Grace in Galatians Part 183 – As We Have Opportunity, Let Us Do Good

https://youtu.be/TLJfnvgqNMU?si=gXSYzeqyEY0zDwu7

Today, we continue our focus on THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, as we learn to maintain our posture of faith after God has revealed His plans for our future.

As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians.

Key scriptures for this year:

2 Peter 3:18 GNT“But continue to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory now and forever.”

Luke 10:20 Mirror“It’s time for you to rediscover who you are from Heaven’s perspective.”

1 John 3:10 Mirror“There is a very visible and vast difference between living one’s life from your God identity or from a fallen man’s mindset.”

Proverbs 25:2 NKJV“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”

Jeremiah 29:13 NIV“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Scripture we will study today:

Galatians 6:10 NIV“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:10 TPT“Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith!”

Galatians 6:10 ERV“When we have the opportunity to do good to anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers.”

Supporting scriptures:

Ephesians 5:15-16 AMPC“Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.”

Hebrews 13:16 AMPC“Do not forget or neglect to do kindness and good, to be generous and distribute and contribute to the needy [of the church as embodiment and proof of fellowship], for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Matthew 25:40 TPT“And the King will answer them, ‘Don’t you know? When you cared for one of the least important of these my little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you demonstrated love for me.'”

1 John 3:17-18 TPT“If anyone sees a fellow believer in need and has the means to help him, yet shows no pity and closes his heart against him, how is it even possible that God’s love lives in him? Beloved children, our love can’t be an abstract theory we only talk about, but a way of life demonstrated through our loving deeds.”

1 Timothy 5:8 TPT“But if anyone fails to provide for their own relatives when they are in need, they have denied the faith and are worse than those who don’t believe.”

Galatians 6:2 TPT“Love empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles.”

Setting the Stage:

For the last 14 messages, we have lived inside Galatians 6:9. We talked about weariness, due season, the harvest with a due date, what weariness is really after, the grace to keep believing, the grace to heal a sick heart, three keys to waiting on God, the bridge from lament to praise, and 20 ways to overcome weariness. We have been looking at the WAIT. Today, we step out of the wait and into the WORK.

Watch how Paul opens verse 10. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” That word “therefore” is a hinge. I learned a long time ago that whenever you see the word “therefore,” you should figure out what it’s there for. Paul is essentially saying, “Now that you understand the harvest is real, the timing is set, and you must not give up while you wait, here is exactly where to aim your good.”

Up to this point, “doing good” was vague. Almost like a posture. Almost like a theology. But Paul does not let it stay there. He tells you exactly where the seed is supposed to fall. People. Real people. People you can name. People you will see today. Galatians 6:9 told you not to grow weary in doing good. Galatians 6:10 tells you who the good is for. The verse before it gave you the WHEN. This verse gives you the WHO. And then it gives you a priority list. All people (of course), but especially those of the household of faith.

So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.

1. Paul Connects The Wait To The People.

If you read Galatians 6:10 without verse 9, you can turn it into a religious slogan. Read it WITH verse 9, and you get a strategy for living. Paul has spent the whole previous breath telling you not to lose heart while you wait for your harvest. And then, in the very next sentence, he hands you the assignment for the waiting season. Did you catch what he just did? Paul refused to let your waiting be self-centered. He is essentially saying, “While you are waiting on God for what He promised you, do not just stare at the sky. Look around. There are people right next to you in need of the goodness of God, and grace put YOU in the position to deliver it.” God does not want your wait to turn you inward. The wait should turn you outward. 

How this applies to you:

— The wait is not just FOR you. It is also THROUGH you. While God is working on what He promised you, He is using you to deliver what He promised someone else.

— Selfish faith collapses in waiting seasons. Generous faith gets stronger. You guard your harvest by sowing into someone else’s. 

— When you step outside of yourself to bless somebody else, you stop measuring God’s faithfulness by the speed of your own breakthrough. The fastest way to break the grip of self-pity is to put someone else’s need above yours.

