Galatians Chapter 6

All salvation, for all human beings, anywhere in the bible, Genesis through Revelation has always been by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The bible says that those who would come to God must believe that God IS and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Now Paul says, 'there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.' So what's the answer? The answer is that God first had to seek man.

So when a person says 'I sought God at an old fashioned alter' the bible says you didn't. You can only come to God by faith and faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You can't go to some old fashioned alter and seek and find God. Salvation is by faith and it is always by faith in what God said, not what some man made up, or what some religious systems would have you to do. There is no merit, as far as God is concerned, in walking the aisle for Jesus, praying through at some old fashioned alter, joining a church, shaking the preachers hand or in any other religious activity.

Salvation is through the preaching of the cross. Paul says the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

So the things that look good in religion, the things that feel good to religious people, are not the things that result in a person being saved today. A person is saved because God provided the means of salvation. And that means is the death of Christ, on the cross, for your sins. Paul says:

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1 Corinthians 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

When the cross of Christ is preached, people get saved. When religion preaches religion then you have a religion full of 'lost believers.' You have people who believe in the name of Jesus and you have people who might even believe in the death of Jesus on the cross and they might even believe that he was raised from the dead. But they have never been told the truth of the gospel of Christ. That Christ died for THEIR sins, all of their sins and that he was raised again for their justification and that they don't have to go anywhere, do anything or say anything, but simply BY FAITH put their trust in the fact that Christ did what he did and that he did it for them. That is salvation by grace alone through faith alone and that is the message Paul preached.

But in time past, salvation was NOT by grace alone through faith alone. In time past salvation was by faith PLUS works of faith. Some very good examples of that would be Noah in Genesis chapter six. Noah was 'moved by fear and being warned of God, builded an ark to the saving of his house.' If Noah had not built the ark then he would not have been saved. That might be called a big example of works of faith. Here is a little one:

James 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

Rahab the harlot showed kindness to the spies sent by Joshua to spy out the land of Jericho and she sent them out another way so that they wouldn't be killed. Small work but still a work of faith. She tied a red cord in her window and when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down she was rescued.

The point, once again, is that all salvation is by faith, but not all salvation in the bible is by grace through faith. Sometimes it is by works through faith. In times past people were saved by the works of the law THRU faith. In other words, no flesh will ever, or has ever been justified by the works of the law because by the law is the knowledge of sin. But knowing sin because the law pointed out their sins, God provided the sacrificial system of worship as a means of a temporary covering of sins until the fullness of time was come. In other words, the blood sacrifices under the Law were a temporary atonement, a once a year atonement for PAST sins until Christ came.  Christ said, in Matthew 23, that the weightier matters of the law were judgment, mercy and faith.

So Christ came, and the bible says, in John 1:11 that he came unto his own. In other words he came to Israel. He said 'I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,' in Matthew 15. The purpose in his earthly ministry was to confirm the promises made unto the fathers, according ro Romans 15:8. His purpose in death on the cross was to redeem all mankind. But that was a mystery which was only revealed to Paul and Paul calls it MY GOSPEL and he says that MY GOSPEL is the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the 'revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began.'

Paul's gospel was not preached in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and Paul's gospel was not preached by Peter in the book of Acts. Nobody knew Paul's gospel until the Lord revealed it to Paul in Acts chapter nine. Peter didn't know Paul's gospel until the Lord sent Paul, in Acts chapter fifteen, to 'communicate it' to Peter, James and John and those in Jerusalem.

So the works of the law were very much a part of the message in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and very much a part of Peter's message in the book of Acts. They were under the law, keeping the law, and zealous of the law. But Paul had received a message of grace by the risen, glorified Lord Jesus Christ and that is the message he had preached to the Galatians. He proved from scripture that Jesus is the Christ of prophecy. But he also preached total justification by faith alone in what Christ did on the cross. He died for our sins. Here is an example of Paul's preaching:

Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

Acts 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

So Paul had preached, and people were saved, by Paul's gospel. The Galatians had not been involved in Peter's ministry, in the gospel of the Kingdom. Now, Kingdom preachers, Judaizers, had come to Galatia, probably as the result of persecution against the 'church which was at Jerusalem.' The bible says that they were all scattered abroad, except the apostles. So someone had come to Galatia and was 'subverting the souls' of the believers. They were doing it with 'another gospel.' Not a false gospel,  but another gospel, a different gospel. A gospel which belonged to the past and a gospel which WILL be preached again in the future, after the church is taken out of the world, in the tribulation.

