God’s Work Leads to Good Works

Titus 3:1-15, “God’s Work Leads to Good Works”
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Introduction:
So imagine you’re Titus – you’ve been left in Crete by the apostle Paul, faithfully ministering there, spreading the gospel, setting up the Church & probably wondering if you’ve been doing things correctly. Then unexpectedly, you get a letter from your father in the faith with some very specific instructions and encouragement to keep on keeping on. Your 1st thought is: what a joy! Your 2nd thought is probably: So what did Paul want to say? Although there has been some deep theology shared – the main theme is evident: Christians ought to engage in good works. We saw it in Ch 1 when Paul showed that false teachers disqualified themselves from every good work – in Ch 2 regarding how different people in the church were to act & how we ought to be zealous for good works (they ought to be desirable things for us to do – we ought to get excited about the opportunity)…

As Paul closes out the letter to Titus, he repeats the theme of good works in the life of a believer. We have good works in our personal living – we’ve experienced the good work of God in our salvation – and God’s work is the motivation for our good works.

Titus 3 (NKJV)
- Personal living…what we ought to do as believers…
1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

A. With Timothy, Paul had also addressed the issue of how the Church ought to relate to government, but his emphasis there was on prayer (2 Tim 2:1-3). In Titus, the emphasis is on attitude. We’re to be “subject” to those in authority & “obey” them. Romans 13:1-2 (1) Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (2) Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. []
__a. Even the government leaders we don’t agree with? Yes…Paul’s governing authority was the Roman Empire… [] This doesn’t mean we can’t work for change. It does mean that we ought do so in a respectful, God-honoring manner…
__b. What if the gov’t asks you to do something contradictory to Scriptural teaching? Follow the example of the apostles when the Sanhedrin put them on trial for preaching the gospel (Acts 5)… Obey God rather than men, but do so in humility & respect…

B. Respect deals with attitude, but we also need to be ready to act. “Be ready for every good work”…not necessarily a grammatical tie to government; this is a general command & one that Paul is going to come back to throughout the chapter. Just like we need to be ready to give an answer for the reason of the hope within us (1 Pet 3:15), we need to be ready to do good works…both are necessary!

C. Beyond the government, we should treat ALL our neighbors with respect:
__a. “to speak evil of no one”: Gk (blasphemy) – obviously not a reference to God, so much as one another. We blaspheme one another when we vilify or rail on one another – or exaggerate and assume what someone’s motives are. That doesn’t mean we stay silent about sin or sweep things under the rug – but we ought to go about it in a way that is not speaking evil of each other.
__b. “to be peaceable”: Gk is in the negative – literally, this is “non-fighting”…
__c. “to be gentle”: That which is fitting behavior in society – to be gentlemen, etc.
__d. To show “humility”: KJV “meekness” – also appropriate.
__e. IOW, Christians ought not to be rude, coarse, rabble-rousers. That’s what we were; not what we are.

D. Keep in mind that our actions affect our witness. Obviously Paul wasn’t writing to all people in Crete; just the Christians there (through Titus). Cretans were known for a bad reputation, so the obedient, respectful behavior of those within the Church towards their authorities would have made for a powerful witness of the gospel of Christ…it would have been one thing that set them apart from everyone else.
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3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

A. At one point, we were NOT peaceable, humble, etc…we were sinners & we acted like it! We were:
__a. “foolish”: Gk negative again – literally “no comprehension; no thinking’.
__b. “disobedient”: To God, through whatever revelation we were aware of…whether Creation (Rom 1:20), our conscience (Rom 2:15), or the Law of God itself.
__c. “deceived”: Although we cannot blame our sin on deception, there’s no doubt that before we were saved, we were indeed deceived. Just like Adam, bought into the lies of the Deceiver as we questioned what we knew about God & thought we ought to be our own final authority.

B. That deals with our character; Paul goes on to deal with our unsaved actions:
__a. We served “various lusts & pleasures” – could be translated “enslaved to various lusts & pleasures…” We had no choice except to obey our hedonistic fleshly desires.
__b. We lived in “malice & envy”: Self-explanatory – we were wicked & jealous.
__c. We were “hateful”: We both hated and were hated. Gk “hateful” comes from their mythological river leading into Hades (Styx)…as pagans, we engaged in truly hellish behavior. [] What a contrast to those in Christ Jesus! After you trust Him & are born again, for the 1st time you can truly understand what love really is… Everything else in comparison to it is hatred.
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4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

A. “But” – what a beautiful word! Something happened that changed the way we used to act – what was it? The kindness & love of God our Savior! …

B. “kindness”: Like a sovereign king bestowing a “kindness” upon one of his subjects. [David & Mephibosheth – 2 Sam 9] That’s what God does for us in salvation! He by no means has to save us…He is under no obligation to do so. But out of His incredible mercy & love He desires to show us kindness.
__a. Our God is a GOOD God! He wants to show the world His kindness…

C. Why does God desire to bestow His kindness? Because He loves us! Keep in mind that humans were the crowning moment of His creation. Although we war against God in our sin & act as His enemies, He still loves us. Gk φιλανθρωπία (philanthropy) = “love of man.”

D. How did it appear? Through the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ Jesus! God became flesh & dwelt among us, revealing to us the love & grace & truth of God to us – He took our sin upon Himself & died in our place as our substitute sacrifice – conquered death, rose again, and is alive today. You BET the love of God appeared!
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5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

A. Did God’s kindness & love come to us because we deserved it? Absolutely not! It was “not by works of righteousness which we have done”… Throughout the letter, the Church has been exhorted to do good works (and we get another exhortation today) – but good works come as a result of salvation; they are not the cause…
__a. Be assured of this one truth about the gospel: if there was anything at ALL possible that we humans could have done to be righteous in the sight of God (be it certain prayers, $ given, acts of mercy, etc) – if anything would have been sufficient – Jesus would never have gone to the Cross. God the Father did not send His only begotten Son to torturous death because it was the easiest mode of salvation; He sent Him there because it was the only mode.

B. So why did His kindness & love appear? Because of the outpouring of “His mercy”

C. What happens during our salvation? The Holy Spirit gives us a new birth & we are regenerated & renewed. Grammatically, we need to take this as two terms describing the same work of the Holy Spirit…His regenerative work is also His renewing work. What actually takes place? Keep in mind that because of sin & the Fall, our spirits are dead. Adam died spiritually in the Garden (before having any children) & thus passed on spiritual death to us. Our own sin ensures that we are spiritually dead in our trespasses (Eph 2:1) though we physically were alive. Thus we need a spiritual birth – and that’s what happens to us at salvation. John 3:5-6 (5) Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [] At that moment, our spirit is regenerated (given life after death) & renewed (as we’re made into new creations in Christ)…
__a. Many scholars take “washing” to be a reference to physical baptism, as we are washed by water & the word (Eph 5:26). The problem with this interpretation is the context. Everything Paul is listing out here has to do with the work of God – and baptism is obviously an act of obedience based upon God’s already finished work. Contextually, it’s best to think of this as the spiritual work that God the Holy Spirit does. (That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with physical baptism – we are commanded to do it by Christ…)
__b. Keep in mind God is the author & finisher of our faith. Everything we are in Christ is due to His work & not our own. We merely respond to the work He’s already done…
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6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

A. Obviously this is what took place at Pentecost – as Peter acknowledged the fulfillment of the prophet Joel in the birth of the church (Acts 2:16-17). But keep our context in mind here – this happens at our regeneration. This is something that happens to every believer in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us new life & baptizes us into Christ – He indwells us and seals us for our salvation. And on an ongoing basis, He fills us anew gives us power to walk as witnesses for Christ…

B. God doesn’t hold back on the Holy Spirit – He poured it out on the church in abundance. How much is “abundant”? It’s like torrents or rivers of gushing water… John 7:38-39 (38) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (39) But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. [] God doesn’t hold back on giving the Holy Spirit to us – our Heavenly Father will give the Spirit to all those who ask (Luke 11:13).
__a. There’s a tendency to think that we are saved by grace through faith as a work of God, but then God just drops us off on the corner & leaves us alone. Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus specifically promised that He wouldn’t leave us as orphans, but that the Holy Spirit would abide with us forever (John 14:16). Power for walking in Christ is available – all we need do is ask & receive in faith.

C. Note the work of the Trinity in our salvation in vs. 4-6. God the Father showed His kindness & saved us by regeneration & renewal of the Holy Spirit, given to us abundantly through Christ Jesus. The entire Godhead is active in our salvation…
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7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

A. What’s the result of being regenerated & renewed by the Holy Spirit? We are now justified (declared to be righteous…) in the sight of God. Again – this is due completely to His grace & His work in Christ Jesus.

