Ruin

This morning we start a new sermon series based on Titus chapter 3: The Three R's and the Gospel, looking at the basic doctrine of the Christian faith. And today we start with RUIN - the fact, nature and consequence of sin in our lives and our need of salvation or rescue. Paul begins this third chapter to Titus with the words "Remind the people"- remind the Cretan Christians to obey the civil authorities, to do whatever is good, to be considerate to others and to show humility to all because, says v.3 in the Greek, at one time we too were like the pagan Cretans, living in sin and therefore destined to ruin until God saved us. Therefore this teaching on Christian behaviour in public life grounded in doctrine was not new but the turbulent Cretans clearly needed reminding of it. Similarly for some of us here this morning the teaching we'll hear based on Titus 3 on ruin and on other basics of the Gospel in this series won't be new but like the Cretans we do need reminding of it, we're forgetful and we live in a world which wants us to conform to its way of thinking rather than to the biblical view- which can affect our behaviour. The Bible tells us Israel "soon forgot" and that contributed to her downfall, and Jesus had to ask his disciples: "Don't you remember?" (Mt 16:9) How we need to be reminded of the teaching of the Bible each day and especially the truth of the Gospel. But perhaps for others of us these Gospel truths are new. Maybe some of you are searching for answers to life. Perhaps you are lost. Maybe others of you know that your life is in ruin - internally if not externally. Perhaps you feel weighed down and guilty and you've never found true forgiveness and peace. Well the good news is that in Jesus Christ we can find forgiveness for our sins and true peace. Psychologists researching Billy Graham's evangelistic rallies discovered that the message of forgiveness in Christ both met a real need and was psychologically sound. But first we need to understand the heart of our problem. So back to sin, the cause of ruin. Let's be very clear about the root problem humanity faces. At the Fall man rebelled against God, and because of this he brought sin and death into the world. Since then men and women are essentially fallen and sinful by nature and behaviour and cut off from a holy God who cannot stand sin. Sin essentially being I in the middle as it's spelt: me in charge and not God. Without Christ men and women are in bondage to the guilt and power of sin and have fallen into ruin which will mean judgement and eternal separation from God in Hell. Sin is not a popular word or subject in our relativistic culture, even in the church. But it is a universal reality of human nature and experience and the consequence of sin is ruin. Romans 3:23 and 6:23:

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of Godand the wages of sin is death.

Sadly there are still many who don't believe in the Fall or in the essential sinfulness of human nature or therefore in the only solution to put it right, namely Jesus Christ. They for some reason still believe that people are essentially good, that evil comes from our environment and that education is the answer. Now of course influences on us are important but let's be honest did any of you as children have to learn how to be naughty? No - I wasn't taught to be horrible to my brother or to deliberately let all my dad's bees out of the hive! Since the Fall human nature itself has been sinful, as Jesus made clear in Mark 7: the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart. The problem of evil is located in man himself . Many years ago, during an exchange of correspondence in The Times concerning the nature of evil, GK Chesterton wrote: " Dear Sirs, You ask what is wrong with humanity. I am. Yours sincerely, GK Chesterton." So what in practice is sin? What in reality is the nature of sin? And what are the consequences of sin? What is it that destines man to ruin? And what can prevent it? Well Paul in verse 3 of Titus chapter 3 presents us with a stark description of people and human society in bondage to sin and falling into ruin. So let's briefly look at that description in more detail under 4 headings. First, "AT ONE TIME WE TOO WERE FOOLISH AND DISOBEDIENT" As we examine this list of vices Paul reminds us that we too were once like the pagan Cretans so we are to be careful in our attitude towards our non-Christian or unregenerate neighbours, friends and colleagues and their behaviour; rather we are to pray for them and live lives among them that are pleasing to God and a witness to Christ. Look at verses 1& 2 of chapter 3. We who have been saved by God our Saviour are to be submissive towards the authorities until they force us to choose between obeying God or man. We are to slander no-one and be conciliatory, considerate and humble citizens where we live, work, study and play. We are not to be arrogant in sharing our faith. Yes we are to call sin sin but we are still sinners even though we're saved.. As a former Archbishop said: "Evangelism is like one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread". Only because of God's mercy and grace do we now know the truth that leads to godliness (Titus 1:1), and even then we still need to be reminded of it, while those who are not yet saved are sadly still in the rebellion that leads to ruin, dead in their sins. The lies of the evil one helping to keep them in a ruinous state by blinding their minds (2Cor 4) and by causing them to doubt God's Word as the serpent led Eve to do in the Garden. We need to pray for the Holy Spirit to remove the scales from their eyes and minds, to convict them of their sins and that they discover the one, true God who does not lie (1:2). The most important discovery we can make. Sir James Simpson was an Edinburgh doctor who discovered chloroform. Some years later a student asked him, "What do you consider to be the most valuable discovery of your lifetime? He answered, "My most valuable discovery was when I discovered myself a sinner and that Jesus Christ was my Saviour". So as Christians know from their past and present experience there is a need for salvation or rescue. But how does this sin and ruin which separates us from God and leads to death manifest itself in our lives and natures? The first two words Paul uses to describe his former state and conduct in v.3 are foolish and disobedient. Foolishness implies ignorance and a lack of understanding and disobedience a deliberate transgressing or breaking of commands. Ie both mentally and morally every part of us has been affected by sin. Theologians describe this as total depravity. Literally the Greek words mean lacking sense and sensibility. Unrepentant sinners are without understanding of their true condition and of their Creator. As Psalm 14 states, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no-one who does good." There is no fear of or awesome reverence for God which is the source of all godliness (Genesis 20:11) and therefore there is no knowledge of what is right in God's eyes and little guilt expressed. Everyone does what is right in their own eyes. And that is so true of our culture today. And many people think it's peaceable and freedom giving. But the Bible tells us that in actual fact it's foolish - it's disobedient to God - it's ruinous for our society and ourselves both now and in the future physically, morally and spiritually. It's illustrated in the story of the prodigal son. Far from bringing freedom and release and fulfilment sin and rebellion actually bring division, despair, hopelessness, separation and ruin in terms of family life, social life and eternal life. The statistics for all the social ills and problems bear this out. This foolishness and disobedience is also a state of human arrogance and pride. We know how to live best. We don't need to follow the Maker's instructions. We can be self sufficient. We have the know how. And we're quite capable of putting things right when they go wrong. No doubt some of you have seen the latest Titanic film. Well much of the human race thinks of itself as the builders and owners did of the Titanic as she set off on her maiden voyage: unsinkable. (Titanic story) Only when we invite Jesus Christ into our hearts can we be saved and made right with God by having the destructive power of sin taken away by the only captain of salvation. We can't save ourselves as verses 5-7 of Titus 3 make clear. Second, "WE WERE DECEIVED AND ENSLAVED BY ALL KINDS OF PASSIONS AND PLEASURES" Paul's next word and phrase to depict the ruinous human condition show that human beings without Christ are not only foolish and disobedient but also deceived and enslaved. People living in sin are duped by Satan and because they are led astray they become enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We see that all around us both in the media and in our neighbourhoods and we too have experienced it. There is no true freedom with the devil, only slavery and captivity. There is also no real fullness of life either with the deceiver. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:1-4, where again he contrasts life without Christ with life with Jesus,

