Life from Titus - 3

Titus Three
Recap last two weeks.
Week 1 - the call, the message, discipleship, leadership
Week 2 - Honour God, set an example - family life
Week 3 - Living God's way, devoted to doing good
The last chapter of Titus starts with an exhortation to teach the peopel to submit to rulers, to the government, and to the officers, and be ready to do what is good. The word submit here is the same word used in the previous chapter so we can see that it is a voluntary decision to carry proper responsibility to do what is right in regard to civic duty as well as in the home.

Titus is also to remind the people to be kind, gentle, not slandering people etc. Remember in chapter one, the people of Crete we called liars, cruel animals and lazy gluttons. The call to be gentle and kind and to do good works is in direct response to their natural way of life and their reputation. In other words it addresses the natural tendency of the people to be liars, to be unkind, to be misled by lusts and pleasures, full of envy and hate etc. with what we can describe as God's 'norm' for people. There are two main ideas here.

1. Live according to God's norm
What is God's norm for people? God has a standard of behaviour that he expects from us. This flows out of obedience because of what he has already done for us.

Ephesians 4:20-24
But that isn't what you learned about Jesus and the truth that comes from him. Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature created to be like God -truly righteous and holy.

God says we are to live differently from what we used to do before we knew him. We are to have a new nature. This nature is often against our 'norm for behaviour  and God challenges us to change and live according to his normal.

Col 3:5-7
So put to death the sinful earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshipping the things of this world. Because of these sins the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.

Col 3: 12-14
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humilty, gentleness and patience. Make allowances for the faults of others, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

When we look at this scripture, we get a glimpse of what God's norm looks like. If we are to live according to his way and his pattern, there are several things we might want to think about. What is my norm? What is my starting point?

When we address situations in life - we might think about what is actually normal - bear in mind that normal varies depending on the situation.
Medically what is normal for some is not normal for another, but knowing our norm is important. For example we all have a blood pressure that is normal for us. Bit that does not mean it is right or good. We would ask, what is OK medically, what is a persons individual norm, do they match up what is acceptable. Just because something seems normal to us, doesn't mean it matches God's 'norm for us

God has a standard of living that is meant to be the 'norm' for those who follow Christ. His 'norm' is obedience, love, faith, hope, gentleness, etc. In Colossians he says clothe yourself with kindness and humilty. This is God's 'norm' and it is what we are to aspire to as people who follow Christ. We don't do this from duty, or even in our own strength. In Titus 3:4-8 We discover that it is God who has saved us. It is God's love that compels us. He has poured out his Spirit generously on us; it is because of his grace, that we can live in confidence of eternal life.

Therefore, as a result, we are to be people who trust in God and devote ourselves to doing what is good and beneficial for everyone. Our 'norm' changes and begins to become like God's accepted 'norm' when we understand that we are to renew our minds, to make changes. Its not by anything we do, but because God saved us, because he has given us his Spirit, that we are able to follow through on living his way and not our own.

Question: Does our 'norm' actually line up with what God calls normal?
Where do we fall short? What is behind us falling short? Are there wrong patterns of thinking, missunderstandings of what it means to be a follower of Christ?

How will we rectify it? What are two practical things we can do to change our 'norm' to God's 'norm'? For example, wrong patterns of thinking can be rectified as we devote ourselves to God and begin to understand his ways and his desires. As we begin to take tjoughts captive and allow God to work on how we think, through his Spirit. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind! We can also be accountable to others, and gain encouragement and support to follow through on the desired changes. What two things that you will do?

2.Be ready for every good work.
This is clearly the theme for this part of Titus. It is mentioned several times throughout the book, but particularly in this chapter.
Verse 1 - always ready to do good
verse 8 - devote themselves to doing what is good.
verse 14 - learn to do good

It is clear that doing good should be a natural outworking of faith and of following Christ. Not because good works gain us salvation, but beacuse we have salvation, we can do good works. And these good works are profitable to everyone. They are profitable for those doing them, and they are profitable to those who receive them. As we do good works, we become productive - as we work alongside others for the benefit of others, we become fruitful. Good works bring advantage to all.

Good works is about the community in which we live. Good works gets people's attention and turns them towards God. It is about a godly, life giving, community building focus. This is the reason to avoid foolish arguments. We touched on this in week one, and Paul addresses it again in chapter 3. Foolish arguments are a waste of time. They are useless and they are not profitable. Foolish arguments detract from the good we are supposed to do.
Foolish arguments, whatever form they take, are totally unprofitable, draining and achieve nothing.

Titus 3:10-11 says to warn a divisive person twice and then have nothing to do with them. These people are those who are deliberately argumentative and who are detracting from the word of God. The word used for devisive is the same as the word for heretic, in other words, foolish arguments about things that are not truth. They are unprofitable, not helpful to anyone. They are ungodly, life sapping, and community destroying behaviour. Paul says remove these people (divisive argumentative heretics) from you if they refuse to change.

Instead of getting caught in arguments, we are to be devoted to good works, and to ensure that the things that are really necessary are carried out, especially where we see that there is a need. The words used here, mean the things that are in our care, the things God has given us guardianship over, the things that God is asking us to give attention to. This will be different for each person, but together we do what God has called us to do. This is how we are to be fruitful because good works bring fruitfulness. In John 15:14-16 Jesus says that we are his friends if we do what he says and that when we stay connected to him, we will bear fruit.

John 15:16,17
You didn't choose me, I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: love each other

How do we bear fruit? We bear fruit when we stay connected to Jesus, when we live in what Jesus has done, when we go and do good works that will bear fruit for the kingdom in the communities in which we live and in teh broader world. We can ask ourselves some questions. What good works am I already doing? What good works would I like to do/will I do? What good works is God calling me to do?

Conclusion
Live the way God calls us to live, according to his 'norm' for us. Be devoted to good works because this is what brings fruit for the kingdom. This is beneficial for everyone, for our entire community. It is a life giving, community building focus that God calls each one of us to, in whatever community we find ourselves.