B. Because of His grace, we are “heirs” – we have been born of the Spirit of God, adopted into His family & are made co-heirs with Christ. Not only are we forgiven, but we inherit eternal life & will reign with Jesus throughout the Millennium.
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8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

A. The “faithful saying” is most likely referring to the theology behind our salvation in vs. 4-7, but what’s interesting is that Paul ties it directly in with good works. This is what Paul wanted Titus to focus on in his teaching.

B. Why? Because doctrine ought to lead to action. If we have experienced the good work of God’s grace, then we ought to engage in & maintain good works ourselves…it’s the natural response to what God has done in our lives. (Briscoe) “The theology of Christianity is based on grace; the ethics of Christianity are based on gratitude.” Because of our gratitude to God in saving us, empowering us, and promising us eternal life, we have all the motivation we need to go out & do good to others – either in the Church or outside with our neighbors. It’s the only true logical response. Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. [] Our lives can be gladly spent giving God glory in gratefulness.

C. We don’t need to shy away from them or be scared we’re going to be lumped in with those who teach the so-called “social-gospel”… Good works are good! Good works demonstrate the sacrificial love of Christ to other Christians as we serve one another in various ways, helping to bear one another’s burdens & meet needs. Good works can also be a powerful demonstration of the gospel… [mission trips…]
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9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.

A. We want to do good works & that involves avoiding things & practices that would distract us from what God has called us to do. That’s exactly what “foolish disputes,” etc., are. We get caught up in all sorts of debates about the nature of angels or nephilim (or whatever) & soon instead of sharing the gospel in word & deed – instead of helping one another in the Body – we end up bickering back & forth about items we’re probably BOTH mistaken…

B. Note this is also how false teachers & cults start sneaking their way into the church. “Strivings about the law” is likely a reference to Judaizers & is seen in legalism today. “Genealogies” were used to prove “true Jews” (and by Mormons today), but mean nothing considering true Jews are circumcised in the heart & the only genealogy that truly matters is Jesus’!
__a. Let’s keep the main thing the main thing. It’s about Jesus & the gospel!
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10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

A. Just like we avoid divisive works, we avoid divisive people. Gk αἱρετικός (heretic) = “to choose, divisive, schismatic, factious.” (Wuest) “A heretic is one therefore who refuses to accept true doctrine as it is revealed in the Bible, and prefers to choose for himself what he is to believe.”
__a. Is heresy strictly theological? Not necessarily…our usage of the word is typically theological, but the Greek refers simply to division. Thus someone who goes through the Church creating factions & driving wedges between people could still be technically labeled a “heretic” even though they have an accurate statement of faith or confession. Even in this case, their true theology would be betrayed by their actions – showing that they do not value the love of Christ & unity of the Body.

B. Interesting description of heretics/divisive men – “warped and sinning…self-condemned…” Those who keep trying to cause division after being confronted twice on the matter truly are warped…self-obsessed & self-condemned. As with other sin in the church, the person is to be lovingly confronted & if he/she persists in sin, they are to be rejected & treated as an unbeliever.
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12 When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing.

A. Personal instructions… This is the only mention of Artemas & Zenas (apparently an expert in the Mosaic law) in the NT…obviously they were well-known to Paul & trusted by him. Apollos is surely the same person mentioned in Acts 18 & 1 Cor – many believe he was a lesser apostle, along the lines of Barnabas.

B. Note this 1st opportunity to do good works: the church at Crete could supply Zenas & Apollos for their journey…
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14 And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.
A. Reiteration of “good works”… Good works ought to be marks of the Church & are part of the fruit of maturity in lives of believers.
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15 All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
A. Personal greetings…

Conclusion:
When we understand the incredible work of God’s grace in our lives, we can’t help but change! Of course we engage in good works now – what else would we do? When we were of the world, we engaged in wicked, selfish works – but now that we’re in Christ, our lives ought to reflect the agape love of God that saved us.

Beware of the faith that stays on a person’s lips and never makes it down to their feet. That’s a dangerous position to be in! As James is going to tell us (quite clearly), faith without works is dead (Jas 2:17). If we’re always professing faith in Jesus Christ but never show the love of Christ for the Church or act in compassion towards our neighbor – it may be an indication we don’t truly know Christ at all. When we are truly in Christ, we’re going to love not just in word or in tongue, but in deed & in truth (1 John 3:19). That’s not to say we buy into anyone’s particular vision of a “social agenda” – but that we personally and individually demonstrate the compassion of the One who bestowed His compassion & kindness upon us.

Have you experienced the compassion of Christ? God has already demonstrated His love for you by sending Jesus to die in your place on the cross. That much is a fact – but if you never receive His gift of grace, you still place yourself in the position of receiving His righteous wrath and judgment because of sin. Remember that without being reborn by God, you’re spiritually dead – you’re a dead-man-walking because of all the lies, lusts, selfishness & blasphemies we commit as we sin against our Creator God. But forgiveness is available! You can be born again today – repent & trust Jesus as Savior & Lord.

Because of the Gospel

Titus 2:11-15, “Because of the Gospel”
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Introduction:
One of the things I like about the letter to Titus is that amidst of all of Paul’s general instructions to this minister of the church about how to set up leadership, what to exhort people to do in ministry, and living in good works & holiness (which is all great instruction in & of itself), he comes out with these flashes of deep theology…where we almost sit back with our mouths gaping open in wonder at the God who saves us. We saw it in the opening of the letter when he wrote about the fulfilled promise of our Savior – he’ll write about it in Ch 3 regarding the Holy Spirit – and he writes about it here in Ch 2 about the gospel of grace.

Let’s keep our context in mind here. Paul just came out of a lengthy section in which he wrote about church roles & expectations. The elders were to be qualified mature Christians who taught the truth & warned the church away from false doctrine. The body were to be living in holiness (exemplifying the fact that they were saved & how they were maturing in Christ) & teaching one another as friends & mentors.

Why do we do all that? Why go through the effort? Surely for a slave, it would have been easier to steal from his master, but why live in righteousness? Why would an experienced lady in Christ take the time out of a busy schedule to teach a younger sister in the Lord how to love their husbands & families? Why live rightly at all? Because we’ve been saved! Because our lives have been changed by Jesus Christ & we can never be the same again. It’s all because of the gospel of grace – see vs. 11…

Titus 2:11-15 (NKJV)
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

A. The gospel of salvation is here! Notice the past tense “appeared” – 2000 years ago, the angels sang over Bethlehem “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace & goodwill toward men.” At the moment of Jesus’ birth through His death & resurrection, the grace of God appeared. The world did not often recognize Him – and in fact His own people rejected Him, but the eternal God the Son became flesh & dwelt among us. And because this took place at a specific point of history in the past, we can proclaim the gospel of grace in the present!

B. What is the gospel? “grace” Pure unmerited, undeserved favor showered upon us…a favor freely given. (Wuest) “But in pagan Greece, this favor was always conferred upon a friend, not upon an enemy. When charis is taken over into the terminology of the New Testament, it takes an infinite leap forward, and acquires an added meaning which it never had in pagan Greece, for the favor God did at Calvary’s Cross, He did, not for a race that loved Him but which hated Him.” [Valentine’s Day] The ultimate demonstration of love did not come in a Hallmark card, but at a violent place of execution – the Cross. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. []

C. Where does grace originate? “God”. If salvation were earned, or even partially deserved, it wouldn’t be called “grace.” Instead, God in His mercy looked upon His once-good Creation (now fallen) & through His love offers us grace freely because of the work of His Son.
__a. What’s the ONLY difference between a born-again Christian & a hardened-atheist? Jesus. Only by God’s grace are we saved. We’ve committed the same sins – we’ve rebelled against the same God – and even if one sin is “worse” than the other in our sight, we’re all under the same condemnation. The only thing that makes a difference is God. We have received His grace freely through Jesus Christ, and the atheist hasn’t.
__b. So what? So let us beware of the tendency to the make the gospel about us & what we’ve done. If it weren’t for the grace shown to us by God, none of us would be here…it’s all about Him & for His glory.

D. What does the grace of God do? “brings salvation…” We were in need of saving, and God saved us solely by an act of His grace. And praise God we have been SAVED! He brought us salvation from the penalty that our sins deserved… He brings us salvation from the power of sin over our lives… He will bring us salvation from the very presence of sin in eternity… All of this is revealed through the Cross & Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

E. Who has this gospel been revealed to? “all men…” Depending on your translation, this might be a bit confusing – as if all people had received the gift of salvation. Obviously that’s not Paul’s point, as universalism contradicts the whole of the NT. But salvation is available to all men – the curse from the 1st Adam has been undone by the last Adam (Christ). [] God desires all men to come to repentance & be saved (2 Pet 3:9), but obviously not all do so. Every time Hell is referenced by Jesus, it’s populated with people…but God’s will is that they would be saved – that why He sent Christ in the 1st place!
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- The gospel calls us to live rightly…
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

A. Again, after we receive Christ as Lord through the gospel of grace, we can never be the same. Our whole list of priorities has been turned upside down. The 1st thing that changes is our very nature. That for which we once lived for, we now deny & that which we denied we now life for.

