A Spiritually Healthy Family (A Study of the Epistle to Titus) (Part 5 of 5)

I am looking forward to speaking at Camp Elim’s Family Camp May 25-27. The theme I have chosen is “A Spiritually Healthy Family” and we will be going through the three chapters of Paul’s letter to Titus.

We’ve already seen that the spiritually healthy family cares deeply about the local church (1:1-9),  that it recognizes false teaching in its many forms and opposes it (1:10-16), and that the spiritually healthy family appreciates and applies the clear instructions of God’s Word (2:1-10). In our last post we saw that this kind of family allows God’s grace to have its full power in their lives (2:11-15).

Let’s notice lastly in chapter three that —

The spiritually healthy family —

V. Cares Deeply about Relationships in the World and in the Church! (ch. 3)

A. Relationships in the World (vv. 1-2)

We are in this world and are to behave ourselves in it! We are to be subject to earthly authorities (unless they try to force us to deny the Lord). As I argue in my soon-to-be-published book Unlike Jesus, we should be friends of sinners (Mt. 11:19) without being a “friend of the world” (James 4:4).

B. Relationship with the Lord (vv. 3-8)

This is a tough section. Paul pulls no punches as he speaks about our BC (before conversion) condition (v. 3). Then we have the wonderful descriptions of God’s “kindness” in Christ (vv. 4-8).

C. Relationships with Negative People (vv. 9-11)

Some people should be avoided! The passage seems to be talking about those in the family of God who want to argue about genealogies and quarrels about the law (v. 9). Actually, we’re not to just avoid them; we are to warn them! And then have nothing to do with them.

D. Relationships with Fellow-Workers (vv. 12-15)

Don’t you love it when Paul names names? Artemas and Tychicus (see Eph. 6:21-22) and Titus and Zenas the lawyer (there will be lawyers in heaven!) and Apollos. Paul speaks of “our people” and how they must devote themselves to doing what is good. He also speaks of “everyone with me.” He also says, “Greet those who love us in the faith.”

As an introvert, I’m okay with my laptop, my dog Scrabble, and occasional conversations with my wife. But that’s not how God intended us to be! He is a relational God and wants us to value others, especially those in ministry!

 

 

Stay Spiritually Fit and Healthy — Until You Are Dead! Part 8

We are asking the question, how do we become and stay spiritually fit in the Lord?  And the little epistle of Titus has much to teach us on this topic.  Let’s look at the next to last section of Titus 3 this morning:

Just as there are fast foods that we are to avoid — if we want to become physically healthy — so there are things that are detrimental to the believer’s spiritual health.  Some of those things are “foolish controversies” and “genealogies” and “quarrels about the law.”  Why are we to avoid these?  The answer is simple: “these are unprofitable and useless” (v. 9).

Not only topics, but some people are injurious to our spiritual health.  We are to deal directly with those who are divisive.  In fact, we are told to warn that person once, then a second time, then to “have nothing to do with them” (v. 10).  Wow!  How narrow-minded and “un-Christian”!  Nope.  Scripture says that such people “are warped and sinful and self-condemned” (v. 11)!

Minutes and hours wasted on useless arguments are minutes and hours lost, never to be recovered.  And there are some people that are negative and disruptive and detrimental to the people of God.  They are to be warned — twice! — then avoided.

So spiritual health is not only what we eat and how we exercise.  It is also what we should not “chew on” and people we should not spend time with.  Some topics are not worth our time.  And some people, especially those who are divisive, ought to be corrected and, if necessary, cut off from the people of God.  (to be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay Spiritually Fit and Healthy — Until You Are Dead! Part 7

In 1994 Os Guinness wrote a book called Fit Bodies Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don’t Think and What to Do About It.  I think I could write a book called Fat Bodies and Fat Minds and Thin Wallets!

I’m working hard at getting fitter in my late 60’s.  But how much effort am I spending on getting spiritually healthy?  A major theme of the little epistle of Titus deals with soundness of soul.  Let’s look at our next section of this incredible letter:

Here in Chapter three we see our “B.C.” condition (before Christ).  Eight awful adjectives are used to describe us in our unsaved reality.  We were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

But God didn’t leave us that way!  In His kindness and love (v. 4) our Savior appeared and saved us!  He didn’t save us because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy (v. 5).  The Holy Spirit washed and renewed us and was “poured out generously” on us (v. 6).  We have now been “justified by his grace” (v. 7) and have become “heirs having the hope of eternal life” (v. 7).

That is what has happened to us!  That’s the truth about what we were and what we are now in Christ.  And that kind of healthy good news ought to sink into our spiritual bones and cause us to rejoice!

Stress is a major factor in negatively impacting the health of many people.  But “stress” can also be a verb.  And Paul challenges Titus to “stress these things” (v. 8).  We are to focus upon and emphasize these truths so that those who have made this transition out of darkness into His light “may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good” (v. 8).  Realization and practical response are required of the healthy believer who enjoys soundness of soul!  (to be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay Spiritually Fit and Healthy — Until You Are Dead! Part 6

“It just dawned on me that there are 70 pounds of you that I’m not legally married to!”  These words could be said by my wife Linda, but she wouldn’t.  But she could.  Physically, I need to lose “a few pounds” — and I’m working on it.

