“THERE ARE MANY!”

Titus 1:10-16                                           (ESV)

“10 For “THERE ARE MANY” who are insubordinate (rebellious), empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.

11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

13 This testimony is true. Therefore REBUKE THEM SHARPLY, that they may be sound in the faith,

14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.

15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, NOTHING IS PURE; but both their MINDS and their CONSCIENCES are DEFILED.

16 They profess to know GOD, but they deny HIM by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”

It is dangerous to lump ALL people of a sect into a broad category, for everyone can be changed by the Grace of GOD.  As a matter of fact, it is just like GOD to use someone who appears to be too “sinful”, too vile and despicable, to be used for a HOLY purpose.  “THERE ARE MANY” in today’s society of free speech that use their platform for empty talk and deception.  But it has been that way since mankind was created and was DECEIVED by “the enemy”!  

Life has become SO FAST-PACED that we move so quickly to not be over ran by “this world” that we fail to identify “the enemy”, and recognize ALMIGHTY GOD as being the driving forces behind all actions.  In verse 12 of Titus chapter one, it says “ONE OF THE CRETANS, a prophet of their own, said, "CRETANS ARE ALWAYS LIARS, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."  Well since CRETANS ARE ALWAYS LIARS, why should we listen to him as he is a Cretan???  

Acts 17:11 states “Now these Jews (at Berea) were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received THE WORD with all eagerness, EXAMINING THE SCRIPTURES DAILY to see if these things were so.”  Once again, we get in trouble when we lump all of one group into a category.   We must judge everything that is planted in our minds against Scripture to determine if it is TRUTH!  No matter their denomination, their culture, their social status, nothing can elevate them above what Scripture tells us!  Even when, and ESPECIALLY when, it is exactly what we WANT TO HEAR!!!

“THERE ARE MANY” in today’s world that need to be REBUKED SHARPLY because their message doesn’t line up with Scripture.  We cannot BE DECEIVED by their nice suits and slick talking, by their manipulative words and deeds!  We must be like Berean Believers who SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES DAILY in search of TRUTH.  JESUS said in John 8:31-32 “...."If you abide in MY word, you are truly MY disciples, and you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free."  We won’t be in the majority, BY FAR, and even though “THERE ARE MANY” opposing TRUTH, WE WILL BE SET FREE because we know THE TRUTH!!!