Galatians 5:13-14 – “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But do not use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I became focused on Judgment, Exposure, Grace, and Restoration.

• In Isaiah 3-5, we find a vivid description of the characteristics of the Last Days.  
• In Isaiah 6, we begin to see the Light of transformation.

I find it interesting that Isaiah would connect his vision and divine encounter with the death of the earthly King, Uzziah.   My heart whispered, “You can’t have two kings.  You cannot see the King of kings as long as you focus on the Earthly King.”

In Isaiah 6:5-10, we see Isaiah coming under Conviction.   Once he saw God as God, he saw himself as wretched, flawed, and frail.   We see Isaiah’s Cleansing, the Call, and the Commission.  It consumed the prophet for the rest of his days.

In Isaiah 10, we hear the prophet warning of Judgment coming on corrupt leaders. We see that vividly in the Church today, and it is and will extend to every sector of life.  The difference is that, in the Church, the purpose of Judgment does not focus on punishment or annihilation.  It focuses on Restoration!

In Galatians 5:13-14 and 6:1, the purpose of God is made clear: It is Restoration!  We may agree that it may not seem possible, but it must be the focus.    Not tolerance but love, correction, and Restoration.

Galatians 6:1 does not focus on the one “caught” (exposed or stuck).   If we do what we claim we are (righteous), our motivation should be to heal the body part that is sick, harmed, and weakened.   We do so looking in God’s mirror at ourselves.

If we look with a view of superiority and exempt ourselves, we will be harsh, judgmental, and executionary.  If we look at Isaiah and, as Jesus suggested, we see our own flaws and realize, “But for the Grace of God, there goes me.”

The world needs us to be honest, to address sin, and to be loving, seeking to restore!   Personal failure is not automatically to be assumed to be the result of doctrinal error.   It may contribute, and correcting it may be part of the Restoration, but dying to the flesh and living to Christ is the key.

Galatians 6:14-16 offers a powerful remedy for the problem of sin.  The world crucified to us and us to the world.   It is becoming “New” creations. Not remodeled or reformed by New, never-before creations.  Only with New hearts can we be new people.

If you fell from grace and had a moral or spiritual failure, how would you want others to respond?   Would it be to kill and destroy you?   I doubt it.   You would hope they loved enough to try to restore you.   Do we?

Some leaders will fall, and how we respond will affect the harvest and our spiritual development.   I will not excuse sin in me or others, but I refuse to be one who burns them at the stake, giving no room for Restoration.   Love for God and people must prevail.

Lord, help us focus on what You focus on!