HELPFUL REMINDERS (PART 1)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

Titus 3:1-2

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As I invest time in reading from the scriptures every day, I find myself blessed by the consistent, helpful reminders that leap off the page and enter my heart, mind, and soul, reminders about how the Lord expects for me to live my life.

We all need this because although we are in Christ, we are also immersed in a world that is counter to Christ and His way of living in so many ways. The enemy is working overtime daily to try and convince Christian believers to alter their views and opinions, appealing to a person’s reasoning and understanding of how things are supposed to be. Many pastors today have fallen into this trap and have decided to conform their church to the world’s ideals instead of remaining faithful to the sacredness of the inerrant word of God.

When it comes right down to it, we can’t have it both ways.

We can’t be a true Christian while having one foot in the world and the other in Jesus. He uncompromisingly gave up His life and surrendered everything to bear our sins and save us from God’s judgment. The least we can do to honor Him is to stay fully committed to Him and His ways for after all Jesus is THE Way and THE Truth and THE Life, the ONLY One who can bring us to the Father. He told us this Himself (John 14:6).

This means that no one or nothing else is the way or the truth or the life. Only Jesus, so don’t allow someone to convince you otherwise. Only He can save and bring someone to Heaven forever when they place their belief in Him.

Did I mention the scriptures offer us helpful reminders?

Well, as we return to our study of Titus, fresh off of celebrating all that the Lord has done and is doing for us with thanksgiving, we find the Paul providing more helpful reminders to Titus who we know was left on the island of Crete to further establish the Christian church there. In the first two verses of chapter 3, we find this from the Apostle:

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

Note here that Titus was expected to provide this call to remember to “the people” of Crete and today, we read them as extended toward us as well. In part one of this series, we look at the first three of these helpful reminders.

1. To be subject to rulers and authorities.

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities.

In my lifetime here in America, I can’t remember a time that has been more politically volatile as it is today. Our country is polarized and the venomous exchanging of insults and hate seems to have no end. Unfortunately, many Christians have jumped into the fray and the middle of this free-for-all, even when the scriptures call us to be “subject to rulers and authorities”. It doesn’t say we need to agree with those in governance but we are to submit to their authority.

Why?

Well, maybe this additional passage from the scriptures will further reinforce the words from Titus.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13:1-2

Ultimately, God establishes governing authorities. He is the One who places them in positions of governance and, in turn, they are accountable to Him for the way they conduct themselves. Therefore, it’s God’s place to judge, not ours, and anyone who decides to trump God and rebel against what He “has instituted” will “bring judgment on themselves”.

Let that sink in for a minute.

So if you’re a Christian and you feel yourself being influenced to behave as the world does when they find disfavor with someone in government, revolting and judging in a spirit of hatred, recall this helpful reminder and give the matter to God to handle.

2. To be obedient.

Remind the people...to be obedient

I find it completely fascinating that this immediately follows the call to be subject to governing authorities. It’s as if the Lord is saying to us, “Just in case you’re feeling tempted to violate my first reminder, I require you to comply with what I tell you.”

If God’s word tells us to do something, we are to do it. If He tells us to not do something, we aren’t to do it.

It’s really as simple as that.

Read His Word and do what it says as James exhorts (James 1:22). It’s what his brother Jesus would have done and as Christians, it’s what we need to do as well, without concession.

3. To be ready to do whatever is good.    

Remind the people...to be ready to do whatever is good.

Prior to Titus, we were looking at Paul’s second letter to Timothy. In the third chapter, we read these incredible words of truth about the Word of God:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

God breathes life into His Word and we are blessed with getting to read and study it today. Every scripture is useful for many things in life like “teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness”, all the while “thoroughly” preparing every Christian believer to carry out “every good work”.

In other words, the scriptures first ready us and then activate our motivation to do good toward others, while honoring and glorifying the Lord.

As we enter the Christmas season, there will be ample opportunities to do good. I pray all Christians will be ready to make a difference when needed.

Tomorrow, we’ll finish this brief series with a look at four more reminders.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com