Title: Graced Public Relations Part 1

Text: Titus 3:1-7

FCF: We often struggle being different and separate from the world.

Prop: Because we were of the world but were saved from it, we must live out the gospel.

Scripture Intro: ESV

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Titus chapter 3. I fear that I have done you a grave disservice. Two weeks ago, we completed chapter 2 of Titus. I have heard that some of you wrestled with the sermon there. Striving with the concept of grace giving a certainty of salvation rather than a potential for it. Then we took a week off and Eric Lundquist came and spoke. He also taught on God’s grace and the outcome of that being a changed life. And today I will begin a two-part message. So what is such a disservice to you? You won’t hear the second part of this message until May 2nd.

Added to that, the theology in the text today is deep. It is difficult. It is challenging. And so, I have done you a great disservice. I trust that in God’s providence, He will use this scheduling to allow these truths to sink deeply and that you are able to grasp and accept what is being said.

Up to this point in Titus, Paul has been emphasizing a lifestyle for the Cretans. A lifestyle made certain by the invasion of the grace of God. A lifestyle of righteousness given to those for whom Christ died.

In chapter 2 Paul urged Titus to teach living that goes with the gospel with respect to those within the church. In chapter 3, Paul will urge Titus to remind those same Cretans –to live a lifestyle that goes with the gospel, toward those outside the church. And he will give two exceptional reasons for why they should be reminded of this. First that they too were once like all the unbelieving Cretans around them. And secondly, that God has changed them by grace to be different.

I am in Titus 3. I’ll begin reading in verse 1. I am reading from the ESV, but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1346 or in whatever version you have.

Transition:

What is our disposition toward an unbelieving world? How shall we relate to those who are ungodly and wicked? Are they the enemy? And even if they are – what does that mean? Such a truth is all the more relevant as Christianity becomes pressed on all sides. How shall we relate to those who actively oppose us?

I.) We were once just like the unbelieving world, so we must live out the gospel. (1-3)

a. [Slide 2] 1 – Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities,

i. Paul urges Titus to remind the Cretans that their good works, for which they should be zealous, are not turned only toward those in the church. They ought to be turned outward as well.

ii. And right off the bat we have an object of good works that wouldn’t have been popular in Crete, it hasn’t been popular throughout the history of the world, and it is certainly one of the most unpopular messages you can teach the church right now.

iii. Be submissive to rulers and authorities.

iv. Perhaps when we spoke of this in reference to slaves and their masters, you thought it was a stretch to take this concept to all human authorities.

v. Paul uses the exact same word he used in verse 9 of chapter 2 with reference to slaves and masters, as he uses here of being submissive to authorities.

vi. It is true, that words do not have static or unnuanced meanings. And it is certainly possible that Paul could mean something different here. But contextually, that is unlikely.

vii. Part of obedience to God, part of good works, part of being what God’s grace makes you to be, part of being what Christ is purifying you to be as His bride, is submitting yourselves to your rulers and authorities.

viii. In fact, the general disposition of all Christ’s people is...

b. [Slide 3] To be obedient,

i. We obey, we comply first.

ii. Not just to men, but also, and in an ultimate way, to God.

c. [Slide 4] To be ready for every good work,

i. In this way, we are ready for every good work.

ii. We are not opposed, kicking, fighting.

iii. Instead, we are ready to do all that God has asked of us.

d. [Slide 5] 2 - To speak evil of no one,

i. Oh boy.

ii. Wow.

iii. I think I am just going to let you look at those words for a few seconds.

iv. Now let me say, that this doesn’t mean that we cannot call sin sin, that we cannot rebuke someone, or that we cannot point out failures. Indeed, lovingly pointing out sin in another person is not speaking evil, but is instead speaking life. It is for their good.

v. But generally speaking, our lips should never utter complaints, murmurings, insults, cutting remarks, curses, or disdain for any who are outside of the church.

e. [Slide 6] To avoid quarreling,

i. It is hard to resist authority if you are trying to avoid quarreling isn’t it?

ii. It is hard to speak evil of someone if you are avoiding quarreling.

iii. It is hard to be ready for any good work while you are quarreling or quarrelsome.

iv. My friends… we must be

f. [Slide 7] To be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

i. There is no exception here.

ii. All people must have our respect, love, and gentleness.

iii. It doesn’t matter how wrong they are. It doesn’t matter how ungodly they are. It doesn’t matter how opposed to Christ they are.

iv. We are to show courtesy and gentleness toward them.. why?

g. [Slide 8] 3 – For we ourselves were once foolish,

i. You were no different.

ii. Let me say it again…

iii. You were no different.

iv. Again, my friends. THIS. IS. GRACE.

v. This is why it is not our choice that saves us, but rather the grace of God which gives us the ability to believe what He has done.

vi. Because if it was your choice to believe, then you ARE different than the ungodly. You ARE different than the wicked. You ARE different than all the rest.

vii. But no… it was not by choice but by Grace that we have been saved. Through faith yes, but a faith that was a gift of God, so none could boast.

viii. We can easily submit to our authorities, we can easily be obedient, we can easily be ready for every good work, we can easily speak no evil of them, we can easily avoid quarreling, we can easily be gentle and courteous to all people when we what?

ix. Realize that we were the same.

x. Not because we are human – not because we are made in God’s image… NO! Paul hangs the imperative of our gentleness and courtesy, our love toward all men, not on the equality of our origin, but rather on the equality of men in their depravity.

xi. We have absolutely no room to treat ANYBODY as if they are less than we are.

xii. Who is the most wicked person you can think of? Hitler probably, right? Sure. Hitler gets quite the pedigree for being the vilest person in history.

xiii. You were the same. I was the same.

xiv. How so?

h. [Slide 9] disobedient,

i. We did not love God’s law.

ii. We had no thought of God’s law.

iii. And even today, some who claim to be Christians STILL have no love of the law of God.

