OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #236 Mainly Good is Partly Bad
Hi Folks:
Last week was a tough one for our family as my maternal grandmother passed away early Thursday morning. She was a strong believer, and so this makes a real difference. It means we can grieve with hope in the resurrection.
She was 92 and lived in her own home until she entered hospital the day before she passed away. Her home was always warm and welcoming, and some of our best memories are sharing meals at her table. Whenever we were home on vacation in the summer, we always had evening lunch with her. It was very fitting that our family ate our meals together in her home. We will miss her very much.
We appreciate your prayers for our family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every once in a while I start out for one place and end up in another. I thought I knew where I was going, only to realize that I was not where I ought to be.
While leading a bike camp once, I took a group of young teens on a walk. The plan was to follow one path for a little while, stop for a Bible study at about sunset, and then hook up with another path using flashlights to return in the dark. It was a great plan, except that the two paths didn’t connect. By the time we realized this we didn’t know if we were closer to one end of the path or the other, so we continued until we came out at the other end two hours later. This was definitely not where I had planned for us to go.
As we near the end of Titus, Paul summarizes the teaching he wants Titus to emphasize. All through the letter he has stressed goodness in the life of the believer and he turns to this theme one more time.
“Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” (Titus 3:14*)
This sentence ties the book together. Titus must appoint church leaders on Crete who love what is good (1:8), in contrast to those who are rebellious and unfit for doing anything good (1:16). Those who are age-advantaged should teach the younger what is good (2:3), and Titus himself is to be an example for the younger men (2:7). Goodness should not only be a trait of leadership, however. Jesus gave himself so that his people might be eager to do good (2:14), and this ought to be the goal for every believer (3:8). In this way, Titus reminds the people to do good (3:1).
Paul touches this theme for a final time. “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good...” Goodness does not come as naturally as we might hope. It’s not that we aim for bad, but we end up there sometimes because we forget where we are going spiritually, and so without goodness firmly in mind we don’t do everything necessary to arrive at the proper destination.
We shouldn’t settle for being mainly good because mainly good is still partly bad. That’s like arriving at the proper destination only part of the time. The good news is that we have some control over this. We can learn devotion to doing good.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published Sept 29, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire is an occasional letter on Christian faith and character
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
OnFire #235 Warped is Not Good
OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #235 Warped Is Not Good
In one summer job the boss asked me to help build a deck. I really didn’t know what I was doing, but thankfully there were people around who did. Someone made me a spacer for the decking. Someone else showed me how to make the ends even.
No one told me about stacking lumber, however. The maintenance crew delivered more decking one day and tossed it off the truck. Not knowing any better, I left it as it was, looking like a giant game of pick-up sticks. Without the even pressure of laying flat, the planks twisted and we had quite a job to use some of them because they were warped so badly.
The Apostle Paul knew warped. He wrote in Titus 3:9-11, “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”*
Evidently there were people dividing the churches in Crete because they continued to stir up religious and theological controversy. Genealogies and quarrels over the law were two examples. I don’t think Paul was condemning the keeping of family records as a matter of history and interest. Rather, it seems people claimed closeness to God based on the location of their branch on the family tree.
Controversies come and controversies go. We have no shortage of foolish controversy in our own age and in my first year of Bible college I was involved in more than a few. Sadly, we measured other people’s faith against the standard of our own doctrine. In our arrogance, we felt that we were closer to God because we saw things “correctly.”
We were obviously not the best judges of our own spiritual state. How ironic it must have seemed to everyone else that we thought we were so close to God, and yet we showed our immaturity, perhaps even warped-ness, by our divisiveness.
How can we tell the difference between legitimate theological issues and foolish controversies? When is it time to stand up for what is right, and when is it time to keep our opinions to ourselves to avoid being divisive? Primary doctrines are worth standing up for. These are the traditional and historic doctrines which define us as Christians - the trinity, deity of Jesus, personhood of the Holy Spirit, creation, fall of humanity, the incarnation, atonement, death and resurrection of Jesus, the second coming, final judgement, and the inspiration of the Bible are all examples of primary doctrine.
Secondary doctrines tend to be the divisive ones. The second coming is a primary doctrine, but the manner and timing is a secondary doctrine, with theological differences over the rapture and millennium. Believers ought to be encouraged to study for themselves and know what they believe, but should not allow themselves to become divisive over secondary doctrines.
There is also primary and secondary morality. The ten commandments are primary, as an example, and we are not free to tamper with this morality. Whether we dance or play cards, eat meat, or support gun registry, however, are secondary and we can look to Romans 14 for Paul’s handling of this.
