Tag Archives: grace

Good Work Obedience Rulers

The Good Work of Obedience to Rulers

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The third and final chapter in Titus is one which would not be well received in many modern churches, especially those in 1st world countries – the western world in particular. Paul bears down once more on the necessity to maintain good works. Three of the works he mentions by name are perhaps the most widely rejected in the modern church in terms of theology and practice than any others.

He begins by telling Christians that they are to submit to and obey those who govern them. This is so widely rejected and opposed within the church that one would think it is a peripheral doctrine which only crops up once in all of scripture. More jumping through doctrinal hoops and special pleading is used to get around these obvious commands than nearly any other topic in scripture.

The second thing Paul mentions is the need to show fruitfulness in their union with Christ by giving, especially to urgent needs.

The third and final instruction of Paul is given in the form of a warning and that is to reject anyone in the local assemblies who are divisive, after having warned them twice. This action of church discipline which was mentioned first by Christ Himself in Matthew 18 and then by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 and now here in Titus (not to mention that mentioned in Thessalonians). Most churches are either unwilling or unable to fulfill this mandate. Unwilling in that they are more afraid of man than they are respectful to the point of obedience to God. Unable in that many churches are so large today that it would be impossible for any pastor to even know all the people, much less know if there is unrepentant sin continuing in the lives of his sheep. These shepherds, though many are well meaning, have exchanged the intimacy of close knit ministry for size and numbers. This is a monstrous substitution that has many shepherds smelling more like money than sheep.

All of these commands are clear and powerful directives from God our Father and ones which require our zealous obedience!

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Saving grace

Saving grace has been revealed to all

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In Paul’s letter to Titus he gave instructions regarding Christian behavior so that believers on Crete would honor God in their lives and be living witnesses unto the gospel.

However, in his closing statements in chapter 2 Paul explains that God’s grace has already gone before them. That through creation and the direct influence of the Holy Spirit God has paved the way for their living testimony by influencing the hearts of everyone in the world in preparation for the gospel they are to live and preach.

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Proverbs 3 Promises

The Promises of Proverbs 3

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Though it is not unusual to find peppered throughout the Old Testament, Proverbs 3 has some promises which Christians truly need to view in light of established New Covenant theology. The differences are made by the New Testament authors themselves and so they aren’t hard to discover and reconcile.

These issues deal with understanding & application of verses dealing with abundance, sowing and reaping & even God’s grace as first debuting with Noah before even the Old Covenant. The New Testament can only be understood through a robust knowledge of the Old Testament. There IS however, a huge difference between the Old Testament and the Old Covenant. Understanding this is crucial!

I hope this helps you in your study of not only chapter 3, but all of Proverbs and the greater Old Testament at large.

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led renewed overcome

Led, Renewed & Overcoming

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We tackled Romans 8 this week in all of its complexity and glory.

In chapter 7 Paul leaves the christian with a palpable awareness of our divided hearts. Once we have come to Christ in faith and allegiance to His Lordship our spirits are recreated in the image of God our Father and Maker. We are no longer spiritually dead. No longer beings of utter darkness, we are now alive to God in the spirit, children of light.

However there remains the law of sin and death actively at work in our flesh nature, warring for dominant influence over our souls. This lower nature or lower life as Jesus put it, attempts to lead us into actions which are in high rebellion against the God we love. So it is that Paul asked the question – “Who will deliver me from this death-ridden body?” He closes that thought with the answer, “Jesus Christ our LORD”.

We are left with our higher nature serving God, but our lower nature, the law of sin & death.

Chapter 8 is nearly all about the mind, which is where this war is fought.

The Spirit encourages the believer to set their minds on spiritual things and be led by the inward promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Though we are predestined to bear the image of Jesus Christ, the means of bringing this about is suffering in the flesh. We must put to death the deeds of the body, that we might live and that death is realized in suffering.

In the end though, not anything or anyone external to ourselves can remove us from the love of God or the victory we will realize in Him!

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Sin Mind Believer

Sin & the mind of the believer

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There is a vast difference between God’s children and the devil’s.

According to Jesus, when a child of the devil sins they are simply walking in agreement with their own spiritually dead nature. They WANT to do the will of their father the devil.

A child of God on the other hand has experienced a literal, spiritual rebirth.

They once were dead and now they are alive, they were darkness and now they are light in the Lord. Old things have passed away now EVERYTHING is of God. The seed of Jesus remains in them and so as John says, “They CANNOT sin, because they have been born of God”.

Contrary to what most commentators will tell you this does not mean they cannot sin as they once did (which is also true), but that from their new nature – BECAUSE of the seed of Christ within them – IF they sin, it is no longer coming from WHO THEY ARE as a reborn spirit but from their flesh and mind alone.

Galatians tells us that the flesh exercises strong desire against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. These are strongly opposing forces which makes it hard for a Christian to do what is right.

The decision to side with their flesh or with the influence of the Holy Spirit upon their spirit is made in the mind. THAT is why we are focused on the renewing of the mind in this series.

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