Avoid Foolish Controversies

“The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” (Titus 3:8-11 ESV)

Good Works

We are not saved from our sins because of our own fleshly good works, but our salvation from sin and our walks of faith in Jesus Christ are not absent of good works. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (see Titus 2:11-14). And we are God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (see Ephesians 2:8-10). 

See: [John 15:1-11; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:21; Titus 2:11-14; Titus 3:8; James 2:17] 

And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to (save) our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin (lose our lives), and follow him in obedience to his commands in holy living, then we have the hope of eternal life with God. For if we are ashamed of Christ and of his words in this life, he will be ashamed of us when he returns (Luke 9:23-26).

For when we believe in Jesus Christ with God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in him, we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to be enslaved to sin but to God and to his righteousness. So we are not to let sin continue to reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, but if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and sanctification, and its end is eternal life (Romans 6:1-23).

So don’t let people fool you into believing that no works are required of you by God under the New Covenant. They are just the works that God prepared in advance that we should do (walk in them) as those who have believed in him to be Lord and Savior of our lives. This is us living and walking in the salvation already provided, not us working to try to earn our salvation. And we do so in the power of God and under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit living within us, and not in our own human flesh and strength.

Foolish Controversies

What is a “foolish controversy”? Well, first of all, what is “foolish”? It is anything that is unwise, thoughtless, stupid, reckless, and senseless. And a fool is someone who refuses to listen to wisdom or learn from discipline. A fool is also someone who has rebelled against God and against the teachings of Christ and of his NT apostles. Fools are those who choose to say “No” to God and “Yes” to their sins repeatedly and deliberately. But we don’t have to be fools in order to sometimes do things which are foolish (unwise).

And a controversy is a disagreement, dispute, contention or argument. Now is it wrong to have disagreements? No! Is it wrong to contend for the truth and against the lies? No! Jesus did. Paul did. Peter and John did. For we are not to just lay down and accept the lies of the enemy and to not refute them. We are to expose the fruitless deeds of darkness and to contend for the faith and for the gospel of our salvation. So the wrongness is not in disagreeing with others and with stating the truth as opposed to the lies.

But we need to exercise much discernment and wisdom in knowing how to choose our battles and what is worth fighting for and what is not, and when. And we must realize that there will be people out there, just like Jesus experienced with the Jews, whose goal it is to pick fights and to stir up controversy and to bait us into getting into senseless arguments with them which go nowhere. For they are hoping to waste our time or to “stir up our dander,” or to try to trip us up with our words so they can accuse us.

So, we need to learn to ask ourselves questions like, “Does this matter for eternity”? “Is the other person just trying to bait me into an argument?” “Do they sound like they want knowledge and understanding or are they just trying to stir up a debate?” “Have we had this same conversation with this same person more than once? Perhaps habitually? Does it always end up with the same result?” If so, then it is pointless. Learn when to say “No” and to walk away from a conversation when to continue with it is senseless.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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