How to live in a pagan society- 1

Titus 3:1-2

Many portions of this message were taken from the book, "Why Government Can't Save You"

by John MacArthur

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Preached on a Sunday Service (Mar. 11, 2001)

 by Bro. Jurem Ramos

at the Soli Deo Gloria Church, Juna Subd., Matina, Davao City

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Titus is on the island of Crete. He is there to set in order the things that remain in the churches. He has a very great responsibility to set the church in order to ordain godly leaders against a very corrupt culture. Cretans, according to chapter 1 verse 12, were generally described by a prophet of their own as being always liars, evil brutes and lazy gluttons.

 

Titus then had to instruct these churches in Crete how to react to the culture around them. These small churches existed in an absolutely pagan culture. The Gentile world knew nothing about the Bible. It knew nothing about biblical morality. It knew nothing about Christian values. It knew nothing about a godly sense of mercy or justice. It was utterly pagan.

 

These churches were born then in a culture with no Christian influence. There was no Christian influence on social behavior or on the belief systems. The Gentile world was literally engulfed in idolatry. Their cultures were totally controlled by a Satanic agenda worked out through utterly and totally depraved human beings involved in worshiping demons.

 

So the churches then were in direct opposition and contrast to everything within the framework of cultural life. Given that background, how were the believers to respond? How were they to react? What is a proper Christian response in a pagan culture?

 

If we listen to some Christians today we might assume that the early church should have made its primary task to impact culture by setting up some kind of biblical morality and worked very hard to get the nations to adopt that biblical moral code. However, the early church never did that. It was not concerned about social behavior. It was not trying to influence culture politically or judicially or legislatively. It did not concern itself with impacting its culture to make it superficially Christian. That is not the purpose and the goal of the church. The early church existed to do one thing and that was to reach lost people with the gospel. That was the beginning and the end of their purpose and that is still the church's purpose, that is still our only purpose, that is why we are in the world.

 

Paul was consumed with this very singular mandate of evangelism when he wrote this letter to Titus. And he is very concerned that the believers living in the island of Crete which was utterly pagan, without any Christian influence at all, might be sidetracked in pursuing this paramount goal in evangelism.  He exhorted Titus to instruct the people not to get engaged in trying to moralize cultural behavior, that they not get involved in trying through the political avenues to create some kind of Christian culture. What he was concerned about was that they be able to demonstrate to their society that God saves people from sin. And that the primary way to do that was to demonstrate a saved life.

 

This is what Titus chapters 2 and 3 are all about. Paul is calling for Titus to teach the churches how to conduct themselves in such a manner in the church and in society so that the unbelievers can see what a saved life is like. Then when the gospel is shared, it will be believable.

 

The issue of evangelization is not cleverness and gimmickry, it's not entertainment, it's not marketing strategy. It's not trying to discover what the community want and then meet them. That is not it. People are saved because a sovereign God redeems them upon the hearing of a powerful testimony of the gospel. That's how salvation works. It's not a matter of gimmickry or technique. Most churches think that that's the way you reach the world. Paul is saying the way you reach the world is to demonstrate what a saved person looks like. And it's so stark and it's so dramatic and it's so marvelous and it's so exciting and it's so unique and it's so different and so compelling that people come to find out whether God will save them the way He saved those whose lives they've seen. That's evangelization God's way.

 

And so, in this wonderful little epistle, Paul is calling on Titus to make sure the church is in the position to do that.

 

Now what is the character of these lives ought to be?

 

Chapter 2 tells how Christians are to live in the church.  In chapter 2 he says older men are to live a certain way, younger men, older women, younger women, slaves, everybody are to live in a certain way to put God's saving power on display.

·         verse 5 says, so that no one will malign the word of God.

·         verse 8 says, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

·         verse 10 says, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

 

As the Christian lives a holy life in the church, as the life of the church is pure and holy and undefiled and all that God wants it to be, the watching world sees transformed lives.

 

Chapter 2:13 and 14 tells us that our great God and savior, Jesus Christ, gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. In other words God saved us in order to put His saving power on display. Then, people can see what a saved life is like.

 

Now let's turn to chapter 3. Here Paul is teaching us how important it is not only to live in a certain way in the church but also how you live in the world. In chapter 3 he's concerned with how we live among non-Christians, how we live in a pagan culture and society. This will be the focus of our study today, concentrating on vv. 1&2.

 

Now first, let's look at verse 1. He says, "Remind the people."

Paul is simply saying that the instructions he is about to give aren't new. He had already discussed this with the believers in the past. The Christians at Crete already knew the responsibilities they had for living in a pagan culture but they needed to be reminded. And that is a duty that belongs to everyone who stands behind the pulpit and proclaims the truth to God's flock. We are basically here to remind you of what you already know.

