Spiritual First Responders

“And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help in cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14).

When the call comes in, they go out. That’s the role of the first responder. Firefighters, police officers, and paramedics are ready to roll and come to the rescue. Lights flashing!  Sirens screaming! When there’s an urgent need, first responders learn to run toward trouble, not away from it. It’s a necessary part of their training. Paul tells his protege Titus that this is a critical part of what it means to follow Jesus. When the call comes in, we need to go out. We must be ready to roll. When there’s an urgent need, we need to run toward trouble, not away from it. Christ calls us to be spiritual first responders.

A huge part of Titus’ to-do list is teaching new believers on the island of Crete what it means to follow Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). The apostle wants to make sure his go-to guy understands exactly what that means. “Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works” (v14). Not everybody else. “Our people.” If you’re a member of a local church, this means you! If you’re not, relax. For those of us who have placed our trust in the resurrected Rabbi from Nazareth, we’re exactly who Paul’s talking about. 

Before we can roll as spiritual first responders, we need training. We need to learn what to do in order to make good works top priority. The apostle uses the Greek verb manthano, which means to be taught through experience, discover, and find out. We’re talking formal training and learning by doing. People in Jerusalem couldn’t figure out how Jesus could pull off all He did since He had never been to seminary. “How is it that this Man has learning, when He has never studied (Gr. manthano)?” (Jn 7:15). Paul had been there and done that and had “learned (Gr. manthano) in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil 4:11). The writer of Hebrews says that even Jesus “learned (Gr. manthano) obedience through what He suffered” (Heb 5:8). Learning by doing. Learning through experience. 

Actually, the grammar here is important to what Paul is writing. The verb is in the present active imperative form. Before you ask “what in the world does THAT have to do with anything?” pump your brakes and let me explain. It simply means that this is NOT a one-time lesson. We can easily translate this as “let our people be continually learning” (v14). Our training never stops. Think of this as continuing education. First responders must keep their training up to date. As spiritual first responders, let’s be lifelong learners of doing good things and God things for others. 

As followers of Jesus, we should take the lead when it comes to helping others. The apostle drops the term “devote” (Gr. proistemi). It literally means “to stand above” something. In various places in the Bible, it describes putting oneself at the head (1Tim 5:17), taking the lead (Rom 12:8), as well as providing protective care and aid (1Tim 3:4, 5, 12), and engaging in something with great intensity (Titus 3:8). When it comes to responding to trouble, believers must learn to be the first ones there. We need to take the lead when providing aid. Are you and I devoted to help others in trouble? Are we willing to take the lead? Are we willing to be the first ones there? Be a leader as a good deeder. (Too much? Yeah, I thought so too.)

This is the sixth and final time that Paul uses the phrase “good works” in this little letter. So I’m guessing it’s kind of a big deal. People who give God a spiritual stiff arm are “unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:16). We should be a supermodel of “good works” to those around us (Titus 2:7). Jesus has come to our rescue so that we could be “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). As good citizens, believers should be locked and loaded and “ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1). Priority one for believers must be to “devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8). 

Let’s be VERY clear about these “good works.” We don’t save ourselves by doing them. We do them because Someone Else has done the ultimate good work for us. Jesus has done for us what we could never, ever dream of doing for ourselves. He lived the perfect life of which I was an epic fail. He died in my place on the cross for my sin. He rose to a jaw-dropping new life that I don’t deserve. Dudes who tuck their shirts in use terms like “penal substitutionary atonement” and “imputed righteousness.” The bottom line is that Jesus did good works to save you and me. Let’s trust in what He did. We’re not saved BY our good works. But we are saved TO good works (Eph 2:8-10). Think of it this way. God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does. So when the call comes in, let’s roll as spiritual first responders.

Paul instructs Titus that we must be trained in what to do “to help in cases of urgent need” (v14). There are certain extreme situations that require top priority. They are critical. They need immediate attention. Maybe it’s a cancer diagnosis. Runaway child. Overdose. Trip to the ER. Fired from work. Divorce. When you can be there in person, BE THERE IN PERSON! Texts are okay. Phone calls can be important. But when I can show up and dive into the situation with the one in trouble, I REALLY need to make that happen. Let’s face it, that’s exactly what Jesus did for us. He rolled. He responded. He came to our rescue in Person. As spiritual first responders we need to be in constant training to know what to do. We don’t have to heal or fix or restore anything. But we can make sure that we point to the One who can. 

When the call comes in, let’s roll as spiritual first responders.