Month: October 2021

As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. Titus 3:12

It is always a mystery to me why some notable characters in the Bible take up chapters, not verses.  Tychicus is mentioned only five times in the New Testament, and only in partial verses.  Yet much more could have been written about him.  He was a friend to Paul, faithful in every way to represent Jesus in good times and in seasons of great pressure.  He proved to be  dependable no matter the circumstances.

• He traveled with Paul from Corinth to Jerusalem, never knowing if their ministry would prosper or if they would face persecution.  This didn’t deter him. 
• He stayed around during Paul’s first imprisonment and during his second.  We can be sure that Tychicus was watched, labeled as a disciple of Christ, and became a suspect of sorts.  This also didn’t deter him. 
• He was the one Paul chose to deliver the books of Ephesians and Colossians to their respective congregations.  In doing so, he was trusted to tell the story of Paul’s ministry and imprisonment in such a way that encouragement, not discouragement was the result. 

People’s hearts were strengthened to follow Jesus through his words.  How easily he could have presented Paul’s plight of imprisonment with fearful tones, causing other disciples to shrink back.  Even in this, he was faithful. 

Tychicus was also the one who accompanied Onesimus when he was returned to his owner.  He would have been an advocate, encouraging Philemon to receive his former slave.  That was dicey and required a spiritual finesse.  

So, what does Tychicus have to do with Titus?  Paul wanted Titus to come and visit him but for Titus to be able to leave Crete, an interim pastor had to be appointed to take oversee the church.  It couldn’t be just anyone with the church such a mess.  Tychicus was the man.

Finally, there is a passage in 2 Corinthians 8 where Paul describes an unnamed ‘brother’.  And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you.  Many commentators believe that this man is Tychicus.  Tested and found to be true.

If I read between the lines in the verses that describe this man, how easily he could have been proven to be an unfaithful friend.  He could have grown disillusioned with the life of discipleship, having seen Paul arrested.  He could have grown weary of the pace and lifestyle.  He could have been ambitious to assume Paul’s position of authority while Paul was in prison.  He could have sensationalized the stories of what it was like to accompany Paul in order to get attention from other believers.  He could have boasted of his friendship with someone as famous as Paul.  In all these things he was tested.  In all these things he was proven to be as gold.

In all these things, test me…that I will be found to be faithful to my friends.  Amen

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.  Titus 3:10-11

Was Titus really supposed to tell a certain person in the church to cease causing divisions or he could lose the right to fellowship in the church?  That can sound so extreme.  What does this mean for us today?  Does it mean all kinds of divisive people? 

Divisive people are all around us.  They are often Christians, not Spirit-driven, but flesh driven. They thrive to find fault with others, to nit-pick over all kinds of issues.  Their negativity spreads like a cancer.  Argumentative people are attracted to them and what unfolds is a community of gossipers.  While this instigator should be confronted by church leadership, this is not the kind of person of whom Paul spoke.  This passage is not about a disgruntled believer who loves to complain and stir up trouble.   

The Greek word Paul used to identify this ‘divisive person’ was the same word for heretic.  It was the only time in scripture ‘heretic’ was used.  Paul knew of a certain man on the island of Crete who had turned against some of the fundamental teachings of the Gospel.  He re-fashioned his own brand of the Gospel to form a doctrine that had no foundation whatsoever in the Old or New Testament.  It was a doctrine conceived from his own heart and mind.  His audience consisted of immature believers and discontented souls who would follow him to the point of splitting off to form a rival church. Titus was to warn this heretic twice, and if there was not repentance, he was to have nothing to do with him.  The heretic was to be put outside the church lest he do more damage to God’s fragile flock who were not yet on solid footing. 

Let me be clear.  This was not related to the holy crusades in the Medieval church when heretics were arrested, tortured, and killed during the Inquisition.  God never sends church leaders out on a killing rampage. 

God loved His people on Crete and was the Shepherd of the sheep.  He knew how easily the early church could fracture under the influence of someone who did not treasure the Gospel.  False teaching would destroy their faith, a faith designed to anchor them to Jesus during a time of persecution.  God would have been a poor shepherd if He had allowed a heretic to destroy the body.  

