Galatians 6:4-5

Introduction:

1. The crux of Christianity is transforming human hearts into the image and likeness of Christ’s (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:22-24).

2. The process is life-long and faces many hindrances (Hebrews 12:1).

3. This lesson ponders one of the great obstacles in this pursuit.

Discussion:

I. The Imperative of Honest Self-Assessment

A. This heart transformation requires introspection (2 Corinthians 13:5).

B. When we perform this “self-triage”, we must avoid inflating our progress in the gospel (Romans 12:1-3).

C. The Christian graces must be ever increasing (2 Peter 1:3-10; vs. 8-ESV).

II. God’s Standard of Measure

A. This transformation is so crucial because we will give account of our lives in judgment (Acts 17:30-31; Romans 2:5-10; 14:10-12 Corinthians 5:9-10).

B. Thankfully, the Lord revealed the standard by which we will be judged, so we may have assurance (John 12:48; 16:12-15; 2 Peter 1:3-4; 1 John 5:13).

C. Therefore, we must examine and follow the law of liberty (James 1:22-25).

III. An Irrelevant Comparison

A. The major obstacle to our Christian development this lesson addresses is our tendency to compare our lives to our human peers.

B. The Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14 illustrate this well.

1. The Pharisee compared himself to the tax collector and felt superior.

2. The tax collector properly assessed himself and begged God for mercy.

3. Jesus was clear that the Pharisee remained in his guilt while the tax collector he assumed to be his moral inferior went home justified.

C. Paul set the principle forth plainly in Galatians 6:4-5 that we must examine our own work as the deeds of our peers have no impact on our judgment.

Conclusion:

1. The coming judgment demands we recognize the right standard (John 12:48) and honestly assess ourselves against that standard (2 Corinthians 13:5).

2. How we stack up to our brethren or to the people of the world around us is a completely irrelevant comparison.