More Than a Generic Faith
Titus 1:15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.
Paul in writing to Titus was emphasizing the need to question those things that were taught that were wrong and got new Christians off track. In other words, we just don’t teach anything and make it relevant to our society because our society is corrupt at best. We teach the purity of the Word of God and that alone!! The Word of God, when elevated in our teaching and lifestyle causes a complete contradiction to the world’s way of looking at things. Jesus was so on task about the purity of what we do that He even questioned and “called out’ the religious practices of the day. I wonder how Jesus would react to our complete abandonment of the purity of the Word of God? He would call us out at every level because of getting us off course from His main focus, which is the gospel, would be to miss the whole point of our identity. In other words, no generic, cheaper faith. Only the purest form of our Christian faith will make the impact that our lost world needs today. And the impact of that power is supplied by the Holy Spirit working in every situation.
I always get a kick out of the generic names of certain products, especially. “always save.” We will buy these generic brands and then take them home and try them. They really aren’t as good as the original, but I find myself justifying the purchase because of the cost difference. I am trying to get things on discount and after awhile I have myself convinced they are as good as the original. BUT THEY AREN’T!! Sorry….yes I said it.
I also get a burden for the generic efforts in ministry that try to placate and please all who listen to the message. They will make the message wenemic by taking the presentation of the gospel out of the message and thus lose the purity of the whole thing.
Some generic forms come in a package that may look like sound words for today’s world, but they are flawed at best. Things like “reaching this generation with a different message so they will accept it.” There is no generation that is going to accept the Word of God at every turn. Why? We are sinners and many don’t even know the Word of God beyond it being a book of stories. So, we cannot be pure in our teaching if it is not based on the purity of God’s Word.
When Paul wrote this letter he didn’t write it to a church, he wrote it specifically to Titus, who was preaching God’s Word of salvation. Titus was apparently dealing with a lot of what we are dealing with now, false teachers. The generic messages he was hearing from those false teachers is “there are many ways to heaven!” Sound familiar? Of course it does. Paul didn’t beat around the bush and told Titus to silence those who were preaching a false gospel. I guess that was the very first “fake news” of the day. We still have fake news in the modern day church and it is time to silence their false teaching by boldly proclaiming the pure word of truth and once again, “preach the gospel!”
Ok, you say “what is the litmus test for who to listen to?” 1 John 4: 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. Ephesians 5:6-13 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the LORD. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the LORD. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible-and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. Thessalonians 5: 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good,
In the spirit of this blog I am going to let that Scripture speak to the subject and I going to let this blog end with a “drop the mic” moment and say nuff’ said!!
The Pilgrimage continues….
David Warren