As we look at the final chapter of Titus, we find practical guidance for how Christians should live and act within their communities. Paul finishes his letter by showing the church in Crete how to navigate life as citizens in a challenging culture.
How Should Christians Interact with Society Around Them?
Our country recently celebrated its 249th birthday, and while we can be thankful for the Christian values that helped found this nation, we’ve seen a gradual shift away from those values in recent decades. In many societies, sin moves from being marginalized to normalized to celebrated. We can see this pattern happening in our own culture today.
When Paul wrote to Titus, he was addressing Christians living on the island of Crete – a place known for wild and uncontrolled behaviors. He provided clear instructions for how believers should live as citizens within their community, and these principles remain relevant for us today.
Be at Peace with People
The first instruction Paul gives is found in Titus 3:1-2: “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”
This must have been challenging for Cretan Christians to hear. The Romans were not easy to live under – they were heavy-handed and burdensome with taxes. Yet Paul instructs believers to be submissive to authorities.
This doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything our government decides, but it does mean we should:
- Respect the law of the land
- Recognize that God places leaders in authority
- Avoid being known as argumentative or disobedient
Paul emphasizes that we should “speak evil of no one, avoid quarreling, be gentle, and show perfect courtesy toward all people.” Peace often starts with controlling our tongues. When we’re contentious and argumentative, it becomes nearly impossible to be ready for the good works God has prepared for us.
As Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” This doesn’t mean peace will always be possible, but we should do everything in our power to pursue it. We should be diffusers rather than igniters of conflict.
Show Grace and Mercy
The second principle for Christians as citizens is to show grace and mercy to others. Paul provides a powerful reminder of why we should do this in Titus 3:3-5:
“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
This passage contains one of the clearest presentations of the Gospel in all of Scripture. It reminds us that we can show grace and mercy to others because we first received it ourselves. Before Christ transformed us, we were:
- Foolish
- Disobedient
- Led astray
- Slaves to passions and pleasures
- Full of malice and envy
- Hating others and being hated
The key transition comes with the words “But when…” – showing how the Gospel changes everything. We were once in this state, but then God’s grace entered our lives and transformed us completely.
We don’t show grace to others because we feel bad for them, but because we remember that we were once in the same condition. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s goodness and loving kindness, and He came to save us by His mercy.
What Does This Transformation Look Like?
Paul describes our transformation using two powerful words: regeneration and renewal. We were dead, but now we are alive. We were dirty because of our sins, but now we are made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ.
As Ephesians 2:4-5 reminds us: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”
When we truly understand the grace and mercy we’ve received, we can’t help but extend it to others. We become walking, breathing billboards for the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ – not because of the good we do, but because His grace works its way out through our lives.
Avoid Divisive People
The final principle Paul gives is to avoid divisive people. In Titus 3:9-11, he writes:
“But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”
The church in Crete had a problem with division. There were Judaizers who had received Christ but were still clinging to Jewish laws and customs, imposing these on others and creating confusion.
Paul instructs Titus to deal with these divisive influences firmly. When someone consistently causes division:
- Warn them once
- Warn them twiceT
- hen avoid them
What does it mean to avoid them? Don’t give them an audience. Divisive people thrive on having listeners, and when you cut off their audience, you deprive them of their social oxygen.
While the gospel is for everyone and the church should be welcoming, there are standards for behavior. When people persistently cause division, it tears the church apart and hinders its witness in the community.
Life Application
As Christians living in our communities today, we’re called to be citizens who reflect Christ in practical ways:
- Pursue peace actively – Look for ways to be a peacemaker in your family, workplace, and community. Ask yourself: Am I known as someone who diffuses tension or creates it?
- Live in grace daily – Remember the grace you’ve received and extend it to others. How can you show mercy to someone who doesn’t “deserve” it this week?
- Protect unity purposefully – Be vigilant against division in your relationships and church family. Are there conversations or relationships that are pulling you into divisive patterns?
- Represent Christ authentically – Your neighbors and coworkers are watching how you live. How would they describe your attitude toward authority, your speech about others, and your treatment of those who disagree with you?
The world doesn’t need more angry, divisive voices. It needs Christians who live as citizens of heaven while engaging thoughtfully with the world around them. When we live this way, people will be drawn to the peace and purpose they see in our lives.
What one area from today’s message do you need to focus on this week? Ask God to help you be a faithful citizen who represents Him well in your community.