How will I know if I am in a foolish argument? I need to check my own heart and actions. Do I need to win at any cost? Do I think that others are idiots because they don’t believe the same way I do? Do I doubt their salvation because they differ from my views? Do I find myself raising my voice (or fists!!) or making threats to make my point? Do theological discussions turn into arguments and quarrels when I am involved? Do people tell me I need to calm down?
Again, we are often not the best judges of our own spiritual state, but if we answered yes to any of these questions, we may be divisive and need to take warning.
Finally, we do not need to coddle divisive people. Because of their forcefulness, we are often afraid to do anything about them. Warning them is for their own good and ours. Like Ezekiel’s watchman, we need to look out for each other and this includes helping to set people back on track spiritually by warning them. If they do not respond, it is a sign of their hardness and Paul tells us not to waste our time and energy further.
Just as warped lumber is not good, neither is warped spirituality. There are ways to have theological discussion and debate, but they do not include divisiveness.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published Sept 16, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire #235 Warped Is Not Good
In one summer job the boss asked me to help build a deck. I really didn’t know what I was doing, but thankfully there were people around who did. Someone made me a spacer for the decking. Someone else showed me how to make the ends even.
No one told me about stacking lumber, however. The maintenance crew delivered more decking one day and tossed it off the truck. Not knowing any better, I left it as it was, looking like a giant game of pick-up sticks. Without the even pressure of laying flat, the planks twisted and we had quite a job to use some of them because they were warped so badly.
The Apostle Paul knew warped. He wrote in Titus 3:9-11, “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”*
Evidently there were people dividing the churches in Crete because they continued to stir up religious and theological controversy. Genealogies and quarrels over the law were two examples. I don’t think Paul was condemning the keeping of family records as a matter of history and interest. Rather, it seems people claimed closeness to God based on the location of their branch on the family tree.
Controversies come and controversies go. We have no shortage of foolish controversy in our own age and in my first year of Bible college I was involved in more than a few. Sadly, we measured other people’s faith against the standard of our own doctrine. In our arrogance, we felt that we were closer to God because we saw things “correctly.”
We were obviously not the best judges of our own spiritual state. How ironic it must have seemed to everyone else that we thought we were so close to God, and yet we showed our immaturity, perhaps even warped-ness, by our divisiveness.
How can we tell the difference between legitimate theological issues and foolish controversies? When is it time to stand up for what is right, and when is it time to keep our opinions to ourselves to avoid being divisive? Primary doctrines are worth standing up for. These are the traditional and historic doctrines which define us as Christians - the trinity, deity of Jesus, personhood of the Holy Spirit, creation, fall of humanity, the incarnation, atonement, death and resurrection of Jesus, the second coming, final judgement, and the inspiration of the Bible are all examples of primary doctrine.
Secondary doctrines tend to be the divisive ones. The second coming is a primary doctrine, but the manner and timing is a secondary doctrine, with theological differences over the rapture and millennium. Believers ought to be encouraged to study for themselves and know what they believe, but should not allow themselves to become divisive over secondary doctrines.
There is also primary and secondary morality. The ten commandments are primary, as an example, and we are not free to tamper with this morality. Whether we dance or play cards, eat meat, or support gun registry, however, are secondary and we can look to Romans 14 for Paul’s handling of this.
How will I know if I am in a foolish argument? I need to check my own heart and actions. Do I need to win at any cost? Do I think that others are idiots because they don’t believe the same way I do? Do I doubt their salvation because they differ from my views? Do I find myself raising my voice (or fists!!) or making threats to make my point? Do theological discussions turn into arguments and quarrels when I am involved? Do people tell me I need to calm down?
Again, we are often not the best judges of our own spiritual state, but if we answered yes to any of these questions, we may be divisive and need to take warning.
Finally, we do not need to coddle divisive people. Because of their forcefulness, we are often afraid to do anything about them. Warning them is for their own good and ours. Like Ezekiel’s watchman, we need to look out for each other and this includes helping to set people back on track spiritually by warning them. If they do not respond, it is a sign of their hardness and Paul tells us not to waste our time and energy further.
Just as warped lumber is not good, neither is warped spirituality. There are ways to have theological discussion and debate, but they do not include divisiveness.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published Sept 16, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
OnFire #234 Hoping Well
OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #234 Hoping Well
Hi folks:
I watched several spiders last night as they sat in their webs. Every day they do the same thing, that is, they spin and wait, spin and wait. The object of their spinning is to catch insects for food. So, over and over they spin, knowing that if they are patient they will receive their next meal as soon as it flies into the web.
What hope the spider has! He knows that sooner or later his efforts will pay off. A fly will get caught, the web will shake, and it will be lunch time. And so the spider will spin, knowing with certainty that his spinning will not be in vain.
