Profitable Actions for Everyone

Covenant with God

Signs of God's Covenant

Spirit Filled Heart

Titus 3:8-11 The Message 

3-8 It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.
8-11 I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. It’s obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God. By persisting in divisiveness he cuts himself off.

For Reflection

Christianity is not about doctrine alone.  Belief without action is an empty sham.  While good works do not warrant God's favor neither does belief in doctrine. Living in the household of God is not about any special knowledge or concern for the common good. Residing in the home of God is about penultimate trust that leads one to act selflessly in service to God and each other, loving as God loves, protecting as God protects, serving as God serves.

Doctrine is the product of human invention. It is our imperfect attempt to understand God.   God cares little about doctrine.  God cares about trust and obedient faith.

Pray

Pray that you will worship God for the enhancement of and commitment to faith in God. Pray that you will follow Christ, not for a reward in the present or future but because as the pure manifestation of God in human form and as a measure of God's love for us, Jesus reveals God's pathway to experience God's will for human existence.