It is so good to be here with
you. My heart rejoices. The service has just been such
a blessing so far. And I pray the Lord be pleased
to bless. I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Galatians chapter
6. Galatians chapter 6. I want to consider the first
five verses, five verses that set forth the
spirit and the exhibition of the attitude and
spirit of those who have been regenerated by the grace of God that attitude toward our brethren. Brethren, according to what Lord
willing we shall read just a few moments that have been overtaken
in a fault. Now, I had gotten up this morning
and started going over These notes, as I was going over the
notes, something marvelously apparent
began to cross my mind. As we consider our attitude toward
others, that were taken or overtaken and fought what our attitude
ought to be. Well, before I go any farther, and
I'll share with you what I wanted to add to this message. We all do well to remember where
all of us have come from. We'd all do well to remember
the pit from which we've all been dug. We'd all be doing well
to remember our state as being found in our father
Adam. That we've been dug from a pit, out of the darkness of sin, unbelief. How did we get here? Well, in the garden, our father
Adam, from whose loins we've all come, now that's, we're all,
we're all together here, that's all of us right now. We're all
together found out of Adam's loins. When Adam rebelled, we
all rebelled. We all disobeyed God. When Adam
took of that fruit that was forbidden of God, we all ate. And all that was good was lost, all that was good as
far as man being upright, created, made upright, straight, that's
what it means, straight, before God. It was lost, all of it. In the day that you eat thereof,
the Lord told Adam, you're going to die. What did man lose in the garden?
He lost life, spiritual life, peace, fellowship, by one man's disobedience. Many were made sinners. Turn to Ephesians 2. Ephesians
chapter 2, verse 4 to 7. But God. I like that scripture, Rex, wherever
you are. That scripture you just read
out of Psalm 57. I looked at those two words this
morning, but God, but God, but God, who is rich in mercy. God be merciful to me, God who
is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even
when we were dead in sins. We've read this so many times.
Isn't it amazing how alive it is? Even when we were dead in
sins has quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are
saved, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come
he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus." Oh, the mercy of God. to hell-deserving
sinners, quicken us together. But a question, how can the just
God, God who is just, I'm a just God, and a Savior, how can God
who is absolutely just, the soul that sinneth, is going to die? God who will in no wise Clear
the guilty. How? Turn to Isaiah 58. Isaiah 58. How can God be just and justify a sinner? Well, there's
one. There's one. There's one who
could answer. but one who could answer for
hell-deserving sinners like all of us. And what is his name? What shall he be called? Isaiah
58, look at verse 12. Isaiah 58, 12. And they that shall be of thee
shall build the old waste places. Thou shalt raise up the foundations
of many generations, and thou shalt be called, now look at
this capital T. The Repairer of the breach. The, capital T, Restorer of paths
to dwell in. Look at Psalm 69, verse 4. Psalm 69, verse 4. What did the Lord say concerning
all that was lost for a people of God's everlasting love in
Christ Jesus. What did he do concerning all
that was lost? Psalm 69, verse 4. The scripture says, they that
hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine hand.
They that would destroy me being my enemies wrongfully are mighty. Then I restored that which I
took not away. Let me tell you what happened.
There were some, there were some people a people, a remnant of
God's choosing, Ephesians 1, 4. They were loved of God, everlastingly
loved of God, Jeremiah 31, 3. I've loved you with an everlasting
love. They were chosen by the Father in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus Christ came
into this world, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them. that were under the law. And
he came into this world and lived for them, went to Calvary for
them, and bore all of their guilt, all that was lost, all that was
lost in the fall. Christ was made sin. He was made sin for them. He who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. And these sinners,
these sinners, John 10, 15, I lay down my life for the sheep. He died for somebody. And these sinners, for whom atonement
was made by the blood of Christ. I looked up that word atonement
again this morning. I want to know exactly what that
word means. The atonement. Listen to this.
