Remembrance is an important tool. Canada holds a remembrance day event every year. We are supposed to remember the sacrifice of men and women of the past who went to war to defend the freedoms we enjoy today. Many of those people died in battle and others came home wounded both physically and mentally. Many of those who fought in the two world wars have died now. We also see that most Canadians have forgotten what those wars were about. Today, right now, we have people camping out on university campuses who hate Canada and who are pushing for an Islamic caliphate. They demand that Canada turn its back on Israel and in so doing, that we embrace sharia law and all the rest of Islam’s demands. The brainwashing that has taken place by Islam is astounding. What we are witnessing is that when a person does not have the right foundation, they will fall for a multitude of false ideas. They do not realize until it is too late, that they made a fatally flawed choice.
Paul was directed by God to tell Titus to remind the saints in Crete to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, and to be ready to every good work. We must keep in mind that this is not a statement made in isolation. God has already directed Titus to address the lack of spiritual vitality in Crete. In the context of a right relationship with God, those who are saved need to be subject to government authorities.
We have mentioned before that the protests that took place over the past couple of years were wrong headed. I agree that the governments of this country stepped way out of bounds in trying to lock everybody down and trying to mandate poison shots that they knew were deadly. Most doctors and nurses and police fell in line because they loved their paycheques more than they loved life. We have lived through some of that dictatorial experiment and we can see that the protests did nothing good for the country. Some high profile cases are still winding their way through the court system. The courts are corrupt and true justice is not being served. Christians will not win by joining ungodly ventures in the hope of being a godly influence. Those who join these things are lumped in with the worst of what takes place in those events and the devil loves it.
Crete was under Roman rule at the time that Paul was writing this letter. Rome was not a God-fearing state. False religion was prominent and the government and the soldiers were corrupt. Things were not much different then than they are now. In the midst of the ungodliness that prevailed, there were churches in Crete. Titus was able to function as a pastor in that environment. He did not need placards protesting the government, he needed to preach the Gospel of Christ.
The soldiers and the officials needed to see what true Christianity looked like. Thus we see that the saints needed to be reminded to be ready to every good work. That settles the matter of being subject to principalities, etc. Subjection to earthly authorities is always second place to subjection to God.
In verse 2 we are exhorted to speak evil of no man. Christians need to speak the truth. We need to be careful in our talk that we do not join the ranks of the politicians who lie about others to try to look good in the eyes of the public. Jesus called out the Pharisees and their friends. He did not exaggerate the facts. He exposed them for who they were. He also called Herod a fox. True and right assessments are always welcome. Slander and evil speaking is not.
A brawler is a fighter. Not a fighter for the truth but a fighter for whatever. The apostle Paul debated with many different people. He contended for the faith once delivered unto the saints. Some people might have looked at that as though he were a brawler. Some people, in fact many people allow the world to define terms for them. The world is guided by the devil. A brawl is an unruly fight.
Rather than fight, Christians need to be gentle, showing meekness unto all men. Meekness is strength under God’s control. Our responses need to be Christlike. We learn that by studying the Bible, not listening to worldly wise people.
We see the Jews of Paul’s day following him around trying to stir up the people. They were the brawlers. He was proclaiming the truth and they were trying to shut him up. He eventually appealed to Caesar because he had done nothing wrong against the Jews. God blessed his actions. God told him he would stand before high officials. Paul was ready to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to kings and governors. He could do that honestly because he was not a brawler. He demonstrated true meekness. He was eventually murdered by Nero, not for being a brawler, but for speaking the truth. Titus needed to teach the people and remind them of their responsibility as Christians. The reputation of the Cretians was not a good one. The saints needed to be careful not to be guilty of being slow bellies. They needed to shine as lights in a corrupt and evil world. They could do that if they humbly submitted to God’s authority.
There is a great blessing in knowing the true God and serving Him. There will be challenges to face. Hiding in a corner is not the answer. Praying for boldness is wise. Standing for the truth in a clear manner is wise. Ecumenism is a poison. God does not need large crowds to make His name known. In fact, joining with those who despise the truth does not make God known. It promotes a false god. In these last days, we need to be a voice for truth, if we are saved. The U.N. is busy working on a world treaty where they will be the ones who decide when to declare the next “pandemic”. This has been kept rather quiet in the media. The talks are on going. They will likely succeed in some form. The devil works in increments. He has been slowly but surely advancing his wicked plan. He has done it slowly but systematically and most people have blindly gone along with his ploys. None of what he has been doing is unknown to God. God is still in charge and He wants people to choose the truth. He exposes the lies and for those who are saved, we can see the devil’s tactics. We can also see the hand of God both in protecting and in convincing lost people of the need to be saved.
Presently we still have the privilege of preaching the Gospel openly. We do not know how much longer that will be true. Persecution is a reality for true saints. God’s faithfulness is also a reality. It is important to be a part of a true, local church where we can find true fellowship and from which we can go out into the world.
Pastor Bartel