iv. It is astounding to think that a person who claims to be God’s child could hate His law.

i. [Slide 10] led astray,

i. We were all led astray.

ii. Every single one of us from birth up to and potentially including now, have had a crisis of skewed doctrine.

iii. Eric brought this out last week. He said that the Holy Spirit often needs to correct bad theology in the text of scripture. Why is that?

iv. Simply – we were born that way.

v. When we say someone is born in sin we do not mean that they were born in some act to which they sinned.

vi. Rather we mean that their natural condition is polluted, infested, and corrupted wholly by sin.

vii. Meaning that a child comes into the world never needing to be instructed how to lie, cheat, steal, hit, or otherwise selfishly want its own way.

viii. Their view of themselves, God, others, and the world is all wrong. And that didn’t happen because they were instructed in it by someone.

ix. No.

x. It happened because they were born into it.

xi. Just the other day, my wife and I were talking to our girls. Somehow the topic of being children of God came up. My daughter asked if she was a child of God. I said, “no. God has to adopt us into His family for us to become His children. And as of yet, God has not adopted you.” And so this led naturally to her asking what she was to God. I told her, “you are an enemy of God.” She was visibly shaken. She said, maybe when I grow up I’ll be His child. Kadie said, there is nothing we would want more than for that to be the case. After that the topic changed. It was clear that being God’s enemy wasn’t an urgent need for her to change at that moment. But keep praying for her. There are signs that she may be being drawn.

xii. All that to say – my child, a pastor’s child – has aberrant, terrible theology. Her doctrine is atrocious. Why? Did I teach her this? No.

xiii. It is her natural understanding to think that she would be God’s child. And it was her natural inclination to think that at some later time she hopes she would be His child. But until that status of being an enemy of God sticks… she is still lost.

xiv. So, I speak to her gently. Lovingly. Why? Because she is my daughter? Well, somewhat. But primarily, because I was just like her!

j. [Slide 11] slaves to various passions and pleasures,

i. Oh before Christ, before Grace, before being awoken to the truth – how often we dove in to the dumpster of sin for a cheap thrill.

ii. Why? Could we have quit anytime? Could we have said no.

iii. No. We were slaves. The whip of sin forced us on.

iv. Like Cain, we may have had chances to keep ourselves from sinning greatly. We may have hated but kept ourselves from killing. We may have lusted but kept ourselves from fornication. We may have been arrogant but kept ourselves from bragging.

v. But that didn’t mean we could stop sinning. Oh no.

vi. I worked with some recovering addicts at a previous church. They were going through NA. And even though all of them were fighting and being relatively successful in keeping themselves off narcotics – all of them were addicted to sugar, tobacco, exorbitant amounts of coffee, or other substances. All of them were still committing acts of sexual sin, lying, complaining, and arrogance. You see without Christ; you can keep yourself from sinning in a specific way… but you cannot keep yourself from sinning.

vii. Before grace, before Christ, we were slaves to our passions and pleasures. Many are this way in our world. “Follow your heart” is the Disney-fied mantra of those enslaved to their passions. “Trust your feelings” is the Star Wars motto of the slave master for your pleasures.

viii. Our heart and feelings are the problem though, not the solution. We who are in Christ – know this now, but we did not know it naturally.

k. [Slide 12] passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

i. Every day without the grace of God is filled with anger, resentment, envy and strife.

ii. From where do disputes come? But from desiring what you do not have.

iii. This is who we were! But it is not who we are now.

l. [Slide 13] Passage Truth: Paul confirms to Titus and all the Cretans that they were formerly the same as all those outside the body of Christ. There is a human condition that they too possessed. They were foolish, wicked, enslaved, theologically rebellious, and violent people.

m. Passage Application: For Titus, this is motivation for him to remind the Cretans to submit to, love, and live peaceably with everyone, because they were no better.

n. [Slide 14] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this text, we understand that all men inherit sin through Adam. It is a doctrine called original sin and it can be traced back through the history of the church. Ignatius in the early 100s said, “all unbelievers, are incapable of doing the things of belief.” Or Justin Martyr who said – “no good thing dwells in us.” Or Origen who said, that “our human nature is not sufficient to seek God in any manner.” Or Paul who says that “no one seeks after God. No one is righteous. No one understands.” This is a truth from scripture and through the church ages. It has been challenged, but in every challenge the church has declared each opposing teaching to be heresy. Not just in its outright denial, such as Pelagianism. But also, in its half measure such as Semi-Pelagianism. The bottom line is this… mankind is dead in sin and unable to do anything about it. Any doctrine that does not teach this – is not from scripture.

o. Broader Biblical Application: What does that mean for us who have been made alive with Christ with reference to how we view unbelievers? We love them, we live at peace with them, we submit to them if they have authority over us. We are eager to do good for them. How can we not? We were once just like them. Shall we thumb our noses at them? Shall we consider ourselves better, higher, mightier, more pious or refined? Friends, we were the same. We have no grounds for boasting.

Transition:

[Slide 15(blank)] So how is it possible for us to love them, be gentle with them, avoid quarreling, and submit to their authority? Because God has justified us by His grace. He has made us new.

