Proper Christian Teaching -- Titus 2:11-15
Proper Christian Teaching -- Titus 2:11-15
By Pastor Lee Hemen
November 9, 2008 AM
Christians have adopted a convoluted myopic self-centered view of what the grace of God is all about. Some have bought into the idea that God has got to love us no matter what, forgetting we are called to holiness. Holiness is not a “sacred” feeling. We cannot do whatever we want, worship however we want, and think we can enjoy “the grace of God!” This is sickening in its spiritual stupidity. God’s grace certainly is his love extended to sinners, but we dare not presume upon it. God is not some elderly gentleman who winks at our indiscretions and dotingly waits for his wayward children to “come home.” God’s grace is found in Jesus who died for us when we did not care, did not deserve it, and did nothing to show we loved him for it. The grace of God is wrapped up in his plan to redeem mankind. Grace is the extension and expression of God.
This is why Paul would write Titus: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” (Titus 2:11) Knowing and understanding what this grace is all about is extremely important for the life of the believer. But what should this grace teach us? (I am glad you asked!) Paul related several life-changing aspects that this grace should express in the lives of Christians. This, Paul said, is proper Christian teaching…
READ: Titus 2:11-15
Today’s worldview teaches us that everything in life should revolve around us as individuals. When believers adopt this philosophy of life, they are in contradiction to the grace of God. God’s grace is unmerited on our part. We do not deserve it. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Paul faced a society that was used to very hedonistic excesses. Titus being the pastor of the newly established Cretan church needed to hold out a difference for the lost in Crete. Paul related that proper Christian teaching instructs us to say…
I. “No,” to ungodliness and worldly passions!
1. We live in a time whereby we think we should do whatever we want whenever we want. In fact, to be told “No” is now seen as hurtful, harmful, and narrow-minded. Paul warned that there would come a time when people would prefer sin over godliness: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3) He also wrote that when people turn away from God they “become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.” They become “gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they [will] invent ways of doing evil; they [will] disobey their parents; they [will be] senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” (Romans 1:30-31) Sound familiar? If Christians live for themselves, instead of the grace of God, they become part of the world’s spiritual problem. Jesus reminded us, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) John related, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15) Paul would teach, “live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Galatians 5:16) Proper Christian teaching instructs us to say, “No,” to ungodliness and worldly passions.
EXAMPLE: Recently, I was in the grocery store WinCo. There was a young mother with her children. Two were in her shopping cart and one was sort of following along as they went from aisle to aisle. One of them in the cart began to fuss. Louder and louder came her protests. She wanted this, she wanted that, she began to wail with intensity. What did this mother do? Did she say, “Stop that!” Did she dare swat her little darling? Did she take them out of the store, because the other two were now in three part harmony with the one in the cart? NO! She looked around, saw a bulk cookie bin, wheeled her cart over to it as fast as she possibly could, reached in and drew out three cookies for her little protestors. Now, what do you think this mother just taught and reinforced in her bellowing brood? This is exactly what the modern church today is reinforcing in the lives of many self-centered Christians. Instead of everything being about the worship of God, everything is about pleasing the protesting crowd. When the church of God begins to measure itself by the worldly passions of the irreligious hoard, what does that teach the world about the grace of God? Paul instructs Titus to say “No,” to ungodliness and worldly passions!
The call to the holy life is not something we naturally desire as human beings. We like ourselves too much. When Moses saw the burning bush, God did not ask him if he was comfortable, needed a drink, or if he liked his surroundings. Instead, we basically see God telling Moses to shut up, take off his shoes, and listen! He was in the presence of God. Did this disappear with Jesus? No. He related that unless our righteousness surpassed that of the Pharisees we would not see the kingdom of God! How is this possible? I thought that we if loved God, he’d love us, and in that we were worshipping him? Right? Paul would disagree and writes that proper Christian teaching instructs us to say…
II. “Yes,” to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives!
1. We live in a time when Christians need to be reminded of who they follow and why. The word here for “teaches” is the word paideuo which literally means to discipline as in giving a child a beating! WOW! I wonder how far that would go in today’s church for those who were not self-controlled? Remember Paul was writing Titus who was part of a church where “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” (Titus 1:16) Christians are to live sophronos, there’s that word again, meaning “seriously” or with a sober intent. Reigning in our own wants and desires and making them obedient to what we believe. James, Jesus brother, said that Christians “all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.” (James 3:2-3) Believers are to reign in their ungodly behavior, keep their lives in check, and live godly lives so that their worship of God is pure and holy. This is why Paul told the Roman Christians “I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) And the writer of Hebrews admonishes that “since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28) Paul tells Titus that proper Christian teaching instructs, disciplines, us to say “Yes,” to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives!
