How can we fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2)?

Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfil the law of the Christ.” (6:2)

The Pharisees and the Judaizers would put burdens on other people, but they themselves would not touch them (Matt.23:4). This is also a very practical admonition, it is Christian liberty. Christian liberty is used to help other Christians, and that is the point here. If there is one who has been affected by a catastrophe, if, for example, he has lost his house or wife, or something else very serious has happened, then that is a tremendous burden. In such a case others are there to help carry that burden. What is so remarkable is that it then says, “and so fulfill the law of Christ.”This is again a tremendous subject in itself. We are not under the law of Moses, this is what the Galatian Epistle is all about. The law of Moses cannot justify us, cannot save us, cannot help us to live holy lives, instead we are under the law of Christ and by fulfilling these admonitions, by putting them into practice, we fulfill the law of Christ. The Lord makes this clear in John 13, for example, when He gave an example by washing the feet of His disciples. This is the law of Christ and we find other expressions in the New Testament that summarize the same law of Christ. In the Gospels the expression ‘the law of Christ’is not mentioned but we see the principles. The Lord said we should love one another as He has loved us (John 15:12), that we should love one another even to the point that we would give our life for a brother or sister (1 John 3, 4, Eph.5). This law of Christ is called in James’Epistle ‘the law of liberty.’It is called the perfect law of liberty (1:25) and the royal law (2:8). We are under the law of Christ, not the Mosaic law. The law of liberty does not mean that we are lawless; Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 9, that he is lawfully subject to Christ, but being under the law of Christ implies we have true liberty, it is to do exactly what He desires us to do. The law of Christ is what Christ has in mind for us and it is our desire also because the new nature desires to do exactly what the law of Christ wants it to do. This is the topic here in verse 2 and it is a large topic in the New Testament. It is another of those subjects for you to study privately.

To quote "under the law to Christ," is mere want of reference to the Greek. It is ἔννομος Χριστῶ, duly subject to Christ. "Fulfil the law of Christ" is a plain appeal against the law. The Galatians would have the law after Christ, and the apostle would not hear of it — hardly knows whether he is to own them as Christians — will not salute one at the end or at the beginning — is severer than with all the abominations at Corinth. They were, it seems, biting and devouring one another about it. And he says, "Bear rather one another's burdens." If you want a law — that is Christ's, that is what He did; that will suit you better. It is exactly the contrary of bringing them back to the law.

Verse 2. "Bear ye one another's burdens ('weights,' bare), and so fulfil the law of Christ." They had desired to be under law, in ignorance of the real nature of their wish; and now, having dispelled this ignorance by a fresh infusion of pure gospel light into their souls, he proceeds to show them a more excellent way. The law which was given by Moses laid burdens upon men, and left them there, until removed by the grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ. But the looser of burdens, and the liberator of the oppressed, is a law also to His own disciples. But how unlike all other laws! On his own part he expects only that we bear the honourable burden of His cross. The energy of our love and devotedness to Him is to be expended, if we wish to please Him, not upon Himself, but His. If we would serve Him, we must follow Him (John 12:26); and His walk was, from its beginning to its sacrificial end, from love to love (Eph. 5:2; 1 John 4:11).

The passage, however, contains other instruction for those who would engage in this blessed work. The service must be entered upon in the spirit of meekness, "considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." The Spirit of God thus reminds us that it is only grace that has kept any of us, that if we had been tempted in a similar way we might have ourselves fallen. This feeling, produced by the Holy Spirit, would save us from any harshness and self-righteousness in dealing with an erring brother, and beget the spirit of meekness of which the apostle speaks. It is easy, comparatively speaking, to write or to read such words; but the object of this divine communication will be lost unless we are searched by it, and unless we challenge ourselves as to whether we have been marked in the past by the spirit here enjoined, whether it be our state of soul today concerning those who have been led aside from God's path, and whether we are ready to humble ourselves before God if we find, in the light of His holy presence, that we have been governed by a contrary spirit. One word more should be added before passing on, as to our responsibility in restoration. We do not press it, but we may put it whether the language used does not involve our seeking to restore the one overtaken. By this we mean that we are not to wait until the wanderer comes to us for restoration, but that rather we are to tenderly watch over him, and to use such means as are permitted to effect it. In one word, it is active grace which is enjoined.

