Titus 4:12-15

Titus 4:12-15 As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need. Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives. Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

Titus 4:12-15 (Amplified Bible) When I send Artemas or [perhaps] Tychicus to you, lose no time but make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your utmost to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they want for (lack) nothing. And let our own [people really] learn to apply themselves to good deeds (to honest labor and honorable employment), so that they may be able to meet necessary demands whenever the occasion may require and not be living idle and uncultivated and unfruitful lives. All who are with me wish to be remembered to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace (God’s favor and blessing) be with you all. Amen (so be it).

Honest labor and honorable employment have always been obligations to those who are Christians. Those who will not work should not eat is a Biblical maxim. Christians should be profitable in their daily lives to further the purposes of Christ. As we discover in the above passage, Titus will be moving on. He will be rejoining Paul; therefore, his position in Crete will be replaced by another worker. He is moving on to further God's work by being with Paul. Zenas and Apollos are also workers in God's harvest. They are not to lack anything in their efforts to spread the Word. In the above passage we see Paul, Titus, Zenas, and Apollos provided for by the church. They are to receive direct material help from the church because they are working in the harvest field. The Bible encourages Christians to seek first the kingdom of God, which I believe not only includes a spiritually focused life, but also a very practically focused life of furthering the kingdom of God through the giving of our material goods.

Sometimes I wonder what people think about seeking first the kingdom of God. Is this kingdom just for ourselves, or is it for others too? God has asked us to be servants. If we are servants, we serve with our whole lives, which also includes our money. How much money? A tenth or the Old Testament tithe? Christians are to be committed wholeheartedly, completely. Their lives have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, so they are no longer their own, especially in the eyes of God. As servants then, we are to facilitate God's message of redemption to a sick and needy world. A servant commits how much to his master? How much of ourselves do we commit? How much of our goods do we wholeheartedly give to God? Each Christian has to decide the level of his servanthood, his/her commitment, but I know that the older I get in Christ, the more I desire to submit to God's will, for that is my reasonable sacrifice. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1)

How generous are we as a group of people? I suspect very generous, I hope very generous. If we speak of Christ readily in front of waitresses, then they should know through our tipping that we are a loving and a generous people. Our tips should reflect our hearts. If we portray Christ to people around us, they should know that God is ready to help them through our lives and our commitments. All people should know that we are ready to share our material goods with them if they are in need. Our lives should be read like a book. What we say is what we do. At one time, two of our children worked in a busy restaurant, and it saddened them when the other workers there did not want to be the one to serve a group of church people who came in every Sunday evening but were known for their low tips. Were these believers living sacrifices? I wonder.

Many Christians are working at jobs they dislike, yet they are doing it for Christ's sake. They are doing it to be productive, to provide for their loved ones, and they are doing it for the body of Christ. A Christ-like attitude of giving should be a central focus in everyone's life, for such an attitude brings honor to the Lord. Of course, Christians work for the necessities of life as everyone else does, but their focus in life should always include providing for the body of Christ, the church. If we only do the former and not the latter, we are neglecting the will of God. How productive will our lives be considered when we stand before God in the final judgment. Will we hear, "Enter into my rest, my good and faithful servant," or will we hear, "Depart from me, for your life has been focused on yourself and your needs?" Are our garages a testimony to the latter statement? Have we spent most of our lives collecting "stuff?" As Christians we are to help each other, to serve each other in love. We are to be lovers of people, not things. We are to do the will of God. We are to be what the world needs. If we are focused too much on ourselves, we will not fulfill the purpose God has for our lives: to spread to all people God’s favor and blessing. Today, let God arise and shine his love in your heart, and you will have joy, real joy, wonderful joy.

Titus 3:5-10

Titus 3:5-10 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Again Paul addresses his concerns about those who insert the law into God's plan of salvation. By arguing the need for following the law and in emphasizing genealogies, they were furtively undermining Jesus' claim as the Messiah, for only a Levite could hold the position of high priest. Jesus was not a Levite, for He was out of the tribe of Judah; therefore, to some of those who followed the law strictly, Jesus could not be the consummate mediator between God and man. This idea of the law-bound was a dagger at the heart of Christianity. If Jesus were not the Messiah, then their message of salvation through him was untrue, a distortion of the Old Testament. Paul warned Titus to avoid this kind of talk as unprofitable and useless. He knew this divisiveness would eventually distort the "good news" and make the message impotent, especially to the Jews who would be led astray most easily.

