Galatians 6:1-5
Introduction
The skeletal system includes hundreds of bones supporting the human body. They help us move and protect internal organs from injury. Severe falls can cause fractured and broken bones in our hips, legs, and feet that are impossible to fix on our own. Without treatment from qualified healthcare providers broken bones won’t heal correctly; causing permanent damage and leaving us trapped in bodies that can’t move properly. Likewise, some believers fall deeply into sin sickness. Their lives are broken as they live trapped under sin’s controlling power, leading to strongholds and addictions that cannot be self-healed. The Body of Christ is responsible for helping release those trapped by sin, mend their brokenness, and restore them to spiritual health.
The responsibility of restoration for Christians includes certain qualifications. First, the qualified are spiritual and Kingdom-minded. Our perspective must be centered on God’s point of view and not the world’s point of view. Like surgeons needing the right resources to heal a patient’s broken bones, we need the right resources to help others heal from spiritual brokenness. Second, the qualified must be gentle. Restoring hurting individuals with kindness, using empathy and compassion, is needed to avoid causing more pain to those wanting to heal. Third, the qualified must be humble. Humility keeps us sensitive to other’s needs and reminds us that we are no better than the person(s) needing restoration. We could be in their shoes at a moment’s notice and should imitate Christ’s humility as we help them (Philippians 2:5-8).
The goal of restoration is to remove the burden of sin. Guilt and shame are emotional weights that can be difficult to carry on the path to healing. The church should be a caring community, based on the truth of God’s Word, for those feeling weighed down by sin’s guilt. We should be demonstrating our care for people by reflecting the love of Christ as we try to help restore them to spiritual health. Sin is damaging. We shouldn’t contribute to further damage but rather lessen it to limit or cancel the consequences of sin keeping them trapped emotionally and spiritually. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be involved in the restoration business of the Kingdom.
Getting Started
- Have you ever broken a bone? Share your “broken bone” story with your group.
- Based on this week’s sermon, how would you define “sin sickness”? What is it and what problems does it cause?
Let’s Get Personal
- Describe a time when you may have needed freedom from sin but didn’t seek help. How did you know that you needed God’s restoration?
- What is preventing you from seeking needed restoration in your life? How can you overcome these challenges to experience more freedom?
- Have you experienced God’s restoration power in your life? How did it help you overcome “sin sickness”?Take the Next Step
Take the Next Step
- How has God prepared you to help restore others from sin? Are you taking full advantage of the resources you already have? If you cannot identify any resources, pray and ask God to reveal them to you.
- Before today, have you had the opportunity to share your testimony of God’s restoration with nonbelievers or believers who are struggling to walk obediently with Christ because of sin? How can your testimony be used to draw others to Christ?
- Want to go deeper? Take time to look at the following passages: James 5:19-20; 1 Peter 4:8; Exodus 4:24-26; Hebrews 10:23-25; Zechariah 3:1-7; James 2:8-13; 1 Peter 5:5; Daniel 4:34-37; 2 Chronicles 33:9-13; Romans 15:14-15; John 8:1-11; Zechariah 3:1-7; Luke 22:31-34; John 21:15-17; Colossians 1:28; 2 Timothy 2:24-25.
Renew Your Mind
“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8
