Galatians 6:10 instructs us to do good for everyone while intentionally loving and caring for the family of faith.
Galatians teaches that we are justified not by following strict rules but by placing our faith in Jesus and following him.
By placing our faith in Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit, who enables us to do good for others.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers. — Galatians 6:10, NIV
Galatians 6:10 shares a very important instruction for all of us: Do good to all, especially our fellow Jesus followers. But to truly understand the meaning of Galatians 6:10, we must back up a bit. Let’s start at the beginning.
Galatians: Salvation in Jesus, Not in Following Strict Rules
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” — Galatians 1:6-7, NIV
From the very start of Galatians, you can feel the Apostle Paul’s frustration. Why? Some of the Galatians were of Jewish descent and believed that non-Jewish Christians (also known as Gentiles) needed to follow every law in the Torah (the law of Moses) to truly be followers of Jesus. And they were teaching this in their churches.
But people aren’t made right with God by what they do or their works. Instead, they’re saved through what Jesus did and by placing their faith in him. This is Paul’s message throughout the letter of Galatians.
Freedom Is Found in Jesus
Matthew 5:17 tells us that Jesus fulfilled the law. He lived a perfect life for us. And now, in him, we have freedom. We don’t have to strive to keep every strict rule. Instead, we can place our faith in Jesus and follow him.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. — Galatians 5:1, NIV
Now, does this give us a free pass to sin? Absolutely not. By placing our faith in Jesus, we receive his Spirit, the Holy Spirit. And through his help and guidance, we begin to become like Jesus. We begin to show the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) says:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Instead of following rules, we can follow the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us, who stays day in and day out, transforming us as we walk with him. Nothing we can do on our own can make us righteous — it’s through Jesus alone.
Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself
Now, let’s connect some dots. In Galatians 5:14, Paul continues his letter with this incredible statement: “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
If we love and care for those around us as we do ourselves, we fulfill the heart and purpose of the entire law. Paul wasn’t making this up. This truth, found in Mark, comes straight from Jesus too.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” — Mark 12:30-31, NIV
To bring the truth full circle, in this passage, Jesus was quoting from Leviticus, the place where the strict laws of Moses are found. Cool, right?
What Is the Meaning of Galatians 6:10?
If the law is fulfilled by loving those around us, how do we do it? That’s the basis of Paul’s instructions in Galatians 6, the last chapter of his letter.
Here, Paul reminds the church to do good to all, including the ones they were attempting to cast out for not following the rules.
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, NIV
What does it mean to do good? Let’s break this verse down further.
Good: The Greek word for “good” is agathos, which translates to “benefit.” In many places in the New Testament, this word is used to describe good that originates from God.
Believers: In the KJV version of this verse, “believers” is instead “them who are of the household of faith.” In Greek, “household” is oikos. This word is often used to mean a physical house or a family. It’s also used to describe generations. “Faith” is pistis or persuasion of the truth.
Putting It All Together: We should do good things for the benefit of those around us, especially those in the family of God who share our persuasion of the truth of the gospel.
For the Galatians, this meant to do good to all within the family of God, including those of non-Jewish descent. For us, this verse instructs us to do good to all around us, including those who follow Jesus, despite where they come from, what they look like or what they have.
Goodness Comes From the Holy Spirit
How do we follow the instruction given in Galatians 6:10? Through the help of the Holy Spirit. Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit that’s cultivated as we follow Jesus.
In Greek, the word for “goodness” is agathosune. And what’s cool about this word is that it doesn’t mean being good — it means doing good. Goodness is an action. It takes seeing the needs of those around us and doing what we can to help.
Think about Jesus. He didn’t just avoid doing bad things — he actively did good things, even acting on our behalf before we even walked the earth. We’re called to follow his example.
How Can We Live Out Galatians 6:10?
The good news is that there are endless ways for us to do good for those around us, from meeting needs to spending time in prayer.
Meet a Tangible Need
One way to do good is to see someone’s need and do what you can to fulfill it. Take a moment to think about your friends, family and church family. Are there any needs you could help fulfill?
Maybe you have a friend in need of a listening ear. Maybe you know of a family in need of some groceries. Or maybe you could meet a need for a child living in poverty, like safe water or education.
Serve Your Church Family
Galatians 6:10 calls us to do good for those in the body of believers for a reason. When the body of Christ is healthy and supported, it’s better equipped to serve others. And each of us has a role in serving the body so it can reach more people with the gospel.
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” — Romans 12:4-5, NIV
How can you serve your church family? Perhaps you can serve in the children’s ministry or use your voice for worship. Perhaps you can lead a small group or volunteer to clean the church building.
Pray and ask God where he would have you serve within his body. He’s faithful to answer.
Offer Words of Encouragement
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Your words are powerful. Why not use them to encourage and speak life to someone?
This might look like celebrating a co-worker’s progress. Or reminding a friend of God’s promises when they feel overwhelmed. Even a thoughtful text can be the encouragement someone needs to keep going.
Pray for Others
There’s no better way to do good for those around you than to pray for them. When we pray, God hears us (Isaiah 65:24). And as we lift up others to him, we invite his presence, wisdom, strength and provision into their lives. He is able to do far greater than we could ever do.
In your prayer time today, pray for a friend going through a rough time. Pray for a stranger you saw at the grocery store. Pray for a child in poverty. Pray for your church family.
Galatians 6:10 invites us to do good — to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us so we bless everyone around us, especially our family in the faith. When we choose to do good, we become living reminders of Jesus’ love in the world.