The author of Hebrews addresses this concern of whether Jesus was the Messiah by pointing out that Jesus' priesthood was in the order of Melchizedek, not the Levites. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek; therefore, Levi, in the loins of Abraham, also paid tithes to Melchizedek. Consequently, Melchizedek's priesthood superseded the Levitical priesthood. It is important to know the nature of Jesus' priesthood because Melchizedek's priesthood was an eternal one. The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalms 110 concerning Christ, For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 7:17) Therefore, if Jesus Christ is of his order, we can have confidence that He is presently before the Father advocating for us, presenting himself as our salvation. The law was established for the flesh, to keep the flesh under control. The law was not from the beginning. Christ came not necessarily to keep the flesh in control, but to redeem man from his hopeless state of sin. Therefore, Christ's message is to our spirits: we must be born again. His message was to provide freedom from sin and eternal life to a lost and dying race. Because of our faith in him and HIS WORK at the cross, we are no longer controlled by the dead letter of the law, which has power only to show us our sins. We now have a new life, a new spirit, and abundant life, which is attuned to the voice of God through the Holy Spirit within us. We no longer have to make retribution for our sins, for Jesus, our high priest, has done that for us. We are free, free at last.

Now, do we continue to sin to show God's great mercy and grace? No, we bring our flesh under the authority of God by obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit within us, for He is revealing truth to us and teaching us all things, especially the nature of God. We, therefore, no longer allow ourselves to be vehicles of division, but instruments of unity. We seek peace, rather than disruption. We seek salvation, rather than judgment. We seek God our Father, rather than law, for we are children of God who can approach the throne of grace boldly, for we have A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD through his Son. Paul said any other plan that includes the law makes the good news of grace of none affect. One's need of obeying even ONE LAW, places all else under jeopardy, for we are not children of the law, we are children of grace, children of hope, children of the good news--Christ has come to save sinners, and He lives forevermore to make intercession for us and to receive us to our heavenly home.

Titus 3:4-8

Titus 3:4-8 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

From the beginning of time, God planned our salvation through Jesus Christ, his Son. He did not save us because we deserved it, for humans are a rebellious creation. We are made in the image of God, but we can choose not to be like God, which is sin. In many ways people do not want to acknowledge God as the supreme authority in their lives. This "wildness" is endemic. Yes, we even wear our religious robes and establish a catechism of worship, but basically we establish our own rules and live as we desire. Each of us knows, we have only one life, so why not reap the best of it while we can. Some of us do it in religious tones of conformity, others in bright colors of rebellion, but all of us have a self-serving nature desirous of doing things our way. Now, this is hard for most of us to admit, especially Christians. We look at our dedication, our "servanthood," our commitments, and we say, "Hey, I am doing pretty well." Don't I tithe, don't I try to express love to people I dislike, don't I sing on the worship team, don't I commit my Sundays to the Lord and not to myself, don't I. . . Yes, we Christians do all of those things and at times much more, but we still are a rebellious lot, for we are human. Our human nature often rules our minds and actions even when we don't want it to. Then we fall into condemnation. However, God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)

Yes, we might explode too often, we might complain too much, we might think thoughts we shouldn't, we might be too materialistic, we might lie when backed into a corner, we might deceive others, we might do many things that are not God-like, but praise God the love of God our Savior appeared and He redeems us every day. Yes, we are a rebellious lot, for everything that is not of faith is sin. However, his cleansing blood flows through us every day. The renewal process is happening constantly on our behalf because of our faith in the One who is the renewer, the One who possesses righteousness and eternal life. God has poured out generously his Spirit on us through the gate of heaven, Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit now enlivens our spirits and reveals to each of us our place In Christ. Each of us is now considered worthy to approach the throne of God because Jesus Christ is worthy.

