Adorning the doctrine
"And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful." (Titus 3:14)
January 31, 2025
Dear friends,
The other morning when I got up, the verse above was on my mind. The Lord was convicting me that though I find it easy to talk about the Christian life, I'm not always observant in taking practical steps of application. I took time that morning to read the epistle of Titus, which is only three short chapters.
In the epistle to Titus, the Apostle Paul instructs his protégé to help the Christians on the island of Crete to become useful to the Lord (and others). They had a penchant for laziness and for long, unfruitful discussions on theological topics. Their speculations needed to be turned to more practical results, namely, good works.
The topic of works echoes throughout this short letter. Some who were associated with the church in Crete were denying God by their words and deeds, being "unfit for any good work." (1:16) Titus himself was to be a "model of good works" for them (2:7)
For the Christian, "good works" are not a mere to-do list unrelated to spiritual life, but rather, they are fruit that comes from our relationship with Christ. (See John 15:1-5.) The Apostle Paul calls this, "adorning [showing the beauty of] the doctrine of God." (2:10) This involves character, integrity, sound speech, good behavior, service and works of mercy.
We are redeemed to be a people for the Lord's possession, "zealous for good works." (2:14) Paul is clear that we are not saved because of any works we do (3:5; see Eph 2:8-10) Believers are to be submissive to authority, obedient, and "ready for every good work" (3:1), and "devoted to good works" (3:8, 14). These Christians on the island of Crete needed to bear more tangible evidence of their salvation.
Finally, verse 14 tells us that one aspect of good works is learning "to meet pressing needs" (NAS), "provide for daily necessities" (NIV), or "help cases of urgent need" (ESV). The immediate context of that verse (3:12-13) has to do with the supply and support for traveling missionaries: "...see that they lack nothing." (3:13) Good works may include a number of things but it's clear that providing necessities, especially for God's people in need, is vital. A bed, a meal, clothing, safety, and medical care are all essential to life.
We may do these good works because we feel compassion, or a sense of duty. For us there's a higher motivation. We serve a God who is kind and merciful to those in need. He is the God of providence. He created us in his own image, to reflect the likeness of his own good character and work. Our compassion, as Paul shows us in Titus, is not mere humanitarianism, but rather, is an outgrowth and fruit of doctrine, of truth about God and man. Apparently, the believers in Crete thought that it was enough to talk about the faith, all while not doing anything useful!
Recently, I've been impressed with those who have helped in the relief work for those devasted by Hurricane Helene. JAARS (a missionary aviation ministry) was immediately flying relief help into those remote areas in North Carolina; Samaritan's Purse was not far behind; and even now Amish communities are on site building homes. As believers we are called not only to believe, and to behave, but also to do things that are practical, good, and useful to others.
There are pressing needs all around us if we but look around. We can help with our local food closet, visit the sick, take a meal to shut-ins, provide funds for missionaries, support rescue missions (shelters), become a foster parent, support a Compassion child, send aid for persecuted Christians, pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child, work with Habitat for Humanity, or help with prison ministries, just to name a few.
We have been given the wonderful privilege of adorning the doctrine of God with good works! Here are few more notes I made on Titus, and on what makes a good work "good".
IN OTHER READING.
-- I've finished reading McGillivray of the Creeks, by John Walton Caughey (University of South Carolina Press, 2007) and have begun A New Order of Things: Property, Power, and the Transformation of the Creek Indians, 1733--1816 (Cambridge University Press, 1999). Some of my Scottish forebears came to America and settled among the Creek Indians. (It’s not always a pretty picture.)
-- The Myths of Indigenous History is a very good discussion with Dr. Nigel Biggar and Dr. Stephen Chavura about the complexities of understanding colonialism and indigenous peoples.
-- Holocaust Remembrance: "The Grandson of the Commandant of Auschwitz is a Pastor in Stuttgart".
-- "Seeking justice and showing mercy are Christian values. However, they are values used to point people to repentance and the embrace of Christ." Read "The Bishop's Speech".
FINAL QUOTE.
"I count all that part of my life lost which I spent not in communion with God or in doing good." (John Donne)
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That's it for this week!
Sandy
Afterwords is an occasional newsletter on topics of interest to me since my retirement from full-time pastoral ministry. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.