The Beauty of Restoration

"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." (Galatians 6:1)

I want to share some personal thoughts with you about the verse up above. I say personal because it is not my intent to bring a new teaching. I have a heart and desire to see Galatians 6:1 fleshed-out in the Body of Christ.

Think about it this way:
> How many of us have known someone in the church who has been overtaken (caught) in sin?
> How many of us have actually seen that someone restored?

I can honestly say (outside of my own ministry) that there has been very little restoration within the church. I don't say that in arrogance, nor am I trying to boast. I'm simply saying that I have watched churches either not deal with the sin or they have went the extreme route. They either ignore the individual or they shame them. Which brings us to the question: How do we restore these people instead of watching them fall to the wayside?

#1 - It takes spiritual people to restore them.
This is not a ministry for people who do not operate in the Spirit of God. That may seem like a strange statement to make concerning the church, but I have discovered that there are people who operate from an emotional or analytic mindset. Emotion tends to bring about anger while the analytic tends to bring about shame. Only the spiritual can operate in a spirit of gentleness.

#2 - There has to be some ownership.
You cannot be healed of what you will not own. For the person that has been "caught", they have to be willing to confess that they were wrong. They need to agree with God about their sin. They need to seek forgiveness and restoration. Anyone who is not willing to deal with their issues will not deal with their issues. They have to humble themselves, confess, and be willing to do what is necessary to be restored.

#3 - We must keep a watchful eye upon ourselves during the process.
All of us can be tempted, however, none of us have to give in to it. God's ability within our lives gives us victory. But I have seen so many who are quick to condemn or bring judgement that find themselves falling in other areas of life. We cannot bring restoration through arrogance or pride. We must be gentle and humble. When this happens, we will see the beauty of restoration.

The point of all this is simple: We have a God who longs to restore. He's not willing that people perish. He's not willing that people get left out in the cold. This gospel of grace not only works for the lost but for the saved as well. We need to create a culture within the church that seeks to restore.

So the next time you are talking with a believer who is struggling - don't be quick to condemn. In a spirit of gentleness, speak to the solution and not the problem. You will be amazed at how God works in their heart and life when they are willing to own the problem.

May the God of all mercy grant us hearts that seek to be merciful.