B. We deny “ungodliness”: Not speaking so much of physical sin (that’s covered in “worldly lusts”), but rather something more like impiety. God (being God) is deserving of worship from all His Creation & in our BC state (unregenerate), we rebel against Him & worship anything but God. In Christ, that changes – and now we’re not only capable of godly worship, the gospel of grace teaches us how to change.

C. We deny “worldly lusts”: All the temptation the world throws at us every day is designed to get us to lust after those ends. Riches, pleasure, fame, sexual desire – turn on TV during prime-time & you’ll find a commercial that promises one (if not several) of these just by buying their product. The gospel of grace teaches us to deny what’s in the world & seek that which is in Christ.

D. We live “soberly”: This is the same word used throughout Ch 2 as a reference to self-control. In Christ, we can keep those worldly-lusts in check & refrain from indulging in every temptation.
__a. Don’t buy into the lie of: “That’s just the way I am.” That’s antithetical to the gospel! That is to deny the work of Christ in you. No – giving into those temptations was just the way you WERE. In Christ, you’ve been given a new nature & we don’t have to present our members to sin any longer…

E. We live “righteously”: justly with one another. “Soberly” addresses upright living with ourselves; “righteously” addresses it with one another. We love one another as Christ has loved us.

F. We live “godly”: We’ve seen inward & outward; now we see upward. Whereas before we lived in ungodly impiety, now we live a life dedicated to our God & in a way that brings Him glory.

G. This isn’t just for future eternity. Some folks think that they’ll finally give up their ungodliness when they see Jesus face-to-face; but God wants us to live for Him NOW…we’re to do this “in the present age.” That doesn’t mean we live perfectly & never have a bad day – it does mean that the grace of God both teaches us to live rightly for God & enables us to do it at the same time.
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- The gospel calls us to live expectantly…
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

A. Living the Christian life isn’t going on ‘auto-pilot’ & zoning out. It’s being ready to see our Savior face-to-face at any moment…

B. We’re looking for “the blessed hope & glorious appearing” of Jesus. English rendering can be a bit confusing, as if Paul is talking about 2 events here – Greek construction makes it clear this is one thing. The appearance of the glory of Christ IS the blessed hope. Is Paul referring to the rapture or the 2nd coming here? Probably both – all in one general statement & event. No matter what camp you find yourself in regarding the rapture, it’s sure to happen at some point prior to Jesus’ 2nd Coming…it’s the primary event that ushers it in (people mainly bicker about 7 years – but 7 compared to over 2000 since His resurrection & ascension is pretty small & it’d be easy to group it all together). Why both?
__a. Because this event is imminent. The Church is to be actively “looking for the blessed hope.” We’re not to look in dread towards a tribulation time, or in fear towards the coming Antichrist – but in anticipation of our Savior! And He can descend from heaven at any time to catch us up together with Him in the clouds. (1 Thess 4:16-17)
__b. Because this event is glorious. Whereas only the Church will see Jesus in the rapture (which is in itself glorious), there’s no escaping the glory of God made manifest in the 2nd Coming of Christ. Greek is not “glorious appearing,” but “appearance of glory” – which is exactly what we see when Christ returns to reign. Revelation 19:12-14 (12) His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. (13) He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. [] (Who’s His army? Us!)

C. Ultimately, we’re not looking forward to an event so much as we’re looking forward to a Person. We’re waiting to see “our great God & Savior Jesus Christ.” Don’t miss the forest for the trees here! It’s easy to get excited about prophetic events & incredible doctrine about the rapture & 2nd coming…but the reason it’s so exciting is not because of the head-knowledge; it’s because we’re going to see JESUS. Like a grand wedding procession, He’s going to receive His bride to Himself & we’ll get to be with Him forever! John 14:1-3 (1) “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. (2) In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. [] Glorious! What does Paul write about our Lord here?
__a. Jesus is God: This is one of the strongest statements in all of the NT about the divinity of Christ. Grammatically speaking, there’s no getting around the fact that Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) is calling Jesus “God.” And He is! Cults attempt to twist this idea around into pretzels, saying that “Jesus is the Son of God yes, but the Son is less than the Father”…or “Jesus is begotten of the Father, so Jesus must be less than the Father.” Good luck with that pretzel twisting here. Jesus is GOD. Yes He’s the Son of God, but He’s also God the Son. He’s the 2nd Person in the Trinity – fully God and fully man. He has always existed from eternity – He was present at Creation & took part in Creation – He’s been given all authority in heaven and on earth – He will judge the quick & the dead at the Great White Throne.
____i. Which tells us something about the way we approach Him. We approach Him freely & as His friends (because He called us His friends) – but Jesus is not our “buddy.” He’s our Lord & our God.
__b. Jesus is our Savior: Or as it could be translated, our “rescuer/deliverer…” Imagine that you’re at the brink of death – drowning in an ocean without a life-jacket & no boat is in sight. At that moment, out of nowhere, you’re lifted out of the water, given mouth-to-mouth, & placed in protective custody. At that point you’d appreciate what it means to be “rescued.” That is exactly what Jesus did for us! We were already condemned to an eternity of death in a place where there is non-stop weeping & gnashing of teeth. And without any effort of our own, Someone else comes along and swoops us out of the ocean of sin, breathes in us new life, and brings us into His own family under His protection. Jesus is our Savior – our Rescuer!
__c. Jesus is great! Greek “megas” = “large, mighty, important.” Jesus is far more than just any old god that can be lumped in the Greek or Roman pantheon. He’s far more than the egotistical cult of the Roman emperor. Jesus is the ‘Mega’ God – He’s greater than ALL of them put together, & all of them (if they even existed) put together are nothing in comparison with Him.
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- The gospel calls us to live purely…to live for the One who redeemed us…
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

A. Our great God & Savior “gave Himself for us…” So much in this little phrase!
__a. Jesus “gave”: The only One Who truly has a right to ‘take’ didn’t do so. He gave freely – He gave abundantly – He gave lovingly.
__b. Jesus gave “Himself”: The largest polished diamond in the world is the “Cullian I” or “Great Star of Africa” in the British Crown jewels – valued at over $400M. That is a pittance compared to what we’ve been purchased with. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (18) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. [] We’ve been purchased by the most valuable commodity in the entire Universe: the life of God. Jesus gave not just “of” Himself (which would have been enough); He gave Himself.

B. Why did He give Himself? To “redeem us from every lawless deed…” Giving Himself was truly a purchase (“redeem” = “ransom”). We were enslaved to sin – we belonged to it & proved it through our lusts & wickedness. But in the midst of that, Jesus purchased our freedom with His blood.

C. That takes care of the past, but He also purchased us for the present. He redeemed us to “purify us for Himself His own special people…” Once we were stained by the filth of sin, but through the blood of Jesus we are made pure – we are set apart – we are cleansed – and we are now His people. From a Gentile perspective, this is an absolutely incredible thought! We once were not a people (we were doomed for death with no connection to God whatsoever), but now we’re not just any people, we’re HIS people. His own special people – the people of God. (1 Pet 2:9-10) This gives us the motivation for living rightly & expectantly. We’ve been given an identity in Christ Jesus…we are the Church, the “called out ones.” And because we’ve been called out by Christ to Himself & by Himself, we live differently.

D. What do His people do? We are to be “zealous for good works”… Whereas before we were saved we lived purely for selfish reasons, now we live for selfless reasons to glorify God through our actions. Actions & deeds certainly don’t save us, but they do demonstrate that we’ve been saved – and the Church ought to be excited & enthusiastic about the opportunity to take part in them.
__a. Sometimes in response to a heresy there’s a tendency to swing too far in the opposite direction – and that’s exactly what’s taken place with the “social gospel.” The social gospel has been given a resurgence in the last several years – it makes for a pretty popular outreach politically… In response, evangelicalism has (many times) shied away from social outreach considerably…and it’s been a mistake. Good works go hand-in-hand with the gospel – not in order to earn salvation, but as a result of it.
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- This is what the Church is supposed to remind us of…
15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

A. Titus was to remind the church of the ramifications of the gospel…how our lives were to be completely changed. Sometimes this involves speaking (instruction) – sometimes it involves exhortation (inspiring) – sometimes it involves rebuke. To those who claimed the name of Christ, yet had trouble leaving worldly lusts behind, Titus was to give a sound & loving rebuke. To those who were discouraged by persecution & the trials & temptations that come with being a Christian, Titus was to exhort & encourage them to keep looking for Jesus. Ultimately, he was to keep preaching the gospel to Christians & keep pointing them to Christ.
__a. Sometimes we start thinking that the gospel is only for the unbelievers – but that’s not true. All of us as Christians need to be reminded of the gospel of grace. Until we see Jesus face-to-face, we’re going to have troubles, temptations, and failures…and we need to know that our relationship with Christ & His salvation is not based on our ability, but upon His grace.

