Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness —
Some people see knowledge as the thing that will save us. If only the public schools were better at correcting racism, our country would unite and rise to be the glorious leader of the world. (I’m writing like a dictator might write, not as I believe.) If people had a basic income, even if they are unwilling to do anything to help themselves or others, that would solve the poverty problem. I just need one more Bible Study, and that will help me live for Christ the way I am meant to live for Him.
Knowledge is not the answer. One more book won’t solve our problems. No downloaded content is able to change what needs to be changed.
The real problem is that we don’t do the ‘right’ that we already know! We aren’t doing the things we know we should be doing. We aren’t reaching beyond our small circles, our comfortable gated communities, our immediate surroundings to bring the Good News to those who actually need good news.
This text is the opening verse of Paul’s letter to one of his fellow workers in the churches. There is some unfinished business that Paul wants Titus to accomplish. But notice where there isn’t a period in the above phrase. That’s right, there isn’t a period.
But for so many people who read the verse above, there are several places where periods get placed in their minds. The first is after the word “elect.” It fits their theological predispositions to put a big pause, a period, right after their pet doctrine. For them this gives them a offramp into an intellectual island of paradise intellectualism.
Others place a period, in their mind at least, after the word “truth.” These people like gaining knowledge. They know so much, but they often become like the Dead Sea, lots flowing into their minds, but not much flowing out. Their lives are full of knowledge, but too often knowledge doesn’t lead them to do much of anything else.
I hope I am someone who is in this third group. I hope I allow God’s grace to bring me to salvation, enable me to understand the mystery of the Gospel, and then live a different type of life, a life that reaches others. I want to be someone who lives differently because of what Christ has done for me and what I have come to know as Truth.
Too many want to place the period somewhere before “godliness” in order to continue to live their lives without too much interference from the Holy Spirit. They would rather gather knowledge than life out the knowledge they have. Christ died to change us into people who live like He lived.
But godliness is not a popular concept these days. In the day where “my truth” has become the mantra of people who just want to act in the most selfish way possible, godliness just isn’t in people’s radar. Now this wouldn’t bother me so much if it was just hairstyles or music choices.
But every type of destructive behavior, destructive to the individual and to society at large, is suddenly made to be acceptable. And anyone who disagrees, oh, that is not allowed either, that person loses their job, their reputation and their right to work. So much for tolerance. I guess tolerance only goes one direction.
But godliness, by its very nature, is good for individuals and societies. Human history has shown us that some things work, and others don’t. Why do we allow those with little to no knowledge of history dictate the next social experiment? Godliness always is profitable. It always works.
The Arnold Journey 