Redeeming a Nation (Timeless Teaching)

by Philip Quenby

  However, in doing this we have increasingly overlooked the fact that there is a positive kind of discrimination: the ability to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, true and false. In opposing so strongly discrimination in the negative sense, we are increasingly proving incapable of exercising it in the positive. We flee the responsibility of decision. We flee from where God wants us to be. We are spiritually inactive by reason of our running away or our sleepwalking through life. We are too lazy even to investigate God’s Word and to decide whether there is really any basis for the supposition that what is recounted there is nothing but a set of fairy tales with no application to the present day. We need to heed Jesus’ warning: “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.” (Matthew 12:41).

  We need to get away from the kind of things that Mary Whitehouse described and against which she fought, for these are undercutting the very foundations of our nation. Fleeing from God is not the answer. The Lord wants us to take flight, but in a wholly different sense. His desire is for us to be amongst “those who hope in the LORD [and] will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31). Through the power of God working in us we can do something extraordinary. We can take wing.

  62. Sirens

  Titus 3.

  Key word: devotion.

  Bertrand Russell’s History of Western Philosophy runs to over 780 pages in paperback, a magisterial survey of European thought from the ancient Greeks to the present day. Yet this towering edifice is but an incomplete snapshot of all the ideas that mankind has had about God, the world in which we live and our own nature. By definition it excludes those generated over the greater part of the earth’s surface and by the greater part of its population. Understandably, it deals with the main strands of thought rather than exploring all their highways and byways. It gives a flavour, and a good one at that, but cannot render the whole. Even this imperfect and incomplete glimpse, however, is enough to give an inkling of how many and various have been man’s speculations on life’s most fundamental questions.

  Those who have been accounted great thinkers have included men of genius, but also a fair smattering of charlatans, the deranged and the deluded. With the benefit of hindsight, it is difficult not to be struck by how few ways of looking at the world have stood the test of time and how inadequate all our ideas seem when confronted with the vastness of the universe.[142] Shakespeare’s Hamlet hit the nail on the head when he said: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

  Nor can we fail to be saddened by things done in the name of misguided ideals, be they religious or secular. One of the most successful revolutionaries of any age spoke these words on his deathbed: “I have made a great mistake. Our main purpose was to give freedom to multitudes of oppressed people. But our method of action has created worse evil and horrible massacres. You know that my deadly nightmare is to feel that I am lost in an ocean of blood coming from innumerable victims. It is too late to turn now, but in order to save our country ... we should have had ten men like Francis of Assisi. With ten such men, we would have saved Russia.” His name was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin).

  The idea in the name of which Lenin, his accomplices and successors perpetrated their crimes was the dialectical materialism of Karl Marx. Its demonstrable failings of logic[143] did not prevent many from taking up the cause, in this country as elsewhere. Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, Trotskyists, Leninists, Stalinists, Maoists and a dozen shades in between worked for the overthrow of the state and the building of a workers’ paradise. It was all illusion. The collapse of the Soviet Union showed the reality: environmental degradation and human misery on a massive scale.

  The descent of dream into nightmare has been the story of every utopian vision that man has conjured up to supplant God. Yet still the siren voices call.

  Revolution.

  Christianity involves revolution, but not in the way that Lenin would have understood. This is made clear in the advice which St Paul gives to Titus, a convert whom he left on Crete to “straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.” (Titus 1:5). St Paul tells him to “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient” (Titus 3:1). The phrase “rulers and authorities” encompasses all forms and levels of human government. Instead of direct confrontation with the powers that be, even when they are ungodly, Christianity involves living and working in such a way as will change society from within. The gospel involves a radical challenge to all human assumptions and all existing ways of doing things, yet whilst this inevitably involves engagement with the political process it is not primarily through political action that Christian revolution comes about. Rather, real and lasting change is underscored by and grounded on the revolution in our hearts and minds.

  The book of Titus explains how God brings revolution about: through those chosen by God to do his work (Titus 1), through Christian teaching (Titus 2) and through God’s own activity (Titus 3). The series of opposites that St Paul lists in chapter three shows how great is this revolution: “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passion and pleasure. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.” (Titus 3:3). To these qualities and ways of behaviour belong “foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law ... [which] are unprofitable and useless.” (Titus 3:9). The kind of person who indulges in such things is “divisive ...warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” (Titus 3:10-11).

