The Word This Week
Titus 3:1...
In describing how evil works, Paul had spoken a physical truth, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” (Galatians 5:9)
It works the same way in reverse.
To an evil culture, such as the one present at Crete in those days, even a little righteousness and holiness and truth can work its way into an entire culture bit by bit, and this is God’s aim with this word from the apostle Paul.
Just as we are to beware of the leaven of evil, (Luke 12:1,) we are encouraged to spread righteousness wherever we are and wherever we go. (The very definition of being ‘salt and light.’)
In Chapter 2 of his letter to Titus, Paul had commanded Titus to teach and to preach to those believers on Crete that a righteous lifestyle begins in the home, and older men to must be teaching younger men Godly living, and older women must be teaching younger women Godly living.
As great as that instruction is for the home, if Godly living does not spill out into the world outside the home, it cannot make any impact on the general culture.
This Gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ is too important from Christians to keep to themselves.
So, carry this life into the workplace as well.
But it cannot end there, and it must not. We who were once encumbered by the sins of the world have been set wonderfully free. We know the kind of sin the world is dealing with, because we once lived in those sins among those sinners. Now we have the kindness and the love of Christ to share with those sinners we once knew or are presently in the midst of. And it becomes our aim to share the message of how the life of every man may be changed by the power of the Gospel message. A big visible part of that message is how engaged we are in helping others to understand how our lives have been transformed.
Of course, the enemy will then try to entangle believers in senseless disputes and endless arguments about fine points of debatable doctrine which have little or nothing to do with salvation but is rife with contention. Paul says not to enter these kinds of disputes because they are pointless and serve no purpose, and he instructs us to remove ourselves from those who are argumentative rather than agreeable and peaceable. They do much harm to the Gospel, and they bring the unholiness of pride into holy lives.
Pastor Bill
In describing how evil works, Paul had spoken a physical truth, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” (Galatians 5:9)
It works the same way in reverse.
To an evil culture, such as the one present at Crete in those days, even a little righteousness and holiness and truth can work its way into an entire culture bit by bit, and this is God’s aim with this word from the apostle Paul.
Just as we are to beware of the leaven of evil, (Luke 12:1,) we are encouraged to spread righteousness wherever we are and wherever we go. (The very definition of being ‘salt and light.’)
In Chapter 2 of his letter to Titus, Paul had commanded Titus to teach and to preach to those believers on Crete that a righteous lifestyle begins in the home, and older men to must be teaching younger men Godly living, and older women must be teaching younger women Godly living.
As great as that instruction is for the home, if Godly living does not spill out into the world outside the home, it cannot make any impact on the general culture.
This Gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ is too important from Christians to keep to themselves.
So, carry this life into the workplace as well.
But it cannot end there, and it must not. We who were once encumbered by the sins of the world have been set wonderfully free. We know the kind of sin the world is dealing with, because we once lived in those sins among those sinners. Now we have the kindness and the love of Christ to share with those sinners we once knew or are presently in the midst of. And it becomes our aim to share the message of how the life of every man may be changed by the power of the Gospel message. A big visible part of that message is how engaged we are in helping others to understand how our lives have been transformed.
Of course, the enemy will then try to entangle believers in senseless disputes and endless arguments about fine points of debatable doctrine which have little or nothing to do with salvation but is rife with contention. Paul says not to enter these kinds of disputes because they are pointless and serve no purpose, and he instructs us to remove ourselves from those who are argumentative rather than agreeable and peaceable. They do much harm to the Gospel, and they bring the unholiness of pride into holy lives.
Pastor Bill