This is comforting news for us!  We have a Heavenly Father who promises to lead us home safely.  That becomes quite impossible under the care of a false prophet.  God must clear our path and make a way for us to walk safely under the umbrella of sound teaching.  In this story of Titus and Paul, God made a way to deal with wolves who would foster instability. Sound doctrine tethers us to Jesus, the One who is Truth without compromise. 

Lord, if you label someone warped, sinful, and heretical, it is for my protection.  You see the heart and know what I cannot know.  Give me the courage to trust You when You label something dangerous. Amen

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.  Titus 3:9

Our churches are presently divided about peripheral issues.  So strong are the opinions about things not even related to Jesus that one set of believers refuse to fellowship with others who disagree with them.  This is not new however.  Arguments amongst the believers on the island of Crete were so severe that Paul had to address it with Titus.  The points of contention were numerous.  In the end, he called them all of them ‘unprofitable and useless.’

I grew up in a culture where Christian books and articles were read with an interest to discern what was wrong with them.  They were not instruments for spiritual growth but fodder for correction and debate.  With red pen in hand, sections were starred, phrases circled, and when finished, became sermon points and/or the topics of a letter to the author or editor.  This culture still exists today. 

Conversations that focus on someone’s genealogy for the sake of boasting are also a waste of time.  Ancestry.com is interesting.  We all need to know where we come from; to know the good and the bad of our family lines.  But that’s not what Paul refers to here.  There were those who constantly reminded others that they were descendants of Abraham and, therefore, had more importance and authority than their Gentile brothers and sisters.  They acted as if their lineage trumped all others.  Not only was it mean, it was unbiblical. Whether I have Jewish roots, or I’m tied to European royalty, or I possess a name that links me to the early forefathers in our country, is immaterial.  What matters to God is whether I know Jesus and am a part of His family.  My spiritual adoption gave me a new lineage and this is the one trumps family trees. 

Quarrels about the law also abounded within Titus’ community.  False teachers put one burden after another on the shoulders of the new Gentile believers regarding Jewish laws.  These were fulfilled in Christ, voided by the blood of Jesus’ sacrifice, but you wouldn’t know it.  Think of the effect, emotionally, of such teaching.  A Gentile would feel like he couldn’t do enough to please a God who treasured Jews over Gentiles, A God who still enforced the burden of the law over the sufficient work of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Believers who have not conquered the flesh, through the power offered to them by the Spirit of God, love these wranglings. These arguments profit nothing.  When Jude exhorted all believers to contend for the faith, he was not referencing the above.  In reality, Paul (and Titus) were the ones contending for the faith by silencing false teaching and exhorting believers who engaged in one argument after another to step up to higher things. 

I’m reviewing the topics that stir my blood and bring about passion.  If there are any that displease You, show me.  Amen

We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  Titus 3:3-5

Jesus wasn’t afraid to come and live with people who were prone to hate.  He wasn’t put off by the messiness of human relationships.  He expected to encounter people who were threatened by each other, easily jealous even among family and friends, envying to the point of taking revenge.

Jesus wasn’t surprised by this.  He watched the effects of the Fall from the portals of heaven.  He saw Cain kill Abel.  He saw Noah’s fall from grace after leaving the ark.  He saw the progression of David’s sin with Bathsheba, from desire to full-blown adultery. None of this took him by surprise for He knew the hearts of men.  He also knew the nature and character of the Archangel Lucifer – the one who had been corrupted by his own beauty and had defected against His Father. Jesus understood how persuasively Satan could lure others to sin. No one and nothing was off limits.

If you’re jealous of someone, they probably know it.  Conjuring up a fake warmth that seems genuine is nearly impossible.  Your body language says it all, pointing at times to the reality of your inner sneer. Discontent and entitlement are the enemies of us all.  They lead us to want more than what we have and if someone else has it, we struggle to love them.  If another sibling has the coveted blessing of the parent who has slighted us, a brother or sister can become an enemy.  No relationship is safe from sin.

When Jesus came to live with us, He subjected Himself to all of this. The dread of what He might suffer didn’t prevent Him from coming to extend kindness instead of condemnation.

