In today’s Christianity, commanding people to “do good works” sounds rather weird to most and even dangerous to others. We’re allergic to anything with the word “works” in it. We’re living in an increasingly antinomian age, or at least an increasingly anti-imperative age. We don’t like being told what to do and we’re pretty sure anyone who tries must be “a legalist.”
We wouldn’t know how to handle a letter from the Apostle Paul. We also wouldn’t know how to lead the church in a Cretan context.
For Paul writes:
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. …And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. (Titus 3:1-8, 14)
As the quote above illustrates, Paul was no legalist. Verses 4-7 are about as beautiful a statement of the grace and mercy of God in salvation as you will find. It’s Trinitarian, regenerating, works-free, justification by grace through faith gospel. Today’s church loves this message–and rightly so! Anything else is another gospel that needs to be rejected along with its teachers.
But we’re rather blind to what sandwiches these gospel indicates. Paul begins and ends this section with strong exhortations to Titus to command and teach the Cretan believers to do good works (vv. 1, 14). In verse 8, the apostle makes it clear that Titus must “insist” on the gospel’s truths “so that” believers would “devote themselves to good works.” Any accurate understanding of the Good News should lead to devotion to good works. That’s why Titus gives reminders to be “submissive,” “obedient,” and “ready for every good work.”
Here’s a question we must ask ourselves: Are we able to say to Christians with urgency and soberness, without flinching and a thousand qualification, “Do good works”? Can we in our ministries “remind,” “insist,” teach and command good works from the saints?
If not, we will find it difficult to minister in a Cretan context. Why?
First, because good words are necessary for “helping cases of urgent need” and making the church fruitful (v. 14). Every “Crete” is full of urgent needs. The fruitfulness of the church in such situations is bound up with works that address such needs. Remember the story of “the good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37). Religious Levites and priests crossed to the opposite side of the street rather than help a man robbed and left “half-dead.” The Samaritan saw the man and had compassion on him. The neighbor in the parable was the one who served the urgent need of an anonymous stranger. A saved man must be a merciful man, one who does good works. If you minister in Crete, needs will abound. The Bible calls us to a sacrificial love and attitude that seeks to do good works in the face of at least some of them.
Second, if we don’t commit ourselves to good works in a Cretan context we simply diminish the witness of the church. The priest and the Levite in the parable of the good Samaritan were known religious folks. They would have been noticeable to all by their dress, conversation and the like as “religious people.” Yet they were not compassionate, merciful or loving. They sailed through the carnage of their day dedicated to religious duties and unconcerned about the obvious brokenness around them. When Jesus asked the question, “Which of these three was a neighbor?” no one is thinking the religious people. The parable is a sharp condemnation of that false religion which forgets the widows, the orphans, and the like. It’s a story that reveals the weak witness of religiously proud people. We don’t want to be the priest or the Levite. We want to be the outcast, despised Samaritan who actually does good work that brings praise to God. We want to let our good works shine so men may praise our Father in heaven.
Cretan contexts need the church to dedicate itself to good works. They need it urgently. They feel the urgency. It’s to the church’s shame if we don’t.
Previous Posts in the Series:
1: Appoint Godly Leaders
2: Rebuke the People to Make Them Sound in Faith
3: Teach the People How to Live
4. Live between Grace and Glory
