Rebuke

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Titus 1-3; Psalm 23

TO CHEW ON: "For there are many insubordinate both idle talkers and deceivers ... whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain .... Therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith." Titus 1:10-11,13

A friend was sharing the story of her spiritual journey with me the other day. She told of a time, about a year into her walk with Christ, when substitute teaching jobs kept coming up on the day of her women's Bible study. Feeling the need for more money, she almost always accepted them.

One day when she again phoned her Bible study leader to tell her she would be away, the woman confronted her. "You know," she said, "you're a new Christian and you need this Bible study. You need to get off the fence."

"My leader's words really made me think," my friend said. "We don't reprove or rebuke people much these days."

My friend is right. Rebuke, reproof, confrontation—whatever word you use for it—our tolerant society isn't very tolerant of such corrective speech. But this is what Paul told Titus to do when he encountered the idle talkers [mataiologos  = speaking that lacks reason and worth and gives evidence of an undisciplined lifestyle - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1720] and the deceivers who influenced entire families against the gospel with motives of personal gain.

Titus isn't the only place the Bible mentions rebuke/reproof.

• Proverbs speaks of the people who rebuke the wicked as having delight and gaining a blessing (Proverbs 24:25). However, the writer is realistic and also warns of the bad reception such rebuke may cause (Proverbs 9:7).

• Luke tells us to rebuke with care, and forgive when the wrongdoer repents (Luke 17:3).

• Paul tells his readers to expose the deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11). He lists "rebuke" as one of the routine duties of the pastor, along with "preach, exhort, convince, and teach" (2 Timothy 4:2). He tells Timothy to rebuke publicly so that onlookers will examine their own actions (1 Timothy 5:20) and Titus to rebuke sharply (our reading) and with authority (Titus 2:15).

Have you ever been rebuked? Have you rebuked someone? Maybe this is a biblical practice we should do more of, with the intention of helping people mature (Titus 1:13) and as an expression love to fellow members of God's family (1 Corinthians 4:14).

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to have the courage to rebuke a fellow Christian if there is a need. But more, help me to accept rebuke. Help me to see it as an act of love. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 23

The Bible Project VIDEO: Titus (Read Scripture Series)

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Good works - what and why?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Titus 3:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us .... those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works." - Titus 3:5,8


If Titus has any question about the role of good works in a Christian's life, Paul clears it up in this bit of his letter.

He says, first, that doing good works is not a way to earn salvation. That comes through God's mercy and the supernatural new birth where He washes us clean (signified so beautifully by baptism) and renews us with the Holy Spirit.

But good works are important. Paul says we are to be careful to maintain them and that they are good and profitable. Other Bible passages shed more light on what good works are and their role in our lives.

What are good works?

• Isaiah gives us some broad good work categories: seeking justice, rebuking the oppressor, defending the fatherless, and taking up the case of the widow - Isaiah 1:17.

• Jesus describes a future time when God will praise those who fed the hungry, took in the stranger, clothed the poor, and visited the sick and prisoner as if they had done these things to Him - Matthew 25:35-36.

• Paul describes good works as being ready to give and willing to share - 1 Timothy 6:18.

Why do good works?

• Jesus tells us our good works point people to God - Matthew 5:16.

• Paul links good works with God's process of purifying us for Himself - Titus 2:14.

• James makes a powerful case for good works being the evidence that our faith is real - James 2:17-18.

• To the writer to the Hebrews, good works are a kind church fellowship glue when members think about how to stir up love and good deeds in each other - Hebrews 10:24.

Over the Christmas season we'll probably get lots of chances to do good works—contribute to food bank drives, sing carols at nursing homes, put together boxes of gifts for children in faraway lands, assemble hampers for needy families... The needs are legion and all around us. Let's not give in to mercy fatigue that shuts its heart to doing good works because of the multitude of appeals. Rather, let's let good works characterize us because that's who believers in Jesus are. 

PRAYER: Dear God, please grow compassion and generosity in me. May my life be known for good works that are an asset to You and Your reputation. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

When grace is our teacher

"Christ and His Disciples by Rembrandt

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Titus 2:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "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." Titus 2:11-12


We are all to some degree products of our education. Many a life has been put on track by the words and actions of an encouraging teacher. Our reading today tells us that God's grace also teaches us. What does it teach?

First, we are to deny certain things:
- ungodliness [asebeia is a lack of reverence and regard for God.]