Diet and exercise — that’s what I’m doing.  And it’s working!  My problem (among the many that I have) is that I sometimes try to do too much exercise.  Like yesterday when I played two sets of singles tennis and then had a doubles match last night!  My legs are speaking to me this morning and saying things that Christian legs ought  not to say.

But I want to get “in shape”, to “be fit.”  And that’s going take some work.

So it is in the Christian life.  We’ve been looking at the little epistle of Titus and seeing Paul’s concern for the spiritual health of this young Christian leader.  We move into chapter three of this letter:

Paul’s admonitions to Titus in this section relate to how we treat others.  Specifically, believers have an obligation to “be subject to rulers and authorities.”  A rebellious, anti-government attitude is not to characterize the follower of Jesus.  Obedience to God-appointed authority is a sign of spiritual health.

We are “to be ready to do whatever is good” (v. 1).  The spiritually healthy believer is an active believer, one who looks for opportunities to show by his or her works that the God of the Bible is real and wants a relationship with His creation.

Our speech (“to slander no one”) and our heart attitudes (“to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone”) are healthy conditions towards which we ought to strive.  The grouchy Christian is a contradiction in terms.  The harsh believer needs to drop down and do twenty push-ups, realizing that His Savior is gentle in heart.

The Lord Jesus — God manifest in the flesh — was subject to authorities, obedient, ready to do whatever is good, slandered no one, was peaceable and considerate and always gentle towards everyone.  And I want to be like Him.  You?   (to be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STUCK! Ten Areas That Will Bury You as a Believer and How to Dig Your Way Out! (Area #1- Salvation, continued)

Sometimes Christians get STUCK on the issue of SALVATION.  Really.  Getting saved in the Bible seems pretty straightforward.  Living out one’s salvation (“continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling“, Phil. 2:12) is another matter.

In this series of messages for Crossroads Fellowship Church I am focusing on ten areas which bog down the believer.  Let’s look at our text on salvation one more time:

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 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 by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to 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. (Titus 3)

As a result of His saving work in our lives, we have become HEIRS and ought to DEVOTE OURSELVES to doing what is good (v. 8).  So often the Christian’s life is a bunch of words!  In the Broadway play “My Fair Lady,” the main character sings the following:  “Words, words, words!
  I’m so sick of words.  
I get words all day through
.  First from him, now from you
!  Is that all you blighters can do?”  Then she sings, “Sing me no song, read me no rhyme
, Don’t waste my time, show me!
  Don’t talk of June, don’t talk of fall
, Don’t talk at all!
 Show me!”  [There is one more stanza which reads:  “Haven’t your arms, hungered for mine?  Please don’t ‘explain,’ show me, show me!  Don’t wait until wrinkles and lines, Pop our all over my brow, show me now!”]!  We must SHOW our salvation by the DEEDS that we do!

 

STUCK! Ten Areas That Will Bury You as a Believer and How to Dig Your Way Out! (Area #1- Salvation, continued)

This new series of sermons at Crossroads Fellowship Church where I serve as part-time interim preaching pastor will focus on ten themes that are critical to the Christian life.

The first area, SALVATION, often raises questions such as: How do I know I am saved?  Can I lose my salvation?  What is the role of my works in salvation?  Let’s look once more at our main text in Titus 3:

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 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 by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to 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. (Titus 3)

We’ve seen our BC (“Before Christ”) condition (verse 3) which Paul describes using awful adjectives and words about our abominable actions.  Our IN CHRIST reality (“He saved us”) was brought into existence by His mercy, kindness, and love (not our righteous works) (verses 4-5).  Our salvation is described as “the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”  What powerful words!  WASHED! REBORN! RENEWED!  (to be continued)

 

STUCK! Ten Areas That Will Bury You as a Believer and How to Dig Your Way Out! (Area #1: Salvation)

We are beginning a new series of sermons at Crossroads Fellowship Church where I am serving as part-time interim preaching pastor.  These posts (probably about ten or so in number) will allow me to think through the subjects that often seem to slow down or even halt the Jesus-follower in his or her life of faith.

The first area that sometimes sinks the believer is that of SALVATION.  One would think that “being saved” is a simple concept readily understandable.

However, I’m convinced that many Jesus-followers are actually trying to “pay God back” for their salvation, instead of living in the joy of having their sins forgiven.  Here’s the main passage I will be preaching on this Sunday:

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 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 by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to 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. (Titus 3)

Please notice —

First, our BC (“Before Christ”) condition:  We were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures (v. 3).  I call these the awful adjectives describing our spiritual state before conversion.  We then see our abominable actions also in verse 3:  We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.  Wow!  We did not merit God’s love or forgiveness.  (to be continued)