Accountablity

[Read Titus 1:12-14]

This church allowed certain ungodly cultural influences to enter the church. Paul instructs the leaders of the church to correct the people who allowed certain teachings to enter the church. Paul says, “reprove them severely” or “rebuke them sharply.” It was a serious matter.

Are we agents of false thinking that opposes the gospel? And do we have a system of accountability that allows us to be corrected when we are stray from the truth?

[Living Before the Face of God from Table Talk]

“The church must be on guard against the cultural transforming it, for it is distinct from culture and must remain so. People should be able to see in our love for one aonther something they have never seen before, not attitudes and actions that conform to the worst of the society around us. As we read Scripture and hear the Word of God preached, may we seek to fulfill the challenge to be Christlike borth in His church and in the world.”

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False Teachers At Our Church?

[Read Titus 1:10-11]

We don’t often think that false teachers are present within our home church. We think that false teachers were a problem for the early church, or that they are what comprise our modern day cult groups.  False teachers at our church – it couldn’t be.  But, Paul makes it clear that not thinking rightly of God, is a means of promoting false teaching. And, we can “in practice” fall under this category knowingly or unknowingly.

I am pretty confident that the false teachers in the early years of the church thought that they were speaking truth.  They didn’t go around saying, “Listen to me, I am a false teacher.” No, they really believed they had it right. It goes the same with us. A false perception of God may be very subtle and our fleshly (or “fallen”) minds automatically tell us that it’s correct.

How do we protect ourselves from believing false notions about God? We have the inerrant Word of God as our ultimate authority.  We have to constantly check and study the Word, making sure that all that we believe to be true of God is found the Scripture.

[Living Before the Face of God from Tabletalk]

“It remains true in our day that money often follows erroneous teaching, and, unfortunately, sinners often seem more willing to throw their income at people and institutions who water down the gospel or teach an outright perversion of it. We who are committed to the biblical gospel must be even more willing to support those persons, institutions, and churches that proclaim Scripture faithfully.”

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Sobering Reminder

In this passage, Paul continues his teaching on who is fit to be an elder. Here, Paul says that the elder must love the truth so that he might instruct those in the church to grow in the knowledge of the truth. Paul speaks of sound doctrine, which helps us to think rightly of God.

This is a sobering reminder to me to continue to grow in my understanding of Scripture so that I might help others to know and think rightly of God. It is through sound instruction that I equip the believer to love and serve God. This is my primary role as a pastor.

[Living Before the Face of God]

John Calvin writes, “Those persons shall be chosen who, having cordially embraced the truth of God, and holding firmly, never allow it to be wrestled from them, or can be torn from it.” The elder, as well as all believers, must have not only knowledge of Scripture but love its teachings. As we study we should be looking not only to know for the sake of knowledge but to love what God teaches. Are you asking Him to help you develop this love?

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Self-Control is Everything

“For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain” Titus 1:7

Paul gives a list of qualifications for a church leader (i.e. elder, etc.). This list contains outward, visible signs of a changed life. What seems to underlie this list is being self-controlled. Evidence of self-control is a sure sign of spiritual maturity.

[Living Before the Face of God from Tabletalk]

“The vices Paul mentions in today’s passage are obviously prohibited for any Christian. One of the most difficult to overcome is self-indulgence, for our culture does little to encourage self-control. Do you bear this fruit of the Spirit in our life? There is  grace for those times when we are not self-controlled, and there is renewal through repentance, but the evidence of it is seen in the endeavor to control one’s passions by the help of God’s Spirit.”

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Not Perfection

Read Titus 1:5-6

Paul tells Titus to appoint elders to the church. And one of the qualification of the elder is that he should be “above reproach.”

Being “above reproach” is not perfection. Rather, it is honesty regarding personal sin and evidence of repentance. It’s a person who is constantly striving to turn from sin.

The need for personal holiness is not just for the pastor, elders, or leaders of the church. It is for all. God calls us His “Holy Nation.” God calls us to be holy because He is Holy. We know that we will not achieve perfection here. But, are we striving to turn from sin each day?

[Living Before the Face of God]

“Augustine notes that Paul does not say “‘If anyone is without sin.’ For if he were to say this, every person would be rejected, no one would be ordained”. The qualification for being a church leader, indeed, for being a Christian at all, is repentance–a continual admission on one’s sin, a turning to Christ for forgiveness, and an endeavor to set right what one has made wrong.”

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The Nurturing Heart

Read: Titus 1:1-4

“To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Jesus our Savior.” Titus 1:4

For my daily devotions, I will be going through the book of Titus for the next couple of months.

In verse 4, Paul refers to Titus as his “true child” in the faith. This is interesting to me.  When I think of Paul, I think of a great missionary, a great apostle, a driven and passionate man.  His work in planting churches, bold preaching, encounters with harsh persecution paint a picture of what I would call ‘spiritual toughness’.  But at the core of Paul’s character was a tender, nurturing side that placed great weight on cultivating relationships.  He deeply cared for the spiritual health of others in the family of God.  And for Titus, Paul had the affections that a father would have for his son.

[Living Before the Face of God from Tabletalk]

“Scripture says in many places that our real family is formed not by blood ties but through faith in Christ (Mark 3:31-35). Ultimately, only our relationships with true believers will endure eternally, and so we must look to the church to be our family and allow ourselves to be family to other believers. Do you have close relationships with other believers in your congregation? Let us all do what we can to strengthen the bond of love with other Christians.”

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