Living Christian In ‘This Present World’ (Part 10)

Grace Thoughts

Living Christian In ‘This Present World’ (Part 10)

" data-orig-size="3024,4032" sizes="(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" data-image-title="Titus Page" class="attachment-rowling-post-image size-rowling-post-image wp-post-image" data-orig-file="https://gracelifethoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/titus-page.jpeg" data-image-description="

" height="1088" width="816" data-medium-file="https://gracelifethoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/titus-page.jpeg?w=225" data-permalink="https://gracelifethoughts.com/titus-page/" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://gracelifethoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/titus-page.jpeg?w=816 816w, https://gracelifethoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/titus-page.jpeg?w=1632 1632w, https://gracelifethoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/titus-page.jpeg?w=113 113w, https://gracelifethoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/titus-page.jpeg?w=225 225w, https://gracelifethoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/titus-page.jpeg?w=768 768w" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 7","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1609338905","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.99","iso":"25","shutter_speed":"0.025","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://gracelifethoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/titus-page.jpeg?w=616" />

God has graciously given every Christian a guide to living Christian in this present world (age). That guide is His Word. The Apostle Paul wrote this in his letter to Titus:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. Titus 2:11-15

We studied those verses in the last part of our study. As the world around us becomes a more difficult place for Christians to live, learning how to ‘live Christian’ takes on more importance. We invite you to read the introduction to this series for some historical background to Paul’s letter to Titus.

Paul moved next to some important reminders for Christians about how to live Christian in this present world.

Titus 3:1-2

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

Paul told Titus to “remind” Christians about seven important aspects of living Christian in the present world.

be subject to rulers and authorities
obey
be ready for every good work
speak evil of no one
be peaceable
be gentle
show all humility to all men

Imagine living in a community where everyone did those seven things? It would seem like a paradise! That’s how God wants His children to live in this present world, even when people hate us and persecute us for our faith in Christ.

The world has been tough on Christians during the past 2,000 years and it will be even more difficult in the coming weeks, months and years. That’s why we need to be in God’s Word and be reminded of how God wants us to live in this present world. You might think of these seven areas of behavior as being God’s standard to how He wants Christians to live their lives.

Keep in mind that when Paul wrote his letter to Titus they lived in a predominately pagan society ruled by the Roman Empire. The spiritual and physical forces facing Christians were intense.

Remind

The Greek word for “remind” is hupomimnéskó and means “to call to mind, to remember because prompted.”

That’s what Paul wanted Titus to do on Crete .. prompt Christians to remember how God wanted them to live in their communities and the world of that time. This “reminding” was to be continual. The verb hupomimnéskó is in the present tense, imperative mood, which means “keep reminding them.” It’s not enough for Christian leaders to say it one time and expect Christians to remember for the rest of their lives. Christians are human and forget things, even important things. The reminder about how to live Christian needs to be repeated .. often. Paul had probably taught these things to the new Christians in Crete, but he knew they would need reminders as they faced the challenges of living Christian in the present world.

Be Subject To Rulers And Authorities

The first reminder is about being subject to rulers and authorities. Here’s a quick look at key words:

subject — hupotassó .. “to place or rank under, submit to”

rulers — arché .. “beginning, origin, chief, first”

authorities — exousia .. “power to act, delegated power”

Every town and community has several people who “rule.” Think about all the authorities in your life from law enforcement to mayors, city councils, county commissions, the executive branch to legislative branch to judicial branch of governments. That’s a lot of rulers and authorities! Paul told Titus, “remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities.”

The Roman government began as a monarchy, then became a republic, similar in some ways to the structure of the government in the United States, and then as an autocracy as emperors took more and more power away from elected officials. They used their power to inflict great damage on their enemies. The autocracy was the type of government in power when Paul wrote his letter to Titus. Nero was the Roman emperor at the time. If you read about the cruelty of Nero, you may wonder why God would want Christians to be “subject” to him and those who ruled under him.

Christianity is not about who is ruling on earth. Our ruler is in Heaven. King Jesus wants His followers to be subject to earthly rulers, no matter who they are or how they rule. We can do that because Jesus rules from Heaven and is above all earthly rulers. The Apostle Paul had written this to the Ephesians a few years earlier:

… and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. Ephesians 1:19-21

There is no one on earth who is higher than Jesus Christ. Jesus is “far above” all principality and power and might and dominion. He is far above every name that is named, “not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Jesus, our great King, wants us to be subject to earthly rulers and authorities. As difficult as that may be for us to deal with in our mixed-up world today, that’s what God wants us to do.

The same was true for the Cretans. Rome defeated Cretan forces in a three-year war that ended in 69 BC, which was a little less than a hundred years from when Paul visited Crete and wrote his letter to Titus. It was important that Christians on Crete remembered that King Jesus wanted them to be subject to those in authority over them.

