Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]. – Galatians 6:2, Amplified Bible (AMP)

In my younger years I was extremely judgmental. I had an arrogant, pious attitude towards others, and I was very quick to ridicule – not openly, but in my heart – those who succumbed to temptations to sin. I did not know that while I was living out my “holier-than-thou” attitude, I was actually breaking the law of Christ, which is the law to love one another.  Having contempt for people because they have sinned is certainly NOT an example of loving one another.  It is, rather, an example of loving oneself, for by putting others down for their sin is to lift up oneself as an example of holiness. The irony is that when people elevate themselves as examples of righteousness, they fall into the sin of pride, which is one of the sins God hates the most.

As I’ve aged I’ve become more and more aware of how many moral faults I possess, and I have a bad feeling that the older I get, the more I’ll learn about how sinful I am. This process of self-discovery has replaced my youthful self-righteousness with aged moral sympathy, and through that moral sympathy I greatly desire to bear the moral faults of others.

What does it mean to bear the moral faults of others? The late John Gill answers this question exquisitely in his Exposition of the Bible:

Christ is only able to bear these burdens [of sin], so as to remove them and take them away, which he has done by his blood, sacrifice, and satisfaction; saints bear one another’s, not by making satisfaction for them, which they are not able to do, nor by conniving at them, and suffering them upon them, which they should not do, but by gently reproving them, by comforting them when overpressed with guilt, by sympathizing with them in their sorrow, by praying to God for to manifest his pardoning grace to them, and by forgiving them themselves, so far as they are faults committed against them…

When we handle the moral faults of others in the manner that Gill describes above, we fulfill the law of Christ by doing the very thing that Christ said demonstrates love: we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. When we sin, we need reproof, we desire sympathy, we appreciate prayer, and we long for forgiveness. So, when we give others the very things we desire for ourselves, we have born their moral faults with them in love.

It is very human to judge others for their moral faults. It is very Christlike to help others overcome their moral faults. The next time you see yourself as “holier-than-thou,” kick your humanistic pride to the curb and replace it with Christlike moral sympathy. It will not be long before you’ll need someone to help you bear your moral faults, and the more you help others bear theirs now, the more likely others will be willing to help you bear yours when the time comes.

Shop hundreds of Christian-themed products at our new store! A portion of each purchase goes to support the work of Today’s Quote From God. To visit the Today’s Quote From God Store, please click here.