a corporate accountability to people to restore that brother and restore that sister.
But notice what he says, it is those that are spiritual, those that are walking in line with the Spirit. The implication is that you are walking in line with the Spirit. You are in step with the Spirit. So, when your brother or sister steps out line with the Spirit, you can grab them back in and get them on the right path. He says, there’s a corporate accountability, but beware, there’s also individual responsibility, each one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted. Dr Kiker was a professor that used to work here. He was my minor professor for the doctoral program. I had the privilege of serving with him at Cana Baptist Church. We were at Cana Baptist Church and also at First Baptist Mansfield, rather, and he often will say these words when he would hear about someone falling into sin, or if he had to counsel a brother a sister about sin, I often would hear him say, there but for the grace of God, dare go I. And I learned he was saying that because there was a humility that he had, there was a humility that we should have as we seek to restore people who fall into sin.
Peter, Apostle, Peter, who thought he was strong, he was ready to die for the Lord, but when the pressure was on and fear was at his best, he didn’t plan to deny Christ. The moment came and he caved in. He thought, maybe one time, I’ll just do this because of fear, and I’ll be able to save myself and get out of the way. But the next thing you know, it was one time, two times, and then three times. But I’m glad to know how the Lord restored him when that rooster crowed and in Luke, chapter 22 verse 61 and Peter wept bitterly. He was broken and ashamed. But Jesus, after his resurrection, He did not condemn Peter, but rather he restored him in the spirit of gentleness. He asked Peter, do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Then feed my sheep.
In other words, he was connecting Peter back. He was setting him back in place in order that he could fulfill His purpose and walk out the Spirit. Jesus showed goodness to Peter, and if truth be told, Jesus have showed goodness to all of us here today, every. One of us in here at some point in our life have sinned, and Jesus has showed goodness to us, forgiving us and restating, reconnecting us and putting us back in place. As we think about this today, the question is on our mind, how do you respond when a brother or sister is caught in a sin? Do you approach them with judgment? Do you approach them with the spirit of gentleness? Are you eager to restore them in the fellowship, or do you push them away with harsh words, looking and saying that would never be me?
Paul calls us to restore such a brother, such a sister, in the spirit of gentleness. Paul says we need to practice goodness towards the body of believers. He also says, Listen, save the brother or sister who’s in sin, but also notice, second, support the believer as they struggle in verses two through five, he says, bear one another burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Bear one another burdens. Paul calls us believers here to aid one another in lifting in those loads that are heavy to carry on your own, these heavy loads that Paul here is talking about refers to sin, no doubt, but it also refers to more than just sin. It refers to sin. We already saw that in Galatians, chapter one, verse six, when someone falls into temptation, moral failures, but also it encompasses all kinds of weaknesses and suffering, spiritual struggles, a brother or sister battling temptation that can cause them to be weighed down and they need encouragement. You need to support that brother. You need to bear with that brother or that sister.
Emotional burdens, grief, anxiety, depression, that can cause someone to be weighed down you need to bear carry that load. Help carry that load of that brother and sister, physical or material needs. They may need, financial hardship, illnesses, some college students, some seminary students know about that. Right now, you should be saying Amen, because I know when I was a college student, I had the struggles. I had the burdens right brother Barry; I had the struggle and the burdens of trying to pay for seminary. They need resources, meals, assistance. They need you to bear under that load with them, relational struggles, broken families, broken homes, conflicts, loneliness over is overwhelming to a person, it can be hard to bear those loads, those burdens. They need wise counsel, they need companionship. They need friendship from you. They need you to help bear under that load. When we see a brother or sister weighed down by the burdens, they don’t We don’t stand by why they struggle under that burden and that life of hardship, we step in, we step up, and we help out carrying that load.
