Word of Salvation – Vol.10 No.47 – November 1964
Christian Mutual Aid
Sermon by Rev. A. A. Arkema on Galatians 6:1
Scripture Reading: Galatians 6
Psalter Hymnal: 48; 92 (Creed); 286 (Law); 292; 433; 468
Beloved in Jesus Christ:
The topic of this message is CHRISTIAN MUTUAL AID.
I suppose that I could have used a different topic just as well. If I would use a different one it would be CHRISTIAN MUTUAL DISCIPLINE. However, that word has come to have a bad meaning with us. We think discipline is the action of the Session to tell someone how bad a sinner he is. Of course, that is not the purpose of it at all. It is just that we have formed a bad idea of it.
To keep our minds clear of any bad idea the word Mutual Aid will be used. That makes us think of a mutual aid society doesn’t it? Well, I have something of that idea in mind. A mutual aid society gives aid when and where it is needed. Our mutual aid should be the same.
At the close of Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches he mentions some points on which they could well improve their lives. One of them is mentioned in this verse.
Let us note what he says about it. There are four points through which I will try to make the meaning clear.
I. The Place where Mutual Aid is given;
II. The Need for giving Mutual Aid;.
III. The Manner of giving Mutual Aid and
IV. The Danger faced in giving Mutual Aid.
I. The Place where Mutual Aid is given.
There is a thought contained in the background of Paul’s message to the Galatians that we must note. The more emphasis that is place on this thought the more it will be fixed in our minds. Paul is speaking to a Church. He is speaking to those who have confessed faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Because of that confession they have made, he says what he does.
It should not be necessary to point this out and emphasize it. Yet it seems necessary to do so. How often it is that we find Christian people talking to each other and living amongst each- other as if they had never made a confession of faith in the same Lord. They may fight so that it looks as if they are mortal enemies instead of fellow Christians.
Or again, some church members live as if they had never met. They seem total strangers to each other. The one seems not in the least concerned about the other. If one would be in need, or if one of them should have someone speak to him about something these two would never be together. Yet they sit at the same Communion Table together. They sit in the same church and listen to the same sermons, They both claim a desire to serve their Saviour, Yet they will not serve one another.
Even when Christians live together peacefully and in quite good harmony, they must never get on to religious subjects or their friendship seems to get cold very quickly. Especially does it becomes very chilly if one considers it his duty to speak to the other about something he has done. That peaceful relationship seems to be something only on the surface then.
Why are these things true? It is because we have forgotten that we are a church, one church in Jesus Christ. We have forgotten the confession that makes us all his servants and servants of one another. We allow many things to stand in our way. We do not build what our confession of faith demands that we build. Our confession of faith demands that we build a greater awareness of being one in Jesus Christ.
Such an attitude in itself will do a great deal in the matter of Mutual Aid, When we keep in our minds the awareness of being brothers and sisters in Christ, we will put into practice the rule of 1Corinthians 13, the rule of LOVE. Peter says this in 1Peter 4:8, “Above all hold unfailing love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
II. The Need for giving Mutual Aid.
Our love for each other and keeping in mind that we are brothers and sisters in Christ will keep us from speaking many times when now we speak. Yet, it will not take away all need for Mutual Aid. It will remove our desire to point out each other’s sins. It seems as if we delight in speaking about each other’s sins. The more we can rake up, the happier we seem to be. Love will remove that desire.
There will be occasions that love will not cover up the sin. Love will lead you to do something. Love will not lead you down the street to a neighbour. Nor will love lead you to the back fence to put the story on the bush-telegraph. If there is a need to speak, love will lead you to the person concerned.
We seem to count it a pity that there is ever the need to speak to someone else about his faults. That is the very reason why our speaking to a brother often goes wrong. Is it really a pity that we have to speak to each other at times? Yes, in a way it is. Sin makes it necessary. It is a pity that we sin. But that is not really the point. Let us face the facts. Every one sins. The pity would be if there were no one to tell us about our sins. The greatest pity of all would be for a Christian to fall into sin without anyone to help him, to give him advice, or to assist him in some way. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reads: “Two are better than one, because they have good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.”
We do not sin that grace may abound, but when a sin is committed it is a test to the one who has not fallen into the sin. The test is: can the one who has not sinned help the one who has sinned? Are there in the congregation those who are spiritually strong enough to give true Christian Mutual Aid to the one who has sinned?
By far the greatest pity of all in our churches often is that there seem to be so few who are willing to give Mutual Aid.
Christians! Here is a point on which you can test yourselves. Are you able to give Mutual Aid when and where it is needed? Each of us has been in a situation where we alone could give the aid that was needed. Were you able to give that Aid when it was your duty to give it? If not, there is work for you to do in your life. If you were able to give that aid you can thank God for His grace.
The need for giving Mutual Aid lies in another direction also. The need I refer to here is the need to recognize that we are not perfect. Every minister can tell you of times when people have difficulties with each other. At such times the remark is often heard, “Well, I never thought it of him!” or “I would forgive anyone else, but I just never expected it of him! Such remarks indicate that we are not so much concerned with the particular sin involved but with the person who has committed the sin.