Restoration to favor. Restoration to favor. is our atonement. And now these sinners, in time,
shall be graciously, powerfully, mercifully called by God's Spirit through the hearing of this gospel,
the declaration of the marvelous grace of God, the will and purpose
of Almighty God to show mercy To whomsoever he will, show me
your glory, Moses said. This is my glory. I will be merciful. I'll cause all my goodness to
pass before you. And I will show mercy on whom
I'll show mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion. He does as he will in the army
of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth. This is his glory. I'm going to show mercy in the
process of time. God Almighty is going to cross
their paths with this message, only this message, the power
of God and salvation. And God Almighty is going to
irresistibly call them to Himself. He's going to remove that heart
of stone and give them a new heart, a new spirit, a new mind. And now these that fell in Adam,
born into this world, children of wrath, wrathful toward God,
even as others, God, in His infinite mercy, is going to change him
just like He did that thief on the cross that was railing on
the Lord, just like the other one. Just a moment before, then,
God gave him a new heart. But his attitude was changed.
His new spirit, new heart, new love, new affection. And the
one that was railing on him, that vessel of mercy, that thief,
One breath, he was just railing on the Lord. And all of a sudden,
by the grace of God, Lord, when you enter into your kingdom,
would you remember me? Verily, verily, I say unto you,
today you will be with me in paradise. How can God be just
and justify a sinner? Only in the substitute, the Restorer,
the Restorer, the One who restored that which He took not away. But there's a problem. There's
a problem. These that the Lord has mercifully
called out of darkness, those who truly know Him, They know
Him. They love Him. They've got a
new heart. But these right here carry something
with them that wars against the law of their new man. Something that they have within
them that they're going to carry to the grave. And it's called
a body of death. That old man, that old man with
which we were born, That old man never changes. He never changes. There's no renewing of that old
man. That old man is just as old as
he's ever been. He's just as ornery and just
as wrathful as he's ever been. And that old man is in that believer. That believer groans under him. That old man, that new man wars
one against the other. And that old man, that body of
death, that right there is the substance, that's the source,
the foundation of a believer's stumbling. That old man that
does nothing but sin, that's all he does. And that new man sees it. That new man sees it. And he
hates what he sees. That new man hates what he sees.
Paul said in Romans 7, 15, that which I do, I allow not. I know not. For what I would,
that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. So here's the situation. No believer
is immune to the struggles. and the stumblings and the failings
of his flesh. There is an old man there that's
ever ready to seize that opportunity to evil. But I know something. I know,
according to the scriptures, the Lord said, John 10, 27, my
sheep hear my voice. I know them. And they follow
me. They follow me. Now, knowing
from whence we've all come, knowing where the Lord found us, everlastingly
knew His people, everlastingly loved His people, saw the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world, in time we came into
this world, rebels against God, haters of God. Haters of all
that's right, good. Haters of God, haters of God's
gospel, haters of God's people. Those that bear in our body,
this old man, it's the way we all are. But we're all susceptible
to stumble and fall. Now knowing where we've all come
from, Galatians 6, verse 1. Brethren, brethren, you who are
of the same family, born from above, born of the same God of
all grace, brethren, people of God, shown the same mercy, shown
the same compassion for Christ's sake, you who are reunited, united, in Christ, bought with his blood,
brethren, if or though a man be overtaken in a fault, though a man sidestep, what it
is, deviation, be surprised by temptation, seized in a moment
of passion, to just Pastor got the better of him. He was taken
in an impulse. Didn't plan it. Didn't sit there
and contemplate it. But he was seized. Have you ever gone outside in
the middle of a winter day and have your feet go out from under
you? slip, I mean, hit the ground. I don't know about you, and I'm
sure I don't think as quickly as I used to, and I don't think
you do either. When did you realize you were
falling? You know when I realized it? Jimmy, when I hit the ground. I never even thought about it
before. I didn't even know I was falling. I can remember falling
here a couple of years ago, Walked out my back door, and I'm telling
you, before I knew it, I was saying, ow, that hurt. You ever stepped on a rotten
board, something rotten, out in the woods, stepped on a log
or something rotten? How long did it take you to realize it
was rotten? Well, by the time you probably stumbled after you
tripped, all of a sudden you realized, overtaken in a thought,
before you knew it, before you could realize you even thought
it, or did it, or said it, whatever it is. You that are spiritual,
if a man be overtaken in a thought, You which are spiritual, you
which possess the Spirit of God, who are believers in the Lord
Jesus Christ, who worship God in spirit, you who rejoice in
Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. I'm talking about believers now.