What You have done for me overwhelms me.  What You have done, for even my enemies, humbles me.  Amen

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.  Titus 3:3a

If my most trusted friend were to tell me that I was foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved, I would be shocked.  Then repulsed.  And then, sad.

If the one who revealed these things to me had credibility, how much would I comprehend the extent of my condition?  Not much at all.  Sin is insidious and my need to think better of myself than I ought to think, feeds my blindness.  As I think about each characteristic Paul described to Titus, I realize some things about what it’s like to live apart from Christ.

• Those who are enslaved say that they really are free because they have ‘freedom of choice’.  They consider their options, make a decision, and that’s freedom, right?  Jesus says no.  The capacity to weigh all the options with the mind of Christ is absent.  Only a man or woman whose conscience has been set free from the father of lies is truly free. 

• Those who are foolish believe themselves to wise, even brilliant.  Education makes a person smart in their field and gives a false sense of confidence about the ability to navigate life successfully.  Making smart decisions by the world’s standards is usually worlds apart from making wise decisions that align with the kingdom of God.  The wisdom of God is seen as foolishness unless God wires a new code into the heart of a new believer. 

• Those who are deceived find it hard to believe that they aren’t thinking clearly.  Bad judgement doesn’t always lack critical thinking. The most seasoned sinner has logical rationales for bad behavior.  Deception is layers thick and begins with a history that precedes them. The human mindset is fraught with distortions because children are raised in an orphanage called planet earth.  God must re-parent each of His children, teaching them how to see the world as He does.  None of it comes naturally. 

• Those who are disobedient cling to justifications that soothe their vague misgivings.  They might admit that their behavior is wrong for someone else, but for them, there are extenuating circumstances that make it okay.

As God’s child, I am no longer hopelessly enslaved, foolish, deceived, or disobedient.  I have a new nature, one that hates sin and loves righteousness.  But I battle my moments of fleshly imperfections with the sword of the Word.  God’s Spirit searches my heart and reveals what He finds.  He brings spiritual understanding and then empowers me to walk in His Spirit. 

All glory be to You, God. Amen

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

I read today’s scripture and immediately felt so sad.  If this is to be the general profile of God’s people, then what in the world has happened to us?  If a poll were taken amongst the U.S. population, I believe the results would show that Christ-followers are perceived as being slanderous, un-peaceable and inconsiderate.

The roots of this go farther back than a decade.  Roots usually do.  But the ugly, public manifestations of those roots have shown up since the 2016 election.  The most obvious are 1.) the huge political divides stemming from the past two presidential elections, 2.) differing views about Covid and its transmissibility, and 3.) the controversy over vaccines. These three issues alone are splitting churches, families, and friendships.

Disillusionment then plagues the hearts of God’s people as they deal with feelings of disappointment toward those they thought they knew well, those who are acting out in ways they wouldn’t have thought possible. This is especially shocking when it’s someone within an immediate family or in a small discipleship group. Overall, both sides have allowed these earth-bound issues to erode their ability to fellowship with others who have differing views on these topics.

The problem is two-fold.  There is an apparent absence of the Spirit in how we treat those in the family of God who disagree with us, and then, how we treat those in governmental authority over us.  We condemn and withdraw from our brothers and sisters in Christ and we fight the government and its agencies with slanderous words rooted in rebellion. We are far from ‘peaceable and considerate.’  We have little credibility for being known as ‘gentle.’

What God requires of us is to ‘seek justice and walk humbly with our God.’ Micah 6:8 We, like the courageous Dietrich Bonhoeffer, should be willing to take a stand against a godless regime, the likes of Nazi Germany.  We should speak up in the face of evil.  But Spirit-driven conviction, clothed with humility, is God’s way and the only way.  Read the Christian rhetoric on Facebook.  Sadly, there is mostly anger and vengeance. It can not be! Our passionate cry for change must be accompanied by a broken heart for the people who have gone astray.  If we are not known for our love, even when righteously angry, people don’t see Jesus.  They see an angry religious mob.  We’ve taken up arms, both with words and with weapons, to ‘fight for our freedom.’ When will we realize that this is a political slogan, not a biblical one. 

