Galatians 6:10, commentary and pictures

As opportunity comes it is to be used at once and at all times in every place for doing good to the whole human family without limit of class or creed. Within that wide kindness fellow believers have the first and tenderest claim, yet their priority never shuts out the needy outside the faith. The good to be done is personal and practical, caring for the sick, poor, ignorant and helpless, finding work for those who suffer for conscience, and reaching people in their homes with sympathy and prayer. Its pattern is Christ's unselfish life, and its standard is sowing to the Spirit in love and meekness, bearing burdens, restoring the erring, and refusing weariness, selfishness and strife. Done from love to God with gratitude for redemption it brings present peace and lasting reward and makes the gospel visible, while neglect imperils the soul and will meet accountability in judgment.

Sense of Opportunity

Galatians 6:10 commands using every opportunity to do good to all people, especially to fellow believers, constantly and not only in set working hours, for the one who loves God serves at all times and in every place. It calls for continual benevolence instead of selfishness and covetousness, improving every opportunity to do good to one another and cherishing heaven's generous principles with all energy so the soul expands in benevolence rather than withering in selfishness. This doing good belongs with restoring anyone overtaken in fault in the spirit of meekness while considering oneself, bearing one another's burdens to fulfil the law of Christ, proving one's own work without deceitful pride, sowing to the Spirit rather than to the flesh, and not growing weary in well-doing in order to reap life everlasting in due season if there is no fainting. Becoming weary of well-doing makes God weary, and even the least selfishness greatly displeases Him who spared not His own precious life, while every selfish, covetous person who sells noble generous principles for a little of earth's gain like Judas will fall out by the way and be sifted out. Jesus' life without selfish interest, ever marked with disinterested benevolence, is the perfect pattern to follow, and a well-ordered life and godly speech in this service can inspire faith, hope and courage in others.

The opportunity is now, while the time lasts, and is to be used promptly because the chance for needed work may not last and there will never be a more favorable time. God's judgments are coming more and more upon the earth, which makes present missionary activity urgent everywhere. This means every soul taking an active part in laboring for everyone who can possibly be helped and getting the light before the people, including opening the Scriptures to peoples of other tongues by learning languages and supplying means to workers as fields open everywhere, while becoming students of prophecy and Christlike Christians. It is the day to enter needy fields such as the large cities of the country calling for workers, where twenty more workers were needed at once even though there was no means to pay them, and all who felt God called them to come were to count as God's workers.

Seizing the opportunity requires tact, discernment, watchfulness and earnestness, being quick to recognize openings, looking for chances to work for God everywhere at all times and in all places, and making the most of them. Each accountable person should watch constantly for opportunities to do good and for ways to benefit the people Christ has purchased with His blood, joining together in a company to see what can be done, for God has a vineyard in which everyone can perform good work because suffering humanity everywhere needs help. In Sabbath-school work this means faithfully using every opportunity within one's influence to help and strengthen those struggling with temptation and to make personal efforts to save souls, prompted by Christ's redeeming love and done for God's glory. Doing good is shining as lights in the world, leading souls to piety and devotion, imparting the treasure of the knowledge of Christ's love, communicating the light given and letting truth in the heart diffuse itself in proportion to the sacred trust committed, which is cooperating with heavenly agencies. Neglected opportunities bring accountability before God, and failing to act causes personal loss and imperils the soul, deprives those in darkness of light they could have received, and brings in the judgment the charge of the blood of souls for misleading by a profession that has a name to live but is spiritually dead for lack of the vitalizing influence of the Spirit richly provided to faith.

All Men and Household

All are to receive good, for all men means the whole human family as one family, rich and poor and people of every faith, not merely relatives, friends and favorites, church members, or those who think alike. Neighbor is every case of suffering, to be relieved to the very uttermost of ability as God's agents and laborers together with God, with kindness, consideration, tender sympathy and love rather than affection only for one's own circle. Such help to those of every faith may lead some to receive the special truths for this time, thereby giving the world an exhibition of carrying out the law of God in loving God supremely and neighbors as ourselves. True religion moves to regard each person as someone who can be helped. Good is to be done even for those who do not appreciate and respond, who give no thanks, and who are not convinced that efforts to help them are disinterested, and labor must not be hindered when prejudice is difficult to overcome, because workers are sent into the vineyard to do all they can.

