Galatians 6:10
"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
Doing good may sound a bit strange to some who are accustomed to hearing, as the Scripture says, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10), and that in this flesh, there is no good thing, as Paul said in Romans 7:18. Yet, in this particular portion of Scripture, we are told, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all" (Galatians 6:10).
The idea here is that we should not judge whether a person is worthy of the help we may offer. When we consider God, we understand that the word "good" is a reflection of His nature. God does good to sinners not because of anything in them but according to His purpose, will, and grace. We are to reflect God's goodness, and when it says, "Let us do good unto all," it means all kinds of people, especially those who are of the household of faith. This is one of the themes Paul addresses in his letter to the Galatians, where he urges the new believers, who come from different backgrounds, not to form cliques or reject anyone based on their race or cultural background. Instead, as the Scripture says, we are to do good to everyone, particularly to those who belong to the household of faith.
There is a difference between being a "do-gooder" and doing good. A "do-gooder" is often seen as someone who is overly righteous—someone whose efforts to help others are driven by self-righteousness. On the other hand, doing good means taking actions that genuinely benefit others and contribute to their well-being. When we bring it back to who God is and what He has done for sinners through the Lord Jesus Christ, we see that God's goodness was demonstrated first in choosing to save sinners and then in sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay their sin debt. There is no greater goodness than that. If we are among those for whom Christ has paid the debt and whom the Father has chosen, we have experienced the greatest act of goodness.
Doing good isn't just about simple acts like buying groceries for someone, filling up someone's gas tank, or doing what people often call a "good deed." If someone says, "I did my good deed for the day," you might respond, "Does that mean you're going to be mean-spirited for the rest of the day?" The concept of doing good isn't about checking something off a list. It's about doing good, especially to those who may not seem to deserve it. Again, we must look to God's goodness toward His people in Christ. It’s not that they deserve it. There’s nothing in us that could ever have attracted God’s attention, making Him do good to us or show us grace.
The number one way to do good is by restoring the weak—helping those who have fallen, recognizing that we might need that same restoration next. When you are burdened, isn't it wonderful when the Lord brings someone alongside you to share your burden? They express kindness and understanding and assure you of their prayers. This is what we see in Galatians 6:2-4: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another." In other words, we don't do good to be seen or applauded. We should be thankful that the Lord caused our paths to cross with someone we could help. As verse 5 says, "For every man shall bear his own burden." This is the second way of doing good—bearing others’ burdens as if they were our own. When Paul speaks of bearing one another’s burdens, he is referring to a person overtaken by a trespass, weighed down by a heavy load. We've all seen someone overloaded, and our first instinct is to ask, "Can I help carry some of that for you?"
Let us do good to all, as the Lord gives opportunity. You can’t sit back and say, "I don’t know if they’re elected by God or not." It doesn’t matter. Even if they aren’t, you will have done good to someone, and that may be the only good they ever experience. But if they are one of the Lord’s sheep, perhaps the Lord will use that act of goodness to continue drawing them to Christ in His perfect time. That is what it means when the Scripture says, "especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
This principle is like that of a farmer who reaps what he sows. We aren’t even the sower—Christ is the sower. The sower scatters the seed, and in its time and season, it will bring forth fruit. Whatever we sow, we will reap. We can't sow a false message and expect good to come of it. But as the farmer waits for the early and latter rains, Christ has set forth His death and what He accomplished, and He will cause the seed to bear fruit in His time.
That is why the Scripture says, "As we have opportunity, let us do good." The opportunity is always there. We should seek to bring joy to those who belong to the Lord, knowing that we all are blessed by the goodness of God in Christ.
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