As I think about a mental picture, I think about when I would see men in the neighborhood where I grew up working on cars, and every now and then as they’re working on that car, that Jack will get a little limp, and it may fall and guess what? It was hard to pick up that car. They needed someone to carry that load that they can carry, to lift up that load that they could not carry. Paul says, do this. He says, do this. Because in doing this, you are fulfilling the law of Christ. You are fulfilling the law of Christ. This command isn’t just about doing good deeds. It is about living out the law of Christ, the law of love. And guess what? Love is not just spoken. Love is demonstrated through practical, sacrificial support. When we step in to help our struggling brothers, sisters. We’re not just helping as a Red Cross, we’re not just helping as Catholic Charities, but we are helping and reflecting the love of Jesus. We are fulfilling the law of Christ, the law of love.
Notice what Paul says in Galatians, chapter five, verse 14, for the whole law is fulfilled in one word in the statement, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. It’s rooted in the commandment Jesus gave in John. Chapter 13, verse 34 A new commandment I give you that you love one another even as I have loved you, so you love one another. By this all men will know my disciples because of the love they have one for another. It’s not option to be kind to someone. Every now and then I talk to people who are Christians, and they just say, I just don’t like people you. It’s just hard to understand. They just don’t like people.
They just don’t love people. They love their cat, they love their dog, but they just don’t love people of even of the Body of Christ Paul is calling us to bear under these burdens and fulfill the law of Christ, a person is misinformed, is and is unscriptural for a person to think that they can love God, be saved, walking in the Spirit and yet not love people. Paul goes on to say. He says, anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. He just tricked himself. Paul gets right to the point of the matter in verse three, he says, pride will fool you and have you thinking you are something more than what you are, it will have you believe in the hype that you are too spiritual to get in and do the hard work of burden and weight lifting of others and to serve others.
Paul makes it clear that we all need grace, that none of us are above helping one another. In verse four, Paul says this, but each one must examine his own work, then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone and not in regard to another. Stop measuring yourself against others. You have a low expectation. If you think you are lifting yourself up as a Christian because you feel like you are better than me, I have a low expectation. If I look at you and think that I am better I’m somebody because I’m better than you, now look at me funny. We do it, right? We do it. I make better grades than this person in theology, so therefore I’m a smarter Christian. I serve a little bit more than this person. I go out and evangelize.
I’ve gone over to missions and I do this. I don’t see this other person doing this. I am a better person. Well, if that person preached like that, I know that I can preach better. Somebody may be thinking that here today, I got to be better than Carl, right? But you have a low expectation if you are comparing yourself to one another, Paul says in Second Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 12, for we are not bold to class or to pair ourselves with some of those who commend themselves, but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. Spiritual maturity isn’t about being better than someone else. It’s about being faithful to what God has called you to do.
That’s why he says in verse five, for each one will bear his own load. It almost sounds like a confusion there, back in chapter verse two of chapter six, he just says, bear under the law, with your brother, with your sister, these heavy burdens that they can’t bear alone. But here, Paul says, Listen, he’s using a word that these individual loads that you can bear, everybody has an individual load that they would bear. Take, for example, a person who goes to war, a soldier who gets ready to go to war. He takes his backpack, he puts in ammunition, he might put in a flashlight, he might put in food, a change of clothes, those type of he is called to bear that by himself. It will look strange for him to tell you to hold on to his ammunition, and he finds himself a mile or two miles away and he has nothing to defend himself with. Those are loads that he can bear himself. Let me make it clear, nobody can bear your obedience to Christ. Nobody can bear your praying for Christ. Nobody can bear the work that God has called you to students.
Nobody can bear that test that you have for Dr McKinney, nobody can bear that practical exercise you have for Dr Seiberhagan. You got to go out and you got to do it yourself. But there are things that God has called us to that this personal responsibility, like a soldier, we are called to bear ourselves, but we are called to bear the heavy loads of our brothers and sisters. I think about one of my favorite Books and Pilgrims Progress the person Christian who’s on a journey to the celestial city. He runs into hope at some point, and they are captured eventually by giant despair and thrown into doubting counsel. They’re thrown into prison, and while in prison, Christian falls into deep discouragement and regret he has this this bear, this load that he can’t seem to carry alone, this feeling of overwhelmingness, this feeling and these burdens that he have.
