RIGHT LIVING AND TEACHING

 

RIGHT LIVING AND TEACHING

Titus 2:1 But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching. NLT

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 comes from God. If we are teaching and preaching a lifestyle different than holy living, we are not living right with God. 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.

The Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God. All of the Scriptures are inspired and useful for our living. And the Word clearly commands us to live holy lives.

It is not easy to always do what we know God commands 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.

IS EVERYTHING PURE?

 

IS EVERYTHING PURE?

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. NLT

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.

Is everything pure in your life? Does your thought life reflect heart purity? Do your actions flow from a pure heart? Do you strive to keep your heart pure by repenting when you tarnish your purity? Are you spending adequate time alone with the Lord daily to keep yourself pure?

TEACH AND SHOW

 

TEACH AND SHOW

Titus 1:1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. NLT

Paul had a special calling from God as an apostle to the churches. God sent him to the churches to bring people to faith, build them up in the faith by teaching them truth, and show them how truth should be lived out in life.

You and I have similar callings; we are to bring people to the faith, teach them truth, and show them how to live godly lives. In order to bring people to faith, we must first know that it is real, that it works. We don’t know faith works by just talking about it; we must live it.

In order to teach the truth, we must know the truth and the only way we are going to know the truth is to be students of God’s Word. There is much confusion about what God says simply because we don’t read it, study it, and prayer over it.

Not only do we need to tell others the truth, but we must show them how it is lived out in our daily lives. Great harm is done to the cause of Christ and the faith of many by those who do not live what they proclaim. No one is going to perfectly live godly lives, but all of us who know the Lord must strive to live godly lives. If others cannot see Christ in and through us, what we say will not matter.

Paul told the church at Corinth to follow his example in following Christ. We should so reflect Christ in our lives that others will be attracted to Him and want to know more about Him. Godly living opens the door for the Gospel to be shared and faith begun in lives.

What kind of an example of a godly person are you? Remember, godliness is revealed when you are all alone as well as when you are around others. Are you striving to be consistently holy at all times? Are you?

OUR HEAVENLY CROWN

 

OUR HEAVENLY CROWN

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. NLT

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.,

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.

Earthly crowns fade, are forgotten over time, and sometimes are even taken away from us. Our heavenly crown is eternal and will never be forgotten or taken away from us.

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?

REMAIN FAITHFUL

 

REMAIN FAITHFUL

II Tim. 4:7 I have fought a good fight. I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.  NLT

      Do you like a good fight?  Most people would prefer not to fight.  We teach our children to settle their differences in other ways because we learned the hard way that when people fight, someone will get hurt.  We knew that there was a good possibility that it would be us as a child growing up fighting, and it often was us that got hurt.  We now see fighting as a sign of immaturity.  There are better ways to resolve conflicts than fighting.  Yet, fighting is a normal part of living.

      There have been wars amongst men for centuries.  We don’t like it but accept it as part of life on earth.  Power drives people to want to conquer those who don’t like them, threaten them, or are weaker than they are.  A vast horde of humanity lose their lives because of war.  Sometimes war takes on physical form and sometimes it is verbal in nature.

      Great damage is done when people fight each other with words.  Psychological and emotional scars are left that plague the soul for years to come if not resolved.  Some people are very good at fighting with words. 

       When words are written rather than spoken, the potential is there for great damage to be done because the reader does not know the meaning behind the words.  Assumptions can be made that were never intended.  Be careful what you say to another when you write.

      There is also a fighting that takes place over the soul of man.  There is a constant battle everyone fights over the integrity of his soul.  Every believer constantly is at war with the forces of evil.  No one can escape this fight.  If you are not in a spiritual war, you are not living rightly with God. 

       Live in such a way that you can say with Paul that you have fought a good fight, that you have finished what you started when you came to Christ, that you have been faithful to the end.  Don’t let Satan get the upper hand; resist him daily.  It’s not an easy fight to win, but it is a very winnable fight when you live submissively and obediently to Christ.

      You won’t win if you do not finish.  There may be many obstacles along the way, but you must finish what you have started.  There is no timeouts in the race.  Keep plugging away and you will get to the finish line and great will be your reward in heaven.

DON'T FEAR SUFFERING

 

DON’T FEAR SUFFERING

II Tim. 4:5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you. NLT

Let's think clearly about this verse for a moment. Most who are reading this today do not suffer much for the Gospel. Things are changing daily in our world and it is becoming more and more common, but for the most part, there is little real suffering going on in the Church. Because most of us have lived free from suffering, we fear it and don't appreciate its value to our faith. We do, however, seem to have fear when it comes to sharing our faith and bringing others to Christ.

Many of us are way too concerned about what others will say or do. We remain silent because we don't want to be put on the spot, ridiculed, or perhaps harmed because of our witness. Some do not share their faith because they don't want to come across as foolish due to their lack of Biblical knowledge. They fear being asked questions they can't answer. There are some who know they don't live what they claim to believe and fear they will be called hypocrites.

Paul admonishes Timothy to not let fear stop him for doing what the Lord wants him to do. We are to complete the ministry God has given us to do. No matter what it is, we must step out in faith and simply do it. We must believe what we proclaim about God being with us and enabling us. We must display our love for the Lord by serving Him. What matters is not the momentary consequences of our obedience, but the eternal consequences if we don't. God richly rewards those who obey Him and serve Him in what He has given them to do.

Do not leave your ministry undone; complete it. Don’t give up before you are done. Quitters do not honor Christ. He has given you a task to do. Do it until He gives you peace that your task is done.

PEOPLE WON'T LISTEN

 

PEOPLE WON’T LISTEN

II Tim. 4:3-4 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. They will reject the truth and follow strange myths. NLT

It is here, right now. People for the most part do not listen to right teaching, nor do they want to. They buy into all sorts of false teachings, but refuse to change their minds about Biblical truth. They will listen to those things which make them feel good and do not require much out of them. They want teachings that suit their thinking. They want others to do their thinking for them.

People want teachers who will tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. Those who stick to the Word of God and do not compromise it for the sake of the people they serve are getting fewer and fewer. People want an easy road to heaven and gravitate towards those who promise it. They want to hear those things that excite them instead of those things which challenge and change them. People are quickly becoming anemic as far as holy living is concerned. They are quick to chase after anything but the truth of God's Word.

We need to be very discerning in these last days. We need to be sure we examine the things we hear with the Word of God. We need to listen with critical ears letting only the Word of God be the standard whereby we live. We need to be wise enough to dismiss and not pay attention to those who teach another Gospel. We need to hold them accountable if they are in our churches. We must not give people what they want; we must give them what they need in order to be made holy, a people after God's own heart.

We are certainly in the last days of life as we know it on earth. It is more important now than it ever has been for us to take charge of our minds and souls. Do not let anything in that cannot be supported by God’s Word. Your soul is at stake.