We ought never to forget that we are all sinners. Christians must guard against becoming unhappy with someone because he is a sinner, Many times the bad name that a minister gets is because there are people who cannot forgive him for being a sinner. This is not said to excuse anyone. It is not right to make excuses. It is only said to help us deal with the sinner in the right way. Paul tells us that a true Christian will never sin deliberately or with plan or design. A true Christian will not plot a sin. It may look as if that is true, yet, a fellow Christian may not accuse him of this.
Paul tells us that this is what is true. A Christian may fall into sin. He may be caught by a sudden temptation, for one thing. Or he may have a character fault which leads him to sin. It may look like a planned sin, yet not be planned. Again, his view or outlook on a certain matter may not be as clear as someone who is not involved, Because of lack of clear insight he may sin. Finally, a Christian may even fall and know that he is falling. Yet, it is by mistake and not by plan.
So it is that another’s sin may be my test of strength. My reaction to his sin will teach me something about myself. So it will teach you something about yourself too. Only your eyes must be open to yourself or the lesson will be missed. It may prove that you need more aid than the person you think needs it.
III. Now let us look at the Manner of giving Mutual Aid as Paul describes it. Quite often Mutual Aid is not received by the one who needs it because of the bad manner in which it is given.
It must be said that this is an excuse many times, as well. We don’t like to have others talk to us so we just excuse ourselves because the other person did not come as we would have liked to have him come.
The one who gives the Aid will feel justified because he tried to do the right thing, But in the meantime no one is helped.
Paul’s first advice is contained in the word ‘spiritual’. “You who are spiritual should restore him”, says Paul. Paul is not saying that there are two groups in every congregation. He is not saying one group is spiritual and the other not spiritual. He is telling us that one person may stand strong against a sin whereas another may fall easily into that sin. Paul says that the person who stands strong should help the person who falls.
Now it is plain that a person is not strong in everything. Each of us needs help in something. It is always the duty of the strong to help the weak. It will do no good for a weak person to try to help a weak person.
What makes one person strong while another is weak? It may be that one person is strong because he has conquered the sin to which another person falls. God has given him grace to break the power of the sin. You can see, therefore, that he will know something of the way that sin works in the life of man. He will also know the grace of God to break the power of that sin. He will be able to help the person who has not yet conquered that sin. The strong man is the spiritual man as regards that sin.
In the second place a person may be strong because he has, by the grace of God been kept out of a certain sin. He may have seen himself heading straight for it but woke up in time to keep from it. That person will be able to help another who was not strong enough to stand against that sin.
In the third place, a person may not have been bothered by a certain sin at all. However, he has seen that sin working its way in the lives of others. Perhaps he has studied the effects of the sin. He knows a good deal about it. He will be able to help others who are falling into that sin.
Above all such people will have the sympathy, understanding and care needed to help in the way that help is needed. Their love will show in their every word and deed. In a word, such a person will show that he is spiritual. Now this person may not be so spiritual on another matter. Here he may need the help of the one he has just given help. So our Lord gives each of us ways in which we may be of Mutual Aid.
Paul is saying then that we ought to keep away from all mention of sins if we are not spiritual enough to give help to the person in need of help. Usually, the ones who are not able to give help do the most talking about the sins of others. This should never be.
The second point of the manner of giving Mutual Aid is found in the word: Restore. To restore means to put back in its place. Mutual Aid must always be done to help the person get back to the place from which he has fallen. It never does any good to tell a person that he is in the ditch. What he needs is help to get out of the ditch. Even if he does not admit that he is in the ditch, it does no good to tell him that he is in the ditch. He needs someone who will with love and care help him out without ever letting him know what you are doing.
The third part of the manner in giving Mutual Aid is found in the word: meekness. Restore the one who has fallen in the spirit of meekness. The person who is proud of his ability to help others is really in no position to help at all. He may as well stay home. His visit will likely only produce bad feeling all around. The person who is proud of his stand against sin will think and act as if he did it all by himself. He will have a ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude that will destroy what he is trying to do.
IV. This leads us to the final point of this message. Paul warns of the danger that confronts those who want to give Mutual Aid. Paul says that the one who is giving help should be careful about himself or he might fall into sin also.
The one who is giving Mutual Aid will not be in danger of falling into the same sin. He is in danger of falling into other sins. What would ever make a person fall into sin when he is giving aid to another who is in sin? Well, he might be proud as was mentioned just a moment ago. He might have a ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude.
There are two other sins that easily show themselves. One is the spirit of condemnation. It is easy to condemn another for falling into a certain sin. That spirit of condemning may well ruin the good that would be done if that sin were not there. The second terrible sin is the sin of gossiping about the faults of the person you are trying to help. If the person who is receiving the help you are trying to give gets wind that you are gossiping about his sin he will lose all respect for your Aid. There is still another danger that we face in the Reformed Church. That danger is the danger of leaving this task to the Session. It seems to be a rather common practice amongst us that it is only the Session that has the right to talk to others about their sins. This may be true in a few cases. However, for the most part it is the duty of every member to do his or her part in this respect. If the Session has to do it every time it becomes nothing more than a private police force. But the main reason is that Scripture always mentions this task as the duty of every Christian, not just a certain few.
All of this shows that we ought to be wide awake Christians. We ought to be wide awake to ourselves first of all. We ought to know our own sins very well. We must seek the help of God to break the power of the sins of our lives. Then we will be able to give Mutual Aid to those who need that aid.
God grant that you may give the Mutual Aid that is needed in your church.
But God grant also that you may receive Mutual Aid when you need it.
Amen.