Titus 3:1-2 Remind your people to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not speak evil of anyone, and they must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.
God wants us to live in peace. He doesn't want us to live on the edge, always riled up about something. We may not like or agree with all that is going on around us, but we should strive to live well in our world. It is easy to dislike the world we live in and those who rule in it. But, unless there is obvious misuse of power and abuse of those who rule over us, we are to be law-abiding citizens who strive to do good.
It is a good thing for us to pray for our leaders. Instead of always finding fault with them, we should pray for them. We should leave the judging up to the Lord who alone is able to judge the heart. Our duty is to do good and pray for them.
It is a good thing for us to not participate in gossip and degrading discussions. It is easy to speak evil of people we don't know. God knows what we talk about and He will hold us accountable for it.
It is a good thing for us to be gentle and show true humility to everyone. It is good, but it is not easy. Our sinful nature does not act that way. It takes a lot of determined effort on our part to resist the temptation to be driven by selfish ambition and pride. It is a battle that we are never completely freed from. The more we live in Christ, the more likely it is that we will win far more battles than we lose. The most effective way to change the world we live in is for the body of Christ to live godly lives consistently in the world. We are commanded to be a holy people.
Are you praying for those who rule over you? The list would include your leaders in government, at work, in the church, or perhaps even at home.
Are you living a godly life outside of the church? Does your life reflect Christ in such a way that you are making a difference in your world? You may be the only true witness for Christ someone will ever have.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
INDULGE IN GRACE, NOT SIN
Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, while we look forward to that wonderful event 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, to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right.
There are those amongst us who seem to think it is alright to accept sin in our midst. There is a very loose attitude about sin because we are a people of grace and not law. We don't get too concerned about sinful practices, after all it is a matter between the individual and God. We tend to accept sin so that we don't disrupt the peace. Right conduct before God is preached and taught, but often not held up as a mandate for living. We know better and should do better.
Jesus did not die for our sins to let us get by with sinning. He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin. He forgives us to purify us. Jesus does not take a neutral stand on sin. He hates it. It is what put Him on the cross. Our sin is what Jesus had to take upon himself, even though He had never known sin before. Sin is the only thing that can drive and keep Jesus away from us.
It is our Lord's will that we would be totally committed to doing what is right. My question for you today is, "How committed are you to doing what is right before God?" It is not okay with God for us to tolerate sin in our lives. God has revealed His grace to us so that we would turn away from sin and its pleasures and live godly lives before Him. Even though we are surrounded by sinful pleasures, we dare not indulge in them. Exercise self-control, live right before God, be devoted to Him alone, and live in anticipation of the coming of Christ to take us home.
There are those amongst us who seem to think it is alright to accept sin in our midst. There is a very loose attitude about sin because we are a people of grace and not law. We don't get too concerned about sinful practices, after all it is a matter between the individual and God. We tend to accept sin so that we don't disrupt the peace. Right conduct before God is preached and taught, but often not held up as a mandate for living. We know better and should do better.
Jesus did not die for our sins to let us get by with sinning. He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin. He forgives us to purify us. Jesus does not take a neutral stand on sin. He hates it. It is what put Him on the cross. Our sin is what Jesus had to take upon himself, even though He had never known sin before. Sin is the only thing that can drive and keep Jesus away from us.
It is our Lord's will that we would be totally committed to doing what is right. My question for you today is, "How committed are you to doing what is right before God?" It is not okay with God for us to tolerate sin in our lives. God has revealed His grace to us so that we would turn away from sin and its pleasures and live godly lives before Him. Even though we are surrounded by sinful pleasures, we dare not indulge in them. Exercise self-control, live right before God, be devoted to Him alone, and live in anticipation of the coming of Christ to take us home.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
CORRECT TEACHING
Titus 2:8 Let your teaching be so correct that it can’t be criticized. Then those who want to argue will be ashamed because they won’t have anything bad to say about us.
It is imperative for our own souls and for the sake of others that our teachings be correct and above reproach. It is so easy to fail at this. We don’t study well enough and pray over what we study to get a proper knowledge of the Word. We often let our own ideas determine how we interpret and apply the Scriptures. We readily accept as true what others tell us without examining the Word for ourselves to see if it is true. We tend to not think too deeply about what we read. We do not ask the Holy Spirit to guide our thinking as we think over the Word. We tend to not put Scripture into the context of Scripture for a proper understanding of it. In other words, we don’t invest the time we need in the Word to make sure our teaching is correct. We are spiritually lazy.
It is good for the soul to make time for Bible studies. We can learn much from others by sitting under their teachings. We can learn much from the thinking of others as the Word is discussed. We can examine our understanding in light of the understanding of others and correct our thinking as needed. It is good for us to discover how the Word is being applied in the lives of others. The more time we spend in fellowship over the Word, the better chance we have of getting it right.
Correct understanding of the Scriptures leads to correct application which diffuses the arguments of those who would seek to find fault with us. Let the Lord guide you in all your thinking as you learn from the Scriptures that which is true.
