Dealing with Backsliding
Galatians 6:1-8 gives Paul's instruction on how the Christians of Galatia and by extension all Christians need to deal with those who He's been talking about in the rest of the letter who have let themselves become entangled with the letter of the law. He starts out by admitting that Christians aren't immune from making mistakes. Wouldn't it be awesome if we were! But the reality is that sometimes our own "old man" isn't as dead as it should be and we fail God and our fellow men somehow. Sometimes Satan gets involved and the attack and failure is even bigger. We all need to try to walk in the Spirit to the best of our ability, but when we do mess up, Paul's words here are important.
First, he commands that the person's brothers and sisters in Christ are to restore the person to their previous stand with God. The exact method of this will vary, but will likely include words of prophecy, scripture, some practical help to help move them off the wrong path and get them pointed down the right path, and almost always some long term support.
Christians who come alongside their brother or sister who has erred need to help in a spirit of meekness, just like Paul says. There are many reasons for this. Satan would like nothing better than to take out all the helpers along with the one who is fallen, and Paul warns that if they have a haughty or superior attitude it is more likely that they may fall as well.
Beyond that, we are called to bear each others burdens - to truly help those who have failed and not judge in self-righteousness. The phrase "there but for the grace of God go I" needs to be foremost in our hearts and minds. We are nothing without God and Jesus Christ's salvation. Whatever we may make of ourselves on this earth is going to pass away, most likely to be forgotten. Very few make it into the history books for long, and fewer make it into the history books for good than for evil.
Just because you have helped your brother or sister back to Christ, don't get puffed up. It is great when you can help someone. But the bottom line is that it is up to us to make it to heaven by the gift of Jesus. We won't get there by how many people we've helped get there. The example that we are to compare ourselves with is Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter if you think you are better than the Christian setting next to you.
God knows all of our hearts and everything we have done. God is also the only one who knows all of the permutations and shock waves of each of our good or failed actions. Each of us may be completely clueless. A simple comment we made might have caused one person to turn away from God, who then didn't lead their family to God, which propagated down through generations. The reverse is also true. The coffee you skipped to give the money to missions may have been multiplied to many souls saved. Only God knows the true impact of our words and deeds. It's up to us to try to do as much as we can for God, but certainly not let ourselves be lifted up in earthly glory for anything.
We are to support one another. This needs to be in both financial and education realms. Paul declares that God is watching how we take care of what He has provided us with. He knows how we are or are not using our talents for Him. Paul notes that we will reap what we sow. It may not be in kind, but God does keep track.
Paul warns that those who are living for themselves and spending all of their money on their own pleasure will end up regretting it as hell is eternal. Those who concentrate on lifting up God's work and contributing to it will have eternal rewards, the primary of which is everlasting life with God.
There will be many other rewards, namely the friendship in heaven with everyone to whom you have made a difference. Little else will mean much through eternity. The Bible says the elders cast their crowns at Jesus feet, because they won't be worth much in heaven (Revelation 4:10). I suspect that if we get any rewards, we'll feel likewise. We wouldn't be in heaven without the sacrifice Jesus made. Relationships, however, will go on forever. Hopefully, you will have had a part in bringing many people to heaven.
Paul isn't saying that money is bad, nor is he saying that wealth is bad, in and of itself. It's all about what you do with it. You'll never be able to out give God. Even if you think you have on earth, you'll find out differently in heaven. But the opposite is also true. To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). Reference also the story of the rich man with his barns (Luke 12:15-21).
Duty to Care
Galatians 6:9-10 gives Paul an opportunity to try to give the troops some encouraging words. He again uses a image of sowing and reaping. If you don't put in the work sowing seed, preparing the ground, tending the crop, eliminating the weeds, and keeping all your tools in good condition, then when it is time to harvest, there will be nothing to reap.
Farming and ranching are hard work, and there is little opportunity to take a vacation. There's always something that needs done. It's easy to get weary. The same is true for our work for Christ. It's easy to get weary. That's particularly true when the job is thankless and perhaps those we care most about are indifferent to us or perhaps have turned completely away from us for our efforts.
Paul encourages every Christian to not let themselves weary in doing good things. He says that as we have opportunity, we should do good to all men. Note he doesn't say we should just do good to our fellow Christians. He says we should do good to all men, but especially our fellow Christians.
It's easy to do good to fellow Christians, especially if you think they will return the favor. It's much harder to not get tired of doing good when there is no thanks or outright hatred. But we can't shirk our Christian duty. We are to be as much like Christ as we can. His ministry only lasted for around three years, but He was active throughout the period. He didn't take vacations to go back and see His family. He didn't take a couple of days off to recharge His batteries every week. He paid attention to what His Father in heaven was doing and did His part to bring about the Father's desired results in every situation. We need to do likewise.
What's Important and Closing
Finally, at the conclusion of the letter Galatians 6:11-18 provides a moment for Paul to remind the Galatians once again to not let themselves be brought under the power of the law again. Many of those who were trying to bring portions of the law back were just doing it for their own personal reasons.
I'm reminded of an Aunt I had who had someone help clean her house as she got older who was a little too nosy. That Aunt was a hoot. She cut a hole in her wall and put a jack in the box behind it with a door that closed with a latch. The cleaning person was far less nosy after she opened it and it scared her badly. My Uncle also opened it, evidently, because when someone else commented on the new fixture on the wall he said, "Go ahead and open it. I did." and proceed to laugh at their shock.
A person I worked with was in the Navy and there was a junior officer that was always poking around their stuff as well. They rigged up a box with some rubber band powered flappers wound tight and filled it with computer card chads. The officer came in, opened the box, and the flappers spread chads around the room. He then put it all back together, which took some time, got everything wound up good and tight, and left it awaiting the next nosy person.
There's lots of things in the world that we shouldn't be nosy about. There's lots of things that Satan is trying to infect the church with that we also should not be nosy about. And there's a tendency to try to get others to follow after things that we should have left alone all together. Sadly, most of the things out there that can trip us up aren't going to scare us like a jack in the box popping out of the wall right at eye level or a snowstorm of chads filling the lounge.
Many of them don't avail anything, and are essentially harmless. But some can lead you away from God, and the church must always be on the defensive against Satan's attacks. Paul's parting thoughts were that some of the Galatians were glorying in their circumcision, but Paul would glory in the slave's marks of being a servant of His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
He wished for God's peace and mercy to be on all of the Christians who were following Christ and His teaching, walking truly in the Spirit. So is my prayer for all readers. Amen