We serve, and are subjected to, another kingdom where King Jesus teaches us how to advance His kingdom.  We are not Christian soldiers who are commissioned to protect our rights as Americans.  We are soldiers in God’s army who fight the prince of darkness on our knees, with prayers for repentance and forgiveness. Then we get up and look for ways to love and serve those who hate us and only in that context can our convictions be heard and not discounted.  Jesus was right.  They will know us by our love. 

It is good to conclude with a Bonhoeffer quote.  “The Christian must treat his enemy as a brother and requite his hostility with love. His behavior must be determined not by the way others treat him, but by the treatment he himself receives from Jesus.”

These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.  Titus 2:16

This sounds impossible, doesn’t it?  How can I keep someone from despising me?  I may have earned their dislike and perhaps I can remedy that.  But if their dislike is righteous persecution, Jesus says that I should expect to be hated.  Others can also despise me because there’s a bias not rooted in truth.  Their vision is skewed.  So, what gives with all of this?

Paul thought this so important that he wrote about it two other times.

            No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers. (1 Corinthians 16:11)

            No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers. (1 Timothy 4:12)

Paul is saying that I should give no one reason to despise me by how I live, and more specifically, by how I encourage and rebuke.  Both can be off-putting if done in the flesh.

Encouragement can come across as a putdown.  Haven’t you gotten unsolicited spiritual advice?  They said it was to encourage you, but it felt like you didn’t measure up.  You should be more like them.  This caused you to feel animosity toward the ‘encourager’.  Perhaps even despise them – if their words were delivered with a condemning spirit.  To encourage is to ‘give courage.’  No one ever inspired bravery with a put down.

Rebuking is equally difficult.  To do it in a way that doesn’t leave the other person disliking you is almost impossible without the Spirit of God in charge of the words and the spirit of the delivery.

The most effective parenting, with regard to encouraging and rebuking, is accomplished with similar tones.  There is loving concern, perhaps even tears, along with words that implore.  If the interaction was caught on silent film, it would be difficult to tell which one the parent was doing.  Encouraging or rebuking.  So similar is the way this love is expressed. 

Titus is being told by Paul that it’s possible to encourage and rebuke, with authority, in a way that constrains others to know that whether they agree with him or not, they would know that he loved them.  Through it all, his heart was communicated.  He was also to live in such a way that there was not a double standard.  He was not to be guilty of the very things for which he was rebuked. 

I cannot afford to have spiritual conversations without examining my own heart.  What are my motives?  Why am I encouraging?  Why am I rebuking?  Is it for the reasons You did it, Jesus?  Show me.  Amen

. . while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13

Every day, I hope for things, from the mundane to the critical.  Each reminds me that this world is so flawed, broken, in desperate need of saving.  Here are some examples we can all relate to. 

I hope for insurance to work out for an upcoming medical procedure. 

I hope to find a repairman who can come and fix a malfunctioning dishwasher. 

I hope to find common ground in an argument I’m having with a friend.

I hope to find a medicine or natural supplement to manage pain. 

I hope for a broken relationship to be reconciled.

I hope for personal victory regarding a life-long stronghold. 

Once we start listing things, it’s easy to create a list that is pages long. 

And so today, we wait for the hope of Jesus’ appearing.  With Him comes the healing of all things, the end of everything that frustrates, or even worse, torments.  But the greatest hope to be satisfied is the longing to see the One who is Perfect Love.  We can finally put a face to, what has only been, our heart’s experience of a Savior.  We cannot picture nor paint His face.  Ah, but soon!  Our spiritual incapacities are only for now.

Jesus is anxious to come and since He doesn’t know the time or the hour He will be sent to rapture us, I can picture Him asking His Father repeatedly.  “Now can I go?”  His desire to be with us is stronger than any desire we may have to see Him appear.  His love is more powerful than ours, purer than ours, far more unconditional than ours.  The ache He must feel to bring about that moment when the trumpet sounds cannot possibly be understood by us.  He’s known us from before the foundation of the world.  We’ve known him only decades.  He knows what awaits us.  We only know in part.  He can look into the future and see happy reunions of friends and family.  We can only wonder at the joy.