Monday, June 27, 2016
LIVE YOUR TEACHINGS
Titus 2:6-7 In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely in all they do. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good deeds of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching .
We need to take responsibility when teaching others. We need to encourage those who follow us to live wisely in all they do. One of the biggest problems that we have today is that our young people have not been taught the essential things that produce wisdom in them and have not been encouraged to seek them. Most young people have pretty much had to fend for themselves when it comes to things that really matter in life.
We need to take responsibility for the kind of an example we are setting for those who follow us. Our young people learn best by watching those who are teaching them. They are perceptive and know by watching whether or not we really believe what we teach. Consistency in living a godly life is essential for our teachings to have any value at all. When what we say is backed up by what we do, others take note and are encouraged to believe that they can do it too.
We only have one chance to influence future generations to follow the Lord. We must not shirk our responsibility before God. How we live not only affects our own souls, it affects the souls of all those who follow us. Let us strive to always be encouragers of the faith of others and not discouragers. Let us be careful how we live. We are influencers of others, whether we think we are or not.
We need to take responsibility when teaching others. We need to encourage those who follow us to live wisely in all they do. One of the biggest problems that we have today is that our young people have not been taught the essential things that produce wisdom in them and have not been encouraged to seek them. Most young people have pretty much had to fend for themselves when it comes to things that really matter in life.
We need to take responsibility for the kind of an example we are setting for those who follow us. Our young people learn best by watching those who are teaching them. They are perceptive and know by watching whether or not we really believe what we teach. Consistency in living a godly life is essential for our teachings to have any value at all. When what we say is backed up by what we do, others take note and are encouraged to believe that they can do it too.
We only have one chance to influence future generations to follow the Lord. We must not shirk our responsibility before God. How we live not only affects our own souls, it affects the souls of all those who follow us. Let us strive to always be encouragers of the faith of others and not discouragers. Let us be careful how we live. We are influencers of others, whether we think we are or not.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
PROMOTE RIGHT TEACHING
Titus 2:1 But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching.
The Apostle Paul is telling Titus to promote a lifestyle that is consistent with sound doctrine. He is saying that if we are not living godly lives then we aren't living what we are teaching and preaching. There is no middle ground where we can justify not doing what we know God says for us to do. If we are not living holy lives, we are not living in obedience to God and we are not in fellowship with God.
It is not easy to always do what we know God commnads us to do. Holy living is indeed a very difficult life to live because we are living in a sin-infected world with by nature sinful hearts. We are naturally drawn to sin and the only way we can resist it is to willfully seek Christ's help. We must determine in our hearts and minds to do what is right before God instead of what our flesh desires. We must resist the temptation to compromise what we know is right. We must keep our eyes fixated on Christ and not on the allurements of sin. It takes great determination to do what is right before God and no one does it perfectly all the time.
The key to practicing what we preach is to keep our souls saturated with God's Word and spend much time in close communion with God. We must read the Word of God with open hearts and minds, ready to listen and learn from God. We must desire to grow in holiness. We must refuse to let things into our hearts and minds that are not beneficial for our soul's well-being.
The reward for living a life that reflects right teaching is being richly blessed by God both here and in heaven. Our failure to do it is the absence of God's fellowship and blessings both now and forever.
The Apostle Paul is telling Titus to promote a lifestyle that is consistent with sound doctrine. He is saying that if we are not living godly lives then we aren't living what we are teaching and preaching. There is no middle ground where we can justify not doing what we know God says for us to do. If we are not living holy lives, we are not living in obedience to God and we are not in fellowship with God.
It is not easy to always do what we know God commnads us to do. Holy living is indeed a very difficult life to live because we are living in a sin-infected world with by nature sinful hearts. We are naturally drawn to sin and the only way we can resist it is to willfully seek Christ's help. We must determine in our hearts and minds to do what is right before God instead of what our flesh desires. We must resist the temptation to compromise what we know is right. We must keep our eyes fixated on Christ and not on the allurements of sin. It takes great determination to do what is right before God and no one does it perfectly all the time.
The key to practicing what we preach is to keep our souls saturated with God's Word and spend much time in close communion with God. We must read the Word of God with open hearts and minds, ready to listen and learn from God. We must desire to grow in holiness. We must refuse to let things into our hearts and minds that are not beneficial for our soul's well-being.
The reward for living a life that reflects right teaching is being richly blessed by God both here and in heaven. Our failure to do it is the absence of God's fellowship and blessings both now and forever.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
A PURE HEART
Titus 1:15-16 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are defiled. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are despicable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
Actions put meaning to words. How we live matters. How we live reflects what is in our hearts. For those who have pure hearts, all that they do and say will be consistent with their purity. It doesn’t mean we will be perfect little angels, but it does mean we will consistently live what we profess to believe. The character of Christ will be evident in our lives. Our words and actions will be honorable and pleasing to Him.
