Whom Are You Going To Believe?

Titus 1:1-2 “Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ago . . .”

Dear Kids,

Black and white, tall and short, high and low, new and old – these comparisons all have something in common: they are opposites. Each adjective describes something, and by virtue of having one quality, the other one doesn’t fit. If an item is black, then it isn’t white. If it is tall, then it isn’t short, and so forth. Even a child can understand the differences in certain things when they look at the noticeable characteristics. These contrasts are particularly apparent when it comes to humans and God. When measuring the two against each other, there is absolutely no comparison.

Paul points out a particular attribute of God in the opening verses of his letter to Titus to prove this point and to foster faith in the trustworthiness of His word. Titus was up against a large problem. He was serving God on the island of Crete where many rebellious men were teaching things contrary to the Scripture. These unscrupulous teachers planned their lessons with thought only for how they could make a personal profit. In the process they were upsetting whole families with their deception.

In seeking to restore truth to this confused community, Paul started his letter with his personal credentials. He was a bondservant of God who was proclaiming the truth in obedience. He was also an apostle of Jesus Christ, which gave him the authority to speak for God about the hope of eternal life with confidence. His message was based on what God had spoken long ages ago, and it was completely true because God cannot lie. It was not that God didn’t lie, but that according to His nature He could not lie.

What a contrast this was to the other Cretans who were known to be untruthful. Even one of their own prophets called out their reputation for being liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.

For those who were confused about the truth, the answer should be obvious. Whom were they going to believe – the ones known to be liars or the One Who could not lie?

Today we face a similar crisis. The world is full of people who spout intelligent sounding jargon that differs from what the Bible says. There are times when our circumstances cause us to doubt our faith and wonder if we should listen to those around us who have easy solutions. Sometimes a voice in our head second-guesses God’s love and control over our life. With all these messages floating around, whom are we going to believe?

When you don’t understand the swirl of confusion that is threatening to upset your life and even the lives of your whole family, consider the opposites. Decide whom you are going to believe – the untrustworthy voices all around you or the One Who by nature cannot lie!

Love,

Mama