How often are Christians encouraged with words like duty when it comes to living our lives? As one author puts it, regarding the above passage from Titus, "The first two duties—submission to government and obedience to all human authority ... are just one more reminder that Christians have certain requirements of attitude and conduct in relation to their secular leaders." As the author earlier puts it, "Paul simply followed the Lord's model..." Requirements of "attitude and conduct" and following the "Lord's model" are, in my opinion, not so subtle ways in which to put a Christian under some sort of law. Otherwise, why would he say, "The first two duties"? This means there are more duties to come. It may not be a law designed to earn God's blessings or to obtain a right-standing before Him, but they are still laws designed to modify our behavior in order for Christians to somehow win unbelievers and secular society to the Lord. While there is nothing wrong with good behavior, the motivation for this behavior seems to only come from obedience to laws. In other words, God has shown you how to act so you should respond accordingly regardless of whether or not you want to do it. If we are required to behave a certain way that is a law. What if I don't live up to these requirements of attitude and conduct? Is there a penalty? Furthermore, did Paul follow the "Lord's model"? Jesus is God. God's standard of "attitude and conduct," if I am to use Jesus as a "model," is perfection. After all, didn't Jesus say, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." We can't "model" our behavior after Jesus no matter how hard we try. In fact, it was Paul who said, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do (Romans 7:15)." These aren't the words of a man who is successfully modeling his life after Jesus. Duties, requirements and modeling our thoughts and actions after a standard impossible to duplicate is trying to change our behavior from the outside in; here's a way to act now go and do likewise. That is not Christian living at all and will only end up turning the watchful eye of secular society against us as they see our hypocrisy when we cannot live up to the standards we claim we are living by.
If you look closely at the passage from Titus 3, what does it remind you of? It reminds me of the "fruit of the Spirit." "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23)." When I am receiving the love of God, He created me to receive by trusting in and relying on the indwelling Holy Spirit, I will bear the fruit that He is producing in and through me. It becomes easier to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle and show consideration for all men because the origin of my behavior is the Spirit of God loving me. The behaviors spoken of in Titus 3 are in many ways acts of love. God is the ultimate ruler and authority to be obedient to and when I am loving others the way He is loving me, then I won't have to be told how to act towards those in charge or my fellow man. My "attitude and conduct" originates from the inside out. Receiving God's love for me, through my faith in Jesus Christ, means I am at peace with Him. When I am at peace with my God then I can respond to the truth He is revealing to me and, in turn, share that with the secular world. I am subject to rulers and authorities because I am subject to the ultimate Ruler and Authority. I am obedient because I am obedient to Him. I am ready for every good deed because He has prepared the works for me to walk in. I don't malign others because He has restored Himself to me and built me up in love. I am gentle because He is gentle with me as His child. I am considerate of all men because He is attentive, thoughtful and kind towards me. That is why the scripture says there is no law which can produce these things because they come from God, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, not from the flesh, through responding to the law.
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