We are like sheep who have entered into the safety of God's sheepfold, not because we are intrinsically worthy or beautiful in any way, but because unmerited grace has been meted out to us in abundance. As sheep in a pen, we still butt others, still demand our own space, still want our own way, but God has displayed mercy on us and has brought us into his fold because of Jesus Christ's work on the cross. Are we changed? I hope so, in many ways, but we are still sheep. Yes, for sure, we are heaven-bound creatures because of Christ's life within us, but we are still sheep here on earth. But praise God, we are his sheep, the sheep of his pastures, who are constantly being washed by the blood of the Lamb. Our wool is being made as white as snow by the Shepherd's daily washing. We are changed, here a little, there a little. Are we going to stay in that pen? No, there is a heavenly transport coming down the road. Our final destination is to be with God in eternal bliss. Since we are heirs of heaven because of the generous mercy of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, we should devote ourselves to doing what is good and to display God's kindness and love to the world, regardless of our human flaws and failings. In the meantime, we rejoice in his work in us and just as the early believers were careful to devote themselves to doing what is good, we share the kindness and love of God our Savior with a needy world.

Titus 3:1-5

Titus 3:1-5 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward ALL men. As I watch Christians on television display their fierce anger and frustration against the government, I wonder if any of them are reading their Bibles. When I see couples screaming and yelling at each other with their children looking on, I wonder if they are keeping up on their spiritual lives. Yes, we all are human, and I, too, get angry and frustrated over certain things and views, but we should remind ourselves to be under control; we should be temperate, long suffering, kind, generous, and caring, expressing love in everything we do. Why, because at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. We should remember how we once lived in darkness, caught up in our passions, without any hope of eternal life--lost without God. We should remember how negativity and self-preservation ruled our minds. We should remember how futile and aimless our lives were outside of Christ.

If we go back to the beggarly elements of a self-centered life, picking up the crumbs off the floor of this worldly existence, we will reap what we sow. If we sow discord and violence, we will reap both. If we sow negativity and anger, we and our children will reap this kind of spirit in abundance. If we move away from God's love for others, we will be left stewing in hatred and selfishness. THE BIBLE IS TRUE. GOD IS LOVE. Whoever lives in love lives in God. (John 4:16) The antithesis to this axiom is true also: Whoever lives in discord and hate does not live in God and does not express God's nature. I cringe when I hear people in townhall meetings stand before the microphone and preface their statements with, "I am a Christian," and then go on with a malicious character assassination of the congressman or the senator present with great anger in their voices. This kind of behavior does not lift up Jesus or honor his name, neither does it promote truth or the gospel of Christ. But it does play to the raw human emotions of rage and bitterness.

When I was in college, I would many times come up against professors who, when learning I was a Christian, would accuse me of burning witches at the stake, putting a sword to the Moslems, and torturing the heretics. Sadly, these actions are in the history of the "church." I would always try to counter with the idea that this kind of activity was not the product of the "true church," the body of Christ, which in most of history was a hidden church, not the manifested one. Of course, they could not understand that. To the world, we Christians were the lions not the lambs; we were the killers, not the bearers of peace. Today, if we don't watch out, we will be just another political movement. We will be the bearers of negativity, anger, criticism, bulging necks, self-centeredness, and lust for self-preservation. Is that who we are? Is this life so dear to us Christians that we cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit to the world? The fruit of the Spirit is the NATURE OF GOD: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatian 5:22-23)

Whose nature are we displaying when we are in front of people? We better be careful when we speak for God. Did Christ rail against the unjust and cruel Roman empire? No, He did not. Should we hate sin? Yes, but we should first hate it in ourselves. First, we should not let the spirit of the flesh take over our mouths. First, we should not let anger and bitterness inhabit our bones. We should judge ourselves first before we ever attempt to judge others. We must display love; we must function with the joy of the Lord in our spirits. And we must not count this world as our place of abiding or as our children's abiding place. We are but passing through. Yes, we can get involved politically if we desire, we can get involved with the things of this world if we dare, but we should do it with love and compassion, with an understanding that the lost do not have the light of the gospel permeating their souls as we do. And for sure, we should not stray from the fruit of the Spirit. If we do, beware, for we are out of order because God's will should always be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Brothers and sisters, remember, when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Therefore, always try to display that same kind of mercy, kindness, and love to others so they might know the God of our salvation.