The next verse passes into a wider region, and points out what is to characterize the whole life of the Christian: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." This will be best understood by explaining first "the law of Christ." The law of His blessed life was to be a burden-bearer; "Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses." By this we understand that in His grace and sympathy He went down under the sorrows of His people, and taking them, as it were, upon His own shoulders He bare them before God in order to take them away. This was in His life, but in His death He bore, not our infirmities, but our sins in His own body on the tree. Whether, therefore, in life or in death He was the great burden-bearer, and we are exhorted by the apostle to tread in this respect in His steps. This is the service to which we are called in the midst of our fellow-Christians, and, in another way indeed, as we come into contact even with sinners. But the special application here is to those who have been overtaken in a fault. We are not to pass by such on the other side of the way, like the priest and the Levite in the gospel, but n heartfelt sorrow for their condition we are, in the power of a holy compassion through the Spirit, to go down before God under the heavy burden that lies upon the hearts of our brethren, that we may be enabled first to intercede for them, and then to minister to their need, and thus be used in their restoration.

Now we go back to the plural again: "Make it your habit to be bearing the burdens of one another." The Galatian Christians were very anxious to take up the burden of the law. This burden, you remember, Peter said was one which "neither our fathers nor we were able to bear" (Acts 15:10); yet the Galatians were keen to bear this burden. No, says the Apostle, I will show you a better burden for you to bear than that. Bear one another's burdens. And do not do it only now and then, but make it your habit, day by day, to be ever bearing the burdens of your brothers and your sisters. You remember in the last chapter, after the Apostle told them once again of their liberty, he immediately adds: "But by love let it be your habit to be slaves to one another." Chapter 5:3. Now he tells them to make a habit of bearing each other's burdens. How many heavy burdens there are all around us, sin and sorrow, poverty and care, sighing and suffering. Here are burdens waiting for you to take up, burdens that are so heavy they will drive you with them to the great Burden Bearer, the One who says: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord" (Ps. 55:22). But the burden of law, with which most Christians today are burdening themselves, is not for us; we are free from the law — free, so we may take up the burdens of one another. "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things. …" Acts 15:28. Then why do we everywhere see the people of the Lord making burdens for themselves with rules and regulations that are not at all a part of "these necessary things"? And even worse than this, we find them following the example of the Pharisees, "for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders." Matt. 23:4. How different is this to the way of Christ, that we find in this verse in Galatians! Instead of binding on one another the heavy burdens, now it is our joy to lift them off, and carry them ourselves.

The appeal to restore such an one is addressed to "ye which are spiritual." There were not many such amongst the Galatians, as the last verse of Gal. 5 infers. To approach a fallen brother in the spirit of vainglory would necessarily be provocative of all that was worst in him. To approach him in the spirit of meekness would help him. Let us take note that the spirit of meekness is a necessary accompaniment of spirituality, for there is a spurious spirituality, all too often to be met with, which is allied with a self-conscious assertiveness which is the very opposite of meekness. A truly spiritual man is one who is dominated and controlled by the indwelling Spirit of God and hence is characterized by "the meekness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:1). But even such an one as that is not beyond falling in the presence of temptation. Hence while restoring another he has to take good heed to himself.

Verse 2 is an exhortation of a more general character. It applies to all of us. We are to fulfil the law of Christ — which in one word is LOVE — and bear one another's burdens. Very frequently the brother who falls has been bearing burdens to which we are strangers, and had we been walking in obedience to the new commandment of John 13:34, we should have been helping to lighten them.