II.) God has justified us by grace so that we can be heirs of His promises, so we must live out the gospel. (4-7)

a. [Slide 16] 4 – But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

i. Before we dive into this, we should recognize the symmetry between what is said here in verses 4-7 and really on out to verse 11 to what was said in verses 11-14 of chapter 2.

ii. If we read these two passages side by side, which depending on your bible, you may be able to do, there is too many similarities for us to ignore.

iii. Paul is saying the same thing he has been saying but in different words.

iv. Recognizing this helps us to understand where Paul is going, by remembering where he has been.

v. So, when we come to the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior, and we see that this appeared, we recognize the echo of verses 11-14 of chapter 2.

vi. Another way of understanding the grace of God is to recognize it as the goodness and loving kindness of God. God’s goodness and loving kindness is lavished, not on those who were righteous, and not on those who believed, but on those who were yet depraved and wicked.

vii. Indeed, our belief is not even mentioned in this entire context until verse 7. And there it is only a whisper. Verse 8 is when it truly comes in.

viii. God acts in goodness and loving kindness toward those to whom He wishes. Toward those who are unable and unwilling to do and be what God desires– slaves to their passions, slaves to their hate, slaves to their ignorant theology, slaves to their wills – God, based on His will and choosing, lavishes upon His people goodness and loving kindness. It appears to them.

ix. To what end? That they would believe? That they would choose Him? NO!

b. [Slide 17] 5 – He saved us,

i. Grace appeared bringing salvation.

ii. Not potential but certain.

iii. God’s goodness, and loving kindness toward us does not bring potential salvation but assured salvation.

iv. He saved us. He alone. Why?

v. Because we were utterly incapable…

c. [Slide 18] Not because of works done by us in righteousness,

i. Jesus preached a message of two commands. To repent and to believe the gospel.

ii. To obey is a work (as Paul has just stated in this very text in verse 1.)

iii. To obey a command of Christ is indeed a work done in righteousness.

iv. And so, to think that repentance and faith is what releases God to save us is to upend what Paul preaches here.

v. No! God saves us by Himself. WITHOUT us. It is not by works done by us in righteousness. It is not by our obedience that we are saved. It is because of Christ’s obedience we are saved.

vi. It is NOT because of our belief that we are saved. It is because of the truth of what we believe that we are saved.

vii. You say – but what of verses that say whoever believes will be saved?

1. YES! Whoever believes will be saved AMEN!

2. What you have to understand is that when the bible says “whoever believes will be saved” it is not giving a formula for us to get salvation. It is not saying, if you wish to have salvation you need to do x,y, and z.

3. Rather it is stating a fact. God loved the world so much that he sent His unique son, why? So that All believing in him might have eternal life.

4. John 3:16 is saying that the purpose of God sending Jesus is to so that those who depend on Him might have the promise of eternal life. It is not saying whoever wants to be saved can believe on Jesus. Because if that were true, we have to see Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler, as a lie.

a. He asked Jesus, what more do I lack – Jesus said… not faith… not belief. What? He needed to sell all he had and follow Christ.

b. Now in a sense, that is faith. It is belief. But it is not belief in the sense of a choice. Rather it is belief in the sense of dependance.

c. And in that kind of belief, it most certainly is a work. And in the case of the rich young ruler, it was a work that meant his selling of all he had.

5. The call of Christ to produce good works is the appropriate call to a person who is unsaved. Why? Because if they are able to produce good works, then God has done something in their hearts.

viii. My friends we must get this through our heads.

ix. We undo our gospel presentations when we say – you cannot earn your salvation and then say, But if you say this prayer, believe all these things, then God will give His Spirit to you.

x. But, you say, the Philippian jailer asked Paul – “What must I do to be saved?” And Paul said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! See – Paul is saying that is the secret formula to get salvation.

xi. Is he though?

1. Paul is simply saying what Jesus said to the rich young ruler. Depend, trust, rely fully on Christ.

2. But if he was a slave to sin, a slave to his passions, led astray in doctrine – could he do this? No. He would have walked away sorrowful. Instead, he invited the apostles to his home to speak of the matter further.

3. And that is where Paul perceived that the Philippian jailer may have been given grace by God already. All the signs were there. What signs?

a. He was trembling with fear. Not when he thought the prisoners had escaped, but after he had seen with his own eyes the destruction of the prison, and that all the prisoners were still there.

b. So what had him so afraid? What indeed.

c. The second sign that Paul had a suspicion, or even a certainty that God was doing something in the man, is that Paul and Silas predicted the salvation of the entire household. This does not happen in any other text of scripture where the household is predicted to be saved.

4. Imagine a baby entering the world. He comes out silent. No crying. But imagine he looks at the doctor and asks – what must I do to live?

5. A silly question, for he is already alive, but if he wishes to live he must do what? Breathe! So the doctor says – BREATHE! And smacks the child on the back.

6. So Paul said – BREATHE! To a new baby that had been born.

xii. Belief is not the catalyst to our conversion. Why? Because salvation is not by our works of righteousness.

xiii. But faith is the means by which God continues to save us. We continue to have faith in Christ… not faith in our faith in Christ.

xiv. All this must be true if we are to conclude that God’s salvation was…

d. [Slide 19] But according to his own mercy,

i. Mercy is when someone does not get the penalty for what they have done.

ii. The wages of sin is death.

iii. God’s mercy upon us is when he turns His wrath on Christ rather than on us. When Christ gets our death.

iv. But how do we attain this? How do we get God’s mercy to us? How are the benefits of Christ’s work given to us?

e. [Slide 20] By the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit

i. We are cleansed of our sin, we are renewed, we are regenerated by the work of the Spirit of God.

ii. God’s goodness and loving kindness, shown in mercy, saves us by washing us clean of the filth of sin and regenerating us to life from the death of sin. We are made new in the power of the Spirit of God.

iii. And it was not a taste of the Spirit which He gave, waiting for us to believe. No..

f. [Slide 21] 6 - Whom he poured out on us richly

i. He dumped all of the Spirit’s cleansing, renewing, and regenerating power on us.

ii. It is a downpour.

iii. How was this made possible?

g. [Slide 22] Through Jesus Christ our Savior

i. Christ Jesus took our penalty and gave His infinite righteousness

ii. So that we could be cleansed, reborn, and given life.

iii. Why? To what end?

h. [Slide 23] 7 – So that being justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

i. So we would become heirs according to the hope or the faith, the trust of eternal life.

ii. We believe – why?

iii. Because we have been reborn and enabled to do so. Without the spirit’s washing, renewing, and regenerating, we would remain how Paul characterized us in verse 3. We simply could never depend on what Christ has done for us.

iv. But we have been justified by His grace!

v. The scriptures teach that we are justified by grace, faith, and works.