- worldly lusts. Lust [epithumia] is a strong desire and intense craving for something. Worldly lusts would include things like the "gratification of sensual cravings, desiring the forbidden, longing for evil, coveting what belongs to someone else, and striving for things, persons, and experiences contrary to the will of God" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1713.

Instead we are to live:
- soberly [sophronos that is "act in a responsible manner, sensibly, prudently, being in self-control and in full possession of intellectual and emotional faculties" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1721]

- righteously [dikaios meaning properly as is right, agreeable to the law of right.]

- godly [eusebos that is piously with our actions set in motion by reverence for God.]

What impresses me about Paul's interpretation of God's grace teaching us is how much our will is involved. Right attitudes don't just fall into place or come over us. We choose to deny [arneomai - disregard, reject] certain mind-sets and actions, and to intentionally cultivate or live [zao - breathe, be among the living, be active in] others.

Living this way is not some unpleasant heavy duty but a ticket to freedom. Leslyn Musch explains it well:

"God's grace teaches us to do good works not to earn salvation, but because we are free from sinful behaviors and free to do good things for God. This is the privilege and inheritance of God's people and not a harsh law to be followed and fulfilled. Holy living is the response of God's chosen and special people to the redeeming love and immeasurable grace of Jesus Christ" - Leslyn Musch, "Truth-In-Action through Titus, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1723 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to deny impulses within me to take You lightly and to gratify my selfish and worldly cravings. Help me to choose the sober, righteous, and godly response to the circumstances of my life today. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A challenge to us as followers

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Titus 1:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money." Titus 1:7

Those of us who attend church with pastor leaders are well aware of the hazards of such a position. Pastors get criticized for a multitude of things: their leadership style, their sermons, how organized or disorganized they are, the hours they work or don't, not visiting the sick and shut-ins or visiting too much, driving too big and fancy a car or looking too poor… and the list could go on.

Paul's letter to Titus deals with choosing church leaders and lists some of the qualifications they should have. Paul tells Titus to choose bishops (overseers) who are: (quotes in parenthesis are from the Amplified Bible).

• "blameless" ("of unquestionable integrity")
• "the husband of one wife" 
• good fathers whose children are described as "faithful … not accused of dissipation or insubordination" ("well-trained … believers … not  … loose in morals and conduct or unruly or disorderly")
• "not self-willed" ("arrogant or presumptuous")
• "not quick-tempered" 
• "not given to wine"
• "not violent" ("pugnacious, brawling")
• "not greedy ("grasping … for filthy lucre [financial gain])"
• "hospitable" ("loving and a friend to believers, especially to strangers and foreigners")
• "lovers of what is good" ("of good people and good things")
• "sober-minded" ("sensible, discreet")
• "just" ("upright and fair-minded")
• "holy" ("a devout man and religiously correct")
• "self-controlled" ("temperate and keeping himself in hand")
• "holding fast the faithful word he has been taught"
• "able… to exhort and convict those who contradict" ("able both to give stimulating instruction and encouragement in sound {wholesome} doctrine and to refute and convict those who contradict and oppose it [showing the wayward their error]")

Even though this list is over 2000 years old, it is still applicable to church leaders today. However, rather than using it as a yardstick to point out ways our pastors don't measure up, let's use it as a template for prayer that they do and will.

In their positions pastors and other church leaders are targets of not only us who are followers in their congregations but the watching world. Probably nothing makes the devil happier than when a prominent man or woman of God gets tangled in sin.

So with all our hearts, let's fill our months with intercession for our pastors in these many areas rather than criticism.


PRAYER: Dear God, I pray for my pastor and Your under-shepherds all over the world.  May these men and women stay pure and dedicated as they work as stewards in Your church. Amen.

MORE: Fourth Sunday of Advent
Today the church celebrates the Fourth Sunday of Advent. If there is a Christmas story character focus today, I'd guess it would be "Shepherds."

The Fourth Advent Sunday liturgy begins with this collect:

"Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen"

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Some scripture quotes are taken from the Amplified® Bible,
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Life reno

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Titus 3:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." Titus 3:5

I like to watch home renovation shows on TV. I'm always amazed by the reveal, especially if the show included scenes of how the rooms looked as the work progressed.

Renovation is one meaning of the word renewing (anakainosis - #342) Paul uses to describe the work of the Holy Spirit in us — along with restoration, and "complete change for the better."

Bible writers mention renewal in other places.

