Read today’s texts first: Job 31-32; Galatians 5-6
Restore the fallen gently, remembering
“there but by the grace of God, go I!”
“there but by the grace of God, go I!”
I remember reading these passages on November 7 several years ago because on the same day an unforgettable news story broke - an event that rocked the evangelical community, particularly in the U.S. It involved the moral failure of a great leader. He served as the pastor of an influential church of 14,000 members, and as the president of an association which included more than 60 denominations, 45,000 churches, and 30 million people (that’s equivalent to the entire population of Canada!).
Coincidentally in these readings, Job is warning of the dangers of sin (sexual compromise specifically) and Paul is trying to teach us how we can help restore one who has been caught in a sin. He explains in chapter 5 how to live by the Spirit, which is the only way to overcome the works of the flesh. Then he urges those who are spiritual to help bring about the restoration of a fallen brother. The operative word is “gently,” realizing that “there but by the grace of God, go I!”
The word “restore” is the same word as “equip” or “prepare” from Ephesians 4:12, which is used of a fisherman mending his net or a doctor setting a bone. The idea is one of restoring to wholeness and usefulness. It’s a far cry from the standard church practice of “shooting our wounded.” Perhaps Job would not have suffered so much if his accusers had exercised spiritual gentleness.
“Lord, as we experience failure in our church families or even in our own lives, I pray that those who represent You in restoring the fallen would be both spiritual and gentle. Help us to remember that this can happen to any one of us when we move out from the protection of spiritual gentleness, an attitudinal antidote for human pride.”
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