Titus 2:11-15

Titus 2:11-15 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

When we read scriptures such as these and yesterday's passage, people sometimes become confused with two seemingly contradictory ideas: grace and works. How can God's undeserved grace be tied up with works? Which one of those concepts makes us right with God? Paul says, God's undeserved grace teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions. In other words, God's marvelous grace leads us to work: to clean up our lives and to testify of him to the world. One who desires to continue in sin does not know God's grace. If you love someone and take his name as your own, you have an obligation to him. Your uniqueness is still honored, but your lifestyle and your attitude must fit into God's will for all his children. As we study his Word, we learn that He desires for us to take on the nature of his family. Jesus Christ came to increase God's intimate family. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13)

To accomplish this endeavor, Jesus died for us, made us right before God by purifying us through his sacrifice. We are now new creatures, hidden in him, God's children through Christ. But, we are still in the world. Therefore, we display God's family to the world by bringing our fleshly selves under his control. We no longer allow ourselves to harbor hatred, anger, bitterness, nastiness, selfishness, lustfulness, jealousies, and other fleshly desires within our hearts and minds. We continually, in season and out of season, pray to God to deal with our natural sinful characteristics. With the Holy Spirit's help, we put feet to our attitudes by doing good to others, by dealing with others in positive ways. We do not let ourselves become like the servant with one talent, who hides it. No, we become testimonies, representatives of God, by doing what is good. James said, I show you my salvation by what I do. A real belief in God is a transformining one, a consuming one. On God's side we are his children, we are perfect because Jesus Christ is perfect. He alone is the one who purifies us. But, as his servants here, we are to carry out the mission of changing lives, ours and others. We are doing God's will here on Earth as it is in heaven. We follow Paul's admonition when he wrote, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)

Too many Christians think a Christian life pertains to going to church. Of course, a Christian worships in a collective venue. But, a Christian's life displays God to the world, much like a male peacock displays himself before a female. We want to attract people to the "good news," the glorious colors of God's beauty. Ministers such as Titus keep reminding us of our responsibility to attract people to God. With love, they also tell us how to have a beautiful display of the gospel story ever emanating from our very beings. They remind us of the works we should not participate in, and they inspire us with the Word to be living testimonies of God's grace and love. They function much like the coach who is giving a halftime talk in the locker room. He reminds his players how their lives should be played out on the playing field. It is not the game we talk that counts, it is the game we play. He also individually and collectively relates what the players are doing wrong and what they are doing right. He corrects and encourages, for he is the coach.

Titus is the coach in Crete. As we have seen in the previous breakfast and in this passage, Paul is reminding Titus to teach Christians how they should live and act. He wants Titus to encourage and rebuke with all authority from God as a trustworthy and faithful overseerer of this group of people. He is responsible for them, and it his sacred duty as well as his joy to shepherd them. Each of us must tend our own gardens well. We are not to judge or try to pull the weeds from the gardens of others, but we do well to encourage our brothers and sisters as we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Titus 2:1-10 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

Today one of my pastors, Dan Behrens, responded to yesterday's breakfast on purity in the following way, "IT SEEMS THAT PURITY HERE (TITUS 1:15) HAS MORE TO DO WITH SUBMISSION THAN IT DOES WITH THE ABSENCE OF SIN." I wrote the following response, which I feel is appropriate for our passage above as well:

Submission is a major key to a successful walk in Christ. Most Christians do not want to submit everything; they always have something in the back closet that is JUST THEIRS, NOT GOD'S. This is always a troubled walk, for God demands a dying, a laying down of all. This is not easy, flesh never dies easily. And it is probably a continuous experience. How many times we say to the Lord, "Everything is on the altar now," but then the next corner of life greets us, and we find that not all is on the altar. Sometimes the corner leads us to great success, other times to great difficulty, but all has to be placed immediately under God's authority. That is not always easy. If you're losing your house, it is not east to submit to God. If you find a great job with lots of benefits, it is not easy to give it all back to the Lord. If the road seems smooth with a lot of possibilities of success, it is not easy to relinquish that to the Lord, and if the road seems to have no possibilities of advancement and peace, it is not easy to say, "Your will not mine." No, submission is not easy. That is why men's Bible study is so important. That is why gathering together is so important. For our compass in life is the Bible and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, not our wills.

What is sound doctrine? What should our lives consist of? In the above passage, we see Paul telling Titus to teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Otherwise, for the sake of the gospel, to teach that lives should submit to the authority of God. He is telling people of every walk of life to be committed to God in everything they do. If you read the list above for your category, you will realize quickly that the flesh does not always want to follow the dictates of the Spirit. The flesh is compliant sometimes, but to be compliant sometimes is not what Paul wants Titus to ask of the people. He must ask them for the sake of the gospel to be compliant all of the time, regardless of the circumstances, to set the secular world a positive example by doing what is good.