1. Here we are justified by grace

2. In Romans we are justified by faith (and grace Romans 3:24) – Romans 3:28

3. In James he says we are justified by works - James 2:24

vi. So which is it? Assuming the bible does not contradict – how can we be justified or how can we be declared righteous before God by all three of these at the same time?

vii. [Slide 24] How is our declared righteousness by grace?

1. Grace enables faith or dependence on Christ’s work, and Grace trains us in righteousness.

2. Raw faith and raw works could never save – because they would not be possible without God’s Grace. You saw what we were in verse 3. God’s grace was absolutely necessary for us to be declared righteous.

3. Therefore, justification must be by grace.

viii. [Slide 25] How is our declared righteousness by faith?

1. We depend on or have faith in Christ’s work and not our own. The nature of what Christ accomplishes necessitates our abandonment of hope in anything save His finished work.

2. So, a Grace that only has God giving us life but then leaves us to work it out for ourselves to the best we could, would only lead to our death. Without the cancellation of our sin and imputation of righteousness, we could not hope to be declared righteous.

3. Therefore, justification must be by faith.

ix. [Slide 26] Finally, how is our declared righteousness by works?

1. Works of righteousness as we have seen in almost every context of the New and Old Testament, is a natural byproduct of God’s power in someone.

2. To the extent that when someone does works of righteousness, and is obedient to God, we could never conclude that they do so without God having done something in them.

3. And so a grace that brings us to life and gives us favor and a faith that trades our sin for His righteousness, but does not actually save us from being a slave of sin, could not possibly lead to anyone being declared to be righteous.

4. Therefore, justification must be by works.

x. [Slide 27] What the writers of the New Testament mean when they say that justification is by grace, faith and works, is that it is all or nothing.

xi. If you are justified by grace, you will produce faith and works.

xii. If you are justified by faith, it was gifted by grace and it will produce works

xiii. If you are justified by works, it was trained by grace and established on the work of Christ to which you cling.

xiv. It is an unbroken chain.

xv. God has done all this so that those who are justified by grace could become heirs according to His promise which they have received through faith, a promise for eternal life in Christ.

i. [Slide 28] Passage Truth: Paul emphasizes the role of the Triune God in saving His people from their sin. The Father, in goodness, and loving kindness, fitting with his mercy, saves His people, without their aid, by washing them with regeneration and by renewing them with His Spirit. His grace declares His people righteous so that they might be heirs of the faith of eternal life.

j. Passage Application: So Titus must remind His people to be workers of righteousness, remembering who they formerly were, and the great lengths that God alone went to to rescue them.

k. [Slide 29] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to all of scripture we understand that God alone acts to save His people. We do not contribute in any way. This is not to say that there are not any responsibilities upon us in the process of our salvation. Certainly, God calls us to do things. To live righteously. To repent and keep on repenting. To believe and keep on believing. But because of who we were before God acted, such expectations are beyond us until He acts.

l. Broader Biblical Application: So Paul’s point becomes clear. We live according to what he describes in verses 1 and 2 because verses 4-7 have made it possible. So for us here at CBC, the application still holds. We must live out the grace and faith we have been given, by loving God and others. We must demonstrate by our good works that we have had grace poured on us.

Conclusion:

There is no need for me to labor long here.

We ought to be shinning examples of God’s mercy and grace as we interact with unbelievers. We used to be as they are, but we’ve been changed. We’ve been saved. We’ve been washed and remade. So we cannot live like them. We must live like Christ toward them.

He ate with sinners. He healed the ungodly. He helped the gentile.

So should we. Not because we are better than they are. But because we were the same, and now we’ve been made to be like Christ.

What does that look like?

Verses 1 and 2. We ought to submit to authority, obey, speak kindly, gently, avoiding quarrelling, being eager instead to do good toward them.

May our conduct toward a world that hates us, be meek, mild, gentle, and loving.

Title: Unstoppable Grace, Relentless Love

Text: Titus 2:11-15

FCF: We often struggle connecting faith and works.

Prop: Because God’s grace given in Christ’s substitution is an assured means of our conformity to Christ, we must live in a way that is fitting with the gospel.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Titus chapter 2. Last week we completed Paul’s exhortation to Titus to teach and insist upon behavior from the Cretan church that fits with the gospel. This behavior effects every walk of life, every age, both genders, every social economic status. In short, the gospel produces the same effect in all those who have actually received it. In a word – they are like Christ. They are radically different than the world.

But what is the link between gospel and behavior? Paul insists that there is an inherent link. What is the theological proof of this? It is nice to say to Titus – teach your people to live differently as an expression of their faith… but why is he to expect these Cretans to behave this way? Haven’t we observed that all Cretans are liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons? Why should their reception of the gospel have changed all of that? That is where Paul goes next. He wants to show Titus the connection between faith and obedience.

I am in Titus 2, I’ll start reading in verse 11. I’ll be reading from the NET, and you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1346 or whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

What is the link between faith and works? Why is it all or nothing? Two things… the unstoppable grace of God to save His people to the uttermost, and the relentless love of Christ to purify a particular people of His own. Let’s look.

