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Good Tuesday morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
If you were with us yesterday I invited you to spend the whole day watching to see the evidence of God’s mercy at work in our world. I had urged us all to be on the lookout for the evidence of evil in our world, but especially look for God’s loving, mercy response to that evil. Further, yesterday I left you with the “Prayer of St Francis of Assisi”, it’s very powerful isn’t it? Let’s begin today where we ended yesterday, reflecting on God’s response to the pain and evil in our world.
Paul writes to Titus in Titus 3:4-6 “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 of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior…”
Do you see it? It is God’s love that motivates Him to help our human race drowning in evil, rather than destroy us. God reached to our dysfunctional human race and the mess we had made of His utopia, by doing the unthinkable… God sent Jesus, God the Son, to live among us in the middle of all the mess and pain of our world! Jesus spoke God’s hope and truth to humanity and He unleashed God’s power in miracles that healed broken bodies and even raised the dead to life, as only God could do. People were amazed and hope arose in discouraged hearts.
But then the evil rose up and God experienced again the rejection of humanity… all the way to crucifying Jesus on a cross. Evil thought it was ridding this world of God once and for all, but God was willing to pay the full sin price for humanity! Incredible… do you agree this is the ultimate demonstration of love? This reality should cause us to bow before Him in awe and profound gratitude, my friends!
Then, rising from the dead, Jesus becomes our victorious Deliverer, our Savior, since He defeated Satan, sin and death. And then returning to heaven Jesus is now able to completely save anyone who trusts in Him asking for God’s help. Listen to Hebrews 7:25 “…because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them… Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sin and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself…”
Oh that’s a very clear statement of Jesus’ capability to save anyone from the stronghold and condemnation of their sin, because He paid the full price for their evil, through His death on the cross.
Do you also see in Paul’s statement to Titus a very clear explanation that it is through the power of the Holy Spirit of God that we are changed? “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.” (Titus 3:6)
Do you remember one of the last things the risen Jesus told His disciples before returning to heaven? “John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:5-8)
Jesus had also told Nicodemus “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’.” (John 3:3-7)
Do you see, my friends, Paul is instructing Titus that society change happens through the deep heart change of people, one person at a time. And that change is ONLY accomplished by God.
Step one, as we saw yesterday, is a person recognizing their own, personal, evil, sin problem. That they contribute daily to the evil in our world and they cannot change themselves. Only God can change them, so when they come to God acknowledging their sin, that is CONFESSION. “I am an evil sinner and I can’t help myself and I deserve God’s punishment.” Society change starts right there.
Second step is BELIEF! I believe all God says about me, about Him, about my sin and about His offer of Salvation through Jesus, and that it is true!
Third step is turning from my self-centered efforts to make myself better and trust fully in Jesus Christ to save me and start changing me from the inside out! That’s REPENT… I turn away from my sin and turn TO God!
Finally… I TRUST… I fully trust in God, that HE will DO in ME all He promises to do. As I trust Him He saves me from my sin condemnation, He draws me to Himself and He adopts me into His family. He forgives my sin guilt, and He declares me no longer guilty because Jesus has paid for my sin with His death. Then the Holy Spirit of God then starts working IN me to change me. He cleanses me from my sin. He starts healing the brokenness and wounding in my caused by my sin and the sins of others who have hurt me. Have you experienced all these miraculous works of God in you my friends, or are you still trying to help yourself?
The Holy Spirit then births a new spiritual nature in me which can have a wonderful relationship with Holy God and the Holy Spirit takes up residence in me to guide me and teach me as a new creation in Christ, a follower of Jesus.
NOW, finally, I am ready to do what Paul was instructing Titus, and start living the way God designed me to live. Now, finally I can contribute to making my neighborhood, my town, my schools, my politics, my entertainment etc. everything in my society… a God honoring society! That my friends is how Titus 3:1,2 can become reality where-ever you and I live, one transformed person at a time! How many in your neighborhood are these kinds of people… God’s people? Are you?
Oh, and of course there’s one more very important piece to this. We all know this earthly life, no matter how painful or wonderful it is… it doesn’t last forever. At some point the Coroner will be called for each of us, and after a brief but careful check that Coroner will pronounce you and me dead. Then what?
Titus was delighted to share what he knew and now read from Paul: “…having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7) There it is! Because of the glorious work of God transforming us from hell bound sinners to forgiven and Holy Spirit indwelt followers of Jesus, we are heirs of eternal life with God in heaven! His promise to us is certain because He did all the work of saving and transforming us and He will bring us to Himself at the moment of our earthly death! Our heavenly inheritance promised by God Himself! Do you have that assurance in Jesus my friends?
Do you see Paul concludes this little letter to Titus with this powerful statement: “This is a trustworthy saying… 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.” (3:8) I can see Titus nodding his head in agreement with Paul. These are important and unshakable God truths. And yes, everyone and anyone can benefit greatly from God’s work in their lives. And yes, Crete would be a totally different place, if everyone trusted Jesus and experienced God’s transforming work in their lives! The same is true for where you and I live, right? So what’s holding people back from trusting their lives to Jesus?
Well, maybe some of the resistance is the foolish controversies as Paul addresses in verse 9. Or maybe it’s the divisiveness that is so prevalent around us as Paul addresses in verse 10. Notice the warning to Titus: “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that have nothing to do with him.”
Have you discovered a divisive person can be very harmful to the peaceful unity of any group? A family, a business, a social group, even a church? Titus evidently found a number of those kinds of people on Crete Island, and here Paul gives him advice to step back from those divisive people so as to not be drawn into the debates and arguments that so easily tear apart relationships. Do you need to hear Paul’s advice too my friends as you consider divisiveness that might be trying to harm the groups you are part of?
Paul’s closing words to Titus: “…do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there…”, are among the words that give evidence to us that Paul was in fact released from his Acts 28:30,31 two year house arrest in Rome and he traveled for a time, before being re-arrested and brought back to Rome where he finally died. Do you see Paul’s final words to Titus are good for us today? My paraphrase is simple…“make each day count for good and for God”! Make a God honoring difference in your world, everyday!
Yesterday I closed with a video YouTube of the words to what is known as the “Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi”. Today, I invite us to return to that same prayer of hope. This time as sung by children. As you hear their sweet voices, and consider the words they sing, may I ask that you also consider this question: what are we doing as adults to change the world the children are growing up in today? And how are we modeling for the children around us, how to live God honoring lives, that bring the hope and help of Jesus into our world?
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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