DIVISIVE PEOPLE

 

DIVISIVE PEOPLE

Titus 3:10-11 If anyone is causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with that person. For people like that have turned away from the truth. They are sinning, and they condemn themselves. NLT

They are everywhere. There are people who seem to have a natural talent for causing divisions in the Church. Some are blatant troublemakers and others are subtle. Paul tells Titus to not waste time on that kind of a person. There should be unity and peace in the church, not divisiveness. He was to give the troublemaker a warning, two at the most, and then he was to have nothing to do with the person.

It’s not an easy thing to do and it’s a very unpopular stand to take. We do not want to alienate anyone. We don’t want to get the reputation of being “holier than thou art.” Rarely do we have the boldness to suggest to someone that they need to leave.

Divisive people have wandered away from the truth. Whether it is an obvious departure from the truth or the spirit of the truth doesn’t matter. As God’s children, we are to strive to live at peace with one another to the best of our ability. In order to do that, we need a lot of grace, patience, and understanding. But, when there can be no peace, for the sake of peace, there must be a parting of ways.

Stirring up trouble in the church is sin and the person who does it stands self-condemned. A lot of trouble can be averted by simply holding those who cause division in the church accountable for their actions.

If you tend to be divisive, let this be a warning to you, stop it now! Take it to the Lord and ask Him to forgive you and help you to stop. Ask Him to give you a heart of love and a desire to be a peacemaker.

WHY JESUS SAVED US

WHY JESUS SAVED US

Titus 3:4-5 But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. NLT

Think about it. Mankind has really made a mess of life. We have done irreparable harm to our environment, we have conceived of every kind of imaginable sin, and we have pushed God out of the public arena. In spite of what we have done, God has showed us His love and kindness by showing us our Savior and given us an opportunity to have a better life.

God is like that, no matter how bad a mess man makes of life, He is there to show us a way to get cleaned up and live a better life. He is merciful and desires nothing but what is best for us.

God starts where we need it the most, our sinful hearts. He exposes our sins and convicts us of it. He answers our prayer of repentance and washes away our sins. He purifies us and makes us clean, whiter than snow. The old is done away with and we become new creations in Christ.

Isn’t that awesome! The slate is wiped clean. We have a fresh, brand new, start. No matter what we have done, in God’s eyes it’s as if it never happened.

If you have messed up, don’t give up. You are not hopelessly lost. You are not without hope. God is merciful. He can wash away your sins and give you a new and fresh start through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Do not believe Satan’s lies that you are beyond hope. Don’t listen to the naysayers that say you can’t start over. No matter how bad things may be for you, believe God. He can make you a new person in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Why did Jesus save us? So you and I can be forgiven for our sins, made pure before God, and be with Him eternally, all because He loves us.

CIVIL CITIZENS

 

CIVIL CITIZENS

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. NLT

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.

We are to submit to our civil leaders and their representatives. We are to support them as they carry out their duties. However, if they are not civil in how they govern us, we are to obey God and not man. When we live godly lives, striving to live in peace with everyone, there is nothing to fear, God will honor and reward you, no matter what man may or may not do to you.

WHY JESUS DIED

 

WHY JESUS DIED

Titus 2:14 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 what is right. NLT

Jesus gave His life. No one took it away from Him. No one could have done anything to Him without His permission. No one could have put Him on the cross or take Him down without His permission. Jesus died for our sins willfully. He surrendered himself fully to God’s will when He went to the cross.

Jesus died for our sins to free us from every kind of sin. There is no sin excluded. Every sin conceived by man or Satan himself is included. He died, taking every sin upon himself, and cleaned up every heart given over to Him.

Jesus died to make us His very own people. We are no longer His enemies, we are adopted into His family and become His children. We now, in Christ, have a living, every day relationship with God himself.

As God’s children, we are to be totally committed to Him. And, this is where most people stumble. Most who profess to be children of God are not totally committed to Him. Most are content to live life their own way instead of God’s way. He is not allowed to make a real difference in their lives.

There are going to be a multitude of people who think they are fine with God who will find out how wrong they are on Judgment Day. God commands us to be holy, a people like Him, a people after His own heart.

There is no such as forsaking some sins and hanging onto others. Sin is an abomination to God. Jesus died to take away all our sins and if we don’t let Him, He cannot be our Savior or Lord.

If you are not fully committed to the Lord today, it’s not too late to open up your heart and let Him take control of you. Do it now before it’s too late.

READY TO GO

 

READY TO GO

Titus 2:12-13 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. NLT

It is very clear from God, we must turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. You can’t turn from what you are not facing. So, when we are confronted with sinful temptations, we don’t linger in front of it, we turn away from it and get away from it as soon as we can.

We live in a very evil world. It takes a lot of self-control to stay right with God. We must want to be right with God more than we do to enjoy the pleasures of sin. The only way we can do that is to be devoted to God. We must seek out God, spend time alone with Him, and work on establishing a love relationship with Him. We must see Him as our most valuable element in our lives. We love Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

When the Lord is our focus, we develop a longing to be with Him. We begin to share the Apostle Paul’s passion for Christ. We will strain with all we have to not mess up, to make sure we will go and be with the Lord when we die.

We only know the Lord a little bit now. When we are with Him in heaven, we will know Him fully. His glory fills heaven. There is no sin or its effects in heaven. For the child of God, heaven indeed is a glorious place filled with His glory and grace.

Jesus is coming soon. For the redeemed it is the most anticipated event yet to come. Expectation fills the air. Being ready to go home with the Lord is our passion. The King is coming and none too soon. There’s a longing in the soul for that day in which Christ will be revealed for all to see.

Turn away from evil, be devoted to the Lord in all things, live godly lives ready for the Lord to come. When you do, you will be ready to go.

GRACE REVEALED

 

GRACE REVEALED

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. NLT

Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve; it is His favor on our lives. We are sinners deserving only an eternity in hell, but God loves us and did not let us get what we deserve. He did what was impossible for us to do; He made it possible for us to be made holy, able to be in His presence.

Everything God has ever done for mankind has been an act of grace. God has revealed himself to man ever since the time of Adam and Eve. He slowly, but surely, helped man to know He is holy and that he needed a Savior.

At just the right time God entered into our world and revealed himself as our Savior, the one who could make us right with himself. He took upon himself our sins when He went to the cross. He satisfied His own wrath against sin and opened the door of salvation for all.

Now anyone can be saved from God’s judgment against sin. Anyone can be made right with God. Anyone who admits their sins, confesses them to Christ, asks for forgiveness, and commits themselves to a changed life in Him, will be qualified to be in God’s presence.

Salvation is for everyone. No one is excluded from God’s offer of salvation. No sin is beyond God’s ability to eradicate. No one is so bad that he cannot be forgiven.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise Him who has brought salvation down to man!

“Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. Thank you, Lord, for making me whole. Thank you, Lord, for giving to me, my great salvation so rich and free!”

SIN ALLOWED IN GRACE?

 

SIN ALLOWED IN GRACE?

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. NLT

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 rightly before God, be devoted to Him alone, and live in anticipation of the coming of Christ to take us home.

Is sin allowed in grace? Not in God’s eyes. All sin is repulsive to Him and worthy of His wrath against it.