B. Last phrase similar to instruction to Timothy (1 Tim 4:12). Perhaps his youth might have been a roadblock for some to view him as having authority. Ultimately, it’s not Titus that has the authority; it’s the word of God…and the word of God proclaims the gospel of grace which saves us & changes us & calls us to live differently.

Conclusion:
What a change each of us go through after we repent & put our faith/trust in Jesus Christ! Whereas before everything we did was because of us & our desires; now everything we do is because of what Jesus did for us, seen in His gospel of grace.
A. The gospel shows us our salvation from God…
B. The gospel calls us to live rightly before Him…
C. The gospel calls us to live expectantly looking for Jesus…
D. The gospel calls us to live purely for Him who redeemed & bought us…

These are all the things the good news of the gospel of grace tells us & instructs us as the Church – but ultimately the gospel is the gospel because of Jesus Christ. It wouldn’t be good news if it weren’t for Jesus! He’s the One who demonstrated His love & humility in His 1st Coming – went to the cross on our behalf – resurrected & ascended & lives today – will come back in His 2nd Coming to rule & reign. So Christian…deny ungodliness & worldly lusts for Jesus’ sake. Live soberly, righteously & godly for Jesus’ sake. Be encouraged in your trials by looking for the blessed hope when you’ll see Jesus face-to-face. Be zealous for good works because Jesus saved you & made you a new creation. It’s ALL about Jesus, as demonstrated through the gospel.

What if you’re not a Christian? What if you haven’t turned away from your sin & actively trusted Jesus as your Lord & Savior? Then you need to understand that you’re drowning. You may not fully realize it – but you are in an ocean of sin & just waiting to go down. You (like the rest of us) need a Rescuer to show you unmerited favor (grace) to lift you up out of the mire & breathe into you new life. You cannot earn Jesus’ salvation; but you CAN receive it.

Christians look like Christ

Titus 2:1-10, “Christians Look Like Christ”
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Introduction:
As we’ve gone through the pastoral epistles, there have been a lot of instruction to elders & deacons…admonitions regarding teaching…what is expected of leadership. Some folks might be thinking, “So when is Paul going to say something about what I’m supposed to do?” Congratulations – this is your week! In Ch 2, Paul has something to say to everyone in the church…old/young/male/female.

So what is it he has to say? For much of what we’ve been studying in 1-2 Timothy & Titus, Paul has been addressing doctrine (and he’ll have more to say on it today). But where rubber of doctrine meets the road is in our behavior & character. We preach and proclaim a transforming gospel: that when we repent, God the Son Jesus Christ saves us & births us in a new nature – where once we were slaves to sin, now we are slaves to righteousness to the glory of God. What does it say about Christ when professed Christians walk around acting like they are unchanged?

So what do we as a Church (universal – beyond these walls) do about it? What else? We help one another & point each other to Jesus…which is one of the things the writer of Hebrews was getting at. Hebrews 10:24-25 (24) And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, (25) not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. []

This is what Paul writes to Titus in Ch 2…how the Church can go about stirring up love & good works among itself. How we can come alongside each other as a body & help one another mature in the faith & mature in our actions to be a good witness of our Lord & Savior.

Titus 2:1-10 (NKJV)
1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:

A. “As for you” what? In comparison to the false teachers that Paul just got done describing. They professed to know God, but denied Him in their works. Most of Ch 2 is going to instruct Titus & the church how to avoid that…to make their walk consistent with their word.

B. They taught fables; Titus was to teach what was “proper for sound doctrine.” Speaking of healthy teaching…(it’s good for you!) Have you noticed an emphasis on sound doctrine in the pastoral epistles? Paul can be kind of subtle here. The reason for the repetition is obvious: we have an enemy who is actively trying to take down Christians through false teaching. And his attacks only get worse in the end days that we find ourselves in (1 Tim 4:1). The way to identify what is false is to know the truth [Secret Service – counterfeit training]. Thus Paul hammers home the need to his local pastors to teach the truth.

C. What will proper teaching include? Instructions for older men, older women, young women, and young men. Sound doctrine affects everyone in the church… What happens if someone in the church is not ever affected by the teaching of the word of God? (1) The doctrine being taught is not “sound”… (2) The person being taught is not part of the Church… (1 Cor 2:14)
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2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;

A. “older men”: Not a reference to elders in the church, but simply speaking of the general age range. Those who are older in years ought to act more mature in their character.
__a. “sober”: The particular Greek usually refers to abstinence from wine, but many scholars believe Paul has a wider meaning here. The older men are to be sober in their thoughts & actions…
__b. “reverent”: august, grave… NIV, “worthy of respect”
__c. “temperate”: exercise wisdom in being self-controlled
__d. “sound in faith”: Could be written “THE faith” (definite article in Greek). Implies that Paul isn’t referring to a confident trust in God so much, as in the faith as a whole. IOW, older men are expected not to only be mature in years, but in doctrine. Someone who’s walked with the Lord Jesus for 40 years ought to have a deeper understanding of God than someone 4 months old in the faith. No excuse otherwise…
__e. “sound in…love”: agape… No matter how mature in our walk with the Lord we get, we can always learn more of His love… We can always improve in our expression of it…
__f. “sound in…patience”: (Wuest) “…literally, ‘remaining under’ trials and afflictions in a way that honors God.”
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3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—

A. Older women were also to be instructed in character, but the primary emphasis here is on behavior…
__a. “reverent”: Scholars note the word used here was commonly used among pagans as referring to the work of priestesses. Obviously Paul’s not endorsing idolatrous practice, but simply instructing the women to understand that their lives were to be a holy sacrifice & service rendered unto God. Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. [] This isn’t just true for older ladies; it’s true for all of us…
__b. “not slanderers”: Gk diabolos – usually translated “devil.” Apt translation! Gossip that results in bearing false witness about someone is doing the Devil’s work, as he is the father of all lies.
__c. “not given to much wine”: literally not “enslaved” to wine…
__d. “teachers of good things”: With experience & maturity comes responsibility & ministry. One of the (many) tragedies of much of what’s known as American evangelicalism is the desire only to attract the young. The trend is to be the cool attractional church that all the young parents & teenagers want to go to. In the meantime, more experienced saints are shuffled off to the side… The church should neither cater solely to the young NOR cater to the aged. The church should just be the church & help us minister to one another. Those who are young in years & the faith need teachers – and those who are mature have a responsibility from God to teach.

B. Who specifically were they to teach? Young women. This doesn’t just make good sense, it’s wisdom in action. Titus would be fully capable of teaching the word, but when it comes to how to relate to one’s husband & family & intimate issues, that is something older women should teach younger women, not just because they know the issues at hand, but it keeps everyone above reproach.
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4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

A. Primarily, they were to teach the young ladies what it meant to be a Christian woman. Young ladies didn’t need instruction in how to act like everyone else in their culture (there is no end of bad examples). What they needed was Godly instruction from Godly women. In essence, the older ladies were to serve as mentors to them.
__a. Biblically, we see this all over the place – we call them “disciples”… Elijah & Elisha – John the Baptist & co – Jesus & the 12 – Barnabas & Mark – Paul & Timothy/Titus. All examples where people had lots of personal time with the teachers they were learning from. Our own culture has started to see the value in this again…(internships – apprenticeships – mentoring). Why is personal time so important? Because more often than not, character is better ‘caught’ than ‘taught.’ We can know a lot of truths about love & compassion – but when we see it modeled before our eyes, it makes a huge difference…
__b. We need mentors in the church! American evangelicalism has mirrored American culture in many ways – one of which is to go to a meeting, go home, and shut the door behind you. [Fenced houses…] But those in the Church (by definition) should be different. We’re called out from the world, united into one Body – we ought to be helping one another grow & mature. And that means getting involved…