EXAMPLE: Christians do not discipline themselves anymore because we have lost what it means to worship God with our lives. Christians are trained to think that worship is to be enhanced and structured for their pleasure, when in fact true worship of God comes from within the life of a believer. It is the actual overflow of a person’s spirit, which is the heart, mind, and soul, as it is directed toward God because of his grace. Richard Ross, professor of student ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, states that for many Christian students their love for Jesus “primarily stems from the benefits He brings to them. They almost see Jesus as a little friend who can ride in their shirt pocket, always available to poof their problems away. … And where did they get this idea? Just listen to adults sharing prayer requests at church. It often is an organ recital -– adults reciting which organs they want Jesus to make better. Virtually no one lifts his voice in prayer to declare the majesty and grandeur of the King of Kings… Almost no one is preaching or teaching about the glory and majesty of God's Son as He sits enthroned in heaven.” D. A. Carson writes, “In the same way that, according to Jesus, you cannot find yourself until you lose yourself, so also you cannot find excellent corporate worship until you stop trying to find excellent corporate worship and pursue God himself. Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship worship rather than worship God. As a brother put it to me, it’s a bit like those who begin by admiring the sunset and soon begin to admire themselves admiring the sunset.” Paul tells Titus that proper Christian teaching instructs us to say “Yes,” to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives!
Carson continues by stating, “We do not expect the garage mechanic to expatiate on the wonders of his tools; we expect him to fix the car. He must know how to use his tools, but he must not lose sight of the goal. So we dare not focus on the mechanics of corporate worship and lose sight of the goal. We focus on God himself, and thus we become more godly and learn to worship—and collaterally we learn to edify one another, forbear with one another, challenge one another.” Proper Christian teaching instructs us to…
III. Encourage and rebuke with all authority!
1. We live in a time when we need to be able to tell one another to get back on track for the Lord! Far too often Christians forget that it was “Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:14) Turning again to Titus, Paul told him “These, then, are the things you should teach,” the specific aspects of godly behavior. Titus was to “encourage” parakaleo, call himself alongside of another believer, in order for proper instruction to be done correctly. Paul is describing mentorship. Discipling others in Christian principles. And, he was to “rebuke” elegcho, convince and admonish until they understood clearly what it meant to be a Christian living in the grace of the Lord! The Contemporary English Version translates Paul’s words: “Teach these things, as you use your full authority to encourage and correct people. Make sure you earn everyone's respect.” Christians have lost the respect of the world because they have become so much like the world. God’s grace is different from the world’s philosophy. If you lower your Godly standard, God’s grace, what will the world think of it? Why should it want to change? What hope do you give it? Jesus reminds us that “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19) He told the church at Laodicea “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” (Revelation 3:19) Paul would say that proper Christian teaching instructs us to encourage and rebuke with all authority!
EXAMPLE: Discipleship, mentorship, or being an instructor in another’s life is a grand calling. All parents are called to it to a certain extent. We learn not just from the good things we see, but from the mistakes we make as well. When another is able to relate to us that we are headed in the wrong direction and point us in the proper one we learn how to live correctly. Paul would say, “Look at my life as I have lived for the Lord!” In the movie “Wagons East,” John Candy is hired to be a wagon master to lead a wagon train people sick of the west back east instead. He begins the journey by grandly riding his horse out of town in the wrong direction. No one follows him, until he is called back, and told that he is headed the wrong way. The church as a whole and individual Christians are to lead a sinful world out of the darkness and into the light of Christ. Even if some Christians want to live like the world, it is the believer’s calling to discipline them and bring them back. As Jude writes, “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23) Paul would say that proper Christian teaching instructs us to encourage and rebuke with all authority!