Especially lays a special claim, priority, tenderness, pity and courtesy on fellow believers, who come first as the saints, the commandment-keeping people, and the family of God. This includes caring for the poor and needy among believers, with wise and discerning men and women appointed to assess needs, report, counsel and advise what help to provide, examining members first and then every other case afterward. The household to be relieved first includes those refused work because they keep the law of God, and the widows and orphans of the saints. The opportunity is for honest souls who have not corrupted body, soul and spirit beyond soundness, and labor is not to be given chiefly to depraved, polluted men who have destroyed themselves by filling soul and body with iniquity, while those of the household who should be linked in perfect harmony are treated as offensive. The church is not to build institutions to feed people free, nor do its personal work by proxy, nor teach that eating, drinking and sleeping will be provided free from an inexhaustible fund, but to come close to the sick, visit them and minister in love, and the means in the treasury and the pittance of the faithful are not to be lavished on transgressors and the unworthy who could support themselves if they conducted themselves properly.

This priority does not leave others out, and does not spend all means and effort on one class while neglecting believers and others seeking the truth. The poor within each church are a particular responsibility, to be helped in ways that benefit them and enable them to help themselves, with luxuries given up to ease their suffering, and then help extended to suitable recipients outside the faith with personal service and judgment rather than by proxy or through institutions alone as an unlimited free provision. The household of faith includes children and youth, who even at a tender age may belong to God's family and to Christ's family. They may gain a precious, lasting experience of confidence and love for Jesus, have their thoughts turned from sin toward loving and serving Him, live for the Saviour, and serve as little missionaries and witnesses to the truth.

Deeds of charity and love for those not of the faith are specially well, yet there is a special duty of thoughtful attention and special interest to fellow believers, not heartless dealing or neglect. It is misdirected zeal to do large work for the wretched poor in general while neglecting distressed believers, the youth and children of believers who need personal looking after, and the widows and the fatherless in the very midst, and such large work does not excuse passing them by. Their necessities are to be administered in tender, pitying love for Christ's sake, with thoughtful plans and care to save their souls, as missionaries and fathers and mothers to the needy among them. Neglect by those with great light and opportunities and privileges is a special sin that lets the cry of suffering that could be alleviated go up to God, brings guilt and controversy and the frown of God, and is failure to work the works of Christ. Relieving them represents Jesus Christ in sympathy and love and shows His attributes of goodness, compassion and love to fellow men, and without this doing well no one can hear Well done.

Setting in Galatians

The call to do good to all, especially to fellow believers, belongs to sowing to the Spirit rather than to the flesh and to not growing weary in well-doing, with the promise of reaping in due season if there is no fainting. That harvest is life everlasting for those who persist without fainting. In home life this same sowing means cultivating love, truth, kindness and patience rather than vulgarity, harsh words or scandal, and continuing faithfully until the harvest. It also includes using resources wisely and helping others with trust that the harvest will come.

Its setting includes restoring one overtaken in fault in the spirit of meekness while considering oneself. It includes bearing one another's burdens to fulfil the law of Christ. It includes proving one's own work without deceitful pride and rejecting proud self-estimation.

It is part of the Bible standard of perfection of character, shown by the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. That standard is met by crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts, by walking in the Spirit, and by refusing vain glory, provoking and envying. Doing good stands opposite criticizing and faultfinding, and generous unselfish concern for others is good fruit of life in the Spirit in contrast to selfishness and harmful speech.

This goodness is the service pledged at baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, carried out with the cooperation of heavenly helpers in the battle of life. Heaven gives a life-pledge of help on condition of living as risen with Christ and seeking the things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Doing good to everyone with special care for fellow believers means obeying the law of God and loving one another as Christ loves. Those who belong to the household of faith prove their own work by carefully studying the Word of God and testing its measure and motive, and when the Word guides them the heart is fully conformed to the expressed will of God and the conduct reveals oneness with God.