B. What specifically were the young women to be instructed to do?
__a. “to love their husbands”: This is actually one word in the Greek & it’s root actually isn’t in “agape” but in “phileo” (affectionate friendship). The idea here is more of a dedication to her husband. Eph 5:33 calls upon wives to respect their husband – her affection would be an outward working of that.
__b. “to love their children”: Yes, there are times mothers need help in loving their children. Especially when it’s 2am & they’ve cried for help 5 times already that night… The Greek is very similar to the instruction regarding husbands; mothers are to be fond of their children & value them even when it’s difficult.
__c. “to be discreet”: This is the same word translated “temperate” in vs 2 regarding older men. The ladies were to likewise be self-controlled.
__d. “chaste”: refers to purity & uprightness. Like everyone else in the church, the young woman was to have a reputation that was above reproach.
__e. “homemakers”: Somewhat self-explanatory – speaks of someone being busy in the home, or working there. Instead of running around town or gossiping, the young women were to be productive in what they did…which was usually around the house. [] Does this mean women aren’t allowed to work outside the home? No – the Bible has many examples of women doing so. (Prov 31 woman buys fields & plants vineyards – Lydia sold purple dye/fabrics: Acts 16:14 – Priscilla was a tentmaker: Acts 18:3) But a Christian woman has her family in the right priority.
____i. Why are the older women in the church supposed to help with this? Because it’s too easy to get instruction from the world. Far too many Christian women get their instruction from Oprah (who is flatly anti-Biblical). Far better to get instruction from a Christian sister…
__f. “good”: Good just means good. Overarching instruction.
__g. “obedient to their own husbands”: This is in line with Ephesians 5 & Colossians 3. Christian women are supposed to submit to their husbands simply because that is the order God has given in the home, as a picture of what spiritually takes place between Christ & the Church.
____i. Note the possessive here: “OWN husbands”. All women are not supposed to submit to all men…only to their own husbands…

C. What happens when Christian young women are acting like Christian young women? They become good witnesses for our King & “the word of God may not be blasphemed.” When David was confronted in his sin by Nathan, he was told that he caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme (2 Sam 12:14). We can do the same thing through our actions when we play the hypocrite.
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6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,

A. Young men aren’t left out of the equation… They need to be taught as well. Not even Titus was left out of this (“yourself” – vs 7) – he was likely a young man like Timothy. Titus was to be both a teacher of character AND an example…

B. What did the young men need? The same thing the young women needed: mentors. Especially today, there is a dearth of mentors for young men! Instead of mentors, people turn to role models. But even ‘good’ role models fail when they later turn up to be photographed smoking a marijuana pipe. Two problems with that:
__a. We’re looking to the world for role models rather than to the church… What else would we expect from the world? Sinners sin…that ought to be expected.
__b. The BEST role model is Jesus Christ Himself. Ultimately, we should be pointing young men & women to HIM… Even when Paul told the Corinthians to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Cor 11:1), the emphasis was on following Christ. Ephesians 5:1-2 (1) Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. (2) And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. [] Christians have the best role model conceivable: Someone Who is perfect, yet can sympathize with us in our weaknesses, even though He never once failed. We serve Christ – we ought to teach one another to walk in His footsteps.

C. 1st area to teach? Sound character & behavior…
__a. “be sober-minded”: Similar to the other instructions for older men & women to be temperate & self-controlled (same root). Could be translated “be sane” (which might be very applicable to certain young men! ) – but the idea is to have sober judgment.
__b. “be a pattern of good works”: Specifically, this was for Titus. But because he was to be a pattern/example of good works, it implies the rest of the young men were to follow in doing them. Whoever said that the works of a Christian don’t matter? They do! The way we live is a testimony to the fact that we’ve been redeemed from the curse of death – that we’ve been bought & our Lord & Savior is the always-good Creator of the Universe… Our words are only part of our testimony of Christ; our works are as well.

D. Also addresses doctrine again…why? Having sound doctrine demonstrates “integrity, reverence, & incorruptibility.” The doctrine that Titus taught & the Church promoted was to be the pure & unceasing word of God presented in all seriousness that it deserved. Thus their preaching is reflected in their practice.
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8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

A. Weird place for a verse break – the sound doctrine taught by Titus that demonstrated integrity, reverence, and incorruptibility WAS “sound speech”. At Titus (and the rest of the church) presented the truth of the word, demonstrated it in deed, and lived it in his character, it made a difference in their witness. People might object to what was being taught, but they could not condemn the church in the process. At that point, what attack can an opponent take? None. They will have “nothing evil to say of you.” This is the result of living our lives above reproach…
__a. Guess what? We ALL need help doing this. It’s tough to live lives that are truly beyond reproach. That’s why the Church is to come alongside one another in instruction. Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. [] We’re a family of believers – if one of us needs help in an area, who better to help than someone who loves them unconditionally in Christ? …
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9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

A. Why are bondservants separated from the rest? This was simply a recognition of their culture. Some scholars estimate that up to half of the population of the Roman Empire were slaves – so it makes sense that Paul spends a significant portion of the Scriptures addressing them & how they should act in daily life.

B. They were to act like Christians, even in their service. Why? Because ultimately, their Master was the Lord God. (Col 3:23-24) They were supposed to be:
__a. “obedient to their own masters”: Whether justly or unjustly, slaves had owners – and they were to glorify God by being obedient in the situation in which they found themselves. The Church was actually an arena where this could be reversed…where a slave could be an elder, actually teaching & instructing his own master. But back in the day-to-day life, the servant was to be obedient.
__b. “well pleasing in all”: doing the job well – like Joseph, even when wrongfully imprisoned.
__c. “not answering back”: back-talking or verbally opposing their masters.
__d. “not pilfering”: It was extremely common for Roman slaves to steal from their masters; Christian slaves were to be set apart from this.
__e. “showing all good fidelity”: being trustworthy in all things.

C. The result is similar to what Paul wrote about the young ladies. If the young ladies did as instructed, God would not be blasphemed. For servants, this is the flip side of the coin. Beyond living above reproach, they would be actively demonstrating the grace of Christ, and they would “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” It beautifies the gospel as it actively demonstrates the transforming power and love of our Lord & Savior.

Conclusion:
Want to sum it up? Christians ought to look like Christ… The Lord Jesus is the ultimate example of sober thinking, reverence, love, patience, purity, with sound doctrine supported by good works & sound speech. When His enemies tried to accuse Him, they failed repeatedly…even the one thing witnesses agreed upon was a provable falsehood against Him. Jesus lived His life completely above reproach, which only served to underscore what He taught about holiness and the need to be forgiven.

As those who claim the name of Christ, we ought to be the same way! Paul’s going to come back to this theme throughout the letter & for good reason: verse 5. When Christians don’t look like Christ, then the word of God is blasphemed among unbelievers. Christians are supposed to be known by our love for God & one another, but when we’re backbiting or divisive or self-absorbed, it’s easy to understand why the world thinks that the Gospel must not be true. After all, if Jesus really is risen from the dead, then His followers ought to actually be following Him.

Thus we need to help one another. One of the ways we learn how to look like Christ is by learning from one another, as those who are more mature in the Lord help instruct those who are new to the faith & model their maturity for them. Let me challenge you today: if you would be in the category of an “older man” or “older woman” in Christ, do you have younger people you’re intentionally pouring yourself into? Perhaps there’s a young person or a new parent whom God has placed in your life for this very reason. [Growing up in a non-Christian home] What about with your kids? Parents are not exempt…the home is where it ought to start. We have a tendency to teach our kids to behave, but sometimes fall short on modeling what it means to follow Christ. Start today!

Identifying Elders

Titus 1:5-16, “Identifying Elders”
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Introduction:
Last week, we only just barely begun Paul’s epistle to Titus – he started off with an incredibly deep greeting covering virtually every aspect of our salvation: how God loved us before time began – gave the promise & prophecy of salvation through Christ – manifested it during His incarnation – proclaimed it through it’s preaching – and grants grace, mercy, peace & the confident hope of eternal life to all who trust Jesus Christ as Savior & Lord. Glorious!

This week, Paul gets straight to business & to the core reason why he wrote the letter. The church in Crete had been established, but they were leaderless & so there was much work to be done. So what was Titus to look for in leaders? Knowing that God calls and equips men for the work of the ministry, how was Titus to identify these people? Especially in a land that was predominantly known for its UNgodliness. That’s what Paul instructs Titus in the rest of Ch 1. It’s not a matter of seeking skill; it’s a matter of searching character.

Titus 1:5-16 (NKJV)
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—
– The reason for the letter. Order & elders:

A. “set in order”: Apparently, there were many things that were lacking – not just qualified church leadership. The primary thing seems to have been holiness in their living. Throughout the rest of the letter, Paul reminds Titus how the church was to deny ungodliness & worldly lusts (2:12) – to be subject to rulers & authorities (3:1) – to maintain good works (3:8) & more. To have a church that is living like the world is to have a church out of order – and part of Titus’ responsibility as an apostolic emissary was to correct this.

B. “Appoint elders”: Among these other issues was the obvious issue of leadership. We don’t know exactly how the churches in Crete were founded – but obviously, they were comprised mainly of new believers, and didn’t know what to look for in elders or local pastors. Titus had a similar job as Timothy in Ephesus to find/raise up qualified men & ordain them to leadership…which is the bulk of what we’re looking at today.
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- Biblical elders…very similar to the teaching found in 1 Tim 3.
6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.
– Family life of elders…

A. “blameless”: Not perfect; blameless…important distinction! Someone who is blameless has a known character & accusations of sin don’t “stick” to them. They live above reproach.

