Every once in a while I think back to my days at Bible school when one of the professors would snap his fingers several times, which meant pay attention. It was like “LISTEN” this is going to be on the test either in school or in life. Well, two weeks ago was one of those snap, snap weekends. There were some things that happened at Jefferson that showed how susceptible we are to heat when we had a young person faint, and we saw God protect in a huge way in a couple accidents. At the Dells one of the guys had a huge wreck that easily could have killed the driver or bystanders. It was in an area of the track that is heavy in traffic; both foot traffic and cars -yet none were involved. The driver was sore, and still is as of this writing, but thankfully he’s alive. It reminded reminded me that we don’t know when will be the end of our days and we need to be ready.
So if you were to die today would you be in heaven, hell, or do you not know where you would be? Is your belief backed by what the Bible says about salvation, or is it church-made or manmade? Only one of those is correct. Let’s study and we will get to this at the end.
In the second half of Titus chapter 1 it seems tha Paul switches his teaching to address false teachers. We gather from this that false teachers had wormed their way into the Crete church and like the churches in Ephesus and Corinth Paul sent out warnings to them and those warmings are meant for today also.
We pick it up in verse 10 and 11. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.
Ouch, two words jump out: “many” and “rebellious”. It is not just a few or occasionally. So many have been exposed and it is hard to filter them all out but we have to listen carefully and find those who are speaking truth and those who are not. That word “rebellious” speaks volumes. It is the one that shakes his fist at God. Those who undermined God and His Word. They at times sound so good and make us so comfortable but are leading us right to hell. Vine’s puts it as “not subject to rule.” WOW that is a clear definition what rebellion is. The verse continues with empty talkers and deceivers. Stop! This is serious. This is critical. Think about the danger and the significance of this. There are far too many whose words have zero eternal value and we too often, at least I can, listen to those worthless words. We should be careful with our words and should speak eternal words and ones of true value. Maybe worse than the empty words are the ones that are outright deceiving, the ones that intentional lead astray. We have an enemy who wants nothing more than to deceive us and have us follow false teaching instead of the truth of Biblical words. How serious do you take the conversation you listen to and the words you speak? We get a glimpse of those doing the false teaching and deceiving are religious. Let that soak in. Catch the warning for families. As families we have to be on the alert and on guard. I will ask again, Are you?
We see the example continue in the following verses. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
Do you see what the Cretans were known for? I don’t want to be known for those things but I know I struggle with them. We can so easily slip into them. LORD, help me and forgive me. Give me the strength to stand against sin and the world. Now see the importance of taking a stand against the false teacher. I was just studying and reading in a study by Paul Washer and stressed the importance of standing against false teaching and not associating with the false teacher as to not be looked upon agreeing with their false doctrine. So, have you studied doctrine to be able to identify the truth from the false?
Verses 15 read To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
Do you see the clear divide here? The Christian is going to desire and want to be pure and the world is not. Simply put, the world is going to look like the world and the Christian is going to, and should want to, look like the LORD Jesus Christ. Now here in verse 16 we read. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. Hear this warning, it is serious! I was just thinking about Matthew 7:24-29 yesterday, which reads, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”
Do you see the warning? Many will say, “I am a Christian. I am going to heaven. I am safe” yet in reality they are not. They have no desire to follow and obey the LORD. They are not surrendered. They have never repented. They are not bothered by sin. They are dead in their sin.
So let me end with this. God is God. He is pure and holy. He is separated from sin, completely separate as in sinless, completely sinless. He is the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby and grew as a man, without sin. He taught and He was beaten and hung on the cross and died for our sin. He rose the third day. Every man and woman have sinned. We can see sin even in the selfishness of a baby as they stomp and cry for what they want. We see sin after sin in those who are older. Sin separates us from God. That separation is hell for eternity. It is only when we agree that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and cry out “Jesus is LORD” in repentance that we are saved. I plead with you to take the radical step of salvation and deal directly with self and sin, get plugged into a Bible preaching and teaching church and find a solid Biblical friend to learn from and be held accountable with. And then pray, learn to pray, and pray more!
Eternity is too long to get wrong!