Titus 3:8-11
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. 9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. 10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.
It is a faithful saying that we who believe in Christ need to watch carefully how we live, that we should put constant thought and effort into doing the good we are called and enabled by God to do (Ephesians 2:10). We do not work to earn status with God, but our status in Christ compels is to live for His glory and pleasure. Not only is this good and beneficial for us, it is the good we are called to. What we must avoid are the sidetracks of legalistic wrangling over the letter of ritualistic rules, while not refuting the Law in our heart followed sincerely out of loving and willing obedience. We do not argue uselessly to no good, but exhort and correct in love. We do not count infractions but come alongside others to comfort and encourage until we are conformed to Christ. Those who only wish constantly to argue and divide the church are to be corrected, but if unwilling to change must be rejected from the fellowship until they confess and repent of the divisiveness. This discipline is essential, but may not yield the results we wish for; there are some who continue to sin because they are warped and condemned already (John 3:18, Titus 1:15-16).
No comments:
Post a Comment