Doing Good to All: A Spirit-Filled Life

A blog post based on our Lay Reader, Karen Hatch's sermon on 6/07/2025

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

If I had to choose a favourite letter from Paul, it would be Galatians. It’s punchy, passionate, and theologically rich. Paul doesn’t waste words. He writes with urgency, not as a detached theologian, but as a spiritual father trying to keep his beloved flock from drifting.

Galatians had an enormous influence on the development of Christian theology—and it’s no surprise. It was written very early in the Church’s life, when the majority of Christians were either Jewish or Jewish converts. One of the burning questions of the time was this: how exactly should Gentiles become followers of Jesus? Paul’s missionary journeys took him to places like Galatia (a Roman province in what is now central Turkey), where he planted churches largely made up of Gentile converts. These churches were later led astray by certain Christian Jews who claimed Gentile believers had to follow the Jewish law to be fully saved. Paul’s answer in Galatians is emphatic: No. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone.

But Paul doesn’t stop with theology—he lands it in the practical. Chapter 6 is all about what life in the Spirit looks like, especially in the mess and reality of everyday relationships.

Spirit-Filled Doesn’t Mean Spiritually Proud

Paul starts with a sobering reminder: “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” (v.1)

The goal is not exposure, shame, or superiority—but restoration. There’s no place for gloating when a brother or sister stumbles. In fact, Paul warns, “watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” Humility is key.

This isn’t just about ticking off a duty; it’s about embodying the character of Christ. As A.W. Tozer once said:

“Though every believer has the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit does not have every believer.”

That line is worth pausing on.

Plenty of people talk about being “Spirit-filled,” but where’s the fruit? Paul’s earlier list in Galatians 5 makes it plain: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. If those aren’t showing up in our relationships—especially when someone’s messed up—then we’re not walking by the Spirit.

Carrying Each Other’s Burdens

Verse 2 is a gem: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” What is this law? It’s not a new legal code—it’s the law of love.

Being part of a Christian community means we don’t let each other sink. We shoulder burdens together—whether emotional, financial, spiritual, or moral. But there’s a catch: we can’t carry what we don’t know about. If people are suffering in silence, we need to create the kind of church culture where it's safe to say, "I'm not okay." And we need to be the kind of people who say, "Let me help."

Sowing and Reaping: A Spiritual Law

In verses 7–9, Paul uses an agricultural image: “A man reaps what he sows.” It’s so simple—and yet it cuts to the heart.

You can’t plant weeds and expect roses. If we spend our lives sowing into the flesh—selfish desires, bitterness, lust, greed—we’ll reap destruction, emptiness, and misery. But if we sow to please the Spirit, we begin to reap something much more beautiful: a harvest of righteousness, peace, and joy that begins now and carries into eternity.

Every thought, every word, every act is a seed. The question is: what kind of harvest are we preparing?

Don’t Give Up

Paul knows doing good can be exhausting. Especially when we don’t see results. Especially when it feels like nobody notices. But he writes, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

That’s the hope: there is a harvest. It might not come when we want. It might not come how we expect. But God sees. God rewards. Keep going.

Paul ends this section by calling us to do good to all people, especially our fellow believers. This is what a Spirit-led life looks like: open-hearted, open-handed, quietly faithful, not flashy or performative.

A Final Question

So how do we live this way? How do we carry burdens that aren’t ours? How do we keep sowing good when it’s hard and thankless?

We go back to the Holy Spirit. We need to be filled—and filled again. And we need to keep asking the question Tozer posed so well:

“Though we have the Holy Spirit, does the Holy Spirit have us?”

That’s the question to carry with you this week. That’s the kind of life Paul is calling us to: not one of empty religion or self-congratulation, but of daily surrender, gentle restoration, sacrificial love, and patient sowing.

And when we live that way? We don’t just avoid burnout—we get to see the harvest.