Our actions reflect our hope. In 1896, George Harbo and Frank Samuelson set out in an 18-foot-long open boat without sails or engine on a 55-day voyage to be the first to row across the Atlantic. The sons of immigrants from Norway, they hoped to become famous and have a better life. This hope fueled them to a record which lasted for 114 years.
Hope in this sense is not wishing in the way we often use the word. “I hope it will not rain on the weekend” merely expresses our desire for good weather. The kind of hope we’re talking about is the certain expectation of future events. We know it will happen, we’re just waiting for it to become reality. That’s the spider sitting in the web.
Hope is a key to understanding the different behaviours listed in Titus 3:1-8. Paul sets up a compare and contrast between a Christian and non-Christian way of life, a kind of before and after picture of the way things should be for the believer. “At one time,” he says in verse 3, we “were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”* Without doubt, we were not all as bad as we could be, but we can recognize that our lives before Jesus had elements of these traits. At our worst, we lived for ourselves without much regard for others.
Christians, on the other hand, are to respect authority, be obedient, ready to do good, not slander people with our words, be peaceable, considerate, and humble. (3:1-2)
Hope is the difference between these two pictures of life. If we do not have hope for the future, then we will act it out. We will feel like we need to grab everything we can get for ourselves, regardless of the cost to someone else, because our only hope is to be selfish. If, however, we believe that we have hope for the future, we will act less selfishly because we know that the future holds good things for us anyway. This is verse 7, “...having been justified by grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
The spider spins his web because he expects it will bring food. For the Christian, godly and unselfish behaviour is rooted in the expectation of eternal life with Jesus. We can give ourselves away in this life because Jesus carries us into the next. We can devote ourselves to doing what is good (v. 8) because we know the future with Jesus holds good things for us.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published Sept 8, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire #234 Hoping Well
Hi folks:
I watched several spiders last night as they sat in their webs. Every day they do the same thing, that is, they spin and wait, spin and wait. The object of their spinning is to catch insects for food. So, over and over they spin, knowing that if they are patient they will receive their next meal as soon as it flies into the web.
What hope the spider has! He knows that sooner or later his efforts will pay off. A fly will get caught, the web will shake, and it will be lunch time. And so the spider will spin, knowing with certainty that his spinning will not be in vain.
Our actions reflect our hope. In 1896, George Harbo and Frank Samuelson set out in an 18-foot-long open boat without sails or engine on a 55-day voyage to be the first to row across the Atlantic. The sons of immigrants from Norway, they hoped to become famous and have a better life. This hope fueled them to a record which lasted for 114 years.
Hope in this sense is not wishing in the way we often use the word. “I hope it will not rain on the weekend” merely expresses our desire for good weather. The kind of hope we’re talking about is the certain expectation of future events. We know it will happen, we’re just waiting for it to become reality. That’s the spider sitting in the web.
Hope is a key to understanding the different behaviours listed in Titus 3:1-8. Paul sets up a compare and contrast between a Christian and non-Christian way of life, a kind of before and after picture of the way things should be for the believer. “At one time,” he says in verse 3, we “were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”* Without doubt, we were not all as bad as we could be, but we can recognize that our lives before Jesus had elements of these traits. At our worst, we lived for ourselves without much regard for others.
Christians, on the other hand, are to respect authority, be obedient, ready to do good, not slander people with our words, be peaceable, considerate, and humble. (3:1-2)
Hope is the difference between these two pictures of life. If we do not have hope for the future, then we will act it out. We will feel like we need to grab everything we can get for ourselves, regardless of the cost to someone else, because our only hope is to be selfish. If, however, we believe that we have hope for the future, we will act less selfishly because we know that the future holds good things for us anyway. This is verse 7, “...having been justified by grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
The spider spins his web because he expects it will bring food. For the Christian, godly and unselfish behaviour is rooted in the expectation of eternal life with Jesus. We can give ourselves away in this life because Jesus carries us into the next. We can devote ourselves to doing what is good (v. 8) because we know the future with Jesus holds good things for us.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published Sept 8, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire #233 Rebellious Tools
OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #233 Rebellious Tools
Hi Folks:
Now that I’ve finished painting my carport, it is time to tackle some other projects around the house, so this week the job was to fix and adjust cupboard doors and hinges. On some cupboards the screws which hold the hinges are loose or stripped and so I have to tighten them or do something to keep them from falling off. Most have paint in the corners which keeps them from closing. And some rub and scrape because the wood has warped over time.
