TRUE OBEDIENCE

TRUE OBEDIENCE

Titus 3:1-3 (KJV)

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

This passage reminds me of another,

Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The similar phrase, “principalities and powers” draws my attention to them, but the differences in the verses is what because most striking.

Of Ephesians 6:12 John Gill writes,

“…by whom are meant not civil magistrates, or the Roman governors, though these are sometimes so called, and may be said to be the rulers of the darkness of this world, or of the dark Heathen world, and were in high places, and were of wicked and malicious spirits, against the people of Christ; yet these cannot be opposed to flesh and blood, or to men, since they were such themselves; and though they were in high, yet not in heavenly places; and the connection with the preceding verse shows the contrary, the enemy being the devil, and the armour spiritual; wherefore the devils are here designed…”

On the other hand, when writing about Titus 3:1 Gill says, 

“Not angels, good or bad, which are sometimes so called, but men in high places; the higher powers ordained of God, as the apostle elsewhere calls them; and which the Apostle Peter distinguishes into the king as supreme, and into governors under him: the Roman emperor and senate…”

At the time of Paul’s writing, the Romans were the rulers of – well – almost everywhere in the known world of the day.

·   As far east as the borders of India

·   As far west as the British Isles

·   As far north as Gaul and

·   As far south as Egypt

The Roman government, an extension of Greek government, was Republican in concept. James Madison in particular, studied voraciously the Roman form of government before he presented a proposed constitution to the Constitutional Convention.

They were powerful[1]but they were also ruthless.

If you played by their rules, one could survive and even succeed under the Roman hand.

But if you broke the law – well, let’s just say they “beareth not the sword in vain.”[2]

John Gill goes on to say, “…the reasons why the apostle exhorts Titus to put in remembrance those that were under his care, to yield a cheerful subjection to their superiors, were, because the Jews, from whom the Christians were not distinguished by the Romans, were reckoned a turbulent and seditious people; which character they obtained, partly through the principles of the Scribes and Pharisees, which they at least privately entertained, as not to give tribute to Caesar, or be under any Heathen yoke; and partly through the insurrections that had been made by Judas of Galilee, and Theudas, and others; and besides, there were many Jews in the island of Crete, and the Cretians themselves were prone to mutiny and rebellion: to which may be added, that the false teachers, and judaizing preachers, that had got among them, despised dominion, and were not afraid to speak evil of dignities, according to the characters which both Peter and Jude give of them, and taught the saints to abuse their Christian liberty, and use it for a cloak of maliciousness, to the great scandal of the Christian religion.”

·   It was the nature of the Cretians themselves to be lawless.

·   It was the teaching of the Jews to be rebellious 

·   It was the character of the Judaizers to be obnoxious and

·   It was the understanding of the Romans that the Christians were no different.

So the Lord through Apostle Paul, wanted to make it very clear that those he had instructed ought to practice a different kind of lifestyle.

Notice the three words God uses in verse one:

·   To be subject

·   To obey

·   To be ready

We can use each of these three terms to describe for us what is true or full obedience.

I. TO BE SUBJECT 

Titus 3:1 (KJV)

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, …

This word comes from a term that means: 

·   To fall in line

·   To place in a certain order

·   To arrange

·   To assign a place

It has military connotations. You hear phrases like, “fall in”[3](for inspection) and “rank and file”[4]

Two things are implied in the word:

A. That we accept our rank

I read a short drill sergeant piece in preparation for this message. It gives several commands used to form and align a squad:

·   Fall in

·   Dress right

·   Dress

·   Ready

·   Front and

·   Dismissed

The instructions say,

“The squad leader comes to the position of attention and commands FALL IN. On the command FALL IN, the following actions happen simultaneously:

·Each member of the squad double times to his place in formation. The right flank man positions himself so that when the squad is formed, it is three steps in front of and centered on the squad leader.

·The right flank man comes to the position of attention and raises his left arm laterally at shoulder level, elbow locked, fingers and thumb extended and joined, and palm facing down. He ensures that the left arm is in line with the body.

·The man to the immediate left of the right flank man comes to the position of attention, turns his head and eyes to the right, and raises his left arm in the same manner as the right flank man.

·He obtains proper alignment by taking short steps forward or backward until he is on line with the right flank man.

·He then obtains exact interval by taking short steps left or right until his shoulder touches the extended fingertips of the right flank man. The right flank man then sharply returns to the position of attention.

·As soon as the man to the left has obtained normal interval, each man individually lowers his arm to his side, sharply turns his head and eyes to the front and assumes the position of attention.

·All other members of the squad form in the same manner except that the left flank man does not raise his left arm.”

What caught my attention was the words, simultaneouslyand double time.

When the command is given, everyone, at the same time, without hesitation, moves.

That can only happen when everyone accepts that the command is to be followed.

B. That we are in our place

The right flank man knows exactly where his place is. And the place determines the place of the man immediately to his left and every other man in the squad.

Nobody is arguing who gets to be in the front of the line. Nobody argues whether he wants to stand next to the man to his left or right.

He has a place – he did not assign for himself his place, so he does not get to correct, question or change his place.

His place isn’t better or worse than anyone else’s place.

It is merely his place.

I noticed that the squad leader, who gives the command to FALL IN is standing at attention.

