Lesson 79 December 8, 2002
Review:
6:2 Gave the command - Bear one another's burdens, and thus
fulfill the law of Christ.
6:3-5 Gives us some Guidelines for those who would
aid the burdened believer of vs:2
6:3 Must guard against self-righteousness
6:4 Remedy is self examination
6:5 Remember your own responsibility [balance]
6:3
Must guard against self-righteousness
For if anyone thinks he is something when he is
nothing, he deceives himself.
For if anyone thinks doke,w to suppose,
to form an opinion; it refers to
subjective thinking, that is without facts or substance to support the
conclusions.
- Whether one is something or not must be measured
by God's standard not man's, Question
is, are we walking by the Spirit reflecting the character of Christ, that's the
basis of a right evaluation not what impresses man.
Now follows the conclusion: he
deceives himself frenapata,w
Speaks
of deceiving the mind, thinking;
includes the idea which is pertinent here of deceiving by fantasies.
This is a perfect fit with the word dokew used here.
Summary 6:3
1. Paul
cautions us here to be mindful of our mental attitude and motivation in dealing
with others in general and specifically while dealing with those in need.
2. There are
several pitfalls that we might fall into if we fail to be on guard related to
our mental attitude and motivation.
3. We
cannot be selfless toward others if we consider ourselves to be better than
they are.
4. We might
even be tempted to start "playing god" and try and get them
"indebted" to us by "restoring" them to our good graces,
instead of focusing on their spiritual restoration to God.
5. If we
have subjectively concluded that our spiritual position or relationship with
God has been advanced by these works we have
deceived ourselves.
6. Yes we
are commanded to do these things, but if you've noticed Paul never wanders from
the correct perspective in this context or any other for that matter.
The
doing of these commands must flow from our relationship, therefore from walking
by the Spirit or they are nothing.
7. The
conceited or self - righteous type (legalist)
being wrongfully motivated has deluded themselves that in the doing is
the cause of relationship instead of where Paul is at, the biblical viewpoint
is that the doing is a result of relationship and therefore the living out of
the truth known.
8. Those
who live in a fantasy world often think
of themselves as "something" and attempt to build their experiential
righteousness, who they are in life, on
another's unrighteousness.
6:4
Remedy is self examination
Instead
of operating in a sphere of self-deception by maintaining a superior attitude
either towards the sinning brother or the one with a heavy burden, what needs to be done Paul says is to examine
one's work, must be by the right standard.
But each
one must examine his own work, dokima,zw speaks of making an examination put to the test, examine, prove something:
requires a standard
What
is to be evaluated? his
own work, his overt production in life but
specifically in context that associated
with "through love serve one another"
When
the evaluation is such that the finding measures up with Scripture, then the
next phrase comes into focus;
then he will have reason for boasting in regard to
himself alone, and not in regard to another.
then he will have reason for
what?? And on what basis??
Paul's
point here is very strong, we must ensure that we have evaluated our lives
consistently on the basis of the right standard the Word of God so that the
righteous requirement of that Word is being fulfilled in us as we walk by the
Spirit.
Rabbit
trail
Phil.
2:16 The means of maintaining this light in the world
holding fast
the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory
because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
And the focus, the
emphasis: what are we to keep holding
out??
"Word of life" is a
functional title because it tells us what
the word does, it brings and sustains spiritual life.
We become lights
in the kosmos, in 2 ways;
1-
by living out the precepts of the Word of God; balance between word and
deed and
2-
being ready to give an account of the hope with in us, the gospel which is the
word that brings life, not only eternal life but the dynamic for living each
day, word and Spirit.
What you do today
has impact on the future!
"so that in the day of Christ I may have
cause to glory"
"because I did not run in vain nor toil in
vain."
Their obedience as
ours to the will of God in this life is a sign of the reality of the Christian
life, that they have indeed worked out their salvation, carried it to its goal,
objective. (2:12)