 

The word "remind" is in the present tense. It means a regular ongoing continuing duty of reminding them. It implies that believers ought to continually remember these truths that Paul is about to give if they are to behave properly in a pagan society.

 

There are four areas of spiritual truth that needed regular reminding:

(1)   our Christian duties (3:1-2).

(2)   our former condition (3:3)

(3)   our salvation (3:4-7)

(4)   our mission (3:8)

 

If Christians keep remembering those things, remember their Christian duties, remember their former condition, remember their salvation, remember their mission, they will keep on living excellently in a pagan world and may even become God's instrument for the salvation of others. Today we will only look at the first reminder:

Remember your Christian duties.

Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, begins his call to remembrance by listing seven duties that always apply to Christians and define our obligation to secular society (Tit 3:1-2):

 

What are our duties as believers? We may have been hurt, disappointed and angry at what we see happening in our country. Or maybe we are shocked by what's happening in society.

 

For instance consider these headline news recently.

1)      PNP Chief Insp. Abelardo Martin, abducted by the NPAs a year ago or so, was rescued a few days ago. This was reported to his wife and mother. They were both very happy as they were interviewed. The wife didn't know how to express her feelings. She was so excited, finally she will be reunited to her long lost husband. Then an attack from the NPAs occurred. He got shot and due to loss of blood, he died. The wife did not realize that while she was so excited to meet her husband, Martin was already several hours dead.

2)      A nationwide manhunt is on for a former official of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) who is allegedly on the run after being implicated in the unsolved case of missing PR man Salvador "Bubby" Dacer. Witnesses have also identified another PAOCTF member as one of those who commandeered Dacer's car during the abduction on Nov. 24, according to National Bureau of Investigation Director Reynaldo Wycoco.

 

These are just two of the headline news. What about those that are unreported or given minor importance. The crimes that were committed in the offices, in the streets, in school, in our communities, in our neighborhoods, among our relatives and loved ones. We hear of much wickedness and evil all around. The very ones in high government positions who should have been protecting us have become our enemies. The courts that could have put them to prison are covering them up. How do we live in the midst of this kind of environment? Paul says in Tit 3:1-2:

 

1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

 

Let's look at seven Christian duties we learn from this passage.

1.      To be subject to rulers and authorities.

This talks of willing submission to rulers and authorities.

 

Rulers - means persons of influence and authority such as civil rulers (kings, presidents, prime ministers, etc). Authorities refer primarily to all forms and levels of human government. It may refer to the highest civil authority of the land and it doesn't matter whether the ruler is Caesar, Herod, Pilate, Felix, Festus, Agrippa, Stalin, Hitler, Winston Churchill, Ferdinand Marcos, Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Arroyo, it doesn't matter who it is, he says be subject. The Christians must be reminded to be subject to such rulers.

 

Let us not forget that the rulers Paul referred to were tyrants. They lacked integrity. They were murderous. They were not noble. Governments made laws and maybe all the laws weren't equitable, just and fair. But he says you be subject to rulers, to authorities. He is reiterating a very commonly given biblical principle found in several passages.

 

But the command to submit is not just confined to the supreme authorities. There are those who say, "I will only submit to the president. Unless she is the one who tells me I will not submit. I will not submit to any of her secretaries or to any senator or congressman. Not to a governor, mayor, councilor, or barangay captain. I only submit to the president." Well this attitude is wrong because it says, "be subject to rulers and authorities." Authorities include the political authorities (national, local, the President's cabinet members, etc.), the Judiciary, the Police, the Military.

2.      To be obedient.

To be obedient is to listen, and to follow the advice or command of the one in authority.

 

Christians are to obey whatever it is the authorities say. Are we ever to disobey? Yes, as we learned before, there are occasions when we should disobey. We call it biblical civil disobedience. We disobey when they ask us to do what the Bible forbids or when they ask us not to do what the Bible commands. When the state turns against the church and tells the church not to do what God has mandated us to do, then we have to obey God and suffer the consequence...be it prison or death. But let me quickly add, even when we have to disobey, we must do so in a respectful manner (Read Dan 1:8-14).

3.      To be ready to do whatever is good.

Then he says, at the end of verse 1, "to be ready to do whatever is good."

 

This is aggressive goodness. The word ready means eager...eagerness to do every conceivable good deed. Paul here is not referring to some minimal, reluctant adherence to doing what we already know is right, but to a sincere willingness and heart preparation to do good works to everyone, as we have the opportunity.

 

No matter how antagonistic the people around us may be, no matter how pagan it is, how engulfed in idolatry and sin it is, we Christians must aggressively pursue every good thing. Ready to pay taxes... ready to vote... Ready to pray for government. Ready to do good.