— Some of you have been so focused on what God has not yet done for you that you have missed multiple opportunities (maybe even this past week) to be a blessing to somebody else. Heaven keeps receipts on missed opportunities. Do not miss the next one.

— Paul could have ended at verse 9. He did not. He kept writing because the Holy Spirit does not want you to allow endurance to become isolation.

— God is growing your patience and your purpose at the same time.

— 2 Corinthians 1:4 says God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others with the same comfort. The very thing you have been crying out for is the very thing you are being equipped to give. Your wait is producing your witness. 

— Isabella and I can testify to this. Some of the most difficult things we’ve been through have become a tremendous source of power as God uses us to minister to others going through the same thing. 

— In THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, discover that you are not waiting alone in a holding cell. You are waiting in a field full of people who need what God put in your hands. Look around. Get to work. You are blessed to BE a blessing!

— And here is another personal testimony on this. I told you that God gave me a word 13 years ago that I’m still waiting for the manifestation of today. But while I’m waiting, I’m doing what God has called me to do. My heart is open. I’m being a blessing. I’m ministering to others. I’m focusing on many things that God has me involved with. If I were not so focused on being a blessing in the wait, I could have lost my mind, fallen into depression, and there’s no telling where I would be. You can’t just sit around waiting on God to do something that he promised. Get to work. Go out there and do good!

2. “As We Have Opportunity” Is A Kairos Word, Not A Calendar Word.

The Greek language has two words for time. Chronos is clock time. Hours, minutes, days. Kairos is strategic time. The right moment. The opening. The window. When Paul says “as we have opportunity,” he is not using chronos. He is using kairos. He is talking about the divinely arranged moment when the door swings open, the conversation lands in your lap, the need shows up at your front porch, and the Holy Spirit nudges your heart and says, “This one. Right here. Right now.” Kairos moments do not announce themselves twice. They flash, they invite, and they keep moving. If you blink, you miss them. Ephesians 5:16 calls it “making the most of every opportunity,” and the King James says “redeeming the time.” 

How this applies to you:

— A kairos moment can look like a phone call you almost did not return. A text from a friend who is going through a difficult time. A coworker lingering at your desk. A stranger in line in front of you. Train your spirit to recognize the opening. The Holy Spirit will tell you when it is a divine appointment you don’t want to miss.

— Kairos has a clock on it. The window is real, and the window closes. That is why hesitation is expensive. Some of the kindest things you almost did never happened because you waited until you “had time,” and the moment moved on without you. We are all going to get to heaven and realize that we missed out on many of these moments. 

— The good Samaritan saw a man bleeding on the road. The priest and the Levite saw the same man. The difference was not what they saw. It was what they did with what they saw. Two men walked past the kairos. One walked into it. Be the third man.

— You do not have to manufacture opportunities. God is the architect of the kairos. You just have to stop walking past it. Slow down. Pay attention. Be present.

— I call this kairos awareness. It is the discipline of noticing. Most believers miss what God is doing because they are too busy running through chronos to notice the kairos God arranged in the middle of it.

— Esther was told by Mordecai, “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” That phrase “such a time” is kairos. Your position is not random. It is appointed. There are moments only you can step into.

— In THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, discover that God is opening kairos doors for you every day. Pray this prayer: “Holy Spirit, help me to be sensitive to the assignments You arrange today.” Then keep your eyes open and your hands ready.

3. Let Us Do Good To ALL People. No Screening, No Asterisks.

Read that phrase carefully. All people. Not deserving people. Not safe people. Not people who can repay you. Not people in your tribe. Not just people who look like you. Not people who agree with your theology. All people. Paul does not let you put an asterisk on this verse. He shuts the door on every kind of selective generosity before you can sneak through it. Religion will train you to do good to people who fit your category. Grace will train you to do good to people because God is good. Big difference. 