So the gospel of the Kingdom, the gospel of the circumcision, preached in the past will be preached in the future, and it is basically a tribulation message. A message of endure to the end to be saved at the end, at the second coming of Christ. This is basically Peter's message, the gospel of the circumcision:

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

So Peter's message is about the second coming of Christ but Paul's message is about the going, the catching out, of the body of Christ and the two messages, the two gospels are directed at two different groups of people. One group is those of the past, those involved in the message of Peter, James and John, and also those who will be saved in the tribulation which is yet future.

But in between is Paul's message and Paul's ministry to the church the body of Christ. This is the most important division in your bible, between PROPHECY and MYSTERY. That which was spoken since the world began, about Israel, and that which was kept secret since the world began, about the church, the body of Christ. This is known as 'rightly dividing the word of truth.'

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Religion today doesn't rightly divide the word of truth, they wrongly divide the word of truth, or don't divide it at all, and never see the distinction, so the result is a confused, a blended message. That's exactly what was happening to the Galatians and that's the reason Paul wrote the Galatian letter. So we have seen where Paul referred to the Law of Moses as a yoke of bondage. He told the Galatians to not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Galatians 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

Galatians 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

Every man shall bear his own burden, would be like what Paul said in Philippians, to 'work out your own salvation.' Not to work FOR, but to work out. In other words, let every man prove his own work. That would be the 'outworking' of what God makes the believer in Christ, in his daily life. And he says 'so fulfill the law of Christ.' There is something called 'the law of Christ,' and there is also the law of human government. So believers do not live 'above the law,' or apart from the law, but are under the law, unto Christ. You are in Christ by faith in the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, the law of Christ is love. Faith works through love. God commended his love to us, and Paul writes in Ephesians:

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The body of Christ is a spiritual body made up of all believers in this age and Paul describes it as being 'fitly framed together:'

Ephesians 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Ephesians 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Ephesians 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

There were 12 Apostles to the nation of Israel. Their foundation also was Jesus Christ. So if they are in mind in verse 20 then Jesus Christ is the same chief corner stone. Peter referred to that in 1 Peter 2:6. If Paul has those Apostles in mind then the foundational truth would be the "gospel of God" of Romans 1:1-4. That truth is "cross-dispensation" and both Peter and Paul preach "the gospel of God." Paul says in Romans 1:1 that he was "separated unto the gospel of God" and Peter refers to the same truth in 1 Peter 4:17.

The 'foundation' of the apostles and prophets in the passage seems to be a reference to the gifts Christ gave AFTER his resurrection and he ascended on high and gave gifts to men. Those gifts were the offices of Ephesians 4:11 which are apostles and prophets, evangelists and pastors and teachers. And as we know there is a whole new group of apostles and prophets raised up to the church, the body of Christ. It is not a reference to the 12 apostles of the nation of Israel. In other words, not a reference to Peter, James and John. Some other people who are called apostles are Barnabas, in Acts 14, and Silas and Timothy in 1 Thessalonians. It's amazing that most people in religion, including religious leaders don't even know this.

Paul, however, is the only person in the bible who is THE apostle of the Gentiles.

But he says 'bear one another's burdens' and it has to do with someone who is overtaken in a fault. He says 'ye which are spiritual' restore that person. Someone could be overtaken by the teachings of the Law, or by elements of the law. The main theme of the book of Galatians is to not go back to the law. The word 'fault' is akin to the word 'fall' in Romans 11:11 where Paul speaks of the fall of Israel. That "fall" was caused by unbelief. So if a person did not beleive that the cross work of Jesus Christ was sufficient for his salvation he could be persuaded to put himself back under the law and try to perform works of righteousness, the righteousness which is of the law.

How many people, for instance, do you know who walked the aisle for Jesus, or got water baptized for the remission of sins and numerous other things. All of them the things of religion and all of them consisting of some form of legalism, some form or some elements of the law. So the 'fault" could refer to those who put themselves back under the law. Paul said that to do so would be 'fallen from grace' in Galatians 5:4

This could also refer to the works of the flesh mentioned in Chapter five. The lusts of the flesh result in works of the flesh and Paul says they are manifest. In other words any one individual anywhere on the planet, no matter who he is, is capable on any one of those works of the flesh outlined in Galatians five. Now he says "ye which are spiritual restore such an one." So what is a 'spiritual' believer'? Well, he has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but all believers have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So a spiritual believer is someone who is following the leadership of the Holy Spirit in his walk, in his daily life. That's one of the main subjects back in chapter five. That if we are led of the Spirit then we are not under the law and since we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit. The motions of sin are stirred up by the law, according to Romans:

Romans 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

Walking in the Spirit is to NOT do religious things like try to live under the law. It is to NOT perform religious activities just because some religious organization practices certain things or because some religious leaders suggest to you that you should do them. To walk in the Spirit is to seek God's approval and not that of religion. And the only way you can do that is by the doctrine.  A person who is 'spiritual' knows that he is following the leadership of the Holy Spirit because he will study to show himself approved unto God and he will rightly divide the word of truth.