B. “husband of one wife”: As with 1 Tim 3, the literal wording here is “one woman man” & the intent is debated thoroughly. Some think Paul is referring to a husband of one living woman (subsequent marriages after death being allowed) – others believe Paul’s intent is broader, that divorce & remarriage for elders/bishops is allowed for biblical reasons, and that he’s simply referring to someone who doesn’t chase women, or have multiple concubines (which were common in the culture).

C. “having faithful children”: This goes a step further than 1 Tim 3, where Paul concentrated on biblical discipline in the home. Here, the children’s character is an indication of the qualification of the elder himself. Why does it matter? An elder’s 1st ministry is like anyone else’s 1st ministry…it’s to his own family. If his children are completely out-of-control, then his 1st responsibility is to tend to the needs of his own family.
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7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,

A. What a bishop/elder (somewhat interchangeable in Titus) is NOT. In being “blameless” (same word), the bishop is a “steward of God” (in that he cares for God’s possession – the Church) & thus there are several things he should not be.

B. “not self willed”: Could be translated “arrogant” – the thought is that the self-willed person would place themselves above all others, berating people until he could get his own way. Obviously doesn’t fit with the qualifications of an elder, as a mature Christian demonstrates love by not seeking his own (1 Cor 13:5)

C. “not quick-tempered”: Not that an elder never gets angry (there is a time & place for righteous anger!) – but an elder shouldn’t be prone to anger. His overall demeanor should reflect the love & kindness of Christ; not always looking like a volcano ready to blow.

D. “not given to wine”: The general idea is drunkenness, but the word itself is a compound of “beside + wine” – one who sits a long time with the wine bottle. Among the congregation, the use of alcohol is often debated. Among elders & overseers, the Scripture is very clear.

E. “not violent”: Could be translated “bully”…speaking of someone who’s prone to violence & physical abuse.

F. “not greedy for money”: The person who enters the pastorate for money is (1) deluded , and (2) harmful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s good & biblical to compensate elders/overseers for their work & time (a laborer is worthy of his wage – 1 Tim 5:8), but it’s not good for an elder to have an undue focus on money (whether through the church or other side pursuits). No one can serve 2 masters (Matt 6:24), and that’s just as true for bishops as anyone else.
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8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,
– What an elder IS…mostly self-explanatory.

A. “Hospitable”: Extremely important in the culture, both for Jews & Greeks. It’s only logical that an elder would be gracious to guests & strangers – after all, you can’t share the gospel with people when you’re always avoiding them.

B. “Lover of what’s good”: KJV has “good men”, but there’s no reason in Greek to restrict it to people. Whatever is good & God-honoring should be something that an overseer could rejoice in.

C. “Sober-minded”: moderate or temperate in actions.

D. “Just”: righteous in actions & deed.

E. “Holy”: This isn’t the normal Greek word which refers to being “set apart” – this refers more to someone’s personal piety. It’d be illogical to have a teacher about God who never worshipped God.

F. “Self-Controlled”: Someone who can restrain himself…this is part of the outworking of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
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9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
– What an elder DOES…

A. Holds “fast to the word” according to what “he has been taught”: In 1 Tim 3:6, Paul warned Timothy not to appoint a “novice/neophyte” to the office of a bishop, in order to avoid the trap of pride. Right here is another reason. The bishop/elder needs to know the Scriptures well enough to hold fast to them & not be tossed to/fro with every wind of doctrine that blows through. The Godly elder stands firm on the word of God & does not budge, despite the pressure to do so.
__a. It seems that every few years, there’s another “new threat” to Christianity that makes the headlines. Lately, we’ve had the “DaVinci Code” followed by the “Gospel of Judas” followed by the potential “tomb of Jesus” (all of which either turned out to be fake or without foundation). What the church doesn’t need are pastors who are going to panic with each new headline that runs on CNN. We’re to simply hold fast to the Scripture – because it’s faithful – because it’s the word of God.

B. Uses sound doctrine in exhortation: As pastors/elders come alongside those in the local body, they are to use Scripture to console, comfort, and build up one another. The key is to use the truth of the Scripture (sound doctrine) – because that’s where the power of God lies. …

C. Uses sound doctrine in conviction (even when someone contradicts the teaching): Conviction isn’t making someone feel bad; conviction is a loving rebuke used in a way to bring about repentance. The Bible isn’t a something to be thumping people over the head with in order to make them feel as guilty as possible… Guilt without godly sorrow is useless (and usually manipulative). Godly sorrow leads to repentance – so it follows that the conviction needs to be brought about in a godly manner…that’s where sound doctrine comes in. When the word of God is clearly taught, the word of God is what brings conviction – that’s part of how God designed it to work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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- False teachers/elders…
10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.

A. False teachers are “insubordinate”…how so? They reject the authority of the Scriptures. The context here isn’t speaking of someone who is merely mistaken on a non-essential doctrine – it’s of the person who deliberately contradicts (vs. 9) the truth. Described in three ways:
__a. “idle talkers”: having nothing of value to say; they just want to hear themselves speak.
__b. “deceivers”: what they do say is untrue & purposefully misleading.
__c. Legalistic: In Paul’s experience, he was dealing with Judaizers – “of the circumcision.” Granted, false teaching doesn’t always lead to legalism, but it often does. Usually the 1st thing deceivers try to add to the gospel of grace is a bunch of rules.

B. What ought to be done about false teachers? Stop their mouths…literally, “muzzle” them. Why? They “subvert whole households” through their false doctrine – they undermine the faith of weak believers & thus needed to be silenced & exposed.
__a. Some people have a tough time with this idea. ‘Why not just let them speak? Who are we to tell someone to be quiet?’ Even our culture has rules on what can & can’t be said – it’s illegal to yell out “Fire!” in a crowded theater because it would induce panic. If we publish lies about someone else in a newspaper, we can be sued for libel. Why would God’s protection of the Church be less than society? By preventing false teachers from teaching, God is protecting His church against panic – and He’s preventing lies from being spread about His Son.

C. Their motive? Greed. There’s a book to be sold & a dollar to be made. Yet another reason for qualified Godly elders not to be “greedy for money” – if they are, their doctrine can be bought out by the highest bidder.
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12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

A. Original source: Epimenides – Cretan poet from 6th century BC. Crete obviously had a bad reputation…even among Cretans! Scholars note that to even be called a Cretan in ancient Rome/Greece meant that you were being called a liar…the terms were synonymous. Basically, Paul’s saying that the false teachers in Crete were acting like Cretans – and that was the opposite of what the Church was to be known for.

B. BTW – when Paul called Epimenides a “prophet,” was he putting Epimenides on the level of a Godly prophet like Elijah? No. Epi was a “prophet of their own” – IOW, they saw him as a prophet & Paul was simply acknowledging that fact.
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13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.

A. What did some of the false teaching include? “Jewish fables & commandments of men…” Most likely, these were some of the same fables that Paul addressed with Timothy in 1 Tim 1:4 – extra-biblical stories and legends that only served to cause division. The extra commandments would have been a reference to the Judaizing teaching – probably on dietary laws considering vs. 15.

B. So how was Titus to go about stopping their mouths? Through a sharp or severe rebuke. Like a verbal slap in the face, Titus was to make it beyond doubt that what was being taught was absolutely untrue & that their motives for teaching it was absolutely ungodly. Most likely, this would include a public response to ensure that the false teaching couldn’t continue further.
__a. Sometimes the most loving response is a sharp rebuke, though we don’t often think about it in those terms. [Olivia running in parking lot] The mode of correction needs to fit the level of error. If someone just has a mistaken interpretation of doctrine, then surely Titus would address it gently (exhortation – vs. 9). But when someone is purposefully misleading the flock of God away from the Scriptures, the rebuke needs to be appropriately sharp.
__b. Was this some kind of power trip for Titus & the other leadership? No! The idea isn’t to ‘put someone down’ – it’s to bring correction so that they would know the truth. The goal of church discipline is always restoration… …
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- Correcting their false teaching…
15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.

