Titus 3: Hope for Change

Titus 3English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

 3 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.

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 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, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

8 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.

I want to be more like the person at the beginning and end of this passage- gentle, obedient, devoted to good works. Some days by God's grace I see these fruits of heart change- looking outside myself and loving others. But at other times, instead of showing "perfect courtesy to all people" I identify more with verse 3- foolish, enslaved by worthless pleasures, and because of my selfishness, hating others, even those closest to me. Strong words, I know, but in those moments of irritability my sin is revealed.

I'm thankful that God brought this passage to mind last night when I was in a foul mood. Not so I could wallow in how miserable I am but because of the "but" in verse 4.  This is the heart of gospel grace in the life of a Christian. Because of God's goodness and loving kindness we are saved. Thankfully our salvation has nothing to do with our good works but is because of his mercy. A mercy that is shown to us in his plan to send Jesus Christ to be our perfect sacrifice. As part of that salvation our hearts are washed, regenerated, and renewed by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not a limited resource, but is "poured out on us richly." This is how we are empowered to live changed lives- repenting of our sin, depending on our gracious Savior's finished work for us, and in grateful response choosing to show love to others.

In this season where I am at times confounded by all of the contradictions I see in myself and the world: peace vs. chaos, rest vs. frenetic activity, giving vs. selfishness, I am thankful that I can trust in this "trustworthy saying" and have hope for change day by day. 

Psalm 143: When the Enemy Attacks

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
2 Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous before you.

3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    he has crushed my life to the ground;
    he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.

5 I remember the days of old;
    I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!

11 For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
    In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your servant.

I am so thankful for David. A man who felt deeply and poured out his soul to the LORD. I'll admit there are times I read his psalms and can't quite identify with the depth of his emotions but other times the words hit home and encourage me that in His inspired Word God graciously provides a language to both praise and lament.

I was reading a passage in Exodus that pointed me to this Psalm this morning and instantly connected with the words. What a great resource for times we are feeling discouraged, joyless and under attack by the evil one.

In verses 3-4, we see the enemy pursuing our soul, crushing our life to the ground, and making us sit in darkness. These are heavy words. As a result, our spirit faints and fails. 

In response, the psalmist does two main things. First, he cries out to the Lord for help and direction. He appeals to God based on his faithfulness and righteousness (1), the sake of his name (11), and his steadfast love (12). Even though his spirit is weighed down, he stretches out his hands (6) and lifts up his soul (8) to the one in whom he trusts. Not only does he ask the LORD to deliver him, he asks him to show Himself to him ("hide not your face from me") and reveal his steadfast love to him (7-8). As in the darkness our path is so often dimly lit and difficult to navigate, the psalmist also asks for direction- "make me know the way I should go" and "let your good Spirit lead me on level ground" (8, 10). He flees to God for refuge, humbly trusting him as His servant and learning to do His will (2,12,10).

The other thing the psalmist does is redirect his thoughts. He remembers, meditates on, and ponders all that God has done and the work of His hands (5). Sometimes disciplining our mind is easier said than done but it is a necessary work when we are under attack.

Ultimately, David knows (and we know) that God will conquer our enemy and "destroy the adversary of [our] soul." How do we know this? Because of Christ's finished work on the cross. He stretched out his hands and thirsted so that we could know God's nearness and live with him in glory eternally. No matter what we face in this life, we have a living hope in our Righteous and Faithful God. 

A New Endeavor

I've been thinking about starting a new blog for a little while now. A few years ago I prayed that God would increase my love for His Word. He has been faithful to answer that prayer with a greater hunger to study and apply His living and active Word to my life. I have found that writing my thoughts helps me organize and process them and more recently have felt more of a call to write with others in mind as well. My hope is that this blog would be an encouragement to those that read it and would glorify God. He is the only one who can truly satisfy our hearts.