Galatians 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

They are taught in the word and Paul says let them communicate. The word communicate here means to share or to be a partaker of something. In other words, giving and receiving. The one who is being taught is told to communicate with the one teaching. Another verse that carries the same idea is here:

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Here is another place where Paul expresses the same idea:

Philippians 4:15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

Philippians 4:16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

By the way, the Thessalonian trip Paul is talking about here is not the one in Acts chapter seventeen. In Acts 17 Paul worked with his own hands and would not be chargeable to any of them. So what he is talking about here is a later trip. He is probably talking here about the trip to Macedonia he made at the time of Acts chapter twenty. In other words the Philippians were supporting Paul. They were the only ones who were, evidently, because Paul writes that all that are in Asia 'be turned away from me.'

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

He talks about sowing to the flesh or sowing to the Spirit and what the results will be. To sow to the flesh could be to try to get the flesh to perform, as in keeping the law or it could simply mean fulfilling the lusts of the flesh which results in the works of the flesh of Chapter five. Grace is far better than law, and good judgment, as in Phillipians 1:10, 'approving things that are excellent,' would show you that Paul's message of grace is far better for today than the 'yoke' that Peter said that 'neither we nor our fathers were able to bear.' in Acts 15. Paul has also said in 5:25, if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit. He said let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another and envying one another.

The flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one another as the passage back in Chapter five shows. In other words you either sow for the benefit of the flesh or you sow for the benefit of the Spirit. Here is the parallel:

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

If you sow to the flesh you will reap corruption. Corruption is destruction or decay. In other words you wind up in a worse condition. The flesh cannot be reformed and a person can spend a lifetime of religious activity trying to reform the flesh and in the end it reaps corruption. There is no benefit in dealing around with trying to reform the flesh. Instead of trying to change it the best thing a person can do is exchange it. In other words to reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And when a person learns to do that he will experience those rewards. Not only in the sweet by and by but in the good old here and now. Peace with God is one thing but the peace of God is something else.

The wages of sin is death but the GIFT of God is eternal life and it is not of works lest any man should boast. The reward of sowing to the Spirit is the peace OF God in addition to having peace with God. That's what Paul has in mind here:

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Now he says to not be weary in well doing. That's why Paul says 'bodily exercise profeteth little but spiritual exercise, or godliness, is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.' You may get discouraged but you can't be defeated. Romans 8 is clear that there is nothing that can separate a believer from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord..

God's grace was sufficient for Paul and it's sufficient for us too. Paul said I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. And when he says THE faith it's a reference to the faith in that message that was committed to Paul. Here and hereafter, we will reap if we faint not. We need to know that it is God's grace that will get us through.

So he says 'as we have opportunity, let us do good.' In other words, redeeming the time. There are times when we have opportunity to witness and we don't take advantage of it. It is "doing good" to tell people that Christ died for our sins and that salvation is the issue of simply placing your trust in the cross of Christ alone. Plant the seed. You never know who might come along and water it.

1 Corinthians 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Notice these two verses:

2 Timothy 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Our job is to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery. Notice it does say all men and not just all saved men. There are millions of lost people out there and God would have them to be saved too.

Galatians 6:11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

What he is evidently referring to is the large size of his handwriting. To Paul alone was given the message of grace and he calls it MY gospel. Not our gospel. Not THE gospel. Not the gospel Peter preached in Acts chapter two. But MY gospel. Only Paul has MY gospel. Nobody else in the bible says that, or claims that his message is MY gospel. Paul's gospel is not the same gospel as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and it is not the same gospel Peter preached in Acts chapter two and it is not the same message as the message of Hebrews through Revelation. Only Paul's gospel is MY gospel.

Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

Galatians 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul says things that you will never find any where else in the bible. Paul said for instance, that it pleased God to reveal Christ IN me. He says:

2 Corinthians 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

2 Corinthians 13:3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.

2 Corinthians 13:4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

Paul's last instructions to Timothy were to hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me and he told him the things which thou hast heard of me commit thou to faithful men. Faithful men will stand with Paul:

Philippians 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Religion has exalted Peter and belittled Paul. They have made Paul an also-ran and a 'Johnny come lately' and because of it millions have been mis-led. Notice that Paul says 'the things you have learned, received and heard and seen IN ME. He doesn't say US.

Notice the little words in the following verse:

1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

The verse obviously says that Paul is the FIRST and he is the PATTERN of salvation today. There was no pattern of salvation for the church, the body of Christ, before Paul.

Galatians 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

Religion is all about a shew in the flesh. If it looks good, if it feels good then it must be good. But it is not good when you change the truth of God into a lie. It is not good when you trouble people and pervert the gospel of Christ. The thing troubling Paul was circumcision and the Law of Moses. Today it is all the religious things people do rather than preach the cross. To make a fair shew means to put on a display, a good countenance, in other words it looks good.

The gospel of the kingdom, the gospel of the circumcision, which was commited to Peter, includes circumcision and the Law of Moses. But it was ANOTHER gospel. Not a false gospel, because there is no such thing in the bible as a false gospel. There are false prophets, false witnesses, false brethren and even false Christ's, but in the bible there is no false gospel. It was a real gospel but it was a gospel for a TIME PAST. It was ANOTHER gospel and it perverted the gospel of Christ committed to Paul.

When you believe that Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for all of your sins and there is nothing left for you to do in order to gain salvation or to keep salvation once you have it, then religion doesn't like it. And Paul says that all who will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Where does the persecution come from? It comes from within the religious system. It comes from people who don't want to suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. They want to have their religious system and their numbers game and their gimmicks in order to count you and control you. But they don't want to suffer for the cross of Christ.

Galatians 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

And that is exactly what most of religion is about. Glorying in the flesh. Making a show in the flesh. People who claim they are keeping the commandments are only fooling themselves. They are not keeping the commandments because no man ever has kept the commandments and ever will. The commandments were a SCHOOLMASTER.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The law was given to give people the knowledge of sin and to make them know they needed a Saviour. And once the Galatians were saved there was no more need for the schoolmaster. The gospel of the circumcision was a message for time past but it is not the message for today. Today's message is a message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone, without the works of the law.

Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

So like Paul said to put yourself back under the law is to be fallen from grace.

Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Galatians 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

In other words, circumcision and the law never justified anyone. And he says that circumcision doesn't avail anything. There was something new created at the cross and it is called the church, the body of Christ, of which the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the head. The only grounds for glorying is to glory in what the Lord has done and not in what we are doing, or going to do, for the Lord. Paul's preaching is the cross, the cross and nothing but the cross. He told the Corinthians that I determined not to know anything among you save Christ and him crucified.

Galatians 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Do you notice the two groups in that verse. Paul refers to those who are following this rule, the rule he has talked about all the way through the book of Galatians. Those who follow 'this rule' are those who are in the body of Christ. They have been baptized INTO Christ and have put on Christ and in this spiritual body there is no physical identity. There is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female bond nor free. It is a spiritual body and a spiritual realm.

Yet, when Peter writes in 1 Peter he writes to a holy nation:

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

So what Peter wrote was written to a holy nation and that holy nation is what Paul refers to here and he calls it the Israel of God. The point is that there is an Israel of God and there also is the body of Christ and the two are different. The Church is not Israel, spiritual or otherwise, and Israel is not the Church. As Paul's minisry came to the forefront during the time period of the book of Acts, Peter's ministry to Israel faded away. The conclusion of that ministry is yet future, after the Rapture of the church, in the tribulation.

The two are different, they are not the same and to claim that they are the same is to say that you do not believe that God's word means what it says, as it says it, where it says it. When God says Israel, he means Israel. When God says the body of Christ he doesn't mean Israel. He means a joint body of believers who are not Israel and they are neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female. Things that are different are not the same.

Galatians 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

The marks of the Lord Jesus is obviously a reference to the suffering that Paul did for the truth of the gospel. Paul filled up that which remained of the sufferings of Christ. Paul didn't suffer for your sins. Only Christ could do that. But in order that you could get the message, somebody had to suffer to get it to you. The Lord chose Paul to do that.  Sufferings abounded but so did consolation by Jesus Christ.

Galatians 6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.