I.) God’s grace saves His people from sin now, so we must live in a way that is fitting with the gospel. (11-13)

a. [Slide 2] 11 – For the grace of God has appeared

i. As we noted last week, 3 times Paul brings up how when each of these groups of people demonstrate behavior that fits the gospel, it reflects positively on outsiders.

ii. Paul now sets out here in this section to explain why behavior that goes with sound doctrine decorates the gospel.

iii. Why is it that love and obedience are linked? Why is it that faith that is alive produces good works?

iv. The grace of God.

v. We have spoken much of God’s grace in the last several weeks. I’m convinced that it is the most significant theological word in the New Testament that no one really understands. OR – they confuse it with God’s Mercy.

vi. We have defined grace as God’s divine power coming to someone to enable them to do what He desires them to do, for which they had no capacity to do prior to His gifting of grace.

vii. When someone asks what wind is, oftentimes people begin describing what wind does. Afterall, so many of our senses are unable to detect wind’s existence, but observe its effect.

viii. Gravity is the same. We cannot define what gravity is by holding an apple and dropping it and saying – That’s gravity. No, it isn’t. That is gravity’s effect. You didn’t see gravity. You saw what gravity does.

ix. Paul here does not define for us what grace is. Because I am convinced that it is not as simple as we have made it to be.

x. Rather Paul goes on to define what grace does.

xi. First of all, it has appeared.

xii. When? We don’t know. The tense of the verb only tells us it has happened and it isn’t very much concerned about telling us when.

xiii. All that matters is that it has appeared.

xiv. Why has it appeared?

b. [Slide 3] Bringing salvation to all people

i. Grace brings salvation.

ii. We know that this is the case – Ephesians 2 tells us that salvation is by grace.

iii. Grace is what brings salvation or what gives salvation its power. Grace, God’s supernatural empowering, doesn’t just enable men to be saved… no, it saves men.

iv. Every single person who is saved, has been saved because God’s grace invaded their lives.

v. [Slide 4A] But we have to address something theologically problematic. Did God’s grace bring salvation to all people? Well, the text says it, so we have to say yes. But in what sense is this true? There are three basic options

1. Yes. God’s grace brought salvation to all men. Therefore, all men will be saved.

2. Yes. God’s grace brought salvation to all men. In the sense that God’s grace brought potential salvation to all men, so all men are able to believe.

3. Yes. God’s grace brought salvation to all men. In the sense that God’s grace brought effective salvation to all kinds of men without distinction.

vi. [Slide 4BOption 1 fails for many reasons. Which leaves us with really only two options to consider.

vii. [Slide 4C] Is it true that God has given grace to all men so that all men are able to choose to be saved? Those who believe this would teach that the grace that God is bringing to all men cancels their depravity to the extent that they are now able to choose God.

viii. [Slide 5] There are several problems with this view.

1. The first is a textual one, in that it seems to disagree with scripture. In Romans Paul quotes the Old Testament when it says “no one seeks after God” “no one is righteous.” He quotes the Old Testament, not to suggest that something is different now, but rather to reinforce the concept that man is unable to seek God. Of course, we know that Romans was written after Christ’s work was completed. And so, if God has given some kind of grace enabling all men to be able to choose God – we have to wonder – when did that happen? It would have to have been sometime after Romans was written but before Titus was written, if indeed this is what this passage is teaching. So, between 56AD and 63AD is when this grace appeared. The obvious dilemma being that there is no scripture that records anything happening in that time period that would bring this grace.

2. The second major problem with this teaching is another textual one. Again, from Romans, Paul says that those whom God has foreordained, he has also predestined, those He predestined He has also called, those whom He called He has also justified, those whom He justified He has also glorified. We have to wonder where this kind of grace fits into all this. Where does God stop this process to wait for man to choose Him? And if they don’t choose Him, this text in Romans is lying. Because there may be some to whom God has foreordained, predestined and called – that will choose not to be justified, and glorified. So Paul lies to us in Romans 8.

3. A third problem I have with this view is a logical one. If God gives grace to all men, enabling them to choose Him, what happens if they don’t? They would go to hell. Ok. But what happens if they do choose Him? They would go to heaven. Ok. So, the only difference between God’s grace that saves a man and doesn’t save a man is that man’s choice? So, when this says that God’s grace brings salvation… it should say God’s grace can, could might, bring salvation. Ephesians 2 should say “For by grace you may be saved.” Some within this camp reason that perhaps God does a second work of grace for those who believe. To this I cautiously agree with 1 caveat. What role does man’s choice play then, if they are offered a second saving grace? You see if there is any role at all, then it is no longer grace. It is reward. And if there is no role of man choice at all… then there is no real need to believe in a first work at all since it is irrelevant without the second.

4. A fourth problem I have with this view is a contextual one. There is an unbroken chain here of God’s grace bringing salvation to all people. I don’t want to spoil our exposition of the text, but may I simply put it this way. The Grace of God bringing salvation changes a person forever. They become Righteous. So, if this speaks of a grace that offers potential saving for all men – it actually undermines rather than enforces Paul’s point. Paul is telling Titus to expect people to live differently because they have received the truth. If this grace that has been given is only potential, then that cannot be a reasonable expectation placed upon them since it is uncertain.

ix. [Slide 6] In the end, we cannot establish that this passage of scripture, and really any passage of scripture, teaches that God has given salvation to all men waiting for them to choose to believe. The view simply cannot stand up to the scrutiny of the rest of scripture. So as much as we may not like it, the only real option that remains for us is to interpret this in the third form.

x. We’ve seen in other texts that sometimes the word “all” can mean “all kinds”, or a large group. Contextual clues should be present to tell us how to view the word “all”.

xi. What has Paul just finished teaching? That Older men, Older women, younger women, younger men, and slaves, all must demonstrate behavior that goes with the gospel.

xii. So, what then is the meaning of all people?

xiii. Simply put, it is all people without distinction, not all people without exception.

xiv. The grace of God has not been given to one gender, nation, age or social status. It has been given to all kinds of people bringing them salvation. What does that salvation look like?

c. [Slide 7] 12 – it trains us to reject godless ways

i. First the word trains – it means to teach or discipline. It instructs us how to put down actions and lifestyles that are without God’s law – they are wickedness.

ii. We need to recognize here that this instruction is not a “how to” instruction. It is instead a discipline instruction. It is less like a lecturer in a classroom and more like a physical therapist, rehabilitating what has been broken. It doesn’t show us how, it succeeds in changing us.

iii. The “us” here needs to be stressed. Who is Paul talking about?