• One of the most intriguing is Samuel's promise to Saul after Samuel anointed him king of Israel: "Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man" (1 Samuel 10:6). It seems that God's empowering of Saul for his new job included an instantaneous renovation.

• David asked God for a clean heart and renewed spirit after Nathan confronted him with the Bathsheba fiasco (Psalm 51:10).

• Renewed strength comes, Isaiah promises, by waiting on the Lord (Isaiah 40:31).

• Such renovation can involve the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23) and our whole inner persons (2 Corinthians 4:16).

• The final result of this renewal will be a reveal of people who resemble Jesus: "...and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him" (Colossians 3:10).

Picture your life as a house. Does it need a renovation? Does it need to be cleared of clutter—stuff that you're hanging onto from the past like old grudges, bitter memories, unforgiveness? Does it need walls knocked out to let in more light and improve the traffic flow—walls of prejudice, perhaps, or hurt? Does it need a new coat of paint in the colours of joy, hope, peace, and love, applied as you read God's word and take it to heart? Don't let the messiness of your inner renovation discourage you. The Holy Spirit is good at renovations. The reveal will show a life that reminds people of Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, help me to cooperate with Your renovation, restoration and transformation work in my life. Amen.

MORE: House reno tips

Kelvin Browne lists and expands on "The Five Biggest Reno Mistakes" in a National Post article reprinted on hgtv.ca. His article is full of good common sense  about some of the pitfalls of house renos. His points also remind me of parallels in the spiritual realm. Can you think of more?

1. Not appreciating a house has a unique DNA and when you renovate, you must respond to it. (God doesn't make that mistake: see Psalm 139.)

2. Believing that good, big windows don't matter is a mistake. (Light: God is big on that! See John 8:12 and 2 Corinthians 4:6).

3a. You renovate too much. (I don't know if that's possible spiritually because the renovation needs to be complete: Romans 7:18).

3b. A related mistake is when renovations are uneven .... In other words, you renovate too much in one place and not enough in another. (God's renovations are always deep and thorough: Ezekiel 11:19).

4. You have no idea why you're renovating. (Spiritually, the need for renovation is painfully apparent: Romans 7:18-25)

5. Not enjoying the process of renovation. (We can enjoy the newness—even as we're still in process: 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Are you one of the peculiar?

Artist A.P.s sketch of "That they (the older women)
may teach the younger women" - Titus 2:3-4

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Titus 2:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "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 2:14

Paul gives Titus instructions on what to teach the various people in his congregations about lifestyle and attitude. I don't know if following his teaching would have set them apart from their unbelieving peers. Probably. For in the second half of Titus 2, when Paul is explaining why they should live this way (because they are looking forward to the return of Jesus - vs. 13), he calls them "His (God's) own special people." He is reminding Titus and all the Christ-followers that though they may no longer fit in with their neighbours, they fit in with God.

These days, when our everyday contact with the world through personal interaction, TV, the internet, and radio may far exceed our contact with people of faith, we may also feel like misfits. At such times it is good to remember that we too are "God's own special people." As such we are:

1. His special treasure (Exodus 19:5).
2. Chosen and holy (Deuteronomy 14:2).
3. Exalted (Deuteronomy 26:19).
4. Blessed with strength and peace (Psalm 29:11).
5. Guided as a flock (Psalm 78:52).
6. Included, even though we're Gentiles (Acts 15:14).
7. Characterized by zeal (Titus 2:14 - today's focus verse).
8. A people with God's law written on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10).
9. Called "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9).
10. A people with whom God chooses to live (Revelation 21:3).

If you're feeling isolated, odd, "peculiar"—the word the King James Version translators use to describe the people of God in 1 Peter 2:9—encourage yourself today as you review how God looks at you. As Bible teacher Dr. Dan Hayden says in an article called "A Peculiar People":

"Christian friend, I hope that you are encouraged to know that you really are 'peculiar'. You belong to a special group of people who are the unique possession of God. You are a member of His eternal family. And that means, of course, that you are the special object of His love and care. It also means however, that we are to live consistent with who we are."  - Read all of "A Peculiar People."

PRAYER: Dear God, I'm so encouraged to review what it means to be part of the company of Your people. Help me to live in such a way that I will bring credit to You and my fellow citizens of this "holy nation." Amen.

MORE: God's goal for His people

"What is He after, then? What is His goal? What does He aim at? When He made man, His purpose was that man should love and honor Him, praising Him for the wonderfully ordered complexity and variety of His world, using it according to His will, and so enjoying both it and Him. And though man has fallen, God has not abandoned His first purpose.