A. ‘ALL things? Even sin?’ No…keep the context in mind. Paul’s specifically referring to the Judaizer’s imposition of the Jewish law on the Gentile believers (diet, clothing, etc…) What someone ate or wore had no bearing on whether or not that person was truly pure. In the Old Covenant, these practices were pictures to point the Jews to the purity of their hearts. Reminiscent of what Jesus taught about the same issue: Matthew 15:17-20 (17) Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? (18) But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. (19) For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (20) These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” []

B. So why are the pure, pure? Because of Christ Jesus! Those who trust Christ for the forgiveness of sin have been washed clean by His word & the Spirit – though once our sins made us red as scarlet, now we are as white as wool (Isa 1:18)…all because of the work of Christ. Likewise, those who are not in Christ are “defiled” because they are still in their sin. This isn’t a character judgment; it’s a statement of fact. Because they are outside the blood and righteousness of Christ, they are inherently tainted by sin as a result of the Fall.
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16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

A. One way to tell a false teacher from a true teacher? Look at the fruit of their teaching (Matt 7:20). It doesn’t really matter what their statement of faith says about Jesus if their works make it plain they deny Him. Legalistic teachers deny the grace of God, which goes straight to the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ & thus they are disqualified from ministry.

B. This isn’t just true of false teachers; it’s also true of false converts… [] To those who would claim the name of Christ for themselves, but live a life that is completely inconsistent with Who Jesus is & what He told us to do, the NT would tell you to examine yourself & see if you’re in the faith (2 Cor 13:5). The last thing you want to do is deny Jesus your whole life, face Him on Judgment Day & have Him deny you.

Conclusion:
Basically, Paul’s been telling Titus: Son, you need some elders. Here are some good examples & here are some bad examples…go get the good ones! The problem with much of what passes for modern Christianity is that they’ve passed up on many good ones, because they want the flash of the bad ones… Instead of looking at the fruit of their teaching – instead of looking at Biblical qualifications, many people fall into the mindset of: “Look how dynamic he is – he’s anointed! He must have the Holy Spirit on him!”

God would protect us from these false teachers…which is why He’s laid out so clear in the Bible what qualifications He’s equipped in those that He’s called. What is it that we expect from those in church leadership? Perfection? Obviously not. Sincerity (lived out at home)… Godliness (demonstrated in character)… Truth (in doctrine & the faith)…

What is it we expect from ourselves? Hopefully not less. The qualifications for an elder are simply marks of a mature Christian. These are all things we can strive for – no matter what our ministry or vocation within the body of Christ is.

What if you’re not a Christian at all? Then your starting point in vs. 15. Whether or not you realize (or agree with) it, without Christ we are all tainted by sin. God created you in order that you would give Him glory, but because of the sin you inherited, you (like everyone else) rebelled against God. We did not recognize Him as God – we worshipped items of our own choosing – we set ourselves as 1st in our own lives, without regard to God or others – we’ve lied, lusted, stolen, hated others, dishonored our parents in myriads of ways. If God were to give us what we absolutely deserved, it would be eternal damnation… But God is not only just; He’s loving & merciful. He sent His only Son to die in your (and my) place on the cross taking the punishment that we deserved upon Himself & in Jesus’ resurrection, offers us forgiveness & new life… Don’t wait to respond to that offer – repent from your sin & trust Christ today…

Now THAT’s a Greeting!

Titus 1:1-4, “Now THAT’s a Greeting!”
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Introduction:
Who was Titus? We don’t know too much about his family background. He’s actually (strangely) not mentioned in Acts at all, though he seemed to be present at the Acts 15 council with Paul as proof of God’s genuine conversion of the Gentiles (Gal 2:1-3)… Titus was probably a direct convert of Paul (1:3), though we don’t know when/where his conversion took place. Eventually he became one of Paul’s trusted emissaries…he had been dispatched to Corinth to see their progress & help them get the financial offering for Jerusalem organized (mentioned 8 times in 2 Cor!). Towards the end of Paul’s life, Titus had left Rome for Dalmatia (present day Serbia/Bosnia – old Yugoslavia) most likely to continue spreading the gospel (2 Tim 4:10). Bottom line: Titus was someone that could be trusted with the gospel – he was a proven minister for the Lord.

At the time of this letter, Titus seems to have been in Crete (MAP – 1:5). He was left there by Paul just like Paul had earlier left Timothy to minister in Ephesus. Crete had a pretty bad reputation (1:12-13) & part of Titus’ task was to not only help the church organize in a Biblical manner, but behave in such a way as to not look like the stereotypical Cretan. When the world can look at the Church & not see a difference from itself, it’s a problem. And that’s not just something specific to ancient Crete, but the present day church in America as well!

As for today, we’re not going to get much further than the greeting – but what a greeting! With the (notable) exception of Romans, most of Paul’s epistles start with a quick introduction & description of Paul himself – a bit of theology about Christ – a bit of theology about the Church – and the famous “grace & peace”, and then heads directly into the meat of the letter. The letter to Titus has the same general pattern, but Paul goes into much more depth than usual & there’s much to see. Paul touches on everything from his roles in the body of Christ – to the believer’s walk with Christ – to God’s eternal plan – and the glorious proclamation of the gospel. Not bad for 4 verses.

Titus 1:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,

A. Paul was a slave: “bondservant” (Gk doulos) is commonly translated “slave” or “servant” throughout the NT. In the Greek culture, it was the lowest possible servant in a household – the person born into servitude. In the Hebrew culture, it was quite a bit different…the Hebrew bondservant was a willing slave. Every 7 years, slaves were to be set free… If the slave loved his master or his family, he had the choice of staying & serving him forever (Exo 21:5-6). Considering Paul’s background, the Hebrew thought is more likely the intent – but both mesh together really well in the gospel. When Paul was born again, he died to the slavery of sin, but was born as a slave to righteousness – yet this wasn’t a slavery of burden, but of joy! Jesus’ yoke is easy & His burden is light…
__a. Is servanthood a bad thing? Not when the Master is Almighty God. The psalmist declares he’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of wickedness (Ps 84:10). To serve the Lord is to experience true freedom, because we’ve been set free from sin & death, and are now free to worship God as He created us to do.

B. Paul was sent: At its most basic level, the word “apostle” simply means “sent one/messenger.” Paul had been sent out by the Lord Jesus to take the gospel to the Gentiles. More specifically, Paul had been an eyewitness of the Risen Son of God & entrusted with the responsibility of helping to lead the church in evangelism & doctrine.
__a. Note the paradox here: Paul is both a humble slave & a respected ambassador. On the one hand, he is simply a servant in the household of his God; and on the other, he has been personally sent out by the King of Kings to help plant churches around the world.
__b. We may not share in that specific gifting, but we all share in that calling – because we’ve all been given the Great Commission…we’ve been called by the Lord Jesus to be witnesses of Him in whatever situation He’s placed us.

C. Question: Did Paul need to remind Titus of all this? Of course not – which gives us a very good indication that Paul expected this epistle to be read to the entire church at Crete. It establishes his apostolic authority up front, and shows that although Paul is passing on personal instruction to Titus, the entire letter is written with the church in mind. (Meaning you & me, too!)
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…according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,

A. How is Paul a bondservant & apostle? “according to the faith” – this is due to the gospel. Paul never stopped being amazed at the fact that God would take a murderous hateful Pharisee, save him, & turn him into a servant of God. And neither should we. We’re who we are today as Christians because of the work of Jesus, as proclaimed through the gospel. We’re new creations according to the faith.

B. Who’s faith is it? “God’s elect,” i.e. the Church. As a born-again believer, you have been elected by God to salvation. Salvation never starts in the heart of man; it starts in the heart of God – He is always the initiator and we love Him because He 1st loved us (1 John 4:19). Before time began, in the eternal mind and counsel of God, He looked forward & chose us for His own. Romans 8:29-30 (29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. [] Do you see the wonderful news here? God knew you by name, chose you to Himself, and the entirety of your salvation is in His hand. There’s no more wonderful place to be!
__a. ‘Doesn’t the Bible also teach that we have to choose God?’ Yes…without a doubt. God gave His only begotten Son for the entire world (John 3:16) – He is not willing that any should perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9) – He commands that all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) – and whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:13). Those who choose to remain in sin and not call upon Jesus for salvation will not be able to blame God in eternity, nor charge Him with any wrongdoing. God has given us the Lord Jesus Christ & His gospel; we must respond.
__b. Can the two thoughts be reconciled? Sure – by God. So often when our minds fail to reconcile God’s sovereign choice of us & our responsibility to choose God, we think that one of the ideas must be false. But the fault isn’t in the truth of the Scripture, it’s in our limited human brain. From our perspective, we choose God; from God’s perspective He chooses us.
__c. ‘So how do I know if I’ve been chosen?’ There’s only one way to find out: choose Jesus. Turn from your sin and trust the Lord Jesus for your salvation – entrust your life to Him as the Risen Son of God.

C. The interesting thing about mentioning the elect of God here is that Paul immediately balances it out with man’s response. We know we are God’s elect when we come to “the acknowledgement of the truth” – when we come to a precise, experiential knowledge of the truth of the Gospel. ‘Precise’ in that we truly understand we are sinners in need of salvation & that God provided that salvation through Jesus Christ’s death & resurrection. ‘Experiential’ in that we don’t leave that information at the front of our brain, but we’re so convinced of its truth that we act on that knowledge and receive Christ as our Lord.

