Order and Chaos

Nov. 1

Read: Titus 1:5-16

Order

“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order…” (1:5)

Whether we like it or not, we cannot escape the biblical truth that the people of God are in need of order. The entire world is actually in need of order! Sin has brought with it chaos and destruction, and Christ is bringing all things back into their correct order. Jesus is “holding all things together” and God is reconciling to himself “all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Col. 1:15,20) It is under Jesus’ feet that all enemies of the Lord are being placed… one by one: “Then comes the end, when (Jesus) delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:24-25) You cannot escape hierarchy and order within the scriptures. As taboo as the idea of hierarchy, authority, and order may be these days, it is nevertheless a squarely biblical idea.

As humans - apart from Christ - we buck against the idea of hierarchy, authority, and order. We do not take lightly the idea that we need the help of others, that other may be more capable than us in certain areas, or that we have responsibility to carry weight in the world around us. When we are made alive in Christ our eyes are opened to this need. Even the first step of realizing our need for a savior is a movement towards accepting the order and authority of Christ in our lives. The resulting hierarchy is not a bad thing… but rather a good thing. It is good to be put in right orientation to the Lord! As we embrace this truth - the authority of Christ over us - we are then put in a better place to embrace the responsibility of leading those we are called to lead as well as submitting to those God has placed in authority over us. This spans all areas of life including family, work, politics, hobbies, and the like. The sooner we can embrace the truth that we CAN’T be whatever we want to be and do whatever we want to do … the sooner we can begin to grow in being and doing WHO CHRIST HAS DESIGNED US TO BE. You will never be fit to grow in your gifts until you embrace the truth that you don’t get to have every gift!

Paul has left Titus in Crete so that he can “put into order” those who remain there. This means identifying peoples gifts and abilities as well as their maturity and putting them into the right positions of leadership and authority. This means the people of God must be willing to take responsibility as well as be led by others who have responsibility for them. In an effort to avoid “performance based” Christianity… we sometimes forget the need for order and structure. There are so many examples of “broken” or “flawed” leadership and structure around us that it makes sense that we are wary of the idea. I get it. The bad examples don’t make the bible truth any less true though. In the era ahead of us as the people of God, we will be wrestling with these questions of order and authority more and more. The old systems are crumbling around us… legacy denominations faltering… pastors and leaders flaming out… these things will leave a massive gap for the church and greater need for healthy reordering. Just like Titus, we may find ourselves being “left in a place to put into order what remains”.

Who are those who are in authority over you? Christ is the ultimate authority - no doubt. But who are the men and/or women that God has placed in leadership above you? Who are you accountable to? Who are you investing in that you have authority over? Have you given up on the church… and are now a sort of free agent with no structure or hierarchy to function in? Do you feel that your life in in chaos and in desperate need for order? God is a God of order, he is near to you and will meet you in the chaos. We have a precious opportunity as the people of God to display how you can have distinction, order, authority, and hierarchy without abuse, manipulation, and declaring other humans inferior. If we pretend there is no hierarchy… no difference… no “roles” to be played… in the end it just breeds chaos and lack of purpose. We - as humans in God image - will wither in the midst of a lack of purpose. Lack of purpose, direction, and order will breed depression and anxiety. We see it all around us today. Christ has the answer. As the people of God, we can share this and put it on display in the list of healthy relationships with one another. Love you guys. - JDP