Part
3
Transformation
from Faults
Galatians 6:1-2 “Brethren,
if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one
in the spirit of meekness, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s
burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
Definition: fault; in all simplicity a fault is not a physical blemish, such as
a zit on one’s nose, or a crooked nose. Rather a fault is a sin or something worthy of judgment. In this lesson we
are primarily concerned with the faults
of man that God is transforming. With that in mind we are reminded of the
importance of supporting one another as we are all being transformed in one way
or another.
James 5:16 “Confess
your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed.”
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ransformation is a very
personal journey, as a result it may be nearly impossible to detect. Such sins
may exist in recurring thoughts, without being manifest in behavior, and
therefore as equally impossible to assist one or bear their burden. Last week
we studied how the believer is being transformed in the loving hands of the
Master Potter.
While transformation is a
personal journey it also requires and demands consideration and support from
others as the above passages and others purport.
Reasons
or Excuses for Concealment
There are a number of
reasons a person may choose to conceal their personal faults or hurts:
1.
Fear of being rejected and ostracized from
fellowship.
2.
Fear of humiliation from being discovered.
3.
Fear that we are the only ones with this
particular fault.
4.
Fear that no one cares.
5.
Fear of false accusations.
6.
Once revealed a fault is something that is worthy of judgment
Faults
run
the entire spectrum of sin from sexual immorality, to racism, to lying,
stealing, covetousness, idolatry, substance abuse, pornography or virtually
anything God calls sin. There are secret sins, called iniquity, such as
covetousness, and outward sin of all sorts.
Sin, whether secret or
outward is humiliating, to say the least, but more so when discovered by our
peers. That’s why it’s so important to confess our faults to one another and to
help each other. To “clear the air” so to speak, in its self has certain
healing properties but to confess our faults is to bring about divine
intervention and healing. To “keep it bottled up to ourselves” is self
destructive. So the Master Potter often uses other believers in the
transformation process. 2Cor.1:4 states that we are to comfort each other [even
in the case of a fault] though the original intent is to bring comfort for a
hurt. A hurt or wound is much different than a fault. The guilt of sin may also bring about physical sickness, or
even a premature demise, see 1Cor.11:29-33. Although one may, and rightfully
so, be hurting from the guilt of sin, a hurt or wound is not necessarily the
result of a sinful action or behavior, Job, for example, was hurt deeply not
for any sin he’d committed, but simply because of loss, death, illness etc..
A word of caution:
contemporary Christians, even as in Job’s account, may be subjected to false
accusations of sin therefore it is wise to keep such false announcements to
yourself especially if you’re not absolutely positive about such sin.
Recall, if you will,
Gal.6:1-2 requires “ye that are spiritual” to restore, which implies that the
“spiritual” one is to be led, guided and directed by the Spirit. They feel an
unction or prompting from the Spirit. All too often the “spiritual” one is in
fact being led by the flesh, as in Job’s friends, and not the Spirit, thus
worsening and prolonging the agony.
God also uses church
discipline, as outlined in Matt.18:15-35; 1Cor.5:1-8 Gal.5:23; Col.3;
1Tim.5:19-21 as a method of transformation. An earlier study this year on
church discipline revealed stages of discipline in which the discipline
procedure graduated from a personal, private confrontation between the subject
and God, to include the defendant and offended, then to the church, and finally
excommunication.
A note of comfort: I
realize that teachings such as this may have the tendency to be a bit
overwhelming, but rest assured that the Master Potter has it all under control
with His loving arms supporting us all the way home. He still loves each of us
therefore it is for that purpose He continues to transform us.
Struggle
or Stronghold
Struggles are those fleshly
appetites we struggle with. From time
to time we may “give in” to the struggle
always receiving God’s loving forgiveness upon confession and repentance. A stronghold,
however, is the result of continual submission to the struggle within. The more we submit to the struggle the weaker our flesh becomes and the closer to a stronghold it becomes. A struggle may be overcome by continually
resisting it (James 4:7) while at the same time submitting ourselves to God. It
is the point whereas we cease to resist and cease to submit to God that the struggle becomes a stronghold. Both need to be revealed to another (James 5:16) and
overcome in the name of Jesus, prayer and fasting (Isaiah 58:3-12).
This makes it imperative for believers to rebuke, restore, admonish, one
another, praying and fasting for each other in the spirit of meekness
(Galatians 6:1-2).
Faith
Building Practice and Review
1.
What is the difference between a fault and a hurt or wound?
2.
What is the difference between sin and
iniquity?
3.
Why is it so difficult to discern when a
person is being transformed either through a sin or hurt?
4.
What five fears keep one from sharing?
5.
In what ways can you identify with them?
6.
What is the responsibility of the “spiritual”
one?
7.
What is the purpose of comforting others and
restoring them?
8.
What element is present when one confesses
their faults to another?
9.
Define a fault
in your own words:
10. Do
you see the value of having a trusted one to share your innermost hurts and faults?
11. What
is the difference between a struggle and
a stronghold?
12. How
must each be dealt with and why?
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