Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
It is in our obedience to God and in the way that we treat others that they will see the love of Jesus.
Bible Verse
Titus 3:1-3 1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. 3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
Obedience
We are called to a life of obedience in Jesus because of our former life of disobedience. Because of our sinful nature, we must be reminded of how God expects us to act. In these verses, Paul is reminding Titus that he has a responsibility to treat others a certain way. He is to be obedient to rulers and authorities, to be ready for every good deed, and to be considerate of mankind. Why this instruction to Titus? Because we all have a sin nature and obedience to God is something we must learn and of which we must be reminded. It is easy to be judgmental of others, but we must be reminded that until we came to Jesus in faith, we were just as foolish and disobedient as those around us. Our nature is one that we inherited from Adam and Eve. We are generally self-centered pleasure seeking people.
Application
Our nature is not one that seeks to live in obedience to Jesus. In fact, our nature is very self-centered and pleasure seeking. Before we come to faith in Jesus, we seek this pleasure in all the wrong places. As Paul tells Titus, we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, enslaved to unhealthy pursuits, and generally filled with contempt for others. Harsh words, but very true – if we are honest with ourselves. God calls us to a new and different way of living. He calls us to live a life of obedience to Him. Afterall, someone loved us enough to introduce us to the love of Jesus despite our bad behavior. Should we not also be there for the next person who needs to hear about the love of Jesus? Paul tells us that we are to be peaceable, gentle, and considerate of others. It is in our obedience to God and in the way that we treat others that they will see the love of Jesus.
Are you living in obedience to God today?
Are you peaceable, gentle, and considerate of others?
Consider Paul’s instruction to Titus and ask God to show you how to live a life of greater obedience to Him.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your instruction on obedience. Help me to live a life of greater obedience to You.
If you want to know more about having a relationship with Jesus, see the resources: How to Know God and God’s Plan of Salvation.