Here is the part that will set you free. When you do good to “all people,” you are not validating their lifestyle, agreeing with their decisions, or endorsing their direction. You are simply representing the One who sent His Son to die for them while they were still sinners. Romans 5:8. God did not wait for us to clean up before He poured out His goodness. We do not get to add a filter He never used.

How this applies to you:

— The neighbor you do not like. The coworker who voted differently. The relative who hurt you. The stranger you have nothing in common with. Galatians 6:10 includes all of them. That is grace.

— Doing good to all people is not the same as trusting all people. Boundaries are wisdom. Generosity is grace. Both can be true at the same time. Be wise like a serpent, harmless like a dove, and generous like the Father.

— Hebrews 13:2 says some have entertained angels without knowing it. You may never know who is at your door. That is why the rule is so simple. Do good. Period. Let God sort out who got blessed.

— Some of you have been waiting until you “feel led” to be generous. You do not need a separate prophetic word to obey what is already in the Bible.

— Matthew 25 says when you fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited the prisoner, you did it to Jesus. Every act of goodness toward all people is an act of worship toward One Person. That changes everything.

— Doing good to people who cannot repay you is one of the most freeing experiences in the Christian life. Heaven keeps receipts when earth ignores you, and the receipts in heaven are bigger.

— If you ask the Holy Spirit, you may discover that the people you have been screening out are the very same people God assigned to your hands. 

— When you open your heart to God’s grace, he will deliver you from the discrimination in your evangelism and discipleship. 

4. Especially The Household Of Faith. Family First, Always.

Paul tells you to do good to all people. Then he says ONE MORE WORD. Especially. Especially to those who belong to the family of believers. It does not cancel “all people.” It prioritizes a subset of “all people.” Paul is saying, “Yes, do good to everybody. AND also, give priority attention to your spiritual family.” Why? Because the household of faith is the body God gave you on this side of heaven, and the body is supposed to take care of itself. 1 Timothy 5:8 says if you do not provide for your own household, you have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever. That is not a compliment. The Bible takes family responsibility seriously, and the church IS family. 

How this applies to you:

— The local church is not a club you attend. It is a family you belong to. Family looks out for family. 

— “Especially” does not mean exclusively. Doing good to your spiritual family does not give you permission to ignore your unbelieving neighbors. Paul says do good to all. Then he says especially to the family. Both. Not either-or.

— Some of the most effective evangelism the world has ever seen happens when unbelievers watch a body of believers love each other well. John 13:35 says by this all men will know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. Your love for the household preaches a sermon louder than any pulpit.

— If you are part of a church family and you have been treating it like a spectator sport, repent today. The household needs your hands, your prayers, your gifts, and your presence. Show up. Plug in. Pour out. You need them, and they need you. 

— Galatians 6:2 says carry each other’s burdens. You were never built to carry your faith alone, and your brothers and sisters were never meant to carry theirs alone either.

— In THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, discover that the family of faith God placed you in is one of His greatest gifts to your life. Honor it. Invest in it. Enjoy it. The local church provides you the community you need to become the man/woman you were born to be!

That’s enough for today.

Declaration of Faith:

Father, I thank You that my waiting season is not a sabbatical from being a blessing.

While I wait for what You promised me, I am Your hands and Your voice for somebody else.

I am alert to every kairos moment You arrange in my day, and I refuse to walk past divine assignments because I was too busy running through clock time.

I do good to all people, with no screening and no asterisks, because grace does not filter.

I represent the One who poured out goodness on me while I was still a sinner.

I prioritize the household of faith, and I take care of the family that takes care of me.

I carry my brothers’ and sisters’ burdens, and I let them carry mine, because we are stronger together.

My love for the family preaches a sermon louder than any pulpit, and the world will know I belong to Jesus by the way I love His own.

I am living in THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, and I have discovered that doing good has a direction, a target, and a priority.

I am living THE GRACE LIFE, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!

I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!