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual,
restore. such and one. Now let's remember
where from whence we've come now. Where we were when the Lord
found us. I restored that which I took
not away. He did it perfect before God. And here we are, struggling sinners,
dealing with brethren who are just like us. You which are spiritual,
Restore, set right, like setting of a bone. How am I going to
do it? If I go in there and I've broken
something, you know how I want to do it? Be careful. Be careful. Don't be careful. I'm already
hurt. Be tender. We're going to have to give you
a shot. Well, be careful. Be easy. Restore such in one. Compassionately, tenderly, affectionately. How? Oh, faithful instruction
from God's Word. Praying for them, tenderly. I know how you feel. Oh, I pray
God, God help us. Restore him. Restore such a one
in spirit, of meekness, humility, humility. I think about whenever
Abraham and Lot, they're up, the herdsmen had a squabble over
some grass. Remember that? They were out
there and the herdsmen were all upset because our cows don't
have enough grass and your cows are getting over my grass. Where'd
Abraham tell it? He said, I tell you what, we're
brethren. We're brethren. You take what you want, Lot,
just what Abraham said, and I'll take what's left. You go this
way, I'll go this way. You go that way, I'll go that
way. That's meekness. That's humility. You take it,
whatever you feel is right for you, you do what's best for you. That's meekness. Trust in God. Believe it. Restore such in one
in a spirit of meekness, kindness, forbearance. Not with anger and
overbearing spirit, fault-finding attitude, trying to inflict discipline. Not with a harsh, unforgiving
spirit, but with love and patience and readiness to forgive. And
here's the explanation. Let me say this. If you say,
restore such a one in the spirit of meekness. Okay, well explain
that to me. Well, the Spirit of God does
it right here. I'm going to explain it to it
right here. Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Considering
thyself. Taking heed to yourself. lest
thou also be tempted. Remember, if a brother, sister,
one be overtaken in a fault from that same old man we all
got, remember, remember where we've come from. And restore
him in a spirit of meekness, considering thyself, We all must be on guard. That
old man that's within us. Oh, I'd never do that. Don't kid yourself. Don't kid
yourself. No, I'm not capable of doing
that. Oh, my. Remember, we're all liable to
fall, to fall prey, Anything, but for the grace of God. Bear,
verse 2, bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law
of Christ. Bear with me. Bear with me. A brother or sister
taken in a vault, they're under tremendous guilt. What believer here? I mean, think
about even our attitudes. I mean, something that we didn't
even, maybe we didn't even respond to somebody, but we thought it,
we thought something. And all of a sudden you're thinking, I wish I wouldn't have thought
that, especially if I said it. I wish I wouldn't have said that,
but listen, they're already, they know what they've done.
Bear with them. They know that they've fallen
prey to the weakness of their flesh. Help them. Help them. The word bear, it means to lift,
sustain, carry, receive. Sympathize with them. Be sympathetic. The Scripture says in Romans
15, 1, then we that are strong, strong, we that are strong, strong
in the Lord knowing something of our weakness. Paul said, when
I'm weak, when I realize what I am really, that's when I'm
strong. That's when I realized my need
of Him. I need Thee every hour. He's saying, we that are strong,
knowing our need of the Lord sustaining us, casting our care,
all our care upon Him, He careth for us. We ought to bear the
infirmities. We ought to lift up and bear
patiently, not contending with. We ought to bear the infirmities
of the weak, those that are weak in the faith, that's fallen just
like we're capable of doing, just like we do all the time.
We're not kidding anybody. Oh, we ought to bear the infirmities
of the weak and not please ourselves, not be pleasing of ourselves,
puffing ourselves up. from whence we've come. Remember. Remember. The Scripture says, verse 2,
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Bear ye one another's burdens. When I just stop and think what
the Lord has borne for me. What He bore for me. what I am, made sin, made sin,
made what I am, that I might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. What has He borne for me? Oh,
Marvin, if a man, a brother, a sister,
be overtaken in a fault, you restore in a spirit of meekness,
you consider yourself. I have nothing in which to brag
but Him. Make my boast in Him. Bear ye
one another's burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Now this life right here is a
life of heartache. I was thinking about, as Rex
was talking about our dear brother, D. Parks. Those of you that know
him, I'm sure we all do. Oh, I love him. I love him. Talked to him a few times last
week or so. Now that my heart just rejoices
when I think, oh, Lord, help me to have that attitude right
there. His wife, Christi, his kids, those that are going through
things, we all that's gone through things, suffered. Bear ye one another's burdens.
