Sunday, October 28, 2012

Be ready to every good work

Tit 1:1  Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Tit 1:3  But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
Tit 1:4  To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

From  PAUL a SERVANT of GOD, an APOSTLE of JESUS CHRIST-

To TITUS.

This is a message to US, because like TITUS we are followers of Christ. Titus was instructed by PAUL and we too are instructed by PAUL who was used of the HOLY SPIRIT to deliver the message of our LORD and SAVIOR.

This is God's WORD to US, read this with that in mind.  This isn't some letter written to someone else that has NO bearing upon us. This isn't something that can be studied solely as if it is irrelevant to us, that is doesn't apply to us at all. We have to believe that God is giving us HIS instruction in His Word.


Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

BE READY  to EVERY GOOD WORK.

We talk about being good and we MUST strive towards this end but NOT to earn anything.

Be ready to EVERY GOOD WORK.

Not be ready to some good work, but to EVERY good work.  We are not to be slackers when it comes to doing good.

Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Speak EVIL of NO MAN.

Uhn?

But don't we do this all the time? Seriously, don't we?  We get caught up in the negative of people and it's EVIL. We cannot sugar coat it like Satan would have us do. Satan wants us to try and justify our desire to speak about others and not in a pretty way. Satan wants us to be gossipers and he LOVES when we consider ourselves gossipers with GOOD intentions. As long as our discussing the negative traits or actions of others is done with good intentions we love to pat ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves for not really speaking evil at all.  We absolutely REFUSE to believe we are speaking evil because we seriously have convinced ourselves that we are speaking truth harmlessly. As long as it's true - that person really did that action we are speaking of- we tell ourselves it's not wrong. Yet speaking negatively about others is NOT building them up in Christ, is it?  Can you imagine our Savior sitting down at the table over tea telling us about Peter's awful temper tantrum?  Or how Luke's physician skills are downright lacking because he forgot something when treating someone? Or how the brothers John and James are just too clingy?  Seriously, can you imagine those scenarios?  Would our SAVIOR talk with others about the faults or failings of others unless there was a very serious lesson to be learned from it? Would He talk like that just because it filled the time with others and just seemed like good conversation?

We are NOT to be brawlers.

We ARE to be gentle!

We ARE to show ALL MEEKNESS unto ALL MEN.

Yet so often the meek are criticized for being meek, aren't they? They are called reserved, passive, introverted, submissive, and all in a way that makes those traits seem somehow inferior to those who do not have them.

Meekness.

meek

1.
humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.
2.
overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.
3.
Obsolete . gentle; kind.

Synonyms
1.  forbearing; yielding; unassuming; pacific, calm, soft. See gentle.


Did you read number 2?  Overly submissive or compliant, spiritless.

These are the traits that people love to pounce on and relate to those who are meek as a bad trait, not a good one.  Yet our God tells us that we are to show MEEKNESS to ALL MEN!

We are to be humbly patient with all men.
We are to be docile with all men.
We are to be submissive to all men.
We are to be gentle and kind to all men.

Yet are we?!  Seriously, are we?

We are to be ready to ALL GOOD WORKS, remember?!

By the GRACE of our LORD we will study more on this tomorrow. More about our SPIRITUAL walking through life that entails being ready unto ALL GOOD WORKS, by the GRACE OF OUR GOD, our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

In HIS LOVE!

Always!

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