Doing good requires faithfully performing home duties, comparing the life with the life of Christ, and praying for a humble sanctified mind. This work is the opposite of sowing suspicion, dissension and strife. Angels of heaven cannot work with a human agent who sows dissension and strife, while evil angels attend him wherever he goes.

Those of the household of faith are to be as one family, upholding the principles of heaven in every transaction. They do not grieve Christ by opposing one another, but work in harmony while cooperating with the divine agencies, and by this a mighty work is accomplished. The Holy Spirit works in their hearts with a sanctified, refining and ennobling influence, preserving spiritual unity. That unity is kept by persevering in kindness, strengthening one another, and guarding one another's interests. It is kept by meeting together often for prayer, worship and study, and by helping, strengthening and encouraging one another in Christian love as the day of God approaches, including confession, mutual encouragement and personal interest in one another in preparation to remain faithful and receive the heavenly inheritance.

Works of Doing Good

Doing good means taking personal responsibility for needy and helpless fellow believers as a family, caring for the sick, supporting the weak, teaching the ignorant, training the inexperienced, and looking after the poor and orphans when their needs are known and call for help, without passing them by. Doing good to them expresses love for God, and each person has a special obligation to show worthy poor people particular compassion. This includes giving practical help to those who accept the truth and lose jobs or are refused work because of conviction and Sabbath-keeping, offering employment to those who love God and keep His commandments so they are not left to choose between violating the Sabbath and going hungry, with warm-hearted self-sacrifice toward needy brethren. Such help must not send them away to spend their last means on fare back to dependence with nothing left, which is unreasonable and unchristian, but devise useful work such as work on land with fair pay for clearing it. Members are to be examined and helped first, especially commandment keepers refused work, and then other cases examined with judgment.

Those with abundant means must act as God's agents in truth and use their treasures wisely, remembering the deep poor who cannot purchase food or clothing as God's heritage and supplying them so none of the household need go hungry or naked. Whatever is spent for selfish gratification and unsanctified desires, for needless ornaments of gold and precious stones and fancy articles for adornment, or bound up and buried in the world and in business enterprises, is kept from the Lord's treasury and from lifting up truth in regions beyond, leaving those purchased by Christ's blood starving and causing accumulated misery. Wants and building operations are to be restricted and means sent where the work is less prosperous, with equal interest in all places and readiness to help wherever help is needed, strengthening brotherhood and closing out petty jealousies and heart-burnings. This forbids centering means and power in selfish ambition, looking with indifference on any part of the vineyard, or withholding help through jealousy and envy, and forbids lavishing treasury means and the pittance of the faithful on transgressors and the unworthy who could support themselves if they conducted themselves properly. The poor within each church are a particular responsibility to be helped in ways that benefit them and enable them to help themselves, giving up luxuries to ease their suffering, then extending help to suitable recipients outside the faith.

The principle applies to sharing spiritual and temporal gifts so others may benefit, practicing self-denial and sacrifice to advance God's work and relieve suffering, not passing by anyone needing generosity, with faithful stewardship laying up imperishable treasure in heaven. Profits such as from health-food work are to be used for the good of suffering humanity everywhere, not for personal financial gain. Care is to be wise and discerning, with fit, wise men and women of discernment appointed to assess needs of the poor and needy among believers, report and counsel what should be done, and advise the church what help to provide. The church is not to do its personal work by proxy or through institutions alone, nor build institutions to feed people free, but come close to the sick, visit them, and minister in love, without teaching that eating, drinking and sleeping will be provided free from an inexhaustible fund.