His place is no better than anyone else’s place, it is just his place to give the command.

This concept has application is so many areas of life:

·   In the family

·   In the church

But the application the Word of God gives us in this passage concerns 

·   In society.

I don’t know how anyone can get around this without denying the authority of the Word of God.

We are told plainly to accept our rank, and be in our place.

You don’t argue with authorities:

·   Police

·   Courts

·   Legislators

·   Executives

One consequence of this then would be to take seriously to heart, 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (KJV)

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Be subject

Further the Word of God teaches us

II. TO OBEY

Titus 3:1 (KJV)

Put them in mind …, to obey magistrates, …

I am informed that the Greek word in this case is a compound word that means to be persuaded by a ruler.

It has all the normal ideas associated with obedience:

·   Submission

·   Hearken

·   Conform

But the thing that interested me for this message is that is carries with it the idea of willingness.

I imagine all of you have heard about the little who was riding in the car with her daddy.

She was standing in the seat without a seatbelt.

Daddy says, “Darling, sit down and put on your seatbelt.”

She ignored him.

He dad says, “Girl, I told you. Sit down and put on your seatbelt.”

She still ignored.

He stopped the car and said sternly, “Sit down and put on your seatbelt before I give you a licking!”

This time she sat down and buckled up.

Dad puts the car in gear and pulls back onto the road.

After a few minutes his daughter says under her breath, “I’m still standing. Inside.”

A person can be forced into submission.

It is possible to: 

·   Coerce, 

·   Pressure, 

·   Intimidate, 

·   Bully 

a person to stand a certain way, in a certain place.

God’s Word asks us to to obey willingly.

·   Not because the magistrate is better than us.

·   Not because the magistrate is more powerful that us.

·   Not even because the magistrate’s rule is a good one.

We ought to obey the magistrate because we are persuaded this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us.

Be subject

Be obedient

Thirdly

III. BE READY

Titus 3:1 (KJV)

Put them in mind … to be ready to every good work,

This word ready means “prepared or fit.”

Did you see the video of the plane that did an emergency landing on Pacific Ave?

Amazingly there was a State Trooper right there to witness it, to follow the plane down, and to record it.

I was amazed at the skill of the pilot to land a disabled plane on a busy stretch of road, missing traffic and even stopping at the red light.

He was able to do all of that because he was trained to do it.

·   He had prepared himself for such emergencies.

·   He knew what he and the plane was capable of

I’m going back to my original illustration of the squad falling it to formation.

There is a whole lot going on there.

The man at right flank has to know where three steps in front of and centered on the squad leader is.

Then there is coming into place at arm’s length from the man to your right

Dress right, Dress and everyone throws up their left arm and looks to the right to align with that man.

The squad leader meticulously positions himself, looks down the line and corrects where necessary.

And I don’t imagine this works perfectly the very first time.

There would have to be constant:

·   Instruction

·   Practice and

·   Correction

That’s called fitness or readiness.

Allow me to put the three together and give this full and complete definition of Christian obedience; “in place, willing and fit.”

There are a number of historical examples of Baptists who demonstrated this type of obedience.

Peter and Johnwhen they told the magistrates to do with them as they would, but they must obey God rather than men.[5]

Paul’saccount of himself before Felix and later before Herod and Festus, and Agrippa.[6]

John Bunyon was tried October 3, 1660and sentenced to 12 years in prison for refusing to receive a state license to preach the gospel.

While a great many Christians enjoy the book he wrote while in prison, very few these days would have agreed with him and the cause for which he suffered.

The government of England at that time granted tolerance to dissenting Christians.

You could preach in England without being ordained by the Church of England – you just had to have permission from the government to do it.

Bunyon believed that only the Lord could grant that permission.

The judge was willing to give Bunyon the license. But he refused to accept it on grounds that it was not the government’s to give.

We have the court records of his trial.

He never said a sour word to the judge who sentenced him, but spoke respectfully, honorably and kindly to him, even while resolutely insisting he must obey God rather than men.

We have the court records of the trial of Obadiah Holmes, who was beaten so cruelly that the King of England was compelled to give Baptist preacher John Clarke authority to write the Charter for the Colony of Rhode Island.

When Holmes was beaten, he spoke kindly and compassionately to the magistrates and said they had beaten him, “As with roses.”

What I want to tell you tonight is that, to have that sort of testimony requires more than mere compliance with the law.

It requires an acceptance of rank, a persuasion from God and discipline, fitness, practice.

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[1]Until they got lazy and expected those they dominated to do their fighting, working and studying for them. 

[2]Romans 13:4 (KJV)

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

[3]https://www.armystudyguide.com/content/Drill_Sergeant_Resources/Drill_sergeant_presentations/forming-aligning-and-dism.shtml

[4]-A military term relating to the horizontal "ranks" (rows) and vertical "files" (columns) of individual foot-soldiers, exclusive of the officers-Positions on a chess board in chess terminology
-A term derived from the above used to refer to enlisted rank troops, as opposed to the officers

[5]Acts 4:18-20 (KJV)

And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

[6]Acts 24:10 (KJV)

Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

Acts 25:8 (KJV)

While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.

Acts 26:1-3 (KJV)

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.