Titus 1:13. “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;"
CONVINCE THEM Not every nationality or every cultural group is the same Some seem to be energetic, wanting whatever is here to claim They haven't got time or room for Jesus; they say life is just too full The real fact of the matter is, really, the world has its pleasurable pull.
Some people, by nature, don't care; hopelessness has settled in They look for help from other men only and stay helpless in their sin Part of their problem is that they are so lazy, they don't lift their heads and search They have the idea that helping the poor and caring is the calling of the church.
In every nation, there are those who listen to God's inner voice Their conscience begins to awaken their minds to realize they have a choice "If there is a God who made all this, I don't know Him, I'm spiritually blind" Then God, in mercy and grace, makes sure understanding and truth they find.
Some come from the darkness of pagan idolatry into marvelous light Others realize that so-called religion has not given them spiritual sight Those who turn away from false teaching to truth will find true life right there Those whom the Lord of the harvest sent forth are near His word to share.
When we know there are those who teach a doctrine of works so spurious And there are skeptics who, at the thought of God and His word, are not even curious We may have to leave them until, in grace, God reaches them by another way To bring them out of the self-chosen darkness that has held them in its sway.
"Gracious Father, I know I have a tendency to be impatient with people who have no interest in taking responsibility for their own lives and expect others to take care of them. I know entitlement has been taught to many who are younger, and it is accepted as normal by some, even well into adulthood. Give Thy servant an understanding of the way to reach people of all personalities and differences. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."
The demand for this action by Titus was justified when Paul quoted a Cretan poet who had written hundreds of years before, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies." They were notorious for telling lies and for being dangerous, cruel, self-indulgent, and greedy people. False teachers have these same characteristics. Paul affirmed the words of that poet because he had first-hand knowledge of their characteristics and that they were difficult people with whom to deal. The believers in Crete were in danger of being deceived, so a sharp rebuke was in order to keep order. Whenever the Lord's people are in this kind of danger, those who are responsible for leading the saints as guides need to act quickly. This exhortation in view of false teachers is fundamental because "the faith" is jeopardized when the spiritual health of the saints is compromised. Jewish fables were stories added to Jewish folklore that lacked facts to support them.
The "commandments of men" were religious rites and ceremonies that men promoted that came from either their own imaginations or were copied from other religions. That problem remains today in many "Christian" ceremonies that people practice without any biblical backing. Usually, they are practiced to make people feel spiritual, or at least religious. Symbolism and everything from artifacts to pomp and drama are being used to claim the attention of people to a particular point of view. Behind it all, there lurks the dark hand of satanic influence that mixes worldly pomp and glory with scriptural practices. The end result is that they "make the cross of Christ of none effect" as people genuflect in front of gold, polished wood, or flowery crosses that make so-called worshippers feel holy.
Believers have been cleansed from all sin by the blood of Christ. Now there are peculiar people who have been purified by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, who are not restricted by the Jewish laws and traditions regarding what they eat and drink. To these people, all things are pure because they recognize the hand of God in their own lives by virtue of the new nature He has given them. Contrast this with the false teachers who afflict God's people with their false doctrine and are defiled and unbelievers. Even their minds and consciences are defiled. It is in the mind and conscience where all defilement and evil begin. No wonder these people have to be stopped because they fail even the most fundamental test of character. By failing both the tests of character and conduct, these false teachers who were teaching wrong doctrine are condemned. They claimed to know God and all about God, but by their actions denied the things they taught with their words. These people are disgusting (abominable) before God and men. They refuse to submit to God and His word to the extent of going against it in the pursuit of their own willful agenda. Even today, there are those who fail to meet the requirements of biblical Christianity, and the results of that reprobate attitude to "every good work" have brought disorder to the people of God.