D. What goes with the knowledge of the truth? “Godliness” in living. Godliness always accompanies the truth of God. Christians ought to live and behave as if they’ve been bought by Christ & given new life. This is going to be what Paul comes back to over & over again in Titus.
__a. That doesn’t mean that Christians are perfect & reach a state of sinlessness. It does mean that we’re new creations… That we war against the flesh… That we’re to press on in Christ’s forgiveness…
__b. Just like we tend to polarize God’s election & man’s response, we also tend to polarize faith & works… But the two go together! We’re saved by grace through faith & not of works (Eph 2:8-9), but our faith is never without works or else its dead (Jas 2:17). Our godly living is the evidence of our faith.
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2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

A. What’s the end of faith in Christ & the acknowledgement of the truth? The “hope of eternal life…” The good news is good because it promises forgiveness from sin and eternity with Jesus. We all may have an appointment with death once – but for the Christian, never more. We will have forever life in the presence of our God.

B. How assured are we of that hope? We have the word of God Himself on the matter. And God cannot lie. Note, it’s not that God WILL not lie; God CAN not lie. Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? [] When we say God is “omnipotent” we tend to think that it means God can do anything. Granted, all things are possible with God – but there are some things God can not do: God cannot be tempted by evil (Jas 1:13) – God cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13)…and God cannot lie. When God speaks, things come into existence (creation!), thus everything God says is true as He is true.
__a. This tells us something pretty crucial about lying. We tend to think that of all various ways we could sin, that lying isn’t that big of a deal (even though it breaks the 9th Commandment). How bad is lying? It’s something that God cannot do; it’s antithetical to His very nature. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6); when we lie, we engage in something that is the complete opposite of Jesus Christ! No wonder all liars have their part in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8)…
__b. Again, bring it back to our salvation. If you’ve repented & placed your faith & trust in Christ Jesus alone for salvation as the Son of God who died for your sins & rose again to new life – if you’ve been born again of the Holy Spirit – you can be sure that you’re saved. Romans 10:8-9 (8) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. [] That is a statement of fact, and God has given us His word. God does not lie about the promise and gift of salvation. Let God be true & every man a liar! (Rom 3:4)

C. When did God promise the gospel? “before time began…” Jesus may have gone to the cross when He was 33 years old, but the Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). God was never surprised by sin & Adam’s fall – when He called out to Adam in the Garden, it wasn’t because He didn’t know what had happened; it was that He wanted Adam to repent. But God had provided for Adam’s sin long before Adam ever existed. (Which means there’s nothing we do that’s a surprise to Him either! Don’t keep sin unconfessed…confess it to Jesus & receive His forgiveness & cleansing!…1 John 1:9)
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3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

A. Jesus may have been promised before time began, but He came incarnate to earth in due time (born of a woman – Gal 4:4)… He came at just the right time & in just the right way. Well over 300 prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus’ 1st coming, dating back to the Garden of Eden (a logical impossibility & a true miracle in itself!)…including the timeframe between the commandment to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity until the coming of the Messiah (Dan 9:25). According to some calculations, this works out to the very day Jesus presented Himself in the temple on Palm Sunday prior to His crucifixion. “In due time” indeed! The Jews were looking for their Messiah (re: John the Baptist) – the Pax Romana ensured that missionaries could travel in safety in the known world – and the gospel could travel speedily to the ends of the earth. It was at this point that the eternal Son of God became incarnate, & provided the good news of salvation.

B. “His word”: In Greek, “logos”, but this seems to be a reference to specifically to the gospel (which always points to Christ anyway). Whereas the promise & hope of eternal life was referenced throughout the Scriptures (beginning in Gen 3!), after the death, resurrection, & ascension of Christ Jesus the gospel is now completely manifested & proclaimed.

C. Note that the gospel wasn’t invented by Paul or even discovered by Paul; it was committed/entrusted to Paul. IOW, the focus isn’t so much on the messenger as it is the message. Paul’s not the big deal; the word of God – the faith – THAT’s a big deal! God commanded that Paul would go forth and proclaim the word that He had committed to him to the world – and like an imperial secretary, Paul was faithful to that commission.
__a. This is the same message that’s been entrusted to the church – and one reason why the church should be adamant to be faithful to the truth. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ – not invented by us, but committed to our care. We’ve been charged by the Lord Jesus not to preach health & wealth, but salvation…we don’t have the right to change it at our will.

D. God is our Savior! Keep in mind this is one of the primary descriptions of God. Throughout the Bible, God is described as “God our Father” – the “God of our fathers” (esp. in OT) – as “God of our salvation” – as “God our refuge” – and “God our Savior.” Our prayers tend to be focused on God as our provider, or our healer, or our justice… Although He definitely is all of that; His primary method of describing His role is as our God, our Father, and our Savior (and He wouldn’t be our Father if He wasn’t our Savior to begin with!). There’s been an off/on trend since the 1800’s to portray the primary message of Christianity as social justice – but that’s not the primary message of God’s own description! He’s given us Christ Jesus not to make our earthly life better; but to make eternal life possible… We need to be saved & God is our Savior!
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4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith:
A. “true son”: Titus was one of Paul’s personal converts…

B. The faith we have is a faith that’s shared…it’s common to all of us. “common” = koine (Koine Greek)…something that’s held in common by all the people; shared ownership (as in marriage). Our faith is shared among all the body of Christ. Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans, AG, CC – anyone who’s a born-again believer in Christ Jesus shares a common faith, even if we have doctrinal differences.
__a. We have a tendency to major on the minors when it comes to theology…and it ought not to be so. There’s a time & place for vigorous debate – but if we agree on the essentials of the faith (that Jesus is the Son of God, God the Son, died on the cross, rose three days later, is coming again), then we ought to be able to lock arms with one another instead of dividing – and praise God for our common faith.
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… Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

A. Similar to Paul’s common greeting… Not all translations have “mercy” – this is one area in which the Greek manuscripts vary. Some (not all) of the older extant manuscripts omit the word – but the vast majority of manuscripts include it (which is one reason I use the NKJV). There’s good reason to believe it’s an accurate rendering since both of Paul’s other pastoral letters to Timothy also include “mercy.”

B. Where do grace (the unmerited favor of which we don’t deserve), mercy (the awesome forgiveness of sin), and peace (reconciliation with the God of the Universe) originate?
__a. God the Father: Because He has showered down His mercy and grace upon us through Jesus Christ, we can call God our Abba Father. Before our salvation, we were children of wrath & of the devil as we rebelled against our Creator. But in Christ, we’ve been given the spirit of adoption & made joint heirs with Christ (Rom 8:15-17).
__b. The Lord Jesus Christ our Savior: Not only is God our Savior (1:3), but the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior too (emphasizes the Trinity…). It’d be tough to get too much more descriptive of Jesus than this. He is the “Lord” – the King, invested with the same authority as God because He is God. He is the “Christ” – the anointed & chosen One of God to be King over Israel, and to fulfill every prophecy. He is the “Savior” – Jesus has the only name given among men by which we must be saved. Praise God for Jesus!

Conclusion:
What does all this greeting tell us as believers?
A. We have an identity & a calling… As Christians, we’re all slaves/servants of Jesus… We also have a calling from Him for service…

B. God loved us from before time’s beginning. He promised us the gospel, chose us for salvation, and manifested the good news when we heard the gospel & received Christ as our Lord & Savior…

C. Our salvation is completely wrapped up in God. It’s assured through His unbreakable promise – founded in His eternal Fatherhood over us – and demonstrated in His awesome Son…

Why start off the letter with this kind of depth? I suggest that it’s to provide the foundation for the coming call to righteous living. The reason our faith “accords with godliness” is because we’ve been saved. We’ve encountered God the Father – we’ve been brought to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, the very Son of God who died for our sins & rose from the grave. There ought to be no way we could walk through that experience and NOT have our lives drastically change! When Isaiah had the vision of God on the throne, all he could think of was his own dreadful sin until it was purged, and then all he wanted to do was to serve his God & Savior… Likewise with us… …

Maybe you’re at the point where you’ve never had that life-altering realization of Jesus Christ. Every single one of us is going to come face-to-face with Jesus one day, and we’ll have to give an account for every deed, every word, and every thought we’ve ever had. All of our lies, our self-centeredness, our hate, our lusts, and more are going to be brought before the God of the Universe – and when that happens, who can stand? We’re utterly deserving of everlasting punishment. But this is the good news: before time began, God made a promise of salvation precisely because He desires to show mercy and grace to us. That’s why Jesus went to the cross – died the death of a criminal – and rose again 3 days later…