The apostle Paul proclaims that all true freedom is rooted in Jesus Christ, through following His teachings and by knowing Him. That freedom, which begins with us experiencing personal spiritual freedom, leads to many other freedoms in life and in society.  

The apostle Paul outlines the big differences between religion, which is based in rules and practices, and true Christianity, which is based in relationship with God, and we understand that we are not slaves, but sons and daughters of God through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Real Christianity is about having a changed heart, and love for God and people. We see in Galatians 6 what every true Christian should always do.  

1. Always care for people (James 2:15-17; Galatians 6:1-6,10) 

2. Always be confident to reap the best harvest (Galatians 6:7-9)  

3. Always keep Jesus at the centre of your faith (Galatians 6:15-18) 

Apply  

1. Always care for people. Care is love, and love is at the heart of real Christianity. God is love, God loves the whole world, and this love was showed through Jesus caring for people. Jesus taught that His true followers must care for people, not only believe in Him. In the New Testament, James teaches that faith without action is dead, and this includes caring for people and their practical needs (James 2:15-17). If we are merely religious, we will always have a hard heart towards people. The apostle Paul outlines very practical ways to care for people (Galatians 6:1-6,10). We must look to restore people. People sin and people mess up. When that happens, you must not look to condemn nor criticise them, but rather see how we can get them back to the best place. Do it gently because people are hurting. Nobody is perfect, and we can fail too. But our job is to help people go to a new level in life. Look to help lighten the burdens of people. Whether you are young or old, a new Christian or experienced leader, we all need to support one another. The question we must ask is ‘How can I help others?’. We should look after our Christian brothers and sisters. It’s great to reach people who don’t know Christ yet, but we must first look after our brothers and sisters locally and globally. In many nations our Christian brothers need practical support (i.e. consider giving into the KCI Care Fund to support people struggling this Christmas).  

2. Always be confident to reap the best harvest (Galatians 6:7-9). Be sure of the law of sowing and reaping. There is no escaping this principle: if you live in sin, living for yourself, you will reap the bad consequences that brings (e.g. someone who neglects or mistreats their family will not reap the blessing of God-centred family life). But if you live for God, you will reap the best rewards. What you put in, you will get out of life, so therefore be sure to sow the seeds of the Holy Spirit. Last week we heard about the fruit of the Spirit, such as being kind to people, being patient, treating others well, being gentle, prayerful, studying the word of God and serving Him. God will honour you for how you speak, act and all your faithful service. Be sure that you will reap a great harvest if you don’t give up. Too many people give up and lose the great reward that God has, but if you keep on faithfully, God will bless you more than you can imagine. Every Christian should be confident that we will reap a great harvest if we stay close to the Lord.  

3. Always keep Jesus at the centre of your faith. There can't be true Christianity without Christ. As Paul has been saying through this book of Galatians, religious activities and religious practices like circumcision are all irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that you fully identify with Jesus, even if that means persecution. It means that we are not ashamed of the Cross of Jesus. He was crucified and because of that we also need to be crucified to the world, dead to the world, so that we can pass from death to life (Galatians 6:15). What counts is the new creation, the new life Jesus gives us and the person He makes us. The challenge is: are you a religious person? Are you a legalist who follows the rules but doesn't have the relationship? Has your heart been changed? Are your life and lifestyle different because you have encountered Jesus Christ? Are you living the old way and following what this world says and does, or have you been changed and become a son/daughter of God? Paul was changed by the Lord and was prepared to suffer for Christ (Galatians 6:17-18). This is what it takes to live as a real Christian. Every true Christian should always care for people, be confident to reap the best harvest, and keep Jesus at the centre of your faith.