My brother has sinned. He is clearly and unarguably in the wrong. His loopholes are imaginary; his explanations, only creative.

What am I to do?

“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” (Galatians 6:1).

Restore — to mend as a fishing net; to return to original functionality

This isn’t talking about mere correction. And it certainly isn’t fault-finding, criticizing, and/or judging.

Wow!

To restore another puts certain requirements on me. I must be spiritual. I must be meek. I must be humble. I must be alert against my own propensity to failure.

What does being spiritual involve?

The field containing the sum of the answer is vast. I’ll plant only two seeds:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22,23).

“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:8).

I easily see how I have fallen far short in both my qualification and my efforts to “restore” a brother overtaken in a fault.

I want to be spiritual — Galatians 5:22 and 23 spiritual — Galatians 6:8 spiritual.

Avail — to empower, to make strong; to give merit or value; to give advantage

“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6).

Mark, a servant of Jesus, puts no stock in circumcision nor in uncircumcision. He accepts the New Testament standard that these do not give spiritual or moral power, strength, value, merit, or advantage.

Fine.

Does my life reveal equal acceptance of the last part of the verse?

The Christian’s standing before Jesus and his power for living the life of Jesus both come because of his faith in the Lord’s redeeming work.

That faith works by love.

My faith needs help.