iv. Well as we noted he cannot be talking about mankind in general. To do so would lead to universalism so that all men are saved and trained to reject godless ways.

v. So, to who must the us refer?

vi. It must be those who have received grace that appeared, bringing salvation.

vii. This seems like a silly exercise to determine who “us” is – but it won’t be silly in a few verses.

d. [Slide 8] And worldly desires

i. Not only does grace bring us salvation and teach us to reject wicked lifestyles, but it also teaches us to reject worldly desires.

ii. Desires of an earthbound nature.

iii. Desires that are not heavenly, not holy.

iv. Grace teaches us to unwant what we have wanted our whole lives.

v. If you are in Christ, no doubt you have experienced this. Sins that had brought you a certain level of satisfaction and happiness – now are empty and even hated.

e. [Slide 9] And to live self-controlled

i. Grace also teaches us to live self-controlled.

ii. It trains us to avoid sin, run from sin, control our emotions, reign in our natural desires.

iii. Grace kills off sin.

iv. Grace brings power to withstand temptation.

v. So that we may be…

f. [Slide 10] Upright

i. Righteous! Just!

ii. Grace teaches us obedience.

iii. Grace trains us to be law abiding citizens.

iv. It doesn’t just show us how, nor does it simply enable us to be upright, rather it guarantees that we will be upright.

v. To the extent that…

g. [Slide 11] And godly lives in the present age.

i. We are not ungodly, but godly.

ii. Not wicked, but holy.

iii. Not lawbreakers, but law keepers

iv. This is the nature of the grace that brings salvation to us.

v. It is a present salvation. A salvation that has impact on us RIGHT NOW.

vi. And it is not potential. It is assured. It is with us until we are perfected. When will that be?

h. [Slide 12] 13 – as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

i. Until our salvation is complete and the Lord returns for His people – God’s grace is training us to be like Him.

ii. His grace is making us godly.

iii. His grace roots out sin and raises up righteousness.

iv. This is why Paul speaks so confidently about behaviors that should come from those who have received faith. This is why Paul says that godly living decorates the gospel.

v. Because GRACE powers it all.

vi. Grace makes us like Christ presently.

vii. And grace assures our continued faith in our future salvation in Christ.

viii. Grace has appeared to transport us to when Christ appears.

i. [Slide 13] Passage Truth: So, Paul undergirds all of what he had said in verses 1-10 with the theological proof as to why Titus must insist on behavior that is changed by the gospel. Paul tells Titus, God’s grace brings salvation to all kinds of different people with the same result. They are saved to the point that they become trained by grace to be law keepers in the present world as they wait to be saved completely at the return of Christ

j. Passage Application: So, Titus must teach the behavior that goes with the gospel. He must expect the Cretans to conform to the ordinary effect of grace. Otherwise, they are not in Christ.

k. [Slide 14] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this text, we discover in the Old Testament and the New, God’s grace was assigned to help His people. Grace along with love, mercy, kindness, favor – they all come to God’s people in a special way. Certainly, God even gives grace to wicked people. But those to whom God lavishes grace, are His people, and in that abundance, we find them live a life of righteousness.

l. Broader Biblical Application: So, for us, it is incumbent upon the Elders of this church to teach the behavior that goes with the gospel as if we expect it. Why? Because it is the ordinary, the normal, the expected effect of God’s grace. It conforms us to Christ. It disciplines us to be righteous. And for all of us here, Elders included, that means that we must live righteously. It takes two to train both a teacher and a student. So, Grace disciplines us and we learn and grow in grace. And we certainly cannot dismiss teaching that demands righteousness flowing from true faith. We must agree, and we must obey.

Transition:

[Slide 15(blank)] Paul probably could have stopped right here – but perhaps he doesn’t want to simply talk about God’s grace as an impersonal teacher. Rather, carrying on from the thought of Christ’s return, we see Christ’s work on earth sharing the role of grace.

II.) Christ’s substitution purifies His people now, so we must live in a way that is fitting with the gospel. (14-15)

a. [Slide 16] 14 – He gave Himself for us

i. Paul moves into talking about Christ. Who is not only our eventual savior, but was, is, and will be our Savior.

ii. Jesus Christ gave Himself for us.

iii. He was the gift. He substituted Himself for us is what this is saying.

iv. He gave his righteousness for our unrighteousness. He paid our penalty and we received His reward.

v. Because He is our great God, as Paul so clearly teaches in verse 13 – This exchange was perfect and effective.

vi. His exchange is not potential it is effectual. It is not possible it is assured. Indeed, it is upon this which our faith rests. We receive and rest (faith) in His work, not to potentially save us if we choose Him, but to effectually save us by His grace.

vii. The us here is still talking with reference to those who have been brought salvation by God’s grace.

viii. But why did Christ do this? Why did he give himself for us? Why did he exchange His perfection for our failure?

b. [Slide 17] To set us free from every kind of lawlessness

i. Inherent in the purpose of His incarnation, life of obedience, death on the cross, descent into death, resurrection from the tomb, and ascension and ongoing work on our behalf is…

ii. So that we may be set free from every kind of lawlessness.

iii. So that we might stop sinning.

iv. And what?

c. [Slide 18] And to purify for himself a people who are truly his

i. To claim a bride for himself who has been purified.

ii. To take our adultery and make us clean and new.

iii. To exchange the rebellion and faithlessness with eternal faithfulness and sonship.

iv. We were foreknown. We were predestined. We were called. We were justified. We are being sanctified. We will be glorified.

v. He gave Himself for us.

vi. To make us a pure people that are truly His. The word here means chosen, particular, special. Jesus gave himself to purify a particular people.

vii. The reason many translations say something to the effect of “a people for himself or that are truly his” is because this expression is very rare. The idea is that Jesus did all this to purify for himself a treasured people that would be His forever.

viii. But the betrothal starts today…

d. [Slide 19] Who are eager to do good.

i. We desire His will and His ways.