So, I got out the tools and worked on the cupboards until they closed better. At one point I had a vast array of implements spread across the floor since it took screwdrivers, chisels, planes, a drill, and glue to do the work. But now they open without scraping and close without slamming, and they stay closed, too! I haven’t finished them all yet, but at least the most annoying ones are done.
Tools are great things as long as you can get them to do what you want. It’s a good thing they don’t have a mind of their own, or who knows what might happen. A chisel is difficult enough to use without carving too deep or slicing one’s fingers. If it could act on its own it might veer off in some new direction, gouging wood in the process. Imagine what the drill would do if it didn’t want to work. As we reached for it, it might rev its motor as if to say, “Back off - you’re not the boss of me!”
As Paul continues to instruct Titus, he reminds the people to be “subject to rulers and authorities” in Titus 3:1.* It is interesting that Paul would say this even though he had many run-ins with authorities in various cities. In Philippi he was flogged and imprisoned. Later he spent four years being bounced around the legal system between Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Rome. Many of Paul’s letters were written from prison.
In Romans 13 we find out why Paul would say this. Rulers and authorities are God’s servants (Rom 13:6), and therefore this is not only a matter of avoiding punishment, but also one of conscience (13:5). “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honour.” (13:7)
It is silly to think that a chisel might decide to veer off on its own, or that a drill might refuse to do its work since they are inanimate and incapable of deciding for themselves. We, on the other hand, sometimes make decisions because we resent someone else telling us what to do, and so we veer off to do our own thing or simply refuse to cooperate.
Part of Christian maturity is putting down the rebellious urge within us which says, “You can’t tell me what to do.” It started when we gave our hearts to Jesus, declaring that “Jesus is Lord.” As we acknowledge that we are actually people under Jesus Christ, it becomes easier to recognize authority. As we begin to understand that we are not our own we can give honour where it is due.
It is hard for God to use us if we are rebellious. In this way this issue is not only one of being subject to earthly authority. If we won’t give honour here on earth where we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands, we’re not likely going to honour the authority of Jesus either. A sharp chisel is a great tool in the hands of a master. May we bring honour to our Master as we allow ourselves to be tools in His hands.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. This letter published Sept 2, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire #233 Rebellious Tools
Hi Folks:
Now that I’ve finished painting my carport, it is time to tackle some other projects around the house, so this week the job was to fix and adjust cupboard doors and hinges. On some cupboards the screws which hold the hinges are loose or stripped and so I have to tighten them or do something to keep them from falling off. Most have paint in the corners which keeps them from closing. And some rub and scrape because the wood has warped over time.
So, I got out the tools and worked on the cupboards until they closed better. At one point I had a vast array of implements spread across the floor since it took screwdrivers, chisels, planes, a drill, and glue to do the work. But now they open without scraping and close without slamming, and they stay closed, too! I haven’t finished them all yet, but at least the most annoying ones are done.
Tools are great things as long as you can get them to do what you want. It’s a good thing they don’t have a mind of their own, or who knows what might happen. A chisel is difficult enough to use without carving too deep or slicing one’s fingers. If it could act on its own it might veer off in some new direction, gouging wood in the process. Imagine what the drill would do if it didn’t want to work. As we reached for it, it might rev its motor as if to say, “Back off - you’re not the boss of me!”
As Paul continues to instruct Titus, he reminds the people to be “subject to rulers and authorities” in Titus 3:1.* It is interesting that Paul would say this even though he had many run-ins with authorities in various cities. In Philippi he was flogged and imprisoned. Later he spent four years being bounced around the legal system between Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Rome. Many of Paul’s letters were written from prison.
In Romans 13 we find out why Paul would say this. Rulers and authorities are God’s servants (Rom 13:6), and therefore this is not only a matter of avoiding punishment, but also one of conscience (13:5). “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honour.” (13:7)
It is silly to think that a chisel might decide to veer off on its own, or that a drill might refuse to do its work since they are inanimate and incapable of deciding for themselves. We, on the other hand, sometimes make decisions because we resent someone else telling us what to do, and so we veer off to do our own thing or simply refuse to cooperate.
Part of Christian maturity is putting down the rebellious urge within us which says, “You can’t tell me what to do.” It started when we gave our hearts to Jesus, declaring that “Jesus is Lord.” As we acknowledge that we are actually people under Jesus Christ, it becomes easier to recognize authority. As we begin to understand that we are not our own we can give honour where it is due.
It is hard for God to use us if we are rebellious. In this way this issue is not only one of being subject to earthly authority. If we won’t give honour here on earth where we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands, we’re not likely going to honour the authority of Jesus either. A sharp chisel is a great tool in the hands of a master. May we bring honour to our Master as we allow ourselves to be tools in His hands.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. This letter published Sept 2, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/
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