 

By the way, this is in direct contrast with the behavior of false teachers. Look back at 1:16. The false teachers are described in this way: They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. One of the things that sets believers apart from false teachers and their followers is the eager goodness in their lives that demonstrates transformation, that demonstrates new birth, salvation, the life of God, the power of the Spirit. We're to be known in society for our goodness. God wants us to be recognized for consistent and aggressive goodness-good deeds done out of love for the Lord and love for the people.

4.      To slander no one.

In verse 2 we have the next scriptural duty, "to slander no one."

 

The idea is not to slander even one person. The original for slander is the Greek verb blasphemeo from which we get the word blaspheme. It means to slander or to treat with contempt. We must confront sin. We can confront sin. We can confront the sinner because of his sin, we must call sinners to repentance but we do not stoop to blasphemy, slander, cursing and speaking contemptuously of people. That's not the Christian approach. We can never use such speech even with a righteous motive.

 

We may not like what unbelievers do but we must remember the condition they are in. Let us not forget that they are blinded in their minds by the god of this world. We cannot expect them to act like converted people. And how do unconverted people act? They act under the influence of Satan and his current system and they're just carrying out his agenda. And so slandering them is unacceptable.

 

It is sad that many believers today speak scornfully of politicians and other public figures. When they do that, they actually manifest a basic disregard of their responsibility toward authority and hinder God's redemptive plan. I remember a man who claimed to be a Christian. He vehemently and sarcastically criticize the former President Cory Aquino. He would say, "iyan talagang si Cory, TWA. Talagang walang alam!"

 

Look at 1Tim 2:1, here was Timothy in Ephesus, another corrupt idolatrous city. He says to Timothy, "1TI 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." We should pray for our leaders. It is unfortunate that believers today are more vigilant watchdogs against our leaders than intercessors for their welfare. This is what God wants us to do, to pray for them constantly, making petition, prayers, entreaties for those in authority that God will work in their lives.  God wants to save and we are to pray for their salvation. Don't malign them, pray for their salvation.

 

Illustration

 

Respect for human leaders was the norm for the early church long before the Roman Empire was "Christianized." One example of the early Christians' righteous pattern of support for their ruling superiors is the following prayer composed by Clement of Rome near the end of the first century. Remarkably this prayer was offered in the wake of sever persecutions ordered by the emperors Nero and Domitian:

 

Guide our steps to walk in holiness and righteousness and singleness of heart, and to do those things that are good and acceptable in Thy sight, and in the sight of our rulers. Yes, Lord, cause Thy face to shine upon us in peace for our good, that we may be sheltered by Thy mighty hand and delivered from every sin by Thine outstretched arm. Deliver us from those who hate us wrongfully. Give concord and peace to us and to all who dwell on earth, as Thou didst to our fathers, when they called on thee in faith and truth with holiness., while we render obedience to Thine almighty and most excellent name, and to our earthly rulers and governors.

 

Thou, O Lord and Master, hast given them the power of sovereignty through Thine excellent and unspeakable might, that we, knowing the glory and honor which Thou has given them, may submit ourselves to them, in nothing resisting Thy will. Grant them therefore, O Lord, health, peace, concord and stability, that they may without failure administer the government which Thou has committed to them. For Thou, O heavenly Master, King of the ages, dost give to the sons of men glory and honor and power over all things that are in the earth. Do Thou, O Lord, direct their counsel according to what is good and acceptable in Thy sight, that they, administering in peace and gentleness with godliness, the power which Thou has committed to them, may obtain Thy favor.

 

In the second century Justin Martyr, church father and theologian, wrote this to the emperor Antoninus Pius, "Everywhere we Christians, more readily than all men, endeavor to pay to those appointed by you the taxes both ordinary and extraordinary, as we have been taught by Jesus.... Whence to God alone we render worship, but in other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging you as kings and rulers of men, and praying that with your kingly power you be found to possess also sound judgment.

 

A later church father, Tertullian, wrote concerning Rome, "Without ceasing, for all our emperors we offer prayer. We pray for life prolonged; for security to the empire; for protection to the imperial house; for brave armies, a faithful senate, a virtuous people, the world at rest, whatever, as man or Caesar, an emperor would wish."

 

The remarkable thing about those statements is not the profundity of their sentiments as such, but that they were expressed in the midst of very difficult times for the church. IT was attempting to survive and grow even though targeted for sometimes- vicious persecution by a pagan, cruel, anti-Christian government in Rome.

5.      To be peaceable.

Let us go back to Tit 3:2. The next thing Paul says to Titus is that Christians are to be peaceable. They are not to be disposed to fight or quarrel. Paul reminds us that we must be friendly and peaceful toward the lost, not belligerent and quarrelsome. We're not to fight or quarrel with government, were not to fight leaders. We're not to be combative. That's not the agenda of the church.

