Being spiritual on a daily basis makes us useful to God’s kingdom. There is no doubt we absolutely benefit personally from it and it is a precursor to becoming a tool for the Kingdom. The benefit is having every spiritual blessing from God along with the less significant ones. It is true God calls believers for works. They not only help bring glory to Him, but also help believers to know Him deeply; for in His ways they perform them. The more devoted they are to His works the greater the opportunity for them to know Him deeper. Usually He begins by assigning works that are small in nature so that they can be faithful in them. Later, He assigns the greater ones. Nevertheless, some are weak to glorify Him because of disobedience. And, being spiritual carries the duty of restoring them to God. “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” (Gal. 6:1).
When we are of God, we automatically have responsibility toward the one that trespassed; we work on God’s behalf. Having a mind to deal with disobedience in a person is an indication to tremendous spirituality. Not all can do it, except by those led by the Spirit of God. The Spirit guides them to rightly identify the trespass. For it is possible that God’s will to believers is deemed as disobedience. It is a common practice of the so-called Christians toward the faithful. The duty to restore a believer walking in the wrong is part of God’s will to us; He provokes us for it. It has always been there that one should restore the disobedient, and it should be of Him. Sometimes it is important to wait until He provides an opening to restore a brother or sister so that they do not deny their wrongdoing or be overwhelmed with shame. Then there will be times we should instantly speak to them. Again, the sin of some can be so grave and enticing that before we seek to restore them we need time to be fully prepared. All these are performed from good discernment.
How do we possess good discernment? By being spiritual; then, we not only discern the disobedient, but will also know when and how to restore them. For the Spirit of God avails us the gift of distinguishing the spirits as well as rewarding wisdom. Now, when we are restoring someone from trespass, there should only be one principle for use. It is the spirit of gentleness, a reflection of God’s love. We ought to restore him with a gentleness that Christ exercised in bringing us to God from sin. Anything other than this unsettles God’s work. Exercising gentleness is the only way to show to the one being restored that God loves him, desires that he live holy and that there will be consequences for living in sin. The inherent wisdom in gentleness is that we are allowing God to work through us. It usually takes time to restore a person. Our gentleness helps us to cope with it. Furthermore, we will have the right words to speak because of the Spirit. While at it, we are also looking out for ourselves, since we understand the gravity of his or her disobedience.
On the other hand, if we are not watchful, it may not always be the case of being tempted for the same disobedience of the one we are restoring. It could be the case of boasting in restoring him. We are entitled to rejoice greatly for bringing him back into faith, but not boast. Boasting is an act of robbing the glory of God. A spiritual person would know this, because he or she restores a brother or sister with prayer and the Word. By the time we restore a person to God we will have done His will in His way. We would have exercised and gained a greater hold on the following. “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love” (2 Pet. 1:5-7).
No one can take away these qualities from us. They are ours for a deeper relationship with God and purer relationship with His people. An experience such as this is pivotal in our walk toward a heavenly place. And God plans the times for it. Then, He uses us even more for His kingdom. But if we are not spiritual on a daily basis, we who are meant to do the works of God would be in need of restoration. For to the degree that we neglect being spiritual it is an opportunity for the flesh to overcome us. Being spiritual is to constantly be in the fear of God. This comes from taking to heart His every word and conversing with Him. The result is receiving commendation from Christ. “And you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary” (Rev. 2:3). God will use you to restore people to Him. So, He adds more works and ways to your account. He uses you like you have never imagined or asked for. He creates opportunities that He is glorified in you. In other words, He leads you to minister to Him. And He does not neglect taking care of you either. He provides necessary things for you and even the things you desire in His joy. If He has called you and given you spiritual experience, you are fit to serve Him. No matter who you are, do not worry. None of the intellectuals can derail you. They may speak more words and far more strongly than you, but you reap more harvest for the kingdom. For while they fight in the flesh you fight the spiritual forces of darkness. And the One fighting your battles is the Lord God, who is the beginning and end of wisdom, knowledge and power.
Therefore, always remember these words while you minister to Him. “If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2). Then, your perseverance, endurance for His name and your relentless obedience to Him will remain. For the love of God, a reason for the spirit of gentleness is your source to minister to Him. This love the church at Ephesus left, i.e. at some point they lost intimacy with Him. They have done very well up to a time as Christ Himself testified. Then, they were not wary in the Spirit. The love here is the love with which God loved you and with which you ought to love Him in return. By it He gives you every spiritual blessing, and if you forget it, you become no use to Him and to yourself. Prophesying, knowing mysteries and knowledge, and having faith for wonderful accomplishments are tools to demonstrate God’s love while serving Him. It is true to say that without them it is impossible to serve Him with a view to please Him. However, none of them will have substance when you abandon love. See how essential they are when you restore someone to God in love. You can tell him of the Lord’s mind toward Him; understand the mystery hidden in his disobedience and have the knowledge to lead him out of it; in all this, be with great faith for a sure outcome.
Besides, there is another thing God gives you for your spiritual integrity. He allows you to exercise it at your discretion, since He trusts you to have the mind of His Son. “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained” (John 20:23). Consider the great confidence with which Christ spoke these words to the disciples. He knew them fully and trusted them for His words. He trusted them to wait for the Helper and knew them to fully accept His guidance. Because He knew the Spirit would indwell them, He also knew they would certainly use good discernment. For He Himself trained them to be like Him, i.e. obey God. So, if you are being spiritual on a daily basis, you are being taught by Him to obey God. You restore a person to God with forgiveness, the embedded quality in love; you also discern when to forgive. Sometimes He leads you to retain the sin of a believer for a period of time so that through the consequences of it he or she returns to Him by your forgiveness. The only time you permanently retain the sins of any is when God leads you for it in the case of the unsaved. You have been called to do great things of God. For Jesus said, “‘this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many’” (Mark 14:24).
God has prepared forgiveness for many in Christ Jesus. And when He prepared it for all mankind, how much more will He be willing to give it to those who must be restored? However, the one to be restored must be able to turn to Him forsaking his or her sin. And for this, you ought to be spiritual to exercise the spirit of gentleness. So, bear in mind that to restore the disobedient to God is also your spiritual service to Him. In your spiritual potency lies God’s glory, since He said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19).