Conclusions:
Paul writes that proper Christian teaching instructs us to say, “No,” to ungodliness and worldly passions. He tells Titus that proper Christian teaching instructs, disciplines, us to say “Yes,” to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives! And, finally, Paul would say that proper Christian teaching instructs us to encourage and rebuke with all authority!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2008 by Lee Hemen and if you reprint it, reproduce it, or want to use it in any way, you must do so in its entirety or get the written permission of its author.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
November 9, 2008 AM
Christians have adopted a convoluted myopic self-centered view of what the grace of God is all about. Some have bought into the idea that God has got to love us no matter what, forgetting we are called to holiness. Holiness is not a “sacred” feeling. We cannot do whatever we want, worship however we want, and think we can enjoy “the grace of God!” This is sickening in its spiritual stupidity. God’s grace certainly is his love extended to sinners, but we dare not presume upon it. God is not some elderly gentleman who winks at our indiscretions and dotingly waits for his wayward children to “come home.” God’s grace is found in Jesus who died for us when we did not care, did not deserve it, and did nothing to show we loved him for it. The grace of God is wrapped up in his plan to redeem mankind. Grace is the extension and expression of God.
This is why Paul would write Titus: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” (Titus 2:11) Knowing and understanding what this grace is all about is extremely important for the life of the believer. But what should this grace teach us? (I am glad you asked!) Paul related several life-changing aspects that this grace should express in the lives of Christians. This, Paul said, is proper Christian teaching…
READ: Titus 2:11-15
Today’s worldview teaches us that everything in life should revolve around us as individuals. When believers adopt this philosophy of life, they are in contradiction to the grace of God. God’s grace is unmerited on our part. We do not deserve it. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Paul faced a society that was used to very hedonistic excesses. Titus being the pastor of the newly established Cretan church needed to hold out a difference for the lost in Crete. Paul related that proper Christian teaching instructs us to say…
I. “No,” to ungodliness and worldly passions!
1. We live in a time whereby we think we should do whatever we want whenever we want. In fact, to be told “No” is now seen as hurtful, harmful, and narrow-minded. Paul warned that there would come a time when people would prefer sin over godliness: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3) He also wrote that when people turn away from God they “become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.” They become “gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they [will] invent ways of doing evil; they [will] disobey their parents; they [will be] senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” (Romans 1:30-31) Sound familiar? If Christians live for themselves, instead of the grace of God, they become part of the world’s spiritual problem. Jesus reminded us, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) John related, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15) Paul would teach, “live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Galatians 5:16) Proper Christian teaching instructs us to say, “No,” to ungodliness and worldly passions.
EXAMPLE: Recently, I was in the grocery store WinCo. There was a young mother with her children. Two were in her shopping cart and one was sort of following along as they went from aisle to aisle. One of them in the cart began to fuss. Louder and louder came her protests. She wanted this, she wanted that, she began to wail with intensity. What did this mother do? Did she say, “Stop that!” Did she dare swat her little darling? Did she take them out of the store, because the other two were now in three part harmony with the one in the cart? NO! She looked around, saw a bulk cookie bin, wheeled her cart over to it as fast as she possibly could, reached in and drew out three cookies for her little protestors. Now, what do you think this mother just taught and reinforced in her bellowing brood? This is exactly what the modern church today is reinforcing in the lives of many self-centered Christians. Instead of everything being about the worship of God, everything is about pleasing the protesting crowd. When the church of God begins to measure itself by the worldly passions of the irreligious hoard, what does that teach the world about the grace of God? Paul instructs Titus to say “No,” to ungodliness and worldly passions!
The call to the holy life is not something we naturally desire as human beings. We like ourselves too much. When Moses saw the burning bush, God did not ask him if he was comfortable, needed a drink, or if he liked his surroundings. Instead, we basically see God telling Moses to shut up, take off his shoes, and listen! He was in the presence of God. Did this disappear with Jesus? No. He related that unless our righteousness surpassed that of the Pharisees we would not see the kingdom of God! How is this possible? I thought that we if loved God, he’d love us, and in that we were worshipping him? Right? Paul would disagree and writes that proper Christian teaching instructs us to say…
II. “Yes,” to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives!
1. We live in a time when Christians need to be reminded of who they follow and why. The word here for “teaches” is the word paideuo which literally means to discipline as in giving a child a beating! WOW! I wonder how far that would go in today’s church for those who were not self-controlled? Remember Paul was writing Titus who was part of a church where “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” (Titus 1:16) Christians are to live sophronos, there’s that word again, meaning “seriously” or with a sober intent. Reigning in our own wants and desires and making them obedient to what we believe. James, Jesus brother, said that Christians “all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.” (James 3:2-3) Believers are to reign in their ungodly behavior, keep their lives in check, and live godly lives so that their worship of God is pure and holy. This is why Paul told the Roman Christians “I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) And the writer of Hebrews admonishes that “since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28) Paul tells Titus that proper Christian teaching instructs, disciplines, us to say “Yes,” to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives!