A man that is born of a woman is a few days, Job 14, 1, he's
full of trouble. Carry the burden of our brother. Bear it as our own, helping them
to recover. Don't add to their trial. I'm
so glad that Oh, I'm so thankful that we're saved by grace, through
faith, and not of myself. The gift of God. Oh, how thankful
I am that when the Father looks at me to answer, I've got one
to answer for me. Lord, don't look to me. Lord,
look not to me. Oh, how comforting that this
one has borne my guilt, loved me, forgave me, helps me. Bear ye one another's burden,
and so fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ. That is His
blessed law. Turn to John 13. John 13. John 13, verse 34-35. The law of Christ. What is that? The law of Christ. John 13, verse 34-35. The Lord said, a new commandment
I give unto you. Here's the law of Christ. That
you love one another. As I've loved you, that you also
love one another. Here's the law of Christ, here's
the exhibition of the law of Christ, verse 35. By this shall
all men know that you're my disciples, if you have love one to another. The law of Christ. Whenever the apostle Paul relates to God's people, That
we're not motivated by the law of Moses, but by the law of Christ. That blessed law that was taught
us by the Spirit of God. I will, as I said a while ago,
I will remove a heart of stone and give you a new heart. New
spirit, new attitude. And that new heart, that new
life is going to be exhibited by love. By love. Love for the brethren,
love for God, love for God's word. It's demonstrated in a
new life. I'm talking about in a new life,
that same life that God's people struggle with that old man. They struggle, but there's a
new man there. 1 John 3.14, and we know that
we pass from death unto life because we love the brethren.
He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 1 John 4.20,
if a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he's a liar.
For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen? Though I speak," Paul said in
1 Corinthians 13, with the tongues of men and angels and have not,
charity, love, I'm become as a sounding brass and a tinkling
cymbal. Back in Galatians 6, chapter
6, verse 3. For if a man think himself to
be something, when he's nothing. He deceiveth himself. Pride and
self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, all that's just interwoven into
our very being. In the garden Satan deceived
the God Eve. Deceived our first parents. Told
Eve, he said, if God said, She said, this is what the Lord
said. He said, you know, God knows in the day that you
eat, you're going to be as God's, knowing good and evil. They ate and suffered the penalty. It failed. And now here's all
of us. We're all born proud and arrogant
and deceived. That's what it says. If a man
think himself to be something when he's nothing, what man atoned
for his own sin? What man chose himself? What
man answered God's law by his perfect wall? What man? What
man truly has a free will that's dead? His will's not free. If a man think himself to be
something when he's nothing, he's nothing, only a believer
will hear those words and say, I know. Every believer, they
don't do it, but every believer, you know, would say, I say, let
me see the hands of everybody that knows themselves to be nothing
in themselves. Every believer would raise their
hand. That's me. That's me. Man, think himself to be something
when he's nothing. He knows he's not capable of
walking before God, sustaining himself, of doing that which
is right and honorable. The Lord said, without me you
can do nothing, nothing. I can pray, but you can't. It's the Spirit that helpeth
us. We don't know what to pray for. We know that man at his
best state is altogether vanity. Oh, when one falls prey to temptation,
of thinking himself to be so stable, spiritual, so strong,
to keep himself falling, he's just revealing. He's deceived. Deceived. Romans 7, 18, I know
that in me, that is in my flesh, the apostle Paul says, well,
it's no good thing. For to will is present with me,
but how to perform that which is good, I find not. If the Lord leaves us to ourselves, we're not going to make it. Verse 4. Let every man prove
his own work. Then shall he have rejoicing
in himself alone, and not in another. Let a man prove himself,
prove his own work. How do I prove my own work? By examining what he thinks of
himself in a fair and impartial agreement with God's Word. I just quoted, when the Lord
said, without me you can do nothing. What does a believer say? Without
Him, I can do nothing. I can't give myself rest, peace,
comfort. What does a believer say? A believer
says, the Lord says, you come unto Me. All ye that labor, heavy
laden, I will give you rest. No believer looks to himself.