Still He plans that a great host of mankind should come to love and honor Him. His ultimate objective is to bring them to a state in which they please Him entirely and praise Him adequately, a state in which He is all in all to them, and He and they rejoice continually in the knowledge of each others love—men rejoicing in the saving love of God, set upon them from all eternity, and God rejoicing in the responsive love of men, drawn out of them by grace through the gospel."
- J. I Packer, Knowing God, p. 97-98 (1975 edition).

Administrator Titus

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Titus 1:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I appointed you." Titus 1:5

The book of Titus is a letter from Paul to the young Greek Christian Titus. He had traveled with Paul to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-3) and had represented him to the church in Corinth during Paul's third missionary journey (2 Corinthians 7:6,7).

Though Luke doesn't tell us the story of Paul's church plant in Crete, Titus 1:5 implies that Paul had been there with Titus and left him behind to oversee the churches. He was, among other things, an administrator.

Chances are that when we read about spiritual gifts (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4), administration isn't the one that grabs our attention. We're much more likely to focus on evangelism, preaching, teaching, service, giving, or helps. However, gifts of administrations  (kubernesis -  #2941: governing; government) is on the list (1 Corinthians 12:28). Leading committees, planning the setup and cleanup of an event, organizing the food, advertising, ticket sales, and enlisting the ushers can be a Holy Spirit-inspired and -driven ability.

Some gifted Bible administrators were Joseph, Daniel and Nehemiah.

• Joseph found himself in charge wherever he was, from Potiphar's estate, to prison, to all of Egypt. 

• Daniel was part of the administrative bureaucracy of Babylon, selected and trained as a youth because of his wisdom, knowledge, and physical good looks. 

• Nehemiah went from being a cup-bearer for King Artaxerxes to overseeing the Jerusalem wall rebuild.

In the New Testament Paul entrusts both Timothy and Titus with administration in first century churches that grappled with challenging and difficult issues. In Titus's case, he and Paul embarked on a mission to Crete probably around A.D. 63-65. When Paul left Crete to care for other churches, he left Titus in charge to organize the young churches. His first job was to appoint bishops or leaders. Much of the book of Titus is instruction about church organization and how to select good leaders.

Do you know who the administrator is in your church? If things are going smoothly you probably haven't given it much thought. Because administration done well leads to a church's seamless and smooth operation. It's when things aren't organized that we notice.

Two challenges:
1. Let's pray more for the administration of our church and their chief administrator(s) which may or may not be the senior pastor.

2. If administration is lacking in our assemblies and it's bothering us, we could do more than criticize and complain. We could consider getting involved.

PRAYER: Dear God thank You for the variety of gifts in the church, including administration. I pray for the administrator of my church. Please show me what my part is to help the church run smoothly. Amen

MORE: Why spiritual gifts?

In the article "The Gifts of the Spirit," Dr. Kenneth Boa gives three reasons for Christians to discover and develop their spiritual gifts (of which administration is one):

A. You Will Be Satisfied

Knowing and using your gifts will give you an understanding of the unique and indispensable ministry you have been called to accomplish in the body of Christ. You will discover a significant part of your purpose for being on this planet and realize that God has made you competent to produce something that will last for eternity. You will have a sense of fulfillment and joy in the service of others as you become an available instrument through which the Holy Spirit can work.

In addition, knowledge of your spiritual gifts will greatly assist you in discerning and affirming the will of God at various points in your life. God will not call you to accomplish anything without giving you the power and enablement to do it. You will be able to make more intelligent decisions about possible involvement in specific opportunities and training in light of your God-given function in the body (Rom. 12:4). You will also use your time more effectively by focusing on the things you have been equipped to do well rather than expending your energy in areas of minimum potential.

B. Others Will Be Edified

Knowing and using your gifts will lead to the edification of other members of the body of Christ. As you exercise your spiritual gifts, you will play a substantial role in building up other Christians and leading them into maturity (Eph. 4:12-16). If you fail to develop your gifts or let them decline through disuse, your brothers and sisters in Christ will actually be hurt because they will be deprived of the unique ministry that only you could perform in their lives.

C. God Will Be Glorified

According to 1 Peter 4:10-11, your spiritual gifts are ultimately designed to bring glory to God. This is your highest calling, and it relates to all three Persons of the Godhead. As you use your spiritual gifts in conjunction with the power and fruit (especially love) of the Holy Spirit and in the name and Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Father receives the glory. 

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