Restoration is always the goal of ministering to those in sin.
And did you see the gospel in Galatians 6:1? Think of it: the human race was caught in the trap of sin, and Jesus Christ, living by the Spirit, came and died in our place to restore us to the Father. At the cross, Jesus was broken that you would be healed, crushed that you would be made whole, and destroyed that you would be restored. The cross is the place of salvation and restoration for sinners.
Galatians 6:1 teaches us that God uses His people who are “living by the Spirit” or “walking by the Spirit” to restore those who get caught in sin traps.
Restoration is a humbling process for sure. Sometimes people have achieved great things in this life and have become people who are admired (like King David), yet they have sin in their lives that is shaming the name of Jesus, harming them and others around them. It’s humbling for them to go to their pastor, elders, friends, etc. and ask for help. And yet, this humbling is necessary for their freedom.
An excellent example of this is Naaman. He was a person of significance and power in his day, the commander of the armies of Ben-Hadad, yet he had a problem - leprosy. He humbled himself and went to the man of God, Elisha, and humbled himself further to obey the man of God and dunk in the river Jordan seven times so that he would be cured of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-19).
God’s healing and freeing methods always involve the humbling of the one with leprosy (either physical or spiritual). It is imperative that when we go to one who is walking by the Spirit and ask for help that we go willing to listen to biblical counsel and to do what they tell us to do without arguing.
“Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.” Proverbs 15:32 (NIV)
Question 3. Please write out Proverbs 15:32 NIV. As you are writing, take time to think about the verse.
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Humbling ourselves and asking for help can be done in a variety of ways. You might seek help as an individual, or with your spouse, or in a group setting. God uses a variety of means to accomplish His work in our lives.
But it is also essential to not merely surround ourselves with people who have had our same struggle. We should not limit our associations or only attend private groups for weight management, divorce, alcohol or drugs, gambling, etc. The body of Christ functions best when we interact with people who have different strengths and struggles than we do, having "many counselors" (Proverbs 15:22) to help our plans succeed. Groups focusing on individual struggles can be helpful for a time, but they should be temporary as a transition moving us into the church at large.
For the rest of our time together today, let's study through Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which offers additional insights into the value of asking for help.
“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)
Question 4. According to Ecclesiastes 4:9 NIV, why are two better than one?