  Thanks to God’s activity and the effect of the gospel, all this is supplanted by: “the kindness and love of God our Saviour ... [and] his mercy” (Titus 3:4-5). Kindness replaces enslavement, love replaces malice and envy, mercy replaces hatred. Instead of what is “unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3:9), there are “things [that] are excellent and profitable for everyone.” (Titus 3:8). Those who previously were “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passion and pleasure” (Titus 3:3) are now to “to slander no-one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility towards all men.” (Titus 3:2). In short, they are to “be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.” (Titus 3:8). This gospel is revolution indeed. Were it find widespread application, the effect would be electrifying. This is an ideal that really is worthy of our devotion.

  Ideals.

  The ideals and the essential basis of the Christian revolution are summarised by St Paul in just two sentences: “But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7). The whole of redemption history is packed into a few short phrases:

  • The one true God is Trinitarian, as seen by the activity of God (the Father), Jesus Christ our Saviour (the Son) and the Holy Spirit.

  • This God took the initiative in rescuing man from the consequences of rebellion and sin, appearing to and amongst men, as Saviour and as an embodiment of “kindness and love” (Titus 3:4).

  • Salvation cannot be earned. It comes by virtue of God’s mercy rather than “because of righteous things we had done” (Titus 3:5).

  • The consequence of salvation is that we are cleansed from sin by the “washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit ... poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 3:5-6).

  • We are “justified [vindicated, exonerated] by God’s grace” (Titus 3:7) and thereby saved from the penalty that would otherwise attend our sin.

  • We are adopted into God’s fami
ly and “become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7).

  Appropriately, this masterly summary ends with the words: “This is a trustworthy saying.” (Titus 3:8).

  Productivity.

  It is all very well to have a revolution and to pursue an ideal, but what is thereby built needs to be administered and cared for properly. This involves good governance, allied with hard work, careful planning and sound administration. In Titus, St Paul leaves matters in capable and willing hands. Titus was a believer from a Gentile background and was probably relatively young at the time this letter was written, but he did not lack experience. As well as working alongside St Paul on Crete, he had already accompanied the apostle on the journey to Jerusalem that is described in Galatians 2:1-3 and been with him in Corinth, as well as travelling on his own: see 2 Corinthians 2:12-13, 7:5-6, 8:6 and 8:23. It is likely that Titus was also with St Paul in Ephesus and later went independently on a mission to Dalmatia: see 2 Timothy 4:10.

  Titus is advised to concentrate on essentials and not to be taken down blind alleys. There is a warning for us, too, when St Paul tells him to “avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law ... [which] are unprofitable and useless.” (Titus 3:9). We need to be constantly alert lest we become sidetracked in this way. Certainly, we need to have proper regard for the Word of God, but to stick to the central truths of the faith rather than waste time disputing matters about which Christians can in good faith disagree. A huge amount of effort and energy has been and still is being expended on what are essentially sideshows, blunting and undermining the work of the worldwide church. One of the characteristics of extremist groups is their tendency to split and splinter. Such scattering is typical of the work of Satan and the very opposite of the gathering that God wishes to bring about. It is to our shame if we allow such things to characterise our discourse and activity.

  The aim is that revolution will result in godly action: “Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need. Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” (Titus 3:13-14). Unlike revolutionaries of the stamp of Lenin or modern-day Islamists, for the Christian the end does not justify the means. We must continue to “devote [ourselves] to doing what is good” (Titus 3:14), come what may. Neither belief in God’s providence nor certainty about the sufficiency of his provision entitle us to sit back and wait for the Almighty to wave a magic wand over whatever ills or troubles surround us. Certainly, God works through us and at times intervenes in ways that are very obviously miraculous, but usually we are the agency by which others are helped and through which “the necessities of daily life” (Titus 3:13) are provided. Christianity values hard work, personal effort and individual achievement, so long as these are channelled in ways that honour God and do not usurp his place in our hearts.

  Conclusion.

