THE COMMON FAITH – Titus 1:4
Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
Paul and Titus had something in common, their faith. By faith, they both believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. By faith, they were willing to do God’s will for their life. By faith, they were able to perform miracles so that others might be drawn to the power of God. Paul calls Titus his son because of the relationship that they had. It appears that Paul was the one who led Titus to the Lord. Paul discipled Titus and encouraged him to serve the Lord. It was this common faith that bound Paul and Titus.
Think about it, your faith is the same faith as the apostle Paul had. There is nothing different about your faith in that both Paul and you had to acknowledge that you were a sinner and bound for hell. Both Paul and you have a common faith, a faith that is shared by all who put their trust in HIM. From the apostles of Jesus Christ, to the great Christians that you have studied, they all have something in common with you, the same faith that God is the Creator, and that you have a sinful nature.
It does not matter if you are a missionary, a pastor, a schoolteacher, a doctor, a business owner, or any other profession, if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, then you share a common faith. When you were born, where you were born, what the financial stability of your family is has no relationship to the fact that if you believe, you share a common faith with other believers.
However, while you have a common faith, it does not mean that you utilize your faith to the maximum potential. Think of it this way, even if you had enough concrete, wire and steel, you probably could not build on your own another Golden Gate Bridge. The materials used to build the bridge are common supplies that anyone can pick up. Nonetheless, because several men knew how to use those materials, they were able to take common materials and turn them into something spectacular.
God has given you the common faith that you can use to do great things for HIM. However, if you do not use the common faith, your life is not very valuable. You can go to almost any junkyard and see concrete, wire and steel. Absolute junk because no one desires to use it anymore. The material is common, but because it is not used it was thrown away and considered of no value.
Men like Paul took the common faith and did great good for the kingdom of God. Judas on the other hand took the common faith and wasted it upon himself; as a result, he allowed his corrupt heart to destroy him. The choice is yours what you are going to do with the common faith that God has given you. You can use the faith to do great things for God, or you can use the faith to ultimately destroy yourself.
God has given you the ability to do great things for HIM. However, in order to do great things for HIM, you must be willing to hear HIS still small voice and be willing to follow HIS will for your life. God desires to take you and use you in a way that the world will see that you are HIS and that God is alive today. Are you willing to take the common faith and to do great things for God? Are you willing to be stretched by God today?