EXAMPLE: Christians do not discipline themselves anymore because we have lost what it means to worship God with our lives. Christians are trained to think that worship is to be enhanced and structured for their pleasure, when in fact true worship of God comes from within the life of a believer. It is the actual overflow of a person’s spirit, which is the heart, mind, and soul, as it is directed toward God because of his grace. Richard Ross, professor of student ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, states that for many Christian students their love for Jesus “primarily stems from the benefits He brings to them. They almost see Jesus as a little friend who can ride in their shirt pocket, always available to poof their problems away. … And where did they get this idea? Just listen to adults sharing prayer requests at church. It often is an organ recital -– adults reciting which organs they want Jesus to make better. Virtually no one lifts his voice in prayer to declare the majesty and grandeur of the King of Kings… Almost no one is preaching or teaching about the glory and majesty of God's Son as He sits enthroned in heaven.” D. A. Carson writes, “In the same way that, according to Jesus, you cannot find yourself until you lose yourself, so also you cannot find excellent corporate worship until you stop trying to find excellent corporate worship and pursue God himself. Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship worship rather than worship God. As a brother put it to me, it’s a bit like those who begin by admiring the sunset and soon begin to admire themselves admiring the sunset.” Paul tells Titus that proper Christian teaching instructs us to say “Yes,” to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives!
Carson continues by stating, “We do not expect the garage mechanic to expatiate on the wonders of his tools; we expect him to fix the car. He must know how to use his tools, but he must not lose sight of the goal. So we dare not focus on the mechanics of corporate worship and lose sight of the goal. We focus on God himself, and thus we become more godly and learn to worship—and collaterally we learn to edify one another, forbear with one another, challenge one another.” Proper Christian teaching instructs us to…
III. Encourage and rebuke with all authority!
1. We live in a time when we need to be able to tell one another to get back on track for the Lord! Far too often Christians forget that it was “Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:14) Turning again to Titus, Paul told him “These, then, are the things you should teach,” the specific aspects of godly behavior. Titus was to “encourage” parakaleo, call himself alongside of another believer, in order for proper instruction to be done correctly. Paul is describing mentorship. Discipling others in Christian principles. And, he was to “rebuke” elegcho, convince and admonish until they understood clearly what it meant to be a Christian living in the grace of the Lord! The Contemporary English Version translates Paul’s words: “Teach these things, as you use your full authority to encourage and correct people. Make sure you earn everyone's respect.” Christians have lost the respect of the world because they have become so much like the world. God’s grace is different from the world’s philosophy. If you lower your Godly standard, God’s grace, what will the world think of it? Why should it want to change? What hope do you give it? Jesus reminds us that “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19) He told the church at Laodicea “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” (Revelation 3:19) Paul would say that proper Christian teaching instructs us to encourage and rebuke with all authority!
EXAMPLE: Discipleship, mentorship, or being an instructor in another’s life is a grand calling. All parents are called to it to a certain extent. We learn not just from the good things we see, but from the mistakes we make as well. When another is able to relate to us that we are headed in the wrong direction and point us in the proper one we learn how to live correctly. Paul would say, “Look at my life as I have lived for the Lord!” In the movie “Wagons East,” John Candy is hired to be a wagon master to lead a wagon train people sick of the west back east instead. He begins the journey by grandly riding his horse out of town in the wrong direction. No one follows him, until he is called back, and told that he is headed the wrong way. The church as a whole and individual Christians are to lead a sinful world out of the darkness and into the light of Christ. Even if some Christians want to live like the world, it is the believer’s calling to discipline them and bring them back. As Jude writes, “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23) Paul would say that proper Christian teaching instructs us to encourage and rebuke with all authority!
Conclusions:
Paul writes that proper Christian teaching instructs us to say, “No,” to ungodliness and worldly passions. He tells Titus that proper Christian teaching instructs, disciplines, us to say “Yes,” to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives! And, finally, Paul would say that proper Christian teaching instructs us to encourage and rebuke with all authority!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2008 by Lee Hemen and if you reprint it, reproduce it, or want to use it in any way, you must do so in its entirety or get the written permission of its author.
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