Titus 1:1-1-9

Every new Christian comes with baggage. The baggage of reputation, past transgressions, and of the damage caused by sin. Establishing a new and righteous relationship with God does not make our baggage disappear, but it does give us the possibility of dealing with it in new, healthy, and life transforming ways. Dealing with our baggage does not happen in an instant, we do not shove it into a corner or closet and pretend it is not there. God does not make it disappear, rather he helps us unburden ourselves from it one piece at a time.

Titus had a very difficult job; he had to choose church leadership from among new Christians that all had baggage. Ideally church leadership would come from established Christians who had, with the help of God, already worked through and disposed of their burdens from the past. Titus did not have that luxury, so he had to choose those Christians who were beginning their new lives in Christ carrying the least destructive baggage. Paul told him that the baggage of bad temperament, drunkenness, dishonest business practices and violence were all weights from their past life that would prevent a new Christian from stepping immediately in the church leadership. Paul was not talking about Christians currently being drunk, violent, dishonest and ill tempered; we all know that that is not what a Christian is.

God leads new Christians from where they were to where they need to be. This is a process of change that takes time, but will move faster or slower depending upon how closely we walk with and are obedient to the Holy Spirit. Paul told Titus to choose new Christians as leaders who were demonstrating their willingness to change and to walk closely with the Lord. He said that candidates for leadership would be the ones who held firmly to the gospel message and supported sound doctrine and opposed false teachings.

Not everyone begins their Christian walk ready for leadership. Jesus leads everyone who follows him in that direction.