 We wait for Hope.  Hope is deferred but it’s guaranteed. 

I keep looking for a break in the clouds. Amen

It [lavish grace] teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. Titus 2:12

You’ve joined a group of friends for lunch.  The conversation turns to a book one of them has read.  There is encouragement for everyone else to read it because ‘it’s so good!’  But when you hear the title, you realize it’s not something you can read because of your love for Jesus.  At this point, you have a choice.  You can say nothing.  You can be vocal on your disapproval of the content.  Or, if asked, you can say that you don’t want to engage with it because you know it would hurt your relationship with God.   

I’ve spoken to others, many times, in a way that falls in the second category.  The spirit of judgement begs me to speak up in order to elevate myself and to make others feel dirty.  The temptation to be ‘above the rest’ is a hard one to resist.  I’ve got to remember that when I state my convictions, void of any mention of my love for Jesus, I repel others. 

In the previous verse, Paul reminded Titus that the ‘grace of God appeared’ in the person of Christ. It’s that stooping of Christ to be tender to me that teaches me to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passion.  Any self-control I have is not because of an extraneous code of convictions. Abstaining is not because of a set of rules.  It’s my response to a collection of personal experiences with Jesus where He intersected my life with outrageous acts of grace.  He stooped, called my name, lifted my head, and offered something priceless.  

The lump in my throat still exists and continues to shape every decision I make.  A life changed by the kindness of God, in Christ, is the one that draws others.  A rigid rule-keeper does not an evangelist make!

Oh, the temptation to be a Pharisee.  I’ve done it, and I still do it.  I will review your lavish graces for yet another day.  Amen

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  Titus 2:11

When a person is endowed with an abundance of one thing, we say that they are ‘peace personified’.  Or ‘talent personified.’  Jesus was, and is, ‘grace personified.’

Jesus was the fullness of God, the God-man, and was personified by much more than grace. 

Isaiah said, “Arise, shine; for they light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”  Jesus is light personified.  He is also glory personified. 

Malachi said, “Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings.”  Jesus is righteousness personified.

A person who is gracious is, of himself, gracious.  It doesn’t depend on the behavior of the person who will receive it.  Grace is self-motivated.  Grace must express itself because it is generated, and then overflows, from the giver’s heart.  Grace aches to communicate, then stoop to bend over someone, to lavish unexpected tenderness. 

The most beautiful gifts of grace always surprise.  They can’t be guessed ahead of time.  The very nature of them is to leave the person who receives it speechless. 

Many years ago, I flew to Colorado to perform a 2 ½ hour concert.  It was not in a church but in a rented hotel ballroom for a specific group function.  I didn’t feel well on the flight there and it worsened as the day progressed.  By 2:00, I was lying on my bed in my hotel room, with a 102-degree fever and raspy voice.  The stress an artist feels over having to cancel their engagement last minute cannot be exaggerated.  And, the stress they inflict on the hosting organization to figure out what they’re going to do cannot be exaggerated either.  Tensions run high and grace is often absent.  I was surprised, and deeply moved, by the response I received from those who had invited me.  They were ‘grace personified’ that day.  Their initial response was not panic, though I’m sure they were feeling it.  What overflowed immediately was concern for my physical comfort and healing ~ along with a concern for the guilt I was feeling.  As it turned out, they sent a team up to pray for me and I was temporarily healed enough to perform.  But I will never forget the gift of grace and what that felt like in a situation where grace was rarely extended. 

The rest of today, I am going to reflect on the gifts of grace I’ve received from God’s hand that left me stunned; those moments when I knew He had stooped, and bent over, to pour out something undeserved.  Starting with the gracious gifts of His sacrifice, undeserved forgiveness, and the rights of adoption, I will move to the personalized expressions of His grace poured out over these many years.  I hope to be surprised by stunning moments I had overlooked and failed to recognize as direct, divine interventions.  Would you join me in this beautiful exercise today?

You’ve been gracious when we believed You weren’t even there.  Show us.  Amen