LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for May 30: Good citizenship should be a mark Christians_51704

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Posted: 5/14/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for May 30

Good citizenship should be a mark Christians

Titus 3:1-15

By David Morgan

Trinity Baptist Church, Harker Heights

The Oklahoma license plate read N8V TXN (Native Texan). The owner may have been living in Oklahoma, but I suspect he considered himself a Texan. Christians may live in this world, but their true citizenship is in heaven. Even though this world is not home for Christians, they should be ideal citizens because they are believers.

Doing good to all people (vv. 1-7)

Early Christians affirmed Jesus was Lord. They seem to have wondered how this confession affected their relationship to earthly rulers. Titus needed to remind the Cretans that they remained accountable to earthly kingdoms. While they could not pledge ultimate allegiance to human authorities, Paul taught they should submit to their temporal rulers.

Persecution of Christians was not widespread when Paul wrote, but a generic hostility toward the church was common. Instead of being contentious and uncooperative, Christians should act courteously toward all people. Only when the laws of human governments conflict with God's will should believers resist them. Dissent and protest may be appropriate actions for believers but should be prompted by specific circumstances. "Every good deed" can refer to either Christian acts of kindness or basic conduct that goes with good citizenship. One reason Paul told Christians to submit to the government was they had once belonged to that world.

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Paul included himself with the Cretans when he characterized their pre-Christian lives as ungodly. Those without Christ are without spiritual understanding, disobedient to God's will, astray from God's plan and enslaved by all sorts of sinful lusts. Other traits from which God had delivered them include wickedness, envy and hatefulness. Alone they could not overcome sin's controlling power.

Verses 4-7, one sentence in the Greek language, declare God saved them despite their wickedness. What they could not do for themselves, God did. These verses, likely a hymn or a liturgy for worship, summarize the gospel: God saved sinners, filled them with his spirit and gave them a future hope.

Christ's coming, described as God's kindness and love, made salvation possible. “Kindness” includes God's generosity and goodness. The word “love” emphasizes God's affection. The word was used at times when slaves were ransomed. Paul may have been thinking of this when he wrote.

No human effort, no matter how inspired, could gain salvation for the Cretans. Salvation cannot be earned by keeping any moral law or following any certain religious ritual. Salvation originates only with God's mercy.

Paul accented the contrast between human effort and divine action by applying three images to salvation. “Washing” alludes to baptism, which symbolizes the internal cleansing from sin at conversion. This is the only instance in Paul's writings where he used the concept of “rebirth” (“regeneration”). Only Paul emphasizes the idea of salvation as “renewal” (Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:10). “Renewal” suggests an inner transformation, which begins at conversion and continues thereafter. The new Christian is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God pours out his Holy Spirit on believers at conversion. The Spirit becomes the operative and sufficient power for Christians to live godly lives.

God saved and poured out his Spirit on believers so they might become heirs. Both “heirs” and “hope” indicate Christians do not yet fully realize all salvation offers them. They anticipate receiving their full inheritance at some future time.

Salvation means God has justified Christians. He has acquitted them though they are guilty. He has declared them righteous and made them righteous. Believers spend the remainder of their lives becoming what they were made to be at conversion. The word “his” is a much stronger term than normally used. It means “of that one” and accents Jesus as Savior (v. 6).

Doing good as Christians (vv. 8-15)

Changed people will lead changed lives. The “trustworthy saying” refers to Paul's statements concerning the Christian's redemption. Paul next instructed Titus to teach that God expects Christians to perform good deeds. These may allude to Paul's initial call for Christians to be good citizens (vv. 1-2) or simply do kind acts. Good deeds will benefit many.

Paul asserted, as elsewhere in the pastorals (1 Timothy 1:4; 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:23), that believers should “avoid foolish controversies.” “Foolish” highlights the stupidity of the factious teachers. The mention of “law” suggests the controversies concerned both keeping the Mosaic law and emphasizing genealogies. Paul has been highlighting the power of God's grace. He obviously would reject the legalism of those who called for radical obedience to the Old Testament law.

False teachers were to receive two reprimands. Paul most likely envisioned the warning being private and not public. The action of these teachers reflected the total perversion of their lives. They continue in sin. Their failure to respond to the warning brings condemnation on them. Believers should shun them.

Paul concluded this note to Titus by encouraging Christians in the church to provide for the needs of others in the congregation.

Question for discussion

bluebull What actions can Christians take to be good citizens?

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