Paul wrote the above text to Titus in
reference to Cretan people that he identified as “liars, evil brutes, lazy
gluttons”. When we read this letter from Paul, we might feel good to not be
on that side of the condemning words dished out by Paul. Right? But the more we
read verse 16, the more we naturally start to reflect on our own lives and see ourselves
suddenly not looking so innocent. Slowly we start sliding from the blameless
side of the room to the guilty side, next to the Cretan folks. Verse 16 is
seriously humbling, for it is basically calling us out for being hypocrites. We
profess genuine, deep belief in God, claiming to know Him, but if we were to
record our daily actions and words…or have someone “puppy-dog” us around for
the day recording our every step…our lives would at times appear like we
actually oppose God. The thought of standing in opposition to the Lord is incredibly
unnerving and unsettling. I think it is verses like this one that help us
really grasp the complete dependence that we have on the mercy and grace that
comes through Christ. No matter what we do tomorrow, we are still going to be a
“Cretan”…for there is absolutely going to be some part of our lives that appear
to deny the Lord. It’s frightening, it’s stressful, and it can build into some
real anxiety. It’s like that feeling we got when we were kids and lost track of
a parent in the store…once we realized we were alone and Mom/Dad was nowhere in
sight, complete panic set in. That is until we spotted the parent, and we
sprinted into their arms and had no problem holding the basket, a hand, or even
a shirttail until we were back in the car on the way home. Jesus is that parent
that we find ourselves seeking in panic because our sin has put us at odds with
God. But when we find him and get that shirttail in hand, complete relief
finally sets in and we are at peace. Praise be to God for his continual mercy
for backsliders like us! To God be the glory!
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