For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Titus 3
What does this chapter say about doing good? How is doing good related to our salvation? God is good. If we are truly grafted to His root through Jesus, the vine, then we will produce His fruit. Thus, our lives should produce what is good. Conversely, those whose words and deeds result in negative things – arguments, quarrels, divisions and the like – are tapping into some other source. When such people are in the church and claim to be fellow believers in Christ, Paul gives very clear instruction as to how to deal with them. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.” (Tit. 3:10).
What does Paul mean by “have nothing to do with them”? Do we ignore them? Give them the cold shoulder? Treat them with hostility? This seems contrary to his instruction to do good. “Remind the people to…slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” (Tit. 3:1a, 2). So it comes back to that fellowship thing again. In short, you can care for a wolf but he has no place in the sheep pen.
Job 40-41
What is Job’s response when God calls him to answer? Compare Romans 11:33-36. Job responded with humility. His perspective had been very limited. All he could see was his undeserved suffering. So, in his lack of knowledge, he attributed it to an attack from God; a lack of justice from an uncaring creator. When his conclusions were placed before the truth of God’s unsearchable greatness, however, they suddenly seemed very small indeed. And Job had nothing he could say.
In Job’s silence, God went on to ask him, “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?” (Job 40:8). I believe He told Job that such condemnation would never stand. God will never be proven unjust because He is God. And no effort to justify ourselves will stand because we are not God. God told Job that if he could prove himself to be a match for God – which no one can – “Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.” (Job 40:14). To drive that point home, God showed Job that he was not even a match for God’s mighty creation, much less for God Himself.
We need to get hold of the fact that we cannot grasp God’s greatness. It is unsearchable. Everything about God is beyond our ability to fully comprehend. Our knowledge of Him – all that He is, all that He does – is so small. We cannot make a simple black-and-white sketch of God, fold it up, and put it in our pocket. We cannot use our limited understanding to ‘hold Him to account’. And we cannot cry, “Unfair!” before Him. But we can know that He is in control, He has a plan, and He cares very intimately for us. Thus, even when we don’t understand, we can trust Him.