  It is in the nature of men to devote themselves to people or to things. Some are devoted to hobbies, some to the pursuit of pleasure, some to ideals. The things to which we devote ourselves have an impact on our own lives and on the lives of those around us. It is thus of prime importance that we choose the objects of our devotion wisely. The merest glimpse at a long line of twentieth century demagogues who gained the devotion of entire nations should be enough to convince us of this. We must exercise discretion in our choices, taking time to weigh the options and to assess where they are likely to lead. There are many things which are harmless in moderation, perhaps even beneficial, but which will corrode if pursued to excess. There are other things that should not be countenanced at any price. Jesus told us how to weigh the competing choices: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” (Matthew 7:16). We can expect good results from things that are of God and conversely we can expect ultimately harmful results from things that are not. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

  Rarely has there been a time with such an abundance of false prophets, of gurus and fakirs both religious and secular. Most are shooting stars that flash and flicker in the firmament for a brief while and then are gone. For the greater part they are distinguished not only by harmful results whilst they are in the ascendant but also by their impermanence. As Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890) observed, “True religion is slow in growth and, when once planted, is difficult of dislodgement; but its intellectual counterfeit has no root in itself; it springs up suddenly, it suddenly withers.” The English have traditionally been noted for their lack of aptitude for and their distrust of abstract philosophy. At various times in our past this has stood us in good stead, inoculating us to some extent from the wilder excesses of human invention. Regrettably, we are not currently showing immunity to the plagues of materialism, consumerism and all the fashionable ideas that have grown up to help persuade us that our selfishness and self-indulgence are not merely acceptable, but right and proper.

  The contrast between such things and the gospel of Jesus Christ could not be greater. The Christian is instructed to show the reality of his faith by “being careful to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8). We are to do so “... while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:13-14). We must devote ourselves to this end and to our Lord, who makes all things possible, with renewed vigour and commitment.

  63. Drift

  Song of Songs 3.

  Key word: seeking.

  Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh tells the story of Edinburgh drug addicts, but could be set in any town in the land. The tale is fictionalised, though based on personal experience. In the Sunday Times column, The best of times, the worst of times, the author commented that, if you have nothing to believe in, drugs will always get the better of you.

  We live in a society that is awash with drugs. Not only the illicit potions with which we dose ourselves in frightening quantities, nor licit chemicals such as alcohol, tobacco and Prozac. They include other narcotics that we call fame, wealth, achievement, beauty and personal fulfilment. They encompass all the stresses and strivings of a nation that no longer seems to believe in anything. We wander aimlessly in search of a palliative for the emptiness in our hearts. We seem to be forever seeking, but never finding, always on the move, but never arriving. We are lost souls, adrift in scenery without feature or landmark, where everything is said to be just as ‘valid’ as everything else and consequently nothing has real value.

  American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald called the hedonistic lifestyles of his own Jazz Age “despair turned inside out.” Drugs, hedonism and consumerism are all symptoms of our despair. We long for happiness, togetherness and meaning. Instead we find only indulgence, excess and oblivion. We have not yet learnt to recognise that words written almost sixteen centuries ago by St Augustine of Hippo are true: “You [God] have created us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.”

  Search.

  In the Song of Songs King Solomon describes an anguished search for an object of great desire: “All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him.” (Song of Songs 3:1). Freed from the distractions of the day, often it is as we try to get to sleep that our minds begin to wander and our real concerns force themselves upon us. With nothing to divert us, fears and imaginings have free rein. The longing in this case is so powerful and the ache in the heart so agonising that the seeker is driven to rise in the middle of the night to roam hither and thither: “
I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him.” (Song of Songs 3:2).

  The picture is of a desperate seeking in the small hours, careless of rest, safety and reputation: “The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. ‘Have you seen the one my heart loves?’” (Song of Songs 3:3). Even those keeping a look-out on the walls and ramparts, whose duty is to tell what is going on and warn of impending danger, have not seen “the one my heart loves” (Song of Songs 3:1). The fact that the watchmen cannot help is hardly encouraging about the environment that surrounds the seeker, for the prophets were supposed to be God’s spiritual watchmen: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” (Ezekiel 3:17). With no proper direction from those who should be providing it, the seeker starts by looking in the wrong places, in the wrong way, at the wrong time and asking the wrong questions of the wrong people. There are thousands upon thousands doing the same in this nation today.