The Galatians may have considered themselves spiritual because they were legal-minded. There is a good test for this. What about a person overtaken in a fault? Shall we callously say, "That's his problem, not mine"? Or shall we despise and ostracize the erring one? Either attitude is commonly that of a legal mind. But if one is spiritual, there is good work for him to do in restoring such a person (v.1), for compassion is one of the lovely marks of spirituality. Law can expose and condemn a person, but it can never restore. More than that, spirituality can lead us to show a spirit of meekness, even toward one who has failed, for it will remind us that we have the same propensities for failure as our erring brother or sister does. We should pause to consider how we would like to be treated if we were in such a situation. This is a lovely contrast to the attitude that Cain expressed, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen.4:9).

How appealing then to a Christian's heart is the admonition, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (v.2). Did the Galatians desire a law? Then, being Christians, why not take the law of Christ rather than a Jewish law? This is "the perfect law of liberty" (Jas.1:25) rather than the law of bondage, as was Moses' Law. Bearing the burdens of another reduces the flesh to nothing, for we must humble ourselves to do this. Was it, for instance, the stern spirit of justice that led Christ to come to bear at Calvary our greatest burden? Absolutely not! Rather, grace and humility stand out there at the cross in marvelous beauty, and this is "the law of Christ."

Are you not one of the "many" whose sins He bore? (Isa. 53:12.) It is true that is a load He bore all alone. None can share that burden with Him; none can take the sin of another. But how many other burdens has He borne for you and for me! "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (Isa. 53:4). That is the burden, dear fellow Christian, for you and for me to bear — the griefs and the sorrows of one another around us. So will we be walking in the steps of our Master; so will we be filling up to the full the law of the Christ. Yes, that is the law for us to fulfill — Not the "law of commandments" or one of our own making. May the Lord Himself give us grace so to do!

(V. 2.) Moreover the spirit of grace and love would lead us, not merely to seek the restoration of a failing brother, but to enter into the sorrows of others and so help to relieve one another of the pressure of circumstances. So acting, we should be fulfilling "the law of Christ." We should be acting according to the law of love that marked His pathway. How tenderly He restored the failing disciples, when, with vain glory they provoked one another to strife, when they denied Him, and when all forsook Him (Luke 22:24-32: Mark 14:27-28). How blessedly, in every step of His path, He entered into our sorrows, and served us in love, as we read, "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matt. 8:17). Following in His steps, we shall serve one another in love, and in so doing set forth something of the excellencies of Christ, the great end for which we are left in this world.

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

The only question to be considered in this passage is as to the meaning of the law of Christ. It is generally said to be the law of love, and this is true; but is it not possible to be more precise? The preceding verse enjoins the spiritual to restore a fallen brother in the spirit of meekness, "considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." That is, as we understand, the spiritual man, remembering his own liability to fall, is to go in all gentleness to him who has been "overtaken in a fault" or offence, and in grace so identify himself with his condition as to take his burden of sin and sorrow upon himself, with a view to his succour and restoration. Now this is exactly what Christ Himself has done — only perfectly — both in life and in death. Thus the evangelist says, "He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matt. 8:1, 6, 17.) This was in His life, and concerning His death Peter says, "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree." (1 Peter 2:24.) He was thus, in life and death, the great burden-bearer; in life taking our infirmities and sicknesses in grace in order to remove them; in death bearing our sins in substitution, as made sin for us by God, when He endured for the glory of God all that was due to us on account of our sins, that He might take them away for ever. There is a great difference between His burden-bearing in life and in death; but still He was in both the burden-bearer. And this is the law of Christ: "Bear ye one another's burdens," and so fulfil the law of Him who was the pattern burden-bearer. Love was undoubtedly the motive of all; for, as the apostle says, "He loved me, and gave Himself for me;" and it is certain that we shall never go and take the burdens of our brethren on ourselves, unless we are under the constraint of the love of Christ. But this is motive, and the power, through the Holy Spirit, for fulfilling the law, rather than the law itself. E. D.