Daily Thoughts from Titus: Instruction and DNA (6)

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.  (Titus 3:1-11 ESV)

Paul has instructed Titus how believers should interact among themselves, in their family units, but now he turns toward interaction with those outside the faith.

We should submit to proper authorities and do good works.  We should be loving toward all remembering that we too once were foolish and indulging wrong passions and fomenting hatred, until God’s goodness and loving kindness rescued us.  He didn’t make us clean up first.  We didn’t do anything to merit His love.  He cleaned us up through the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives as the gift of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s description of the rescue (salvation) God provided for us is powerful.  It was not based on works we did in righteousness.  We didn’t earn or merit this rescue.  If fact, if judged only on our works we would always come up wanting.  But God rescued us in mercy, using the regenerating work of the Spirit made possible because of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus, to wash us of our sin.  The rescue was based on grace.  He justified us, declared us righteous, by grace and gave us the expectation of eternal life.

Far from leading us to think that we can then live as sinfully as we want, believers must and will live in accordance with their eternal life and devote themselves to good works and avoid bad works, especially the ridiculous arguments they can get into over unprofitable subjects.  In fact, if someone insists on stirring up division in the church, and refuses to repent after two warnings, then they are to be rejected and excommunicated.  They are warped and self-exposed as still in the grip of sin.  The justified live justified lives.  God is at work to make righteous those whom He has declared righteous.  Justification inevitably leads to sanctification.  If there is no sanctification there was no justification.

We often wonder about how much of a person’s personality is affected by DNA and how much by learned factors and obviously conclude that both are at work.  The person with Divine DNA cannot help but bear an increasing likeness to God.  But God also teaches that person to reflect His character.  No amount of teaching, however, will benefit the person who does not have the DNA.  And the DNA will be evidenced by how a person takes that instruction.