But you notice what hopeful does. Hopefully doesn’t leave him and say, well, you’re hopeless. I’m out of here. Rather hope sticks out with him. He does not abandon him, he encourages him, He strengthens him, he reminds him of God, and eventually his faithfulness kicks in, and Christian remember that he has the keys of promise to unlock them and to get them out of prison. That’s what you and I are called to do when we see a brother or a sister struggling with those lows that they cannot bear. We remind them we tell them, we turn them back to God and let them know that the key of promise that the gospel God has given them has set them free from that sin, has set them free from that struggle, and we help our brother and our sister, Paul says, Listen, this gospel is not just private for you. You are called to demonstrate, to practice goodness towards the body of believers. You are called to restore a brother or sister, to save them those that fall into sin. You are called to support those that have a heavy load. But notice next what he says in verse six, the one who is taught in the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.
Paul says, Listen, share with other believers that serve. Let the one who is taught in the word share all good things. Commentators have struggled to understand the place of this exhortation here. Some believe that since Paul has been talking about sin and about struggles, it doesn’t even belong here. But at another look, you can see that this whole idea has been talking about how the transformative power of the gospel changes you so that you can support and serve others. So we see that it does fit here. There’s this corporate accountability. As a matter of fact, Paul emphasizes this in the word that he uses idea of sharing as a mutual relationship of fellowship between one another. It is a give and a take. The person is sharing your taking, but you all are doing it to the glory of God for the gospel ministry. It’s fellowship, it’s partnership. This is not about finance, just about financial giving. It’s not about you paying for the gospel.
It’s about you being in partnership for the gospel. And we help support those that have faithfully serve God’s truth in doing so by ministering his work, just as a farmer eats from his crop and just as a soldier is provided for in battle, those that labor in the word we support those just as we have supported others in when they fall into sin and when they have struggles, as a matter of fact, other places, Paul says this in First Corinthians, chapter nine, verse 14, He says, The Lord direct those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. First Timothy, chapter five, verse 17, the elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. So, we think about today. This dispels this idea of what, how we see church. Many times, when we go to church, we think about, what can they do for me? Preach a sermon that encourages me. Help me do this. Help me do that. Right?
And it’s almost that we become like a vending machine. We’re just take, take, take, take, and we never give. But Paul says, Listen, if you’re a part of the body of believers, there’s this partnership, there’s this fellowship that you support one another, you support the ministry of God. You look for ways to bless people through their time. You look for ways to bless the community of faith. You recognize that learning from biblical teachers is a privilege, and a responsibility applied what you learn to share it with others, to cultivate a spirit of generosity. In short, Genesis, Galatians, chapter six, verse six calls us to shift from being passive consumers to active participants in the work of the Lord Paul here says that this is how you serve in the body of believers. This is how you serve in the body of believers. Do you serve the body? Body of Believers this way. Do you look to restore? Do you look to bear other? Do you look to support?
Or when you think about the gospel, do you think it’s only personal for me, it justifies me, and you think nothing about how the implication of the gospel causes you to live in the freedom in the Spirit and to serve others as we move on in verse seven through 10. Paul here, he’s talked about the responsibility of practicing goodness in the Spirit. Now he’s talking about the reward of practicing goodness in the spirit. Notice what he says, do not be deceived. God is not mocked for who whatever a man sows, this will also weep, reap. Do not be deceived. In the closing section of here, Paul is giving this stern warning not to be led astray. He’s cautioning against the mistake of disregarding God and having this idea that God will not judge me despite how I live. He’s talked specifically so far about how to serve the brother or sister by the transformative power of the gospel working in us.
Now he’s moving to the general as he get ready to close this letter, and he talks about how to serve the Lord, how there’s a reward for practicing goodness. The Galatians should be all too familiar with this, because in Galatians, chapter three, verse one, he reminds them who has bewitched you, who has tricked you, that you think you are made perfect now by the flesh, but you began in the Spirit. The Bible says here, do not deceive sin can deceive a person. He says, God is not mocked. In other words, you can’t sneer at God. You can’t turn up your nose at God. You cannot outwit God. God is not mine. It’s when someone believes that they can get one over on God. Let’s make it clear. You think you can live any kind of way; you think you can say any kind of thing. You think you can fool the professor, you think you can fool your boss, but who you know who you cannot fool. You cannot fool God. You think you can fool your wife, you think you can fool your husband, but you know who you cannot fool. You cannot fool God.
