Huge Church Controversy: Do you know about it?

What do you prefer? The gospel, or controversy? No, really?

I mean, would you have read this blog if the title was just “Amazing Gospel: Do you know about it?” (And are you about to give up because you’ve realized there is no great controversy you’re about to find out about?)

Titus 3 is about the gospel—the gospel of God’s appearing in grace through Christ in the past, and of God’s appearing in glory through Christ in the future. And Paul tells us to “stress these things” and devote ourselves “to doing what is good … excellent and profitable for everyone”.

Well of course we want to do that. Of course we want to promote the gospel and pour out our lives for it profitably. Don’t we?

“But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3 v 9).

Well of course we avoid these things… don’t we?

I’m not sure I do. Something deep down in me quite enjoys a good dispute, where I can be on the good team, opposing the wrong team. I know what that “something” in me is. It’s self-righteousness.

Something deep down in me quite enjoys reading about how some Christian pastor or other has made a mistake, or done something I wouldn’t do. I know what that “something” in me is. It’s pride.

Something deep down in me quite enjoys finding out about some quarrel within a church or network, that I’m probably not supposed to know about and certainly don’t need to know about. I know what that “something” in me is. It’s sin.

So, what are we more interested in? What do we talk about, think about, read blogs about? Is it the gospel, or is it controversy? No, really?

Here’s what Tim Chester says in his forthcoming Titus For You. It’s hit me right between the eyes and needs to go to work in my heart:

“What would Paul say to us? That in every place and every time and with everyone, we should “stress these things”—gospel things. We should talk about the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, the renewal of the Spirit more than we talk about anything else; and we should avoid talking about things that divide, simply because they divide.”

I’ll only stress the right things—gospel things—if and as the truth about Christ Jesus captures me and controls me more than my proud, self-righteous sinful nature. That’s the only way any of us will truly love the gospel more than we love controversy.

Really.