Recently, I have watched Christian people in town-hall meetings yelling, hooting, screaming, displaying vein-bulging necks in attempts to get their points across to their representatives or senators. I wonder how all that fits with the above scriptures. Are we bearers of peace or of conflict? Would someone desire to have our Christ as their Savior, the prince of peace, or would they say those Christians are just like all the other people I know: full of envy, anxiety, and frustration. Are we indistinguishable from all the other people, the lost, the dying? WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DIFFERENT. Jesus says, if we have lost our savor, what good are we? Listen to what Paul tells Titus to relay to the slaves: Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. Are we making our Savior attractive when we are shouting back, screaming, being rude?

Now, I know some will chafe under these scriptures, but they are the Word of God. Is slavery right? No, but this world is not our home. We are leading people to another home, not this one. Our lives should be different. Our focus should be different. Our actions and reactions should be different, clearly distinguishable from the world. When we are disappointed with life, we still submit. When we are on top of the mountain, we still submit. Everything is God's. Our lives should be his. We have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Our lives depend on that blood, our hope of eternity depends on that blood; therefore, we are to be obedient to his will, to his perspective, to his life. Certainly, his blessings overflow in abundance in the midst of everything, and we can easily shine forth as the happiest people alive.

Titus 1:15-16

Titus 1:15-16 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

John 3:19-20 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. Over the years I have met people who fulfilled this scripture to the letter. Their minds were continually focused on the unseemly, the impure. Every statement they made was either outwardly filthy and dark or possessed a double-entendre. Some people's lives become so sinful that their focus is always on lawlessness, sinfulness, darkness. They seemingly have no light within them. Paul calls these kind of lives detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. However, these people are usually easily detected, and we Christians tend to avoid them. But all people, Christians included, possess traits, actions, and thoughts that are not acceptable to God. The Bible says that all have sinned, that all are like sheep who are going their own way. The Bible indicates very clearly that sin is endemic in mankind; therefore, a Savior is needed. Sin hides most of the time behind acceptable roles, presentable demeanor, and kindly faces; festering underneath a thin facade of acceptability. This, of course, is what makes humans so dangerous, so unpredictable, for you cannot gauge the nature of a person's heart by his or her outward appearance or actions. That is why the Bible says that we look at outward appearances, but God sees the heart.

In Revelations the Lord mentions several times "I know your deeds." Otherwise, I know the real story of your life. No deed, no action, no thought ever escapes the purview of God, for He is omniscient and omnipresent. No injustice, no matter how slight, will lie unaddressed by God in eternity. All things will be exposed to the light and subsequently to his righteous judgment. Consequently, we need a Redeemer, the Christ. Without his blood of redemption, without his passage to God's heart, we are hopelessly lost in our sins, for the heart is deceitfully wicked, who can know it? We even deceive ourselves. We tend to add up our lives as good by comparing ourselves with the worst of sinners. A senator who has been unfaithful to his wife just recently announced that he wasn't as bad as Bill Clinton because Clinton lied. I don't think that defense will hold up in God's court. The drunkard will say, I am not as bad as the drunk down the street, for he is in the gutter. The liar says, I only lie occasionally, but my friend lies all of the time. The impure says, I only think lustful thoughts when I see a beautiful woman, but Joe's mind is always in the sewer. Of course, none of these defenses will hold up in the court of the Almighty.

The Bible says, Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) How many who are reading this are perfect? How many of you ever hope to be perfect in this world? Nothing but perfection will escape the judgment of God. Nothing but perfection will enter into heaven. I don't care what holy mountain you hide yourself on, what blissful retreat you escape to, what isolated island you live on, you will find sin there, for you will be there. In you resides imperfection: sin, doubt, anxiety, fear, double-mindedness, lack of peace, instability, restlessness, and the like. You have inherited your father Adam's characteristics. Sin is your inheritance. Therefore we need a Savior: we need Jesus Christ. We need to be found IN CHRIST, for He is PERFECT. WITHOUT HIM WE ARE TOTALLY EXPOSED TO GOD'S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT. Many of us hide our deeds and thoughts from others, but we will never hide them from God. He knows us as WE ARE, NOT AS WE WANT TO BE. As a fetus in the womb of its mother, we are totally dependent on Jesus Christ's life. We are hidden in him. As long as we have his CLEANSING blood circulating through us, as long as we receive his nourishment, we are new, living creatures IN CHRIST. But, if we cut that cord by not choosing to be IN CHRIST, we are but a dying fetus, no longer a new, living identity, IN CHRIST. To the pure, (THOSE IN CHRIST) all things are pure. Light has come into the world, may we walk joyfully in the hope and freedom of that glorious light today.