"You were dead in your sins in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. We were by nature objects of wrath".

People living in sin are actually dead in their sins, under judgement and facing ruin. But again there is hope for those in that ruinous state. Paul says in Ephesians 2:4: " But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved, through faith in Jesus Christ". As in Titus 3:5 it is God who saves us when we respond and turn to Christ. He rescues us from ruin and an eternity in Hell. What a Saviour! Third, "WE LIVID IN MALICE AND ENVY" Paul's next words to describe the state and conduct of unregenerate people are, in the words of John Stott, "very ugly twins". For they live in malice and envy meaning that "they wish others evil while at the same time resenting and coveting their good". Malice and envy, of course, harm relationships and can ruin them. We see that played out in the soaps on television every week and in real life too. Did you watch those true stories of neighbourhood wars recently - malevolent behaviour in the extreme! And the results of malice and envy are found in our next couplet of words. So ... Fourth, "WE WERE BEING HATED AND HATING ONE ANONTHER" This malice and envy which shows very clearly the self-centredness of our sinfulness ultimately leads to being hated and hating one another. Hostility in people's relationships not just one way but both ways. Again that was what happened in those neighbourhood wars. And it happens on estates all over Tyneside in different ways where families gang up on others to hound them out. But we too know the experience of hate and distrust and maybe have shown that to others. Perhaps we're still struggling where situations and behaviour of others has aroused in us feelings of hate. In our humanness we're aware of the impossibility of dealing with these emotions on our own. Paul does not paint a pretty picture but he does accurately diagnose the human condition and point us to the cure. As one writer puts it: " This darkness of human society shows the need for Christ's light: our dis-grace shows how much we need the grace of God". And isn't it amazing that into such darkness the Son of God came to save us from our sins. That while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), as we remember at this Communion service. Jesus Christ's death on the Cross and his resurrection from the dead mean that the power of sin and death has been broken, the victory has been won and God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ when we repent of our sins and put our trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. The offspring of a woman has crushed the serpents head. And all true believers will share fully in that victory when Christ comes again. Don't you want to share in Christ's victory? Why not this morning admit your sinfulness and ask his forgiveness and ask him into your life if you've not done so already? Jesus does not promise an easy life, so we need to count the cost, but he does promise us a changed life and eternal life and an end to a ruinous life. As we've been seeing God our Saviour can rescue us and has rescued many of us from the ruin we deserve here this morning and has changed us into new people, even though he hasn't finished transforming us yet! What an exciting transformation and Paul loves to dwell on it in several of his letters. " At one time we too were.but now we are. " What a Saviour! And so, as Paul wants Titus to remind the Cretan converts and us today in vv.1-3, once we were foolish but now we should be submissive; once we were disobedient but now we should be obedient; once we were enslaved by evil but now we should be ready to do good; once we were malicious and envious but now we should be kind and peaceable; and once we were hateful and hating but now we should be gentle and humble. If we've been saved from ruin and transformed then let us live up to our calling in the power of the Spirit and shine like stars in a crooked and depraved generation, as Paul says in Philippians, and so help others to experience the same.