The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Titus 1:4,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."
Paul points to the "common faith" both he and Timothy shared.
We are all aware of the differences that exist between the various religions, denominations, churches and fellowships. Sometimes the perspective is advanced that God is who he is to you and he is who he is to me. He may be one thing to you and another to me. One is persuaded of a certain flavor of theology and someone else may be persuaded of another. When I read comments like Paul's to Timothy in his salutation, I suspect he would be horrified at our acceptance of this state of affairs. He speaks of the "common faith" they both shared.
What may get missed at times is the realization that God is not a subjective concept that is one thing to one person and another thing to another. God is who he is. He exists in objective reality. The basis for the common faith that Paul and Timothy shared did not lay in Paul's evangelizing or discipling of Timothy, but that they both served the one, true God. In another letter Paul speaks to this. He says, "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:4-5. There Paul points to the grounds for us all to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
Here is where common faith is found. Although we may all have differing needs, differing trials and difficulties, differing levels of maturity, etc. in the Lord, we need to rid ourselves of the notion that God is what each individual makes him out to be. Our God exists in a majestic splendor that is all his own and it is not changed one wit by my perspective of him. I need to embrace him for who he is, not what I think I want him to be. God, after all, is the ultimate reality of being.
Paul points to the "common faith" both he and Timothy shared.
We are all aware of the differences that exist between the various religions, denominations, churches and fellowships. Sometimes the perspective is advanced that God is who he is to you and he is who he is to me. He may be one thing to you and another to me. One is persuaded of a certain flavor of theology and someone else may be persuaded of another. When I read comments like Paul's to Timothy in his salutation, I suspect he would be horrified at our acceptance of this state of affairs. He speaks of the "common faith" they both shared.
What may get missed at times is the realization that God is not a subjective concept that is one thing to one person and another thing to another. God is who he is. He exists in objective reality. The basis for the common faith that Paul and Timothy shared did not lay in Paul's evangelizing or discipling of Timothy, but that they both served the one, true God. In another letter Paul speaks to this. He says, "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:4-5. There Paul points to the grounds for us all to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
Here is where common faith is found. Although we may all have differing needs, differing trials and difficulties, differing levels of maturity, etc. in the Lord, we need to rid ourselves of the notion that God is what each individual makes him out to be. Our God exists in a majestic splendor that is all his own and it is not changed one wit by my perspective of him. I need to embrace him for who he is, not what I think I want him to be. God, after all, is the ultimate reality of being.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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