Titus 3:1-2 Set the standard

Church of Christ Dapto The Letter to Titus Lesson 7—Choose the Standard Titus 3:1-2 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.          Reminding is encouraging One of the ways you can encourage is to remind your hearers of the things that they have been taught, that they may have forgotten, or have become lax in putting into practice. Repeat (the teachings) again and again, and urge them on their attention and consciences.1 As Christians we must not be like the false believers who “claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him”. Titus 1:16 Our actions must show that we do know God and we do not deny Him by our lives. All the things you are being reminded of are behaviours and attitudes which are completely opposite to the natural behaviour of the people of the world but which show Christ to the world. All these qualities of which you are to be reminded and encouraged to live out are applications of saying “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions. Titus 2:12-13 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 Saviour, Jesus Christ, God commands Christians to choose to: 1. Be subject to rulers and authorities Romans 13:1-5 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 1 Peter 2:13-15 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. To a point Acts 5:29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!” Acts 4:18-20 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Mark 7:7-8 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men. The “normal” reaction is to be prepared to break any law that you think you can get away with, and resent those who enforce the law when they catch you. 2. Be obedient to authorities This is the practice of submitting to authorities. This is not ‘doormat’ Christianity, or just letting people walk all over you. It is not passive but active. But it is active with love, not aggression. The Christian is to be involved in positively confronting evil with good.2 3. Be ready to do whatever is good, Doing good is what Christ saved us to do! Titus 2:14 (He) 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. Galatians 6:9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 2 Timothy 2:21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. The normal behaviour is to do good only when you can benefit yourself, only when it is convenient, or when it makes you feel good. The people of the world will not do good for people they do not like, or for people they do not think deserve their efforts. Usually when the people of the world do good they expect that those they have helped will respond in kind and return the favour. We are commanded to look for opportunities to do good to all for no reward except the blessing of Christ. When there is the opportunity to do what is good, we must do it cheerfully and thoroughly to glorify God. 4. Slander no one Slander is a sin particularly highlighted in Scripture as no longer part of the life of any Christian because it is a noticeable sign of those who do not believe. 1 Corinthians 6:10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. James 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it. We are not to be slanderers. It is very easy to speak badly, expressing dark suspicions without evidence, about various officials or the government of the day. This is sometimes the bread and butter of the secular media in our day. But it is not for the Christian. We are to be taken up with seeking positive good for others, whether they be those in power or not.3 The reaction of the people of the world is to return in kind any perceived insult or offence they have been given whatever its truth. They respond to justified correction with personal attacks. They try to destroy the reputation of people they hate with lies and often unfounded stories about the past. You must ensure that no slander comes from your mouth. 5. Be peaceable 2 Timothy 2:24-26 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. For the world, arguing is a major means of achieving personal demands by badgering those who disagree until they submit. We are to act with goodness aiming for peaceful and respectful relationships as far as it depends on us. 6. Be considerate The people of the world hold their own needs and satisfactions as the major focus of their lives. Considering what other people need is secondary to their own needs. Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Consider others and their needs before you demand or meet your own. 7. Show true humility toward all men. James 3:13-14 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Your humility comes from the fact that you know how far you fall short of the glory of God yet you have been gifted His grace and given life in Christ. 2 Timothy 2:25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, Our response to all opposition must be based on this humility for we know it is the Spirit of God who works through us, not our own power or personality.          Be reminded Whether you know these things, and already practice them, God gives reminders to ensure that you are not straying from the Truth with false confidence in yourself. We need to be reminded to constantly measure our motives and actions against His Word for that is the only way to glorify and obey Him. We are to choose to say “no” to the worldly way of living and “yes” to the way God has called us to live in Christ. 2 Peter 1:12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. You know them, have you chosen to obey them? What are you to learn? As a disciple of Christ there is much you need to learn about the life you are to live to bring praise to Him. He has given you His Word and the other members of His Church to guide you and assist you choose to make the changes He calls you to make so that you can be more like Him. The teaching you are given from Christ comes in various ways. Sometimes you may need encouragement to come further on the path of righteousness, other times you may need to be rebuked for your foolish indulgence which is taking you away from Him. In all cases what He has given you is for your blessing and His glory. He is patient with us in reminding us of the things we have been taught and the commands He has given. We must accept His guidance and choose to obey it. We show if we accept His guidance as we commit ourselves to be His and show it in our lives. This passage reminds us that we have been taught to say “no” to worldly passions and say “yes” to godly behaviours and obedience. If we choose to ignore God’s way to we are not living in the forgiveness of sins given to us in Christ. Godly behaviours include Submitting to the laws of the land. Obeying the authorities in a respectful manner. Keeping our eyes and hearts open for opportunities to do good for others whether they are Christians or not and doing this good in a joyful manner. Keeping a strong control on our tongue so that we never slander anyone, including the authorities. Seeking peace in all that we do, not stirring up trouble. Considering the needs of others above our own. Showing the humility of Christ to all men in our attitudes and responses to them, even if they are violently opposed to the word and seek to attack us. Ungodly behaviour is opposite to this list. They are all choices to be made, and be firmly committed to. We cannot believe we have options in these situations. In living like this we glorify God and make the teaching about Christ attractive to the people of the world. Is that not your aim as a Christian? How often do you need to be reminded of how you are to live in Christ? This life may appear to cost us in self-control and humility, but the blessings we have been promised by Christ far outweigh anything we can lose in this world.          Next Lesson: Be renewed in Christ Titus 3:3-7 Focus Verse: Titus 3:5         