Simple Rules of Love in the Church, Part 3

D. Scott Meadows

Galatians 6.4-5: But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.

So the simple rules of love in the church spelled out so far in Galatians six are, restore the fallen brother (v. 1), put up with each other (v. 2), and get over yourself (v. 3). Now Paul directs each reader to do some self-examination with Judgment Day honesty about our overall character and ministry. He writes to each one of us, in effect, “be your own main project.”

Be Your Own Main Project (4, 5)

Do you know the idiom, “to make someone your project?” It has the sense of giving concentrated attention to someone in order to “fix” what’s wrong with them. When you “make a project” of someone, you put yourself in a savior role and view someone else as one needing to be rescued. It’s an expression that means trying to help someone but it has bad connotations.

Of course we should be trying to help one another in the church—not just morally but in every way that we really can be of true assistance when we have the means and opportunity to help and it would be appreciated. But we are prone to grading ourselves too highly and forgetting the cultivation of our souls and the improvement of our own quality of spiritual life, ethical behavior, and generous service to others. In another place, Paul cautioned Christians this way. “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Rom 12.3). So we have this express warning about thinking too highly of ourselves, but I cannot recall any comparable warning in the Bible about thinking too lowly of ourselves! Is it not because that is rarely if ever our problem?

To focus on fixing other people’s problems while neglecting our own is the hallmark of a proud religious hypocrite! Remember Christ’s severe rebuke in the Sermon on the Mount.

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Matt 7.3–5 NKJV).

In verses four and five of Galatians six, Paul is recommending to each of us some serious plank removal. Here is another translation. “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load” (ESV). Here he concisely sets forth three ideas: self-testing, a good conscience, and individual accountability to the Lord. Test your own work—more than you are testing others is implied. When you are engaged in examining yourself in the light of Scripture, confessing your sins, embracing your responsibilities, and making progress in your character and conduct by grace as a Christian, then you will enjoy the fruits of your faith and spiritual diligence with a good conscience. You will be able to say with great pleasure along with the apostle Paul, “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men” (Acts 24.16).

You should be highly-motivated in this habit of being your own main project because Judgment Day is coming, when each of us will bear his own burden, every tub will stand on its own bottom, and you will be judged not on how well your “disciples” have done, but with respect to your own faith and works. Yes, we are and shall be justified on the grounds of Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone, but He will separate the sheep from the goats and His gracious rewards to the sheep will correspond with the works of His faithful disciples.

So another simple rule of love in the church is to major on your own reformation more than anyone else’s.