Titus 1:10-12

Titus 1:10-12 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach — and that for the sake of dishonest gain. Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”

Colossians 1:24-26 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness — the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.

The church always has many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers. There is always someone who does not want to accept the whole gospel. They emphasis a few scriptures or a portion of the Bible but are unwilling to accept the full counsel of God. Of course, this selective approach skews what the Bible is actually saying. Today, if you turn on the television and listen to most of the media churches, they are emphasizing only a few scriptures that pertain to prosperity, for they are seeking money for themselves, sometimes for support of the ministry, and other times clandestinely seeking to increase their personal wealth. Almost all of the personalities on national television are excessively rich. You can watch TV at any time of the day and find some religious leader talking about planting a seed to reap a harvest. They want you to plant a seed of faith by sending MONEY TO THEIR MINISTRY. I would trust much more in their interpretation of the Word if they were saying plant your seed anywhere in God's work or in someone's poverty stricken life, and God will bless you. Of course God always blesses his children, but not always with wealth. Jesus said there would not be many of wealth and status following him. And of course his Word is ALWAYS true.

Whole countries, whole cultures can be corrupted by a spirit of deception and sin. Paul rightly tells Titus to remember that the Cretans have been corrupted to the point that everyone knows they are liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons. Even today, cultures in different countries possess abhorrent mores. In some cultures, it is all right if you lie or deceive if it is for your benefit. In others, stealing is something done routinely. In some countries, women are treated poorly without respect for their humanity. The list of unacceptable behaviors is a long one, but the prevalence of sin does not justify it. Even in Christian households, the gospel can be skewed to such a point that the children of following generations are practicing wayward theology, such as the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, The Unification Church, The Worldwide Church of God, The Way International, and the like. These cults began in the Christian church. As Paul said, they ruined whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach — and that for the sake of dishonest gain. They left the orthodoxy of the church to follow an errant gospel for personal gain, either money or recognition.

That is why it is so important to read the Bible for yourself and not just to listen to someone else's interpretations and beliefs. When you do sit under someone's ministry, make sure it is scripturally based and confirmed by more than a few verses. When I teach, I want to expose the whole counsel of God and not just a part of it. The reason I go through each verse in a book of the Bible is that studying the Word line upon line and precept upon precept reveals the consistency and orthodoxy of God's Word and our faith, and yes even the redundancy of what the Bible teaches: simple yet profound truths that set people free from sin and darkness and establish them in the kingdom of God's glorious love and light.

Titus 1:5-9

Titus 1:5-9 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless — not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

All who are IN CHRIST JESUS are blameless, for the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us of all sin; however, our lifestyles, attitudes, and choices can be criticized by others if they are inappropriate, impure, unwholesome. Before God we are blameless because of Christ's work, but before man we can be blamed by others if our lives do not represent his purity, his faultlessness. If our mouths say one thing and we do another, we are hypocrites. Whether we are leaders or not, we should live lives that are virtuous because we represent the body of Christ. We are his ambassadors. In the above passage, Paul tells Titus that overseers especially must live exemplary lives, for they are high-profile representatives of the church. Their daily lives should not be overbearing, quick-tempered, given to drunkenness, violent, seeking dishonest gain. If they fail to live good, righteous lives, they will cause Christianity to be discounted by many, for in any community there are muckrakers who will make sure the failings of Christian leaders are known by all. Leaders in the church must not bring a reproach on the "Good News"; rather, the goodness of their lives and their positive attributes should facilitate the salvation message.