Paul addressed this issue of subjection to civil authorities several years earlier in his letter to the Romans:

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
Romans 13:1

The Apostle Peter also addressed it in his first letter:

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
1 Peter 2:13-17

Obey

Paul added the word peitharcheó. It means “persuaded of what comes first.” The context might dictate its connection to obeying rulers and authorities, though the words “be subject to” would seem to cover that. Here’s an interesting note from one commentator:

It is probable that the reason whey the apostle enjoined this so particularly was, because the Judaizing teachers in Crete affirmed, that no obedience was due from the worshippers of the true God to magistrates who were idolaters, and because by that doctrine they were beginning to make not only the Jewish, but the Gentile believers, bad subjects, and liable to be punished as evil-doers.
Benson Commentary

That raises an important question for every Christian today. Should we obey government leaders who are unbelievers? The answer is “yes” and “no.”

Jesus, Paul and Peter made it clear that followers of Christ should obey the lawful directives of government. However, Peter also made it clear that followers of Christ should not obey the directives of government when it comes to disobeying God.

And the high priest asked them, saying, ‘Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!’ But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. Acts 5:27-32

The lawful authorities in Israel commanded the apostles not to preach in the name of Jesus. That’s where Christians should draw a line in the sand. We will not stop preaching in the name of Jesus, even if government rulers tell us to stop.

Another aspect of this that early Christians had to face was when Roman emperors demanded that Christians worship them. Emperor worship, also known as the Imperial Cult, had a history before Christianity. However, Rome allowed Jews to be monotheistic so they did not have to worship the emperor. Roman authorities looked at early Christianity as being a sect of Judaism since Jews were the first to become followers of Christ. Emperor worship was apparently not an issue at the time Paul wrote the Romans or Titus, so he didn’t address that in his letters.

It was later in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD that Christians were no longer viewed as a sect of Judaism and were forced to perform a sacrifice to Roman gods and the well-being of the emperor. Many Christians refused and were imprisoned and tortured. Some Christians were killed. Many Christians went into hiding. However, some Christians did perform pagan sacrifices and received a certificate (libellatici ) from their local magistrate to prove what they had done. Christians who refused to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods and burn incense to the emperor during the 3rd century viewed those Christians as apostates and called them lapsi (fallen). The number of lapsi was so large that it became a problem for the Church after Christianity was legalized in the 4th century. Many Christians who had suffered or had family members who had suffered because of their loyalty to Christ in refusing to offer pagan sacrifices did not want any of the lapsi to be forgiven and allowed to return to worship in their local churches. Mercy was eventually offered (lapsi often had to perform some type of public penance before being allowed to rejoin Christian worship), but it demonstrated the seriousness that many Christians had about not obeying government orders that conflicted with the teachings of the Bible.

That’s good advice for Christians today. We should obey government authorities UNLESS they demand that we do something that is clearly forbidden by Christ and His apostles (e.g. not preach in Jesus’ name, offer sacrifices to pagan gods, etc).

Ready For Every Good Work

The third behavior Paul wanted Titus to remind Cretan Christians about was to “be ready for every good work.” The word “ready” is hetoimos and means “prepared, ready because preparations have been made.”

“every good work” is pan ergon agathon (every work good). It means “every kind of deed that is intrinsically good.”

That’s the attitude Jesus wants all of His followers to have. He wants us to prepare ourselves for every kind of intrinsically good deed and be ready to do it.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. Acts 9:36

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

… that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Hebrews 10:24

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 2 Peter 2:11-12

It may also be helpful to remind ourselves what Paul wrote about good works earlier in his letter to Titus:

They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:16

Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works. Titus 2:6-7

… looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:13-14

Good works are at the heart of God’s will for our lives. We cannot perform any work that is good enough to earn salvation, but good works should flow from our lives after we have been saved by God’s grace.

Tabitha (Dorcas) was an example of what God refers to as “good works.” When Peter arrived at Joppa he heard that Tabitha had died. The widows who were in the upper room of the house showed Peter the tunics and garments Dorcas had made while she was with them (while she was alive). Peter prayed for Tabitha and the woman came back to life.

What we learn here is that something as seemingly simple as making tunics and garments for people is called “good works.”

Romans 16:1-6 is another example of how Christians perform “good works.” The people Paul mentioned were involved in many aspects of supporting the Gospel ministry. Each of them gave of their time, talents and gifts, which is what each of should do every day. We need to prepare ourselves to be ready for “every good work.”

Next Time

We will look at the rest of the seven important aspects for Christians in the next part of our special series, Living Christian in the Present World.

Apostle PaulJesus ChristLiving ChristianPresent WorldTitus Living Christian In ‘This Present World’ (Part 10)

Published by gracelifethoughts

Founder & Director of GraceLife Ministries View all posts by gracelifethoughts

Spirituality Magazine

Living Christian In ‘This Present World’ (Part 10)