ii. We are zealous for good works.

iii. My friends. This is the beauty of the gospel. It is not the potential for salvation. It is not the potential for purity. It is the certainty of it!

iv. Jesus did not die so that he had a chance of getting for himself a group of people. He died to make certain of it.

v. I understand that this is probably the hardest thing to accept that I have ever taught.

vi. You have no doubt been taught all your life that Christ died to give everyone a chance to choose Him. But listen to me. Christ gave himself to get for Himself a particular and treasured people. He did not die for the potential of getting an undefined group of people who chose Him. He died to get purified people. A people whom HE chose. A particular people. People who, by God’s grace, are being saved from sin… NOW, as they wait to be saved completely from sin and death when He returns.

e. [Slide 20] 15 – so communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke that carries full authority.

i. Titus must then teach the Cretans to live a life that fits with the gospel.

ii. Why?

iii. Because that is what the gospel does. It does not potentially save – it saves to the uttermost.

iv. All to whom God’s grace has appeared, it brings salvation from sin and enduring change.

v. Having expressed the theological certainty – Titus must now teach with authority. He must insist upon this.

vi. He must demand full adherence. For that is what grace does. That is what salvation brings. That is what Christ died to do. To make a particular people pure and love doing good.

f. [Slide 21] Don’t let anyone look down on you.

i. In this exhortation, in this rebuke – Titus must not allow any to look down on him.

ii. It is difficult to know where this is pointed.

iii. One layer of this is that the word despise means to think around.

iv. Therefore, it has a positive, negative and ultra-negative application.

1. Positively it can mean to contemplate or examine carefully. Certainly, this is not what this word means here.

2. Negatively it can mean to ignore or disregard. To consider yourself above someone’s thoughts. This is possibly what Paul means.

3. Ultra-negatively it can mean despise or disrespect. Which is also a possibility.

v. Paul does not use this word in reference to Timothy in I Timothy chapter 4. He uses a different word meaning think against.

vi. Since Paul no doubt wrote these letters at the same time or thereabouts, I lean more toward the negative rather than the ultra-negative expression.

vii. Meaning that Paul is telling Titus not to allow anyone to ignore him. Let no one disregard him.

viii. So, this reiterates the concept with speaking with authority but adds a layer of passion and urgency. Don’t let them tune you out.

g. [Slide 22] Passage Truth: And so, Paul expands his exposition of the theological underpinnings of this demand for behavior that goes with the gospel. It is not just about grace training us to be righteous – but also Christ’s work and His intention to purify a particular people for Himself.

h. Passage Application: So, Titus must continue to insist, demand, exhort, rebuke, and speak with authority that cannot be ignored. Those who have received true faith, live lives changed by Christ and by the grace of God.

i. [Slide 23] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out of this text to the entire context of the scriptures is incredibly easy. The coming of Christ and things concerning Him are found in every single context of the writings of scripture. Both old and new testaments. This bride has been set aside for Him before the foundation of the world. And he has come to claim her for His own. He has betrothed her and will one day return for her. This is who we are in Christ.

j. Broader Biblical Application: So here at CBC, again, the Elders, whoever they may be, must continue to teach this message. If we are in Christ, we are a new creation. Old has gone and NEW has come. And for all of us here including these men – we must obey. We must be the purified people that Christ came to bring to Himself. This begins in this life and will be perfected when He returns for us.

Conclusion:

[Slide 24] So why is Paul so sure? Why can Paul expect the Cretans to be these kinds of people? Why is Paul urging Titus to expect them to behave righteously?

This is the nature of our faith. This is the nature of the gospel. It doesn’t work any other way.

Have you ever wondered why Church discipline’s outcome is to treat people like unbelievers? How does that logically flow? If they have been sinning and have no desire to repent – wouldn’t our response just be to trust God to get them? Why isn’t it the church’s response to simply say – well they aren’t living a fulfilled life in God? Why wouldn’t we just say – well they can’t be in a teaching position? What logical connections force us to consider a Christian who sins with no repentance – an unbeliever?

This is it! Right here in this passage. This is the theological framework for it.

The grace of God has appeared, and to those to whom it has appeared it brings salvation. Salvation to the uttermost. Salvation that is complete. That in this life it trains us for righteousness. The Son of God has given us Himself. Why? To acquire for Himself a special, treasured people whom He purifies to love doing what He commands.

So, what do you call a person who is not learning righteousness, is not rejecting wickedness, is not being purified, and is not loving doing what Christ commands? Because you cannot say with any certainty that the grace of God has appeared to them. You cannot say with any certainty that Christ gave Himself for them. Which means what? You cannot call them a Christian. Therefore, you treat them as an unbeliever until they show the ordinary effect of grace.

But this text does not hold over our heads perfection. It does not whip us forward to slog the difficult terrain of holiness. It does not encumber us with a yoke that is burdensome. Rather, it is a yoke, it is journey, it is our goal but we have the unstoppable grace of God training us for this. We have the Relentless love of Christ our Savior purifying us in this. He implores us to come to him if we are weary and heavy laden because His yoke is easy.

We learn from this text that God’s people are all assured of their growth in grace and their identity in Christ! What a marvelous promise! What an amazing assurance! What a great salvation! We do not wait for the bus for Christ to pick us up – but we are disciplined and trained by grace and perfected by Christ until He comes again to complete that work. This is why we preach a gospel that necessarily produces certain behaviors. This is why we expect those who receive sound truth to live in predictable patterns of life. This is why we expect the fruit of the spirit and the killing of sin. Because it is not totally up to us. Indeed, Christ and God’s grace have guaranteed it for His beloved.

Take courage my friends! Walk in the obedience of faith, knowing that Grace and Christ will provide all you need!

We cannot say “I can’t” without partially lying ourselves. For God says with His grace and His son, not only that you can… but that you will! He will purify a particular people for Himself. So, if you are truly His, you will be purified. Walk then in purity and obedience. Trust Him. Rely on His grace. It is sufficient for you.

