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Walking with God

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28. Christians who challenge the Culture – Part 5

Titus 2:9-3:2 

“Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.” “Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.”

3.         Respecting the Rulers

Paul begins with the word “remind” here because we all tend to forget, and the tense indicates that Titus is to “go on reminding continuously.” Isn’t it amazing how much of what we read in the Bible is really just a reminder of what we already know. While we may discover new insights, which is good, often what we really need is to be reminded to put into practice what we already know but may have forgotten. Paul is reminding us to respond rightly to those who rule. It’s here that Paul tells us how to live as saved saints in a Sodom-like society as he reminds us of our work, our words and our walk

  1. Work

·       Attitude – Be Subject –

Paul in Romans 13 teaches us that the authorities that exist have been established by God. Submission focuses not on personality but on position. Authority is an instrument in the hand of God. What attitude do you have when it comes to authority? When it comes to government do you have a worldly whinning attitude or one that is based in the Word? Many of us are exhibiting a carnal complaining attitude instead of a Christ like one. Your attitude will affect your actions, and its here that Paul reminds us that not only should we have an attitude of submission but our actions should be one of:  

·       Actions – Be Obedient

Submission starts with our attitude and obedience is the outward expression of that attitude. Cretans were notoriously rebellious and so Christian citizens needed to be reminded to be different. Now there are times when we must follow God instead of government, as Peter stated in Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men!” Like when Daniel and his buddies refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3. But more often than not our refusal to obey is not based on biblical reasons but rather our politics and personal preferences. What about you are basing your respect of rules on righteous reasons or rebellious ones? 

·       Be ready to do Good

Unfortunately most Christians today have settled for being good instead of doing good. Acts of kindness are the best sermons, because acts of kindness reveal to a watching world that Christ cares. Notice it says be ready to do good, in order to be poised to do good you have to be prepared. Are you preparing by positioning yourself to do good and paying attention for opportunities to do good? Paul is talking about living an intentional life, being proactive instead of reactive. This requires an outward focus, unfortunately most of us have become so inward focused that we have positioned ourselves for selfishness not service. Are you making the goal getting or giving? Paul now reminds us of the importance of our:

  1. Words

·       Don’t slander

This means to speak evil of others. Are you using your words to win people or wound people?  Your words can be a weapon that turns people away from the truth or they can be a witness that turns people to the truth. Our words should be backed up by our:

  1. Walk

·       Be peaceable

Unfortunately instead of being known for being caring many Christians are known for being contentious. Instead of being peaceful people who are defined by who we are for, Christ, we have become angry followers who are defined by what we are against, culture. As a result we run around trying to police everyone instead of present them with god’s peace.

·       Be gentle & humble

Instead of being proud people we should be peaceful people. Gentle here does not mean weak but rather power under control and means to be free from harshness. Christians should be known as compassionate not careless. Pride puffs up and causes us to put others down, but humility helps us to put other people first. What about you do you have a hard heart or a humble heart? The kind of life that we live will either make the message of grace beautiful and believable or bitter and unsavory. Is your life seasoning or souring are you challenging and changing the culture or conforming to it?


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26. Christians who challenge the Culture – Part 3

Titus 2:9-3:2  

“Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.” “Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.”

Second after talking about the practice Paul now reminds us of the purpose. 

  1. PURPOSE – Vs 10

The way you work will be a witness to the world. The way that you work will either warm people to God’s truth or cause them to be wary. The word “attractive” is kosmeo, from which we get “cosmetic.” In ancient times, kosmeo was used of arranging jewels in a necklace in a way that best displayed the beauty of the gems. When servants serve and workers work, they are God’s jewels that sparkle with His brilliance. When we live and work like we’re supposed to, the Almighty becomes attractive and the Bible will be seen as beneficial. Remember that Cretans were known to be “liars, evil brutes, and lazy gluttons.” Christian should be counter cultural, we should offer something that is attractive that causes the world to wake up and take notice. The problem is that most Christians today are not challenging the culture they are conforming to the culture. Do you see your job as a platform to shine Jesus? Do they see you as trustworthy? Or do you spend more time whining than working? Paul’s point is that whatever we do, and whatever we say, reflects upon God. Its not a job it’s a mission field for Jesus, so stop making it about the pay check and start making it about people. Not only are we to witness at work but second we need to:

  1. Grow in Grace – Vs 11-14

As Paul points to God’s grace he reminds us of the past the present and the future. He starts with the:

  1. Gift of grace

The word “revealed” means “to shine.” It’s the idea of grace suddenly shining forth into the moral darkness. This is the story of Easter, when God sent His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. We don’t go out and get grace, God brings it to us. God didn’t just reveal grace He made redemption readily available to everyone. But it has to be received in order to be activated in one’s life. John 1:12: “But as many as received Him to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Grace in simple terms is God’s unmerited favor. Grace is God’s Riches At Christs Expense. Over 500 years ago a young monk named Martin Luther nailed a document to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. It was the custom for scholars to post their dissertations for everyone to read. Luther had been studying passages like Titus 2 and the Book of Romans and had come to a powerful conclusion: We are made right with God by an act of grace, not by works that we do. We don’t deserve it and can never earn it. When it comes to grace you can’t borrow, bribe or barter for it because it is a free gift. When Luther was ordered to recant what he had written he refused: “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason…my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot, and I will not, recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe” Salvation is by grace; otherwise God would not get the glory. Do you get grace, are you living in grace or are you still working and worrying about your salvation?