Upright Living in an Upside-Down World - Graciousness in a World of Cruelty (PM)

Titus 3:1-8

Introduction:

1. One need not be a sleuth to detect the widespread cruelty in our world.

2. Though much good is being done, so much human interaction involves cruelty.

3. This passage in Titus highlights our call to leaven this world with God’s graciousness as thoroughly as possible as a counter to the cruelty of so many.

Discussion:

I. The Call for Unqualified Graciousness

A. Paul’s first call to graciousness is submission to authority (cf. Romans 13).

1. This may be one of our biggest challenges in a country born of revolution.

2. The lone exception is when such would promote sin (Daniel 3, 6; Acts 4-5).

B. Evil speaking must give way to being peaceable, gentle, and humble to all people.

C. This does not mean we never correct wrongs (Titus 1:10-13; 2:15; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 4:2), but we must not “defame, slander, revile, speak irreverently” (BDAG).

II. A Reminder of Our Own Failings

A. Paul gives two powerful reasons we have no leg to stand on if we refuse.

B. First, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another” (Titus 3:3).

C. In essence, he reminds those of us who might throw rocks of our glass houses.

III. Mirroring God’s Graciousness

A. The second (and greatest) reason we are bound to pursue graciousness in a cruel world is that such simply mirrors God’s graciousness thereby taking on His nature.

B. If one says another is not worthy of graciousness, they are not inaccurate because no one is worthy; this reality is baked into the meaning of graciousness (Titus 3:4-7).

C. This does not relieve us of this duty, rather it reinforces it (Matthew 5:43-48; Titus 3:8).

Conclusion:

1. This cruel world desperately needs an infusion of God’s graciousness.

2. He gave His Son to bring about that infusion, but He left its continuation with us.

3. May we pour our hearts into distributing God’s graciousness in this cruel world.

Further Food for Thought

1. Do you ever struggle to face your own need for graciousness and God’s freely giving it?

2. Do you ever think your part in this will not make much difference in our world?

3. How much impact could be made if we all abandon such thoughts and embrace the role?