Joy From Above

Titus 3:1-5
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

As I meet more and more Bible believing Christians, I am beginning to sense how important our present time is. We live in a broken and hurting world and all around us, people are suffering in some form or the other. For some, it is physical, to some emotional, to some material. We just got back from a vacation on Vancouver Island and it was such a blessing to know that the owner of the bed and breakfast we stayed at was a passionate Christian who lived Christ every moment of her day. As we spoke, we realized how God has been using believers in present time to encourage each other and share God’s goodness to the world in ways like never before and this is completely spirit led. In these times of strife and disappointment, why is God encouraging us to remind people about being willing to be submit to those in authority, to be good to one another, to seek peace and be humble? Would the world not get us before we even try? 

Admitting Defeat

Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Earlier in the chapter, Paul instructs Titus about how he should instruct the young and old men and women in his flock to live their lives so as to glorify God and also instructs Titus about how he should conduct himself so as to be an example to his flock for the glory of God. It would be awesome if everyone who heard simply complied and went with the flow but I don’t suppose that was the case because even today in Churches, challenges exist among it’s members and pastors spend considerable time ministering to people affected or causing the issues. How then does Paul say (in the passage above) that by God’s grace alone are we are able to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions?

God’s Impossible Standards

Titus 1:15-16
To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

As I read the verses above, I thought they were rather harsh. Most people don’t consider themselves pure and holy but don’t also consider themselves corrupt and impure either. If one is not pure, there certainly must be some middle-ground that God would see them by because most humans are not murderers, adulterers, thieves, criminals or anything that the law would look at as ‘out of order’ from normal society. Why does Paul go on this trip about the impure and then takes it to the next level by calling them detestable and unfit for doing anything good? What is God saying to us today?

A challenge with reading the word of God is never to take anything out of context because the context is relevant to what is being spoken. Here Paul talks about people who lead the Church astray by following myths and doctrines that are outside of the Bible and therefore misleading other followers of Christ. As far as God’s standards for man, the word of God is very clear that all human kind has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. When we consider our lives, we may not be considered a criminal in the eyes of the world but to God, a lie, an ill thought, etc are all sinful and this is something all humans are guilty of. God’s standards are much higher than ours and therefore to be able to connect with God, we need to reach His standards which is impossible. However, Jesus Christ was sent by God, His own father, to live among us, to show us what God expected of us, and was killed because we rejected Him and after 3 days was resurrected to show that He was greater than sin and death and to those who believed in Him, He offered us a way back to God the Father through His shed blood on the cross. Are you saved by God’s abundant grace or sold to the Devil?

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

Titus 3:3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.