The issue is what does purity mean as it is fleshed out in our lives? I believe it means a lot of things and probably will vary from one person to the next, but one thing that all pure people have in common is the desire to live submissively and obediently to Christ. It is wanting to be like Christ in character and nature. It is striving to win the battle over sin. It is staying connected to Christ at all times. It is understanding that apart from Christ ruling our hearts, we can do nothing that is pleasing and acceptable to Him.
A pure heart has a real problem with sin. Sin is repulsive and an effort is made to avoid it. A pure heart is moved to repentance when one stumbles and falls into sin. It is guilt ridden over sin. It is always looking to be more holy before God.
If you don’t have a pure heart, everything you say and do is defiled in God’s eyes. You may look good on the outside, but inside you are a mess. A defiled heart is an outcast; there is no place in God’s kingdom for him. No matter how it may appear, all the work of a defiled heart is worthless and does nothing good for the soul. A pure heart makes a man good and acceptable to God.
Actions put meaning to words. How we live matters. How we live reflects what is in our hearts. For those who have pure hearts, all that they do and say will be consistent with their purity. It doesn’t mean we will be perfect little angels, but it does mean we will consistently live what we profess to believe. The character of Christ will be evident in our lives. Our words and actions will be honorable and pleasing to Him.
The issue is what does purity mean as it is fleshed out in our lives? I believe it means a lot of things and probably will vary from one person to the next, but one thing that all pure people have in common is the desire to live submissively and obediently to Christ. It is wanting to be like Christ in character and nature. It is striving to win the battle over sin. It is staying connected to Christ at all times. It is understanding that apart from Christ ruling our hearts, we can do nothing that is pleasing and acceptable to Him.
A pure heart has a real problem with sin. Sin is repulsive and an effort is made to avoid it. A pure heart is moved to repentance when one stumbles and falls into sin. It is guilt ridden over sin. It is always looking to be more holy before God.
If you don’t have a pure heart, everything you say and do is defiled in God’s eyes. You may look good on the outside, but inside you are a mess. A defiled heart is an outcast; there is no place in God’s kingdom for him. No matter how it may appear, all the work of a defiled heart is worthless and does nothing good for the soul. A pure heart makes a man good and acceptable to God.
Friday, June 24, 2016
FIGHT TO THE FINISH
II Tim. 4:6-8 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight. I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me---the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return.
I don't know about you, but I live with these verses in mind. I don't know when the Lord is going to take me home to heaven. Until He does, I must continue to do what He has given me to do. Each day I live draws me closer to that day. I know that what lies before me in heaven is the prize the Lord has prepared for me, and I want to be able to accept it in humility knowing I have finished well. The crown of righteousness awaits all who faithfully live righteously here on earth. I will get my crown, I trust you can say the same thing.
We are in a fight, and it would do well for us to never forget it. The life of a Christian is not an easy life. Satan is a bully and he is always looking for a fight. He is stubborn and does not take no for an answer. He relentlessly keeps throwing punches at us in an attempt to knock us down and out. He is determined to win the battle for our souls. In order to fight a good fight, we must train well, study his moves, and plan well our defenses and attacks. We must not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to but instead recognize that we must rely on the Lord to help us fight our battles.
We must never give up in this race of life. It is a marathon and faithfulness to Christ is an absolute must until we cross the finish line. What awaits us is the completion of our salvation. We will be able to stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We will join all those who are faithful to Christ when He comes for the church and go home with Him to heaven.
How are you doing? Are you fighting a good fight? Are you running a good race? Are you confident that when the Lord does come for you that He will find you to be faithful and that you will be ready to go to heaven with Him?
I don't know about you, but I live with these verses in mind. I don't know when the Lord is going to take me home to heaven. Until He does, I must continue to do what He has given me to do. Each day I live draws me closer to that day. I know that what lies before me in heaven is the prize the Lord has prepared for me, and I want to be able to accept it in humility knowing I have finished well. The crown of righteousness awaits all who faithfully live righteously here on earth. I will get my crown, I trust you can say the same thing.
We are in a fight, and it would do well for us to never forget it. The life of a Christian is not an easy life. Satan is a bully and he is always looking for a fight. He is stubborn and does not take no for an answer. He relentlessly keeps throwing punches at us in an attempt to knock us down and out. He is determined to win the battle for our souls. In order to fight a good fight, we must train well, study his moves, and plan well our defenses and attacks. We must not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to but instead recognize that we must rely on the Lord to help us fight our battles.
We must never give up in this race of life. It is a marathon and faithfulness to Christ is an absolute must until we cross the finish line. What awaits us is the completion of our salvation. We will be able to stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We will join all those who are faithful to Christ when He comes for the church and go home with Him to heaven.
How are you doing? Are you fighting a good fight? Are you running a good race? Are you confident that when the Lord does come for you that He will find you to be faithful and that you will be ready to go to heaven with Him?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