Oh, when we test, examine ourselves in light of God's Word, God's
glory, God's holiness. We then admit, we are convinced
that we possess in our old man a nature that we dare not trust. No believer trusts his old man.
He don't trust himself. We don't look to ourselves for
righteousness, and therefore our brethren, just
like us, We're not to sit in judgment over others. We look to Him. Lord, help us. Let every man prove his own work
by the Scriptures, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself
alone, and not in another. With a true proving and examining
of ourselves in light of God's Word, We realize that we stand
not in our own works, not in our own worthiness. We stand
only in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we know that in ourselves.
I know that. In light of what God has to say,
I know in myself Now, this is what he's saying, that every
man proves his own work by the Scriptures, then shall he have
rejoicing in himself alone, that I am what I am by the grace of
God. And I'm not looking to others
and comparing myself with others to establish myself before the
Lord. That's what he knows. My brethren are like me. They
struggle just like I do. When they fall, I realize something. They're doing just exactly what
I'm capable of doing. And the one who has restored
me, who's loved me and shown mercy
to me. Brethren, you the spiritual,
you restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, you consider
yourself. Well, I'm telling you, wouldn't it be a wonderful place
if we could find a place where we all had a spirit like that? Well, wouldn't that be utopia?
Well, he won't be found in this world, but I'm telling you, God
helped us to strive after him. Last verse, verse five. For every
man shall bear his own burden. In that day, that day of God's
judgment, every man is going to give account. This is what
the Spirit of God moved upon Paul to write. 2 Corinthians
5, 10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
that every one may receive the things done in his body according
to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Revelation,
turn with me, Revelation 20. Finish up. Revelation 20, verse
11, 15. The apostle John, in his vision
of the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, said, Revelation
20, 11, I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was
found no place for them, as I've said so many times, no place
for them to hide. I saw the dead, small and great,
stand before God, and the books were opened. And another book
was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books according
to their works. And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it, and death, hell delivered up the dead which
were in them. They would judge every man according
to their works. Death and hell were cast into
the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire. In that day, and we know this,
we're all going to stand before God. And a count is going to be given
for what Scripture says. All men, all women that stand
before God without the Great High Priest himself, without
God's mediator, without God's advocate, the Lord Jesus, they're
going to begin to give account. They're going to be pleading
their own works. We prophesied in your name, cast
out devils in your name, done many marvelous works in your
name. And without the substitute himself, the redeemer,
the high priest to answer for them, Here is the scriptural
revelation of God's answer. Matthew 7.3. I never knew you. I never knew you. I never knew
you in my son. I never knew you in mercy. I
never knew you in compassion. Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity. the marvel of having been restored
and reconciliation made by Christ on the behalf of a hell-deserving
sinner. All that have to answer for themselves.
Who wants to answer for himself before God? I don't. I don't. I have nothing to say. of myself. But in the midst of
all who stand before God, there's going to be a people, a people
of God's choosing from those everlastingly loved and chosen
in the Lord Jesus Christ that they would be holy and without
blame before God in love. Their names were written, Revelation
20 verse 12. in the book of life from before
the foundation of the world, before my mom and daddy knew
my name. By God's grace, God did, and
wrote it. And all found written in the
book of life himself. I want to conclude where I first
started. Those loved God in Christ, those
for whom the Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life, paid their
debt before God's law, shed His blood, regenerated by the grace
and power of God, given faith to believe, cast themselves upon
the Lord for mercy, robed in the perfect righteousness of
Christ, according to God's Word. Here we are. Here's proving ourselves.
It'll be within us. Here's the proof I got. The only
thing I got is God's Word. Having cast myself upon the mercy
of God. Come unto me. I'll give you rest.
He that believeth shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be
damned. Lord, I believe. Help mine unbelief. To hear these
words, come. You're blessed of my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. Brethren, if a man be overtaken
in a fault, and who's not? Who's not capable? Ye which are spiritual, restore
such in one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself
lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens,
and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself be
something, when he's nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let
every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing
in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall
bear his own burden. I pray the Lord be pleased to
bless these words to our hearts for Christ's sake and our good.
Amen.