Doing good must be personal labor reaching people where they are, with whole consecration where necessity is greatest, becoming acquainted, visiting in dwellings, praying and sympathizing to win hearts and open access to perishing souls. This visiting work is the highest missionary work and cannot be done by proxy, by money loaned or given, or by sermons alone, and angels attend the worker while God gives strength to carry out His merciful designs, requiring resolute persevering faith, love for souls, self-denial and patience, giving experience of highest value. It includes making soul-saving a central life work at home or far away, showing faith in Christ through work for others. In Sabbath-school work it means helping and strengthening those struggling with temptation with personal efforts to save souls, prompted by redeeming love for God's glory, requiring watchfulness and earnestness, with neglected opportunities bringing accountability. It includes humble earnest neighborhood love day by day that makes Christ visible and shows the gospel a living reality with greater force than sermons, professions or creeds, and persistent ministerial visiting, teaching, praying, caring for spiritual welfare, and fully instructing those wanting to learn. The opportunity is now while time lasts, requiring active missionary work everywhere, opening Scriptures to other tongues by learning languages and supplying workers as fields open, becoming students of prophecy and Christlike Christians, including entering large cities where twenty more workers are needed at once.

Students apply the duty by encouraging and sustaining teachers rather than tempting or discouraging them. Those called to labor in word and doctrine must ever be learners, constantly improving to be examples to the flock and do good to all they contact, for without advancement they will not grow in grace and knowledge of Christ. Children and youth apply it by striving to be useful and act rightly, taking Christ rather than those who do not love God as example, using strength and opportunities in useful duties that benefit self and others, develop mind and character, train for life's responsibilities, and cultivate living to do good. Their work in home, church and world is to look for needed work, show kind attentions, courteous acts, kindness and love, and self-denying self-sacrificing deeds, representing Christ and becoming His means for saving souls with lasting influence, in contrast to thousands who benefit no one and bring none to Christ. Even recreation should benefit those around and leave them better prepared to serve others and bless society.

Works of mercy and love express practical goodness through mercy, liberality, humility and self-sacrifice, as Christ gave up heavenly glory to live as a poor man and show heaven's principles to every class. The Good Samaritan shows seeking to benefit not only fellow believers but all needing sympathy and help, and the command to do likewise applies in every age, with true religion known in deeds of mercy that display God's love unto conversion and transformation of heart and character, assuring God's mercy to those who live so. This includes medical missionary work bringing relief and encouragement to weary, troubled and suffering people as expression of gratitude for the gospel's promises. Specific sympathy requires a home and support for an elderly worn-out missionary even when burdensome and without practical benefit, bringing blessing, regular aid to a poor helpless sister made especially plain by family claims and more binding by faith, and help to a brother in poverty or distress with debt or illness, for failing to help when able dishonors God who tests whether followers will serve Christ in His people.

Doing good calls for diligent purposeful energetic forward work to help others and bring them to knowledge of truth, acting constantly and moving forward, for neglecting usefulness endangers spiritual growth. It is shining as lights, leading souls to piety and devotion, imparting knowledge of Christ's love and letting truth diffuse according to the sacred trust, cooperating with heavenly agencies. Failing to act causes personal loss, imperils the soul, deprives those in darkness of light, and brings in judgment the charge of the blood of souls for a profession having a name to live but spiritually dead for lack of the Spirit richly provided to faith. Adoption into the household is proved by imparting received grace through steady growth in Scripture knowledge and ability to present truth acceptably to win souls, with vision cleared by beholding redemption in depth, breadth and height, walking humbly without exalted self, laying aside scheming to take up neglected duty with unmistakable evidence of a God-given work. Gratitude for sacred bounties is shown not by chance or impulse but by doing Christ's work with His attributes and a heart touched by woe, searching out and relieving known cases and causes unknown, instead of passing by like the priest and Levite or gathering for self while Christ in His saints hungers and is naked, for obligation is endless and opportunities will continually increase.

Motive and Promise

Generous deeds toward the poor are the sincere expression of gratitude for mercy and redemption received through Christ and for the promises and assurances of the gospel. Doing good to all whenever opportunity offers is evidence that grace is at work in the heart, shown in love expressed in a Christlike spirit. This includes faithful stewardship that shares God's spiritual and temporal gifts so others benefit, practicing self-denial and sacrifice to advance His work and relieve suffering and never passing by anyone in need, which lays up imperishable treasure in heaven. Such works of mercy and love include medical missionary effort that brings relief and encouragement to the weary, troubled and suffering.

