Saturday, February 11, 2017, 5:34 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Seek the Lord.” Speak, Lord, your words
to my heart. I read Titus 3:1-11
(NIV).
Whatever is Good (vv. 1-2)
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 always to be gentle toward everyone.
As followers of Jesus Christ,
we are to be subject to rulers and those in authority over us, yet we are to
never succumb to following after false gods, to compromising our faith and
convictions, and to disobeying our Lord. If human authority requires us to
disobey God and his Word, then God’s authority always trumps human authority
(See examples of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and Daniel, Jesus and his NT apostles).
We should always live in
obedience to our Lord, though. This is not saying we will never sin (See: 1 Jn.
2:1), but it is saying that our lifestyle, i.e. how we conduct our lives day in
and day out should be reflective of those who are committed to obedience to
Christ and to his Word. Our goal in life should not be to see how much bad we
can get away with and not get caught, but our mission in life should be to do
whatever is good by God’s standards, i.e. whatever is wholesome, moral, upright,
godly and has the best interest of others in mind. We should not be in the
practice of gossiping about others, especially if we tell lies about them in
order to cause them harm. And, we should also be patient, fair and reasonable
in our dealings with others.
Justified by Grace (vv. 3-8)
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. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and
renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus
Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become
heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want
you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be
careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent
and profitable for everyone.
If we ever get to feeling
morally superior to others, thinking to ourselves about how righteous we are, and
being proud of it, then we need to read this passage of scripture, for it puts
things in the proper perspective for us.
We were all born into this
world as sinners. We all came up short of attaining God’s divine approval. Not
one of us can earn or deserve our own salvation. We are not saved because of
our own righteousness. Only by God’s grace, through Jesus’ blood shed on the
cross for our sins, can we be forgiven of our sins and have the hope of eternal
life with God. We can’t even come to Christ unless the Father draws us, and
even the faith to believe in Jesus is a gift from God, i.e. it is his divine persuasion
to us of his will for our lives. We don’t believe in Jesus with human belief,
but with spiritual faith. Because this faith is of the Spirit, it is in accord
with (is persuaded of) God’s perfect will.
Even the ability to repent of
our sins and to walk in obedience to our Lord is a gift from God, empowered by
his Spirit at work within us. When we exercise this God-given faith, the Spirit
of God transforms our lives away from sin and to God, to live to his
righteousness. Our spiritually blinded eyes are opened, and we are turned from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God so that we might receive
forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified (purified, made
holy) by faith in Jesus Christ (See: Acts 26:16-18). And, all this is possible
because of God’s mercy toward us in delivering us out of slavery to sin so that
we can now become bondservants of Christ and of his righteousness. All glory to
God. Amen!
A Divisive Person (vv. 9-11)
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and
arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and
useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After
that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped
and sinful; they are self-condemned.
A divisive person is “disposed
to form sects, sectarian, heretical, factious.” Literally, a factious person is
one who is “specializing in half-truths and misimpressions ‘to win others over’
to their personal opinion (misguided zeal) – while
creating harmful divisions (used only in Tit 3:10)” (Source:
biblehub.com). If someone is heretical, he is deviating, dissenting, and/or
profane (irreverent, abusive and full of contempt regarding what is sacred). And,
to deviate means to stray, depart, turn from, or wander, in this case, from the
biblical standard for how we should live our lives as followers of Jesus Christ,
i.e. it is to be immoral.
We should separate ourselves
from those who willfully tell half-truths and who purposefully give
misimpressions to win people over to their misguided beliefs and practices, if
they have been warned appropriately, and if they have not repented of their
sins. We should not be party to what is heretical, i.e. we should not in any
way give such people our support. And, what they teach and practice should not
be the foundation for our faith in Jesus Christ, either. If they are preaching
a half-truth gospel which eliminates the necessity of repentance, obedience,
and submission to Christ as part of our God-given faith, i.e. God’s divine
persuasion, i.e. the persuasion of his will, then we should reject such
teaching. Such teaching gives free license to immorality and to living sinful
lifestyles while still promising its adherents the hope of eternal life in
heaven with God, and this is deviant from God’s will.
The Word of God teaches us that
faith in Jesus Christ involves dying with Christ to sin and being resurrected
with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness
and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24). Scripture teaches us that Jesus died that we
might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for
ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us; and he died “to redeem us
from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession
who are zealous for good works.” His grace is not a free license to continue in
willful sin against God. His grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and
worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we
wait for Christ’s return (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15; Tit. 2:11-14; cf. Ro.
6:1-23; 8:1-14).
Jesus said that if we want to
come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin
and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of
living for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity. But, if we lose our
lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life with God. Paul
reiterated this message when he said that Jesus died that the righteous
requirement of the law might be fully met in us who walk, not according to the
flesh, but according to the Spirit. He said that if we walk (conduct our lives)
according to the flesh (sin, wickedness) we will die (in our sins), but if by
the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (with
Christ for eternity) (Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 8:1-14). And, John said that if we say
we have fellowship with God but we walk (in lifestyle) in darkness (sin,
wickedness) that we don’t live by the truth (1 Jn. 1:6). So, we need to seek
the Lord and his righteousness and not follow after liars.
Seek the Lord / An
Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to
waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good
today,
And your soul will delight in richest
of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with
you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found;
call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in
truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will
receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is
truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I
desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy, and be led forth in
peace.
The mountains will burst into song…
before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
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