 

It's so easy to be contentious and hostile and angry towards those who contribute to the culture's demise and write them off as corrupt sinners who will never change. If God's love for the world was so broad and intense that His Son died for a multitude of sinners (Jn 3:16), how can we who have received that redeeming grace be harsh and unloving toward those who have not yet received it? Until God is pleased to save an individual, he or she is going to behave like an unbeliever, and it is wrong for us, meanwhile, to treat him contemptuously for acting according to his nature. On the contrary, Rom 13:18 encourages us, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

6.      To be graciously kind.

The NIV uses the phrase "to be considerate." The word in the original means to be gentle, kind or forbearing.  It means to be reasonable, to be considerate of human weakness, very patient with sinners. In other lexicons it means, to be lenient, yielding, unassertive, to be tolerant, to show clemency.

 

One writer says, "Sweet reasonableness." Not cantankerous, not argumentative, not angry, not hostile, but sweetly reasonable, graciously kind, gentle.

 

It is an attitude that does not hold grudges but gives others the benefit of the doubt.

 

It is opposed to being violent and being harsh.

·        1Ti 3:3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

·        1Pe 2:18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate (or graciously kind), but also to those who are harsh.

 

Often times, when we disagree with civil authorities, we can be very harsh and unkind with our words. Just listen to how protesters talk in the streets. Believers should be different.

7.      To show every consideration.

And then he closes in verse 2 with the last of the seven duties: NIV "to show true humility". I think the NASB is a better translation of the phrase in the original: "Showing every consideration..." Some lexicons define the original word as a quality of gentle friendliness.

 

Today, many people no longer know what that means. We are always suspicious. We do not believe what the government says. We don't want to believe it. We don't try to exhaust all means to find out if what they are saying is true or not. We are not willing to show every consideration.

 

In 2Ti 2 we have an example of this gentleness. It says that if we respond in this manner to those who oppose us, God may use us to lead people to repentance and the knowledge of the truth.

 

2Ti 2:25,26-Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

 

You see, everything we do has an evangelistic goal. And as we live in this world, subject to the authorities and the rulers, obedient to all the things that they lay out that don't directly violate Scripture, as we are eagerly pursuing every imaginable good deed within our society maligning no one, fighting no one, but rather being patient with sinners, gentle, kind, we demonstrate salvation because only transformed people can act like that.

 

And then he closes in verse 2 by saying, "toward all men" You need to do this before everybody. That little phrase is very important.

 

1.  Submission and obedience is not confined to those in the government. It also includes authorities in other areas of life. In society, all humans, all men and women in various positions of leadership or following and dependence, are equal, yet their functions vary and their responsibilities are diverse.

·        In a wife's relationship to her husband (Eph 5:22-Wives submit to your husbands; 1Pe 3:5,6-They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. Tit 2:5. This does not in any way mean that the wife is inferior to her husband for they are both equal before God, but her attitude is that of willing personal subjection to the husband in the fear of God.

·        Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Even the Lord Jesus as a twelve- year old child submitted to Mary, His mother and Joseph, His stepfather: Lk 2:51 says, "And he was obedient to them."

·        Eph 6:5 says, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

·        Paul tells the Corinthians in 1Co 16:15-16, I urge you brothers, to submit to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it.

·        Younger members of the congregation should be submissive to those who are older, referring to the elders of the church. (1Pe 5:5).

 

3.      Christians are to be ready to do whatever is good as Galatians 6:10 says, " Therefore, as we

4.      have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers "

5.      To slander no one.

6.      To be friendly and peaceful.

7.      To be gentle, kind and forebearing.

8.      To show every consideration.

 

Remember again that these are our Christian duties. We need to remind ourselves again and again that this is how we are to live in the midst of a pagan society. Only Christians can live like that. Those are our duties.. That's how we live.

 

Illustration

 

The following description of Christians is attributed to Aristides, a second-century secular philosopher. This is found in the Apology of Aristides, Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 1, [1929 edition], p. 346.

 

They abstain from all impurity, in the hope of the recompense that is to come in another world. As for their servants or handmaids or children, they persuade them to become Christians by the love they have for them; and when they have become so, they call them without distinction, brothers. They do not worship strange gods; and they walk in all humility and kindness and falsehood is not found among them and they love one another. When they see the stranger they bring him to their homes and rejoice over him as over a true brother, for they do not call brothers those who are after the flesh, but those who are in the Spirit and in God.

 

And there is among them a man that is poor and needy and if they have not an abundance of necessities, they fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with the necessary food.

 

They observe scrupulously the commandment of their Messiah; they live honestly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them. Every morning and all hours on account of the goodness of God toward them, they praise and laud Him and over their food and their drink, they render Him thanks.

 

And if any righteous person of their number passes away from this world, they rejoice and give thanks to God and they follow his body as though he were moving from one place to another. And when a child is born to them, they praise God, and if again it chances to die in its infancy, they praise God mightily, as for one who has passed through the world without sins.

 

Such is the law of the Christians and such is their conduct.