Paul to Titus – Remind Everyone

1 REMIND PEOPLE to be submissive to [their] magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work, 2 To slander or abuse or speak evil of no one, to avoid being contentious, to be forbearing (yielding, gentle, and conciliatory), and to show unqualified courtesy toward everybody.

3 For we also were once thoughtless and senseless, obstinate, and disobedient, deluded and misled; [we too were once] slaves to all sorts of cravings and pleasures, wasting our days in malice and jealousy and envy, hateful (hated, detestable) and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior to man [as man] appeared, 5 He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 Which He poured out [so] richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.

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I have failed Paul’s instruction here, as I am sure most have. Nevertheless, what we learn today from this is that not much has changed with human behavior.  Humanity has become more knowledgeable, scientific, educated, etc., while human behavior has not progressed alongside the increase of knowledge. In fact, there seems to be some sort of behavioral regression taking place where now dislike, hate, abusiveness is increasing. This increase in abusiveness, hatefulness, lawlessness, lewdness, slander, gossip, bigotry, and vicissitude is not just happening in America, this is happening all around the world, and in some places worse than others. For the believer, those who believe in and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ our attitude is not to be subjected to such vice. We are to be as Paul tells Titus to remind everyone: Be upright, honorable, do not slander or abuse, speak evil of no one, etc. I an not suggesting that our leaders mix secular psychology with God’s directives for proper behavior, just that our leaders teach what we have been given by the Lord—weather it came through the prophets, or the apostles, and not those who claim to be in a given line of succession from the early apostles such as Paul, Peter, James, or John.

Let us recall Paul’s message in Ephesians 5: 1-7:

1 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 And walk in love, as also The Messiah has loved us and handed himself over for our persons, the offering and sacrifice to God, for a sweet fragrance. 3 But fornication, all impurity and greed are not even to be named at all among you, as is appropriate for Holy Ones, 4 Neither abusive language, neither worthless words, nor of disgrace, nor of nonsense- these things that are unnecessary, but in place of these, thanksgiving. 5 You have known this, that no person who is a fornicator or impure or a greedy person ( who is an idol worshiper ) has any inheritance in The Kingdom of The Messiah and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things the anger of God comes on the children of disobedience. 7 You should not therefore be partners with them (Peshitta).

Anyway, be safe, blessed, and prosper in the Lord Jesus Christ (Yeshua Hamashiach ישׁוה המשׁיה).

Michael.