But sometimes, admittedly, we Lutherans don’t talk much about the Christian life. We are so eager to get it right, that is, to direct all things to the cross in our preaching and teaching that we forget at times God meets us where we are at today. The intersection in which we see our Lord is the life we live right now. Our life is important to God. Our living “for” our Lord is important to God. Our living a life pleasing to God is important to God. For that reason He spends time in His Word telling us how to live it.

This sermon is all about you. Yet, the preaching of God’s Word is never about you. Sound confusing? It’s really not. And by taking what our Lord says through St. Paul in the Epistle text for today, we can understand a little better of what God expects from us. By taking the rich message given to us in the Gospel, that is the life and death of Jesus as the most important part, we will be able to see what God has done for us.

Today, we are going to talk about you…since that’s what Paul was talking about in Galatians chapters five and six. He says in the text for today that you are to do two important things. He tells you to live your life by the Spirit and to do good to all. That sounds like God is talking to you. And He is. And that’s what we are going to talk about.

St. Paul says, “If we live by the Spirit let us also walk by the Spirit.” Dear Christian friends, we start with this because we already know where we stand. As God-fearing Christians we take to heart what St. Paul says to Christians. St. Paul says to Christians, “If we live by the Spirit…” if you are a Christian already (that is before I started this sermon) then we are the same people of God who also live like we believe. If we live by the Spirit, we walk toe in toe – step by step with the spirit. Believing in Christ is to “get rid” of the flesh. Paul called it, “crucifying the flesh”, that is, to destroy it. To crucify a man is to get rid of him as a shame and disgrace as an utter abomination. So now we live “with what is spirit.”

This is a very straight-forward message of the law. Walk with what is the Lord’s. Walk not with what belongs to anything else. It’s a clear picture and it’s easy to understand. Very easy to understand – but not easy to do. Not easy – but what God expects from us and demands of us. Paul says, “Live by the Spirit.” Do the kinds of things that God would have you do and put everything else out of your life. Easy to understand – very hard to do.

That’s the first thing (live by the spirit). The second part that Paul shared with the Galatians is captured for us in Chapter six. In summary, Paul says, “Do good to all.” That sounds right. That couldn’t be wrong. Now that sounds like a good title to a book on Christian life you might see at the Barns and Noble in the section labeled, “religion.”

But part of “doing good” is not boasting in yourself. And that, beloved in the Lord, is what Galatians chapter six reminds us of as well. Pride and arrogance dominate the lives of God’s people all the time. And there is nothing that prides us about ourselves more than when we learn of the sins of others.

“Brothers,” says Galatians chapter six, “if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Tempted to do what? Tempted to sin? Yes! Tempted to boast in the sin of another? Most definitely! Honestly, this is a common occurrence in the lives of God’s people – you and me. Oh we love to see how people got it wrong. It makes us feel, “not so bad” about our own lives. It gives us a sense of pride that we haven’t done that one – or – we might think – at least there is one other who has messed up like I have. It can bring this “backward” feeling of comfort to know that others “miss the mark” in sin. “One” is a lonely number and having company can at least make us feel like others know our misery. But it shouldn’t cause us to boast, or feel good about ourselves.

What it should cause us to do is exactly what Galatians chapter six verse two says: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Support each other in every way. Weakness, ignorance, inexperience, difficult surroundings, grief, affliction, are some of these burdens. How wonderful it is to have support from others. How meaningful it is to know that someone else has come alongside of you to empathize and share the heavy laden load. This is the blessedness of Christian fellowship that each is not left to bear his load alone, others will help bear it. God never meant for us to go through the struggles of life alone. That is why he provided us with each other. That’s why we as a community of believers are set into action for one another. How can we help you bear the load that weighs so heavy on you?

The law of Christ that Paul tells the Galatians is the law of love. The Gospel of John says, “A new commandment I give to you that you love one another: just as I have loved you.” This love of God is to be shared freely with our neighbor. And this love is not alone. It’s not a feeling or an emotion that God gives without putting something very important behind it. God says, “Just as I have loved you.” Our Lord loved us first and that is why the call to love comes forth. Our Lord would never ask us to do anything that He is not familiar with. God knows love – because He gave us love first.

Our Lord, in perfect love, comes along side of us each day of our lives. Each day, in holy and complete love our Lord “bears upon Himself” the burdens of our life. Those burdens are the sins that inflect us, the heartache that at times dominates us, and the complacency that is so ingrained in us. Our Lord, by giving us His precious Son, our Savior, Jesus put His life where His mouth is. God tells us to do these things – but never without doing them for us first.

We are asked to come along side of our neighbor and bear their burdens. Jesus came to be like us, taking on flesh and temptation so that He could take on everything that could burden us for eternal life. We are asked to restore our brother or sister in the faith if they are caught up in their transgression. Jesus has already accomplished the work of paying for our life’s debt through the blood He shed for us. We are told to live by the Spirit and then also to “walk” in step with the same Spirit. Jesus shows us that as we do – as we face the difficulties that surround resisting temptation and walking the narrow, God pleasing path – He is right there with us every step of the way.

Two things: live by the Spirit and do good to all. That’s what our Lord would have us to do. That’s why this sermon is all about you. But then again, it’s never about you. Before all this is set into motion in our lives, God already had a plan and put it into action. For this reason, the sermon is never about you …it’s about Christ. It’s about our Jesus to whom the Spirit points. It’s about our Jesus who did the ultimate good for you. He bore our burdens on the cross. Anything we do is just a mere shadow of what Christ has already done. And thank God that’s the way it is. Because if our life and standing before God depended upon how good we “lived by the Spirit” and “did good to all” none of us would be good enough. That’s why it can never be about you – but always about Christ.

This sermon, like all the others, is about your life in the life of Christ – and the life of Christ for your life. Beloved in the Lord, it’s always – each day – each Lord’s Day – is about our Lord. It’s about our Lord who is FOR you! Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.