With our Bibles open to Galatians chapter number 6, we want to begin a new study on this thought, what it means to have a spiritual ministry to the saints. Our text will be found in Galatians chapter 6. verses 1 through 5, so you find your place there in the Word of God as I go before the Lord in prayer. Our Father in heaven, Lord, I thank you for the privilege to take the Word of the Lord, to open it up, to study it, to have it, to hold it in our hands, hide it in our hearts. Lord, bring light upon these words today. May the Word of the Lord bring light to the mind and heart of our listeners. I pray you would be glorified that Christ Jesus the Lord would be seen throughout these messages. Help us to glorify your name, honor you in all we say and do. In Jesus' name we pray, amen and amen. And so our Bibles are open now to Galatians chapter 6, and we begin our reading with verse number 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. And so these verses comprise in their entirety the meaning of a spiritual ministry. And as we learn what it means to minister to the saints according to this passage, we will learn that it involves the helping of others. You see, it is not just the pastor, the preacher, who has a ministry, but the saints are to minister one to another. The Christian life is one of humility and one of holiness. We must never forget the truth that without Christ we can do nothing. John 15 in verse 5, I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. And so our Lord says we must have him if we're going to do anything. We must recognize what we are worth. This is humility, to know without Him I am nothing, I have nothing, and I can do nothing. But then it is a holiness that must be in our Christian lives. We must walk worthy of the Lord. Ephesians 4 and verse 1, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. Colossians 1 and verse 10, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 12, that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory. We know in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse number 7, for God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness. The Christian life includes humility and holiness. It includes the truths of BEARING and FORBEARING. We must bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Romans 15, 1, We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Galatians 6 to bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. It is a life of forbearing in which we put up with some things when necessary. We are quick to forgive. Ephesians 4 and verse 2, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, Forbearing one another in love. Colossians 3 and verse 13, Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Then our Christian lives are lives of sacrifice and servitude. We are to be a living sacrifice. Romans 12 and verse 1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And then in Colossians 4 and verse 12, we must give our whole person to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as one of His loving servants. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. The Christian life is made up of loving others, and living for others. We must love God and one another. Matthew 22, verse 37, Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. John 13, verse 34, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Then we must not only love others, but live for our Lord and for others." VERSES 14-15 FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST CONSTRAINETH US, BECAUSE WE THUS JUDGE, THAT IF ONE DIED FOR ALL, THEN WE'RE ALL DEAD, AND THAT HE DIED FOR ALL. that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. Furthermore, the Christian life is one in which we are ministered to, and one in which we are a minister to others. We cannot always be on the receiving end. We ought to be giving and going. and a help, a burden, bear to those around us. God has called all of His servants to be ministers. 1 Corinthians 16, 15 I beseech you, brethren, ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. Hebrews 6 and verse 10, For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, and that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And so our burden is that we might convince all who are born again to give themselves to the ministry of the saints, that we would be ministering to God's children. And God is not unrighteous to forget our work and labor of love, which we show toward His name. Now, to continue laying the foundation for what it means to have a spiritual ministry to the saints, We go on to this thought. If we are going to be one of the spiritual ones he mentions in chapter 6 of Galatians verse 1, then we will first have to get into chapter 5 and apply what we find in these verses toward our hearts and our lives. They who are spiritual and are engaged in a spiritual ministry to the saints will be those who are walking in the Spirit. Galatians 5 and verse 16, This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. We must be those who are led of God's Spirit. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit leads no one to partake of these sins. Not only must we walk in the Spirit, must we be led of God's Spirit, but we must bear and show the fruit of God's Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law, and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Then we must also live in the Spirit. If we live in the Spirit, Let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. You see, those who are alive in Christ are they who live in the Spirit. And if that be the case, then let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be those who have a conceited spirit. Let us not be desirous of vainglory, nor those who have a challenging spirit in which we are provoking one another, nor a covetous spirit in which we are envying one another. You see, in verse 26, there is the promotion of self. It will not be that this man has a ministry to the saints that is spiritual, that is encouraging, that is God-honoring. It is the man who has his flesh with the affections and lusts crucified, who is walking in the Spirit, who is following, being led of God's Spirit, who is bearing the fruit of the Spirit, and thus proving that he is living in the Spirit. The branches of the Christian's life, which overflow with the fruit of God's Spirit, will begin to hang down low to the ground with the weight of the fruit, and our lives will be a blessing to all those who pass by our ways. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such in one. Are you spiritual? Am I spiritual? May God help us to walk in the Spirit. We thank you for making this ministry a part of your day. And in closing, we want to point you to the words of our Lord in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 4. He answered and said, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And truly, it is written. God's word, every word, presents us with truths to live by. You've been listening to Brother Benjamin Cooley. Please send all correspondence to Truths to Live By, P.O. Box 575, Harriman, Tennessee, 37748. Or you can email us at bmarkcooley at gmail.com. And finally, brethren, pray for us.