Titus 3

We have a great provision in Christ.  We have an eternal promise from God Almighty.  Why do we so often struggle in living in such a great provision.  If you have received new life from Christ, you have an eternal provision. It is not lacking in any form and its depth none can find.  There is a promise of life here in Titus 3, an imparted life at no expense to us!

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Justified by His grace we are made heirs to the creator of the universe!  This is a provision beyond any offered within our world.  The problem, since there is always a problem with us it seems; is that we live without the provision of God.  We many times in our lives can only see what is in front of us at each moment and miss out on the eternal horizon.  This problem is one we face daily and it is  also one we  can chronically face.  Apart from the provision, we are in a state most miserable(no need to elaborate further).  Even worse, I find that amidst the provision I can question its verity or truth.  In this questioning I fall into a realm of confusion.  As I fall into a mindset apart from the order and peace of God’s mindset, I find a great burden.  this burden is self-condemnation.  You can see in Titus 3:9  that Paul warns Titus of “foolish questions” among other things stating they are vain and of no profit.  It is interesting as Paul continues, stating that those caught in this mindset of questioning God’s provision are subverted and fall into sin condemning themselves.  Whether we find ourselves questioning God’s promise or simply apart from it in ignorance, we are overthrown into  the sin of self-condemnation.  We truly are our greatest enemy, in self-condemnation.  We intensely battle for ground against it and end up deeper within its prison.  It is the devil’s most effective trap for unbelievers and believers alike.  The twisted thing about it is  that he doesn’t have to tempt us into it.   In our nature we find the evil within us and condemn it, try to fix it, and sometimes ignore it. All these are self-condemnation as they all look in the wrong place. Just as Adam and Eve hid themselves from God, we quickly run to condemn ourselves when God is ready to give us a provision of grace. I have recently found that in self-condemnation  I can turn God’s blessings into great curses.  God has no hand in this action though,  it is most definitely an act performed by my works apart from God.  It is in self-condemnation that the love towards others is seen as a burden.  It is in my self-condemnation that I view God’s grace as a crime.  It is in my self-condemnation that any good thing given by God is twisted into a wretched curse. Love to hate, peace to restlessness, and joy to suffering; I change the truth into a lie. (Rom 1:25 )Overall we just self destruct.  We cannot judge ourselves, this is why knowledge of good and evil was never intended for us.  Only the infinitely righteous God can handle the knowledge, and only God can judge in the end.  It is amazing to see how God’s gifts can be twisted into a burdensome struggle.  I recall I Corinthians 14,  as the church of Corinth is found insecure with God’s provision of spiritual gifts.  They carnally use their gifts to dismiss their insecurity and in result make a confusing mess of the local church.  It is better that I use five words that bring life instead of a thousand that bring strife.  God is not the author of confusion, he calls those with plainness of speech to speak the profound in simplicity.  God’s provision is truly simple.    Accept truth and believe.  That is God’s word, that is His cry to us, it is all we need.  The issue is that we live in a world with many proclaimed “truth’s”.  We only need and we can only handle one.  We cannot handle the knowledge of good AND evil, we were created to hold onto ONE thing.  The one thing that loves us eternally. the one thing thing that created us from the dust. The one thing that proclaims victory over evil. The one thing that suffered on our behalf.  The one thing, that is all…Into God’s outstretched arms we must fall.  One more thing would be travesty to God’s provision.

Tit 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

We tried to handle one more thing and look where it has brought us.  God chose one thing to love, and that is you and me. We only need to keep our sight, our steps, and our voices towards God and He will pour out a provision fit for eternity on us.  We are eternally held by God in His provision of His Son.  We do not need to put any other thing before our God.  He is small enough to be in every detail of our life and Large enough to contain the fullness of our life( God is in all and above all)

Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Eph 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

That measure is boundless, the provision is endless, and the Grace is sufficient for all.  Be transformed to his way living in the one provision you need today.

Prayer: Lord help me live in your provision of grace.  May I see the tree of life in the midst of my mind and partake of it daily.  Keep my eyes focused, as they will only stray in the blur.  Lord I pray for those in need of this provision today, lead them towards it, may they find it today.  Lord, help me maintain good works as Titus 3 states.  For in You only can I find a capacity and propensity to do anything good.  Help me keep sight of Your blessings, may I not wander into self-condemnation turning your great love into a burdensome work of my flesh.  Keep me before You Lord as it is where I long to stay. I thank You for Your grace and I pray all these things in Your name. Amen