God is not mine. God is not people feel like God is not going to do me anything, because He is gracious. He is loving, yet God is not mocked. Remember what Paul says in Galatians, chapter five, verse 19 through 21 now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which is immorality, impurity, sexuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I forewarn you that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul shifts here from the here and now into the eternal early he said to restore, bear and share now. He says that the choices you make today indicate something of the eternity where you spend tomorrow. It’s not that you’re working for salvation, but you are telling on yourself.
An individual tells on themselves, on how they love God, how they serve God, and how they serve others. They’re saying something about the transformative power of the gospel in their life. Paul here pulls out the law of governance of this universe. He says, For the one who sows to the flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, corruption. But the one who sows to the Spirit will reap from the Spirit eternal life. Notice, you have two choices. You can serve God in the Spirit, or you can serve yourself in the flesh. But there’s only two choices. There’s only two choices. There’s not a third choice. Be assured a person will reap what they sow. You cannot plant weeds and get roses. You cannot plant laziness in the classroom and get success whatever you plant, so shall you reap? Paul here says, In light of this, let us not lose heart in doing well. Let us not faint. Let us not grow weary. Let us not get tired and lacks for in due time, in an appointed time of God, you will reap if you do not grow weary. Paul encouraged believers here to do good.
Do all type of good, he says. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who are of the household of faith, Paul is calling them to do good. Think about all of the things that he has said earlier, before, all of the works in the Spirit, all types of goodness. A person who is saved, who’s walking in the Spirit and has the freedom should practice goodness, he says, let us not lose heart in doing good for in due season, in due time, the appointed time, the sovereign time of God, we. Will reap if we do not grow weary. Don’t give up on your faith. God has called you in your faith to finish the work that he started. Don’t give up praying. He has called you to pray without ceasing, and He will bless you in your appointed time. Don’t give up on others. There’s grace to restore those individuals. Don’t give up doing good. It may seem like your good deeds are going unnoticed, and that’s what Paul is dealing with here. Often people fall they get exhausted because they feel like God does not see.
No one knows of the goodness of them pursuing God, but God knows he sees. Keep loving, keep doing good. Keep following the Lord. Don’t give up on hope. Times of despair, keep trusting in Christ alone. Don’t give up the fight. As Paul says, The Christian life is not is like a race, and though it’s hard, we press on towards the higher calling, the prize for which God and don’t give up on the Gospel. The Gospel change you, and it can change someone else. The transformative power, power of the gospel, is working on you, and it will change someone else. In due season, if you do not give up, we will reap a harvest. Keep going, keep trusting, keep serving, keep following the Lord, don’t give up on the gospel.
Let me just tell you this as we close, don’t give up on the gospel. The gospel has saved someone else has saved you. It can save someone else. The gospel the good news that Jesus came, He lived, and he died. He died at death that we could not die, but he died for sins of the world that he did not commit. He was buried. He rose again on the third day, and he’s sending at the right hand of the Father, but he’s coming back to judge the living and to dead, and he’s coming back to for individuals to be able to reap what they have sown, as Paul calls us here today, don’t give up on the gospel.
Don’t give up on serving the Lord, because in due seasons, you will reap what you sow. Practice goodness as a Christian, as a believer who has the spirit in the freedom that God has given you, practice goodness. Let us pray Our Father and our God, we are thankful and we grateful for this opportunity today to hear Your word. We pray Father, that you would use the words that are said, and you would use them in such a way that you would help us to be those that are not concerned, overly concerned about our individual, personal justification. But we’ll also look for opportunity to practice goodness throughout the Community of Christ, God, we will serve you with goodness, because ultimately you served us with goodness by sending Jesus to die for our sins. God, we love you and we thank you for us in Jesus’ name we pray amen.
