October 26
Galatians 6:4: But let every man prove his own work, and then
shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
The apostle Paul gives this
exhortation to the believer in contrast with the will-worker who “desire to
have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.” (Gal 6: 13)
Every sinner in whom the Spirit of Christ
dwells is given a single eye for Christ. He is given a heart to rejoice in the
gospel of Christ. As he hears how Christ bore his burden in his own body on the
tree, the believer is constrained to take the burden off his brother and bear
it himself. By his own conversion, he knows the power of the Lord Jesus to save
through the gospel. So instead of constraining with the heavy bondage of the
law, he speaks the comforting word of the gospel of Christ and him crucified to
his brother. It is because he has the
law of Christ—the law of faith and love—written on his heart. The power of
Christ constrains him like no carnal restraint can.
The believer proves his
own work in all of this by trusting his Lord's ability rather than resorting to
his own strength and means. By patiently waiting on the Holy Spirit, he proves
he knows that the work which the believer has been given is to simply hold
forth the word of life and to wait on God to make the word effectual in his
brother's heart. His own heart is settled by the persuasion of grace that
Christ alone has redeemed all God's elect, is able to call them through the
gospel and is able to make fallen brethren stand through the same gospel. When he beholds Christ do the work then he
has "rejoicing in himself alone", that is, in Christ in his own
heart, rather than glorying in his brother’s flesh. It is the Spirit that
mortifies the deeds of the body, not the flesh. (Rom 8: 8-16). May God give us grace to trust God to do what only he can!