Restoration: Inoculation from Temptation

Over 11 years ago on 6/21/2008. I recently restored this photo of Old Cody, WY. It was taken with a simple Canon Powershot Camera. Isn't it funny how we only restore the things we love!

---

Such tremendous power in restoration!

Galatians 6:1-2 (KJV)
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

After having gone through this process personally, because of my own need for restoration along with the almost 7 years It has taken to see it play out. I have learned many things from my personal story and by the grace of God have a completely different perspective on matters of restoration.

First let me state my personal perspectives on what restoration should never look like.

• Galatians 6:1-2 should always accompany Matthew 18:15. In other words correction should always be followed up with restoration. This is how we win a brother!
• Matthew 18 without Galatians 6 brings separation into the Ecclesia of the Church by punting our our folks down field. In Church function, that’s a nice way of saying “You can’t play with us because you sinned!”
• Reconciliation as well as restoration is for all in the constituency of the body of Christ. We are all one Body with many members.
• There is no evidence in the restorative process that would say you have to belong to a certain faith or denomination to receive.
• Accountability to God and to one another according to the directives of Scripture is the foundation for freedom and liberty. By accountability, we are not talking about coercive tactics, the invasion of privacy, or bringing others under the weight of someone’s taboos or legalism or manipulative or dominating tactics, that would be the equivalent of Lording over, talked about in Philippians. Rather, by accountability we mean Sharing story and developing relationships with other Christians that help to promote spiritual reality, honesty, obedience to God, and genuine evaluations of one’s walk and relationship with God and with others. We are talking about relationships that help believers change by the Spirit of God and the truth of the Word of God through inward spiritual conviction and faith.
• The Lord has a unique way of bringing these kinds of relationships into our lives. Some move on to other things and new focuses, others stay in your story for a lifetime, and new folks are always being added to the mix. The point is… Always be on the lookout for them! This is the way the Lord develops the “bearing of one another’s burdens” into our lives.

Don’t Ignore the “lest thou also be tempted,” part!

Here are some of the good things I have seen in the process of my personal restoration. They have forever changed my thinking.

• In my own spiritual prowess and pride, I used to say… “I will never be tempted in the way that he or she was!” Boy was I wrong! And then I fell!
• Had I only been more concerned for the spiritual well being and burdens of others instead of my concerns of self and things like the quality of my preaching or the facades of spiritual prowess that I was busy cultivating. Meanwhile, I could have been inoculating myself from the sin that had been brewing in my own life as I helped other through theirs.
• Restoring one another not only inoculates us from sin, It fulfills the law of Christ. How is the a bad plan?
• Bear in mind, there is a high potential for the Lord to use you in the same way that He brought restoration to us in that I was the offender and He was only concerned about my restoration.
• In the process of my restoration, the Lord brought people to my life that I am sure I had already offended. People I didn’t expect, He used the unqualified, meek, struggling people who may very well could have been even worse versions of myself, and used them to restore me of all people.
• Don’t disqualify yourself from being used by the Lord in this way.
• Expect radical revisions to be made in your own philosophies about grace, mercy, love and forgiveness.
• There is no restoration that is too big for Christ! The Power of the Cross is real! Those who love the most, give the most! Those who are forgiven much, Love much!

Food for Fought!