Doing good to the needy and suffering whose needs are known expresses love for God, and each person bears a special obligation to show worthy poor people particular compassion rather than pass them by. The pattern is Jesus' unselfish life, without selfish interest and ever marked by disinterested benevolence, which embodies heaven's generous principles. Those who desire heaven must cherish those principles and encourage them with all energy, letting the soul expand in benevolence instead of withering in selfishness and covetousness. Constant generous use of every opportunity to do good is therefore required, in rebuke of selfishness and covetousness and in growth in benevolence.

Growing weary in well-doing makes God weary in return, and even the least manifestation of selfishness greatly displeases Him who spared not His own precious life. Every selfish, covetous person who sells noble, generous principles and a noble disposition for a little of earth's gain, as Judas sold his Lord, will fall out by the way and be sifted out from God's people. Doing good from principle rather than from changing feeling brings deep and lasting happiness, inward satisfaction and peace, with a reward recorded in heaven. It is a sacred duty made possible by receiving God's grace, and making others happy brings the greatest happiness and peace and joy in the Lord through a humble, self-sacrificing life of service.

Such conduct is not confined to set working hours, for one who loves God serves at all times and in every place, and a well-ordered life with godly speech inspires faith, hope and courage in others. Humble, earnest acts of love done day by day in the neighborhoods where believers live make Christ visible and show the gospel to be a living reality, with greater force than sermons, professions or creeds. True religion makes itself known in deeds of mercy after the example of the Good Samaritan, and those who would be sure of God's mercy and love toward themselves must live this way. A life marked by unselfish labor for all who need sympathy and help displays God's love at work, leading to conversion of heart and transformation of life and character.

By living for something besides self with pure, unselfish motives, in home, church and world, followers represent Christ in character and become the means through which He works for the saving of souls. This is the work given even to children and youth, to look for needed work, show kind attentions, courteous acts, kindness and love, and perform self-denying, self-sacrificing deeds. By this they unconsciously build lasting influence and write their names in hearts, in contrast to the thousands who benefit no one and can never be pointed to as bringing anyone to Christ. Faithful use of every opportunity within one's influence, as in helping and strengthening those struggling with temptation, is prompted by Christ's redeeming love, done for God's glory, and requires watchfulness and earnestness, so that neglected opportunities bring accountability before God.

The world has claims upon believers, who must watch constantly for opportunities to do good by shining as lights, leading souls to piety and devotion, imparting the treasure of the knowledge of Christ's love, and letting truth in the heart diffuse itself in proportion to the greatness of the sacred trust committed, in cooperation with heavenly agencies. Failure to act causes personal loss and imperils one's own soul, deprives those in darkness of light they might have received, and brings in the judgment the charge of the blood of souls for misleading by a profession of Christianity that has a name to live but is spiritually dead for lack of the vitalizing influence of the Spirit richly provided to faith. While deeds of charity and love for those not of the faith are specially good, there lies a special duty to do good especially to the household of faith with thoughtful attention, special interest and personal effort, not heartless dealing or neglect. This means administering to their necessities in tender, pitying love for Christ's sake, with thoughtful plans and care to save their souls, including personal looking after children and youth and widows and the fatherless in the very midst, and sympathy and practical help to a brother in poverty or distress such as with debt or illness.

Zeal that sees needs among unbelievers while neglecting youth and children of believers who need personal looking after is misdirected zeal, and large work for the poor in general does not excuse passing by suffering members of the household whose cry for relievable suffering goes up to God. Neglect of this work by those with great light, opportunities and privileges is a special sin that brings God's frown and controversy and guilt before Him as failure to work the works of Christ. God uses such needs to test whether His followers will serve Christ in His people, and failing to do what one can to help dishonors Him. Relieving them represents Jesus Christ in sympathy and love and shows His attributes of goodness, compassion and love to fellow men, and without this doing well no one can hear Well done.