Galatians 6:3
3 For [gar] if a man [ei
tis] think himself [dokeo] to be [einai] something [tis], when he is [on] nothing [medeis], he deceiveth [phrenapatao]
himself [heautou]. KJV-Interlinear
3 For if anyone thinks he is
something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. NASB
The conjunction, ‘for,’ points back to the previous
verse as to the spiritual meaning of fulfilling the law of Christ, which is the
behavior and attitude mandated by God.
But, enter self-delusion, wherein far too many do not understand the law
of Christ, and therefore are incapable of fulfilling that mandate.
And, they lack that understanding because they have
not learned the concepts of doctrine, through doctrine, because most folks do
not study daily as they are also mandated to do.
No study means no learning, and no learning means
no understanding, and no understanding means no compliance. If you cannot comply with something then you
cannot fulfil its requirements or expectations.
Therefore, when you believe that you are something,
when you fail to do the things required in order to be that something, then you
are fooling yourself.
And unfortunately that is where most of
Christianity finds itself these days.
Too much superficiality, too much pretense, too much self-appointed
expertise, and far too little genuine commitment to doing that which it
demanded. All talk and no walk.
And that is where Paul hits phony Christians between
the eyes. When all claim to be
fulfilling the law of Christ, but in fact they have redefined that principle as
doing nothing and then claim to be in compliance.
The law of Christ is the sum total embodiment of
the spiritual life. And the spiritual
life demands confession in order to be in fellowship, a daily study in order to
learn the principles and expectations of God, a repetition of that process on a
daily basis in order to develop an understanding and orientation to God, to
life, to people, and to self. And all of that eventually leads you in the
maturing process as you grow up within your spiritual life.
The failure of most people is in their failure to
comply with a daily study, their failure to confess regularly and live in fellowship,
or in the spirit as previously stated, and therefore their spiritual life is
dysfunctional and empty of any substance.
That simply means that when you get to heaven, you will
discover to your dismay, that you do not qualify for the great rewards of
heaven that Christ has waiting for spiritually mature believers. You may want to revisit the Parables of
Christ study. If you sow no doctrine within
your soul, then how can you expect to harvest anything?