Our lives should represent Christ's life. If we fail in any area, we should avoid those things that tempt us. We should be lights, not darkness. If you fail to represent Christ before the community or your family, you should not tolerate such weakness but bring it to the Lord. Sometimes we allow things to exist in our lives that should not be there. I just read a book that says our response of anger is physiologically dissipated within 90 seconds. After that 90 seconds, we decide whether we still want to be angry or have a temper fit. It is not genetic then, it is us. Isn't that interesting? We tend to blame Grandma or Grandpa for our reactions, but I believe we need to address the situation in us. Yes, the physical body does react to situations that cause anger, but this reaction quickly subsides, and then it is all up to us after that first 90 seconds, and our relatives have little to do with that except that we are making the same wrong choices that they did. We can decide if we want to carry on with this anger or we can let go of it. It is also interesting that in the above passage, Paul says leaders should not be quick-tempered; he is saying leaders should be in control of their reactions, their emotions. With God's help, we can reprogram our minds, but if we desire to hang onto Grandma's supposed "DNA," we can do that too.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we should train ourselves to be hospitable, lovers of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. I believe this is exactly what the Holy Spirit wants to do and attempts to do in our lives. He has come to show us God's traits, not man's traits. God is timeless, at peace with himself, and eternally loving. We should see ourselves as timeless, loving, at peace with the world and ourselves. If we don't, if we have a troubled mind and far too often an angry response to our circumstances, we need to seek those things that are good, positive, and wholesome. We need to seek the Lord and his goodness. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

Titus 1:1-4

Titus 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness — a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, to Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

(Paul a servant of God--Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ--Paul a teacher of faith to God's elect--Paul gifted by God to preach the word)

In the above passage, we see Paul introducing himself to the church of Crete. Paul first indicates to the Cretes that he is a servant of God: ready always to serve God and to do his will as it is in heaven. Then Paul says that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ, which is his position in the body of Christ. This is his office where he abides every day, somewhat like having a title on the door where you work. Then he tells them his purpose is to teach the word, to bring light to a dark world. Finally, Paul says, he has been gifted by God to carry out God's purpose for his life.

As Paul, each of us needs to understand and to appreciate our special RELATIONSHIP with God, our POSITION in the body of Christ, our MISSION on Earth, and our God given GIFTS. I think we sometimes fail to delineate who we are in the body of Christ. We tend to view our lives more in a worldly way, rather than in a spiritual way. We fail to understand we have a special and a unique role to fulfill in Christ's body, that our lives are to be lived with a definite purpose and focus, not randomly. We should define ourselves first as a child of God, not merely as human. The Bible indicates that once we become a Christian, we are placed in the body of Christ to reveal God's will on Earth. None of us individually can be all things to all people. None of us can clearly reveal all aspects of the Almighty God. But collectively, we can reveal Christ and his personality to a troubled world. For sure, some of us are bold, dynamic, compelling; others of us are shy, quiet, reticent. Some of us speak, sing, perform, witness, testify powerfully; such Christians tend to be the dynamic parts of the body of Christ. Others of us are much more reserved, even introverted. We tend to occupy the back seats of our church congregations. Our work many times goes unseen or seems unappreciated, but what we do is essential to the body of Christ. All of these members together are revealing God to a sick and dying world. Wherever we are, we must know we are his servants, we have a position in the body of Christ, we have a mission to carry out, and we have special gifts. No one in the body of Christ is put on a shelf just to look at. None of us should be inactive; none should lose our spiritual focus or purpose in life. We have been bought with a great price, Jesus Christ's blood. Therefore, we are not OUR OWN. We are not to seek our will first but his will. Our lives must not be lost in the malaise of living. We should seek a purposeful existence, one that brings glory to God.

Now, in my life, at first, I compartmentalized my actions. I did spiritual activities, then I did secular tasks. I could not see where they intermixed. I knew I could not minister Christ in a public school forum, yet I felt called to be a public school teacher. God drew me there. What should I do with that kind of life? A Presbyterian teacher helped me with that dilemma. She said, "Cliff, this is your calling; reveal God through who you are and through your work." Not all of us can be in full-time ministry, but all of us can reveal God through us regardless of where we are. I hear some people bemoan where they are at work. They don't like the worldly situation they are caught in every day; they want to escape. They feel they can no longer face the deprecating spirit of the world. They want to retreat. But I tell them, God has placed you in a dark environment. He has given you this position so that his light can be revealed to the sinners that are in your workplace. If Christians fail to view life in this way, they tend not to be faithful SERVANTS in all that they do. Then sadly, they discount their special POSITION in Christ, which gives them authority to carry out their unique MISSION of revealing God to those around them. Of course, they then waste their talents and GIFTS. Those kind of lives begin to wallow in the pleasures of life, rather than to generate real life in others. We all have a ministry, we all have a purpose, we all are to reflect God to a lost and hurting world. How would you introduce yourself to the Cretes?

