Be Committed to Obedience
So this week we close our study on Paul's letter to Titus. I pray that it's been helpful to you in your journey. In Chapter 3, Paul spends some time explaining what type of person a Christian should be.
Identity in Christ
Now, a few weeks ago, I listened to one of my favorite podcasts, the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, and he was saying that instead of focusing on stuff to do this year, we need to rather focus on who we want to be.
His example was if you're giving up smoking and someone offers you a cigarette, you don't say I'm trying to give up smoking, focusing on what you're doing; but you say I'm not a smoker because that's who you want to be. It's a subtle but powerful shift in your mindset.
So as we look at Paul's words in Titus 3 this week, let's apply that. Let's remember that this is about who we want to be as Christ followers.
Obedience to Authority
Paul begins the chapter with these words in verse one: “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities. To be obedient.”
Now that's tough, isn't it? We humans don't like to be subject to anyone, least of all the government. R.C. Sproul, the great Reformed teacher, wrote a little book about the relationship between Church and State, and in it he says this: “If I were not a Christian, I certainly wouldn't embrace submission to authority. But being a Christian makes me hesitate before I live in active disobedience to those whom God has put in authority over me.”
And he cites Romans 13:1–2 where Paul says: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will only bring judgment on themselves.”
Then he also cites Peter's teaching in 1 Peter 2:13 where he says: “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority, or to the governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
So here's Peter and Paul telling early Christians to be obedient to authority. And if we think our governments are bad—man, things were bad in those days! Most government leaders considered themselves God, treated citizens with the utmost contempt, and had no accountability. Things got out of hand quickly. Yet the disciples warned against civil disobedience.
Allegiance to God
So I ask you: are you obedient to those God has placed in government, even if you don't agree with their principles? Do you pay your taxes? Do you follow the rules of the road? They might seem to be small issues, but remember, we want to be obedient people of God, pleasing Him and nobody else.
But remember this, and again it comes from R.C. Sproul's book: “If any leader or ruler—be it a government official or even a teacher or a boss or whoever—if any of them commands you to do something God forbids or forbids you to do something God commands, not only may you disobey,” Sproul says, “but you must disobey. If it comes down to a choice, you must obey God first.”
In fact, the early Christians would do this. In Acts 5:29, we see Peter and the apostles hauled before the rulers who had made it illegal to preach Christ. And he and the apostles said this to them: We must obey God rather than human beings.
So, your allegiance is always to God first. Your allegiance is always to live a life that honors God. Yes, we need to be obedient people. We need to follow the rules of the land respectfully. But most important, let's have a deep, deep desire to obey our God and not human beings.
