Galatians Chapter 6 Paul wraps up

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

These two verses sum up the totality of the Gospels and in the simplest manner express that we are to "Do unto others as we would want them to do for us."

Clearly we are meant to help each other with the burdens that we bear.

Paul does warn us to be cautious when it comes to helping one who is struggling because we could be tempted into the issue that our brother or sister is struggling with.

3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 

Verse 3 reminds us to be cautious not to believe that we are more than what and who we are.  We may be called to helping those in need but if we elevate ourselves to the level of Jesus we are deceiving ourselves.

We may be able to do healing greater than he, but we are not and never will be him.  Illusions will lead us into false sense of power.

4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.

Verse 7 and 8 are simple reminders that our actions determine our outcome.  

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Paul reminds us again in Verse 9 and 10 that we need to stay focused on doing good for all, including those who are part of the family [body/church]  and not to be worn down by doing good.
Verses 11 through 18 is a restatement of points Paul addressed in Chapter 4 in detail and again in Chapter 5.

Like any teacher he is making a final statement about how we are to not allow those in the flesh, ways of the world to influence us and try to lead us away from the transformation of our baptism in Jesus's sacrifice on the Cross which set us free from the sins of the world.

Galatians 5 the presence of The Holy Spirit

In Chapter 4 Paul explains about how people by being under the law are in a manner being slaves and tied to the laws of Israel.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Paul once again is speaking to people who are torn between custom, tradition, ritual and obedience to the Law as they have known it.

There is a sense of fear by these new followers of Jesus, what if they offend God by not following through with a tradition that has been part of their lives forever.

Paul explains that it is not the law that matters, it is the fact that one lives in the presence of Faith through God's grace, his eternal love that is more powerful than a ritual.

Starting in Verse 13 Paul begins to speak on one of the most important aspects of living in the presence of Jesus.  He talks of how we are to live through the Spirit and not by the Flest aka the ways of the world.

Verses 13 and 14 give the example of how we are to live.

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b 

Paul then gives us a list we should memorize, this list illustrates what we should not do.  The list is very interesting if you take the time to read it and consider it,  I will come back to this after listing The Acts of the Flesh.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; C19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.orgies, and the like.

If we pay attention to this list, all the things mentioned are what we consider in one for or another as normal and to some degree acceptable behavior in our society.

hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness,  are aspects many of do not even think about, we act in these manners without consideration.

These are part of our day to day existence in one form or another.  We are raised in a society where selfish ambition is not even thought of as being wrong, it is as it is.

We live in a society today where dissensions factions and hatred are normal behavior.  We do not talk things through, we build barriers based on differences and form factions.

Envy is common, I see a neighbor with a car or a spouse or house that is better than mine and I envy them for their possessions.

Society is structured on these things.  Tare each other down, do not trust, think only of my own needs and desires.  Maintain things as they have been since the beginning of time.

Here is what Paul states should be our guidelines in society.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Granted these are in no way simple things to do on a daily basis, but they are also in some cases completely different from what we may think they mean.

Love, is not Sex.  Sex can be an expression of love but they are not the same thing.

Love in this regard is acceptance of people, no matter how different that they may be from us.  Not judging one and other and being open to helping one and other in times of difficulty,

What is Joy?  It is a sense of feeling good because of what we are doing, it is not based on a person or success in being wealthy.  Joseph Campbell said it best when he was being interviewed by Bill Moyers back in the early 1980's.

Campbell said that Joy comes from "When we are following our bliss."  He went onto explain that this comes from when we find contentment in what we are doing, not because we are paid a million dollars, but because what we do brings us joy it brings us a sense of peace.

Peace is a sense of calmness, the ability to be calm no matter how bad the circumstances around us may be.

Forbearance.  To forgive one of a debt or action.

Kindness,Goodness and Gentleness are all related concepts.

Kindness instead of being rash and judgmental we are kind, we treat all people with tenderness and respect.

Goodness acting and thinking in a positive and uplifting manner, bringing out the best in ourselves and in others.

Gentleness again being kind, considerate, compassionate tender.  Treating one and other as we would like to be treated.

Faithfulness not to betray a trust whenter in a personal or business relationship.  To not give into temptation to abandon or harm another.

Self Control.  Not allowing oneself to give into anger or rage or selfish desires.  To be calm and to be focused on a positive result.

These are what we need to focus on, when we do we change the focus of others, who in turn do the same.  Over time this collective process transforms us and our world to a place of endless possibilities and potential because we work toward the positive the uplifting of one and other and let go of the negative and destructive aspects we have allowed to control the world for over two thousand years.