2 Timothy 4:14-22

2 Timothy 4:14-22 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

In the above passage, the following words and phrases jump out at me: GREAT DEAL OF HARM; STRONGLY OPPOSED; EVERYONE DESERTED; LION'S MOUTH; EVIL ATTACK; TROPHIMUS SICK IN MILETUS; GET HERE BEFORE WINTER. All those words represent conflict, opposition, trouble, persecution, and loneliness. Paul is God's anointed servant, chosen to carry the precious gospel to a dark, and dying world, yet he was not protected from every vicissitude of life. He had to stand up against the vagaries of normal living. A Christian's life can be very difficult even when he or she is in the center of God's will. Sometimes we preach or believe that God will make our lives "peaches and cream." All that a faithful Christian needs to do to inherit such a life is to be prayed up, always have a strong faith, and fulfill God's plan for his or her life every day. But the above passage implies that Paul was fulfilling all of those spiritual requirements, but was facing many difficulties.

Well, I have news for you: we are no better than Paul, no better than Stephen, no better than Peter, no better than the martyrs. Yes, life brings not only good things, great victories; it also brings sadness, despair, and defeats. I know we don't like to hear that, for as Christians we like to feel that all bumps in the road can be filled before we get there. We like to feel that any situation can be overcome by a quick prayer to the Lord between commercials. However, that is not a life of faith. A life of faith is that I will believe regardless, for I know God is on the throne and He loves me. He will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. BUT, CHILDREN OF FAITH WILL HAVE TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES IN THIS LIFE. Now, the question is, will we faint, will we turn back, will we displease God by our grumbling and unbelief? The children of Israel had their wilderness experience. They were chastised because they did not believe they could overcome the giants in the land. We must believe we can overcome the giants in the land. Regardless of the cost, we will enter into the Land of Promise by faith. Is there a cost? Yes, giants do not just lie down and let us overrun them. They will resist. The world, the devil, and evil men will resist our intrusion into their land. But hills have to be taken. Valleys have to be crossed.

All progress has a cost to it. Progress in the kingdom of God costs you your strength, your resources, your mental stability, BUT YOU CONTINUE ON ANYHOW. You figure the fight is worth it, so you marshal as much faith as you can to defeat the enemy, for you know the land is yours. THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM IS YOURS, but you fight for it too--you take it by storm. Life IN CHRIST is worth fighting for, worth dying for. No man will see God unless he is willing to stand firm in faith. If he is not, God will take him back into the wilderness. There his life will be unfruitful. He will not reap the harvest of faith, for he will be consumed with the necessities of life, existing from one day to the next. This fruitless journey will end with his death IN THE DESERT.

NO! STAND FIRM! Regardless of the hardships ahead, regardless of the giants in the land, take it by faith. Believe God is in the mission. Whether all others desert you, stand firm. Whether you are the only Christian in your household, continue to believe that God has given you the land He has promised, and He has equipped you for the journey. He will guide you through this land. Remember always, every obstacle will not be insurmountable, for it is just temporal; you are eternal. God will either have you go over the mountain or around it. Nothing will stop you from gaining your inheritance.

Now many of you are in difficulty. Many of you know there is a Promised Land in the future, but you are befuddled by life right now. Your life of trials is a disappointment to you. Regardless, take hold of your life by faith, keep moving forward. You have chosen to enter this land by faith. You have chosen God rather than the world. Let him reveal himself in your life; let his miracles happen in your fight. And when you are camped at night, worried about the next mountain, listen closely to the Spirit, for He is saying, "I am with you son, daughter." Yes, we are no better than Paul and others, but we are no worse. Miracles happened in their lives and miracles will happen in yours. Hills and valleys were conquered; the same things will happen in your life, for He is a good God, a miracle working God who will fulfill his promises to you, his much-loved child.