09 19 08 WE MUST REMEMBER

“Remind God's people to obey rulers and authorities. Remind them to be ready to do what is good. Tell them not to speak evil things against anyone. Remind them to live in peace. They must consider the needs of others. They must be kind and gentle toward all people. At one time we too acted like fools. We didn't obey God. We were tricked. We were controlled by all kinds of longings and pleasures. We were full of evil. We wanted what belongs to others. People hated us, and we hated one another. But the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared. He saved us. It wasn't because of the good things we had done. It was because of his mercy. He saved us by washing away our sins. We were born again. The Holy Spirit gave us new life. God poured out the Spirit on us freely because of what Jesus Christ our Savior has done. His grace made us right with God. So now we have received the hope of eternal life as God's children. You can trust that saying. Those things are important. Treat them that way. Then those who have trusted in God will be careful to commit themselves to doing what is good. Those things are excellent. They are for the good of everyone.” (Titus 3:1-7 NIrV)


Paul identifies Titus as his true son in the faith. Titus would join Paul’s missionary team at one point. Yet the first thing Paul had for Titus was to hold the Corinthians to their financial stewardship (2 Corinthians 8:16). After Paul and Titus served in the Island of Crete, Paul left Titus behind to straighten out what was left unfinished and to appoint qualified elders (Titus 1:5). There is no doubt that Paul trusted Titus with the things he taught him. Yet of all the things Paul taught Titus, he reminds him here that even when confronting others of lies, deceit, and false doctrine, WE MUST REMEMBER where we came from!

It’s good to not think we have ever arrived. It’s good to remember where God found us and that it was He who rescued us from that mess. No matter how bad we were, we were bad. We were enemies of God. We were idolaters, thieves, liars, and fools! We were sinners. It’s only by the grace of God that we are forgiven of that sin. There was nothing we could do about it. It was His grace!

So no matter the foolishness we face today, WE MUST REMEMBER that but for the grace of God, there we are. As we challenge others to do good, we must let them know why. As we confront lies, we must share the Truth. To be able to convince others to make sacrifices for others, we must let them see the sacrifice Christ made for us…and for them. We were born again! We who have been transformed by the saving blood off Jesus Christ will never be the same. However, to be sensitive to the needs of others and the cultural challenges they face, WE MUST REMEMBER, their basic need for the mercy, grace, understanding, and love of Christ.

We have not arrived, we are saved. We are not immune to this world but accountable to reach the world. As Paul built into Titus and saw him grow in effectiveness for the Kingdom, so we need to grow. Someone has built into us, probably many folks if you are like me! We in turn need to seek out chances to build into others by meeting their needs, confronting inappropriate language, and challenging folks to do right. After all, WE MUST REMEMBER, it wasn’t long ago that we were them!