Humbly Help

“Brothers and sisters, if someone gets caught in sin, you who are spiritual should tell as many people as possible and kick them while they’re down.”

Have you ever read that verse? No, you haven’t, because it isn’t in the Bible. But you would think that it is when you see the actions of some people.

The Bible says that “hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins” (Proverbs 10:12 NKJV).

We find a classic example of this in the way Jesus responded to the woman who was caught in adultery. He said, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you? . . . Neither do I. Go and sin no more” (John 8:10, 11 NLT).

Galatians 6:1 tells us, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself” (NLT).

We want to restore those who have fallen. We want to help them get back on their feet. Some people who fall into sin don’t know how to get out of the pit they’re in. They don’t know how to break free.

That’s where you and I come in. “You who are godly,” Paul said, “should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.”

We also should note that the phrase “overcome by some sin” in Galatians 6:1 implies that it wasn’t premeditated. It speaks of someone who lowered their guard and got caught, like an animal in a trap.

Yes, they messed up, but it’s our job to restore them. How? Gently. The Greek word Paul used for restore refers to setting a broken bone or putting a dislocated limb back into place.

We should always desire to restore, not condemn, a person who is caught in sin.