Title: Gospel Shaped Living Part 2

Text: Titus 2:9-10

FCF: We often struggle submitting and honoring our human authorities.

Prop: The gospel changes the behavior of those who have received it,

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Titus chapter 2. Last week, we began this topic of behavior that fits with the gospel. Paul, counter to the false teachers prevalent in Crete, wants Titus to exemplify and teach behavior that flows naturally from someone changed by the gospel of Christ. This translates into the Older generation coming alongside the younger generation and teaching and demonstrating godly character. Young women with their homes, and young men as teachers. Now Paul will turn to a third group in the household of faith. A group that no doubt comprised a significant percentage of the Cretan church. A group that had a bad reputation in the 1st Century Roman world.

And to top it all off today – as we discuss this group of people – we have to fight through out own contextual bias and modern baggage in order to understand what is truly being said. As as the cherry on top of that – once we finally do understand what is being said – we find the message to be quite intolerable by many who claim Christ. Perhaps even some in this room.

I am in Titus 2. I will begin reading from verse 1 through 10 to keep the scope of this passage united. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible starting on page 1345.

Transition:

There is no doubt that like I Timothy 6, this passage is sure to be challenging for us to swallow. Especially in light of recent events. So let’s dive in and discover what God has for us.

I.) The gospel changes the behavior of those who have received it, so we must be subject to our human authorities. (9)

a. [Slide 2] 9 – Slaves are to be subject to their own masters in everything,

i. In I Timothy, we commented extensively on slavery.

ii. Given the hot button issue that it is, and its relevance to our current culture, let me review what we learned a few months ago.

iii. First, we must realize that about 1/3 of the Roman population were slaves. Slavery was an integral part of their society.

iv. As such, slavery was not as narrow as it has been applied in American history. People came into slavery by many avenues. Some experiences were as bad, if not worse than the American experience. Other experiences were far better than your average Employer/Employee relationship today.

v. One thing is certain – slavery was part of the fabric of society.

vi. To openly advocate for its abolition would marginalize Christianity as a zealot cult, and a particularly anarchistic one to boot.

vii. But contrary to modern critics of the bible, there is certainly no unqualified support of slavery throughout the bible.

viii. A beautiful example of this tension in scripture is Paul’s letter to Philemon.

1. Onesimus, a slave who had run away from Philemon, had found Paul in Rome. Under Paul’s witness, Onesimus experienced conversion to Christ.

2. Paul’s letter to Philemon is primarily focused on gaining Philemon’s consent to keep Onesimus with him in Rome.

3. But Paul does not hold Onesimus ransom – for he is the one delivering Paul’s letter.

4. Paul also NEVER comes close to advocating for Onesimus’ freedom to be granted.

5. Rather, Paul is far more concerned with Philemon considering him a brother in Christ.

6. Ultimately, Paul desires that love would reign. And he demonstrates this to Philemon by not commanding Philemon to give him Onesimus. Although Paul does make several arguments, nigh unto arm twisting, to get him to do that.

7. Still – Paul’s desire is to have Philemon love Onesimus and forgive him.

ix. Since slavery was so broad, and could be legitimate and even preferred living in some situations, the bible never outright condemns its practice. It does however, deal with the more difficult and often overlooked issues related to slavery.

x. We as humans want the microwave answer to everything. We desire the quick fix. Certainly, the quickest way to destroy slavery would be to outlaw it, yes?

xi. But the gospel writers saw the reality. If slaves would truly obey and love their masters and masters would truly love be kind to their slaves – the abominable practices of slavery would fall away and all that would remain would be without cause of concern.

xii. So why advocate for slavery’s end, when you could address the root of the problem of slavery. Which is not the institution itself, but the hearts of men within that institution.

xiii. And as with any relationship, if only half of this equation is in Christ – that does not absolve that half from their holy obligations.

1. When 1 spouse is a believer and the other is not – what is Paul’s command to the believing spouse? Live a holy life before them – but do not divorce.

2. When a citizen is part of a nation where the leaders are godless – what is Paul and Peter’s command? To submit to their authority because it has been given by God. To honor their leaders. To pray for them.

3. When believing children are under the authority of their parents who are of mixed faith or both unregenerate, it does not abdicate the child’s responsibility to obey their parents.

4. And for masters and slaves alike, their obligations are to love and in the case of the slave, to submit and obey.

xiv. There is no command in scripture to resist authority.

xv. [Slide 3] There are only examples provided to us of God’s people disobeying. And in each case, there are two things that are common.

1. The command disobeyed is opposed to a direct command from God.

a. In Daniel we have two kinds of examples. One of a non direct command of God and two of Direct commands of God. I am highlighting the non-direct command primarily to show how it differentiated from a direct command.

i. [Slide 4] With the king’s meat, we have no direct command of God that the meat that was offered was a violation of the dietary laws. And in this case Daniel and the others have simply purposed in their heart not to eat the meat of the King. The text never tells us that is because it somehow violates God’s law. More likely it is one act to resist complete assimilation into Babylonian culture. But, in the end, they do not resolutely decide to disobey the command. Rather they barter with the authority and propose a test.

ii. [Slide 5] With the command to bow down and worship the image of Nebucadnezzar of Babylon, the three men Hananiah, Azariah, Mishiel refuse to obey the command. But Nebucadnezzar makes it plain that the charge against them is not that they simply did not pay homage to him as a king, but also that they did not worship his gods. They replied with a firm no – we will not do that, regardless of the consequences.

iii. [Slide 6] Later Darius of Medo-Persia listens to his satraps and issues a decree that all men should only pray to Darius and not to any other god. Daniel, so as not to appear to be following the decree but to continue his customary practice to pray with his windows open, did pray to God as he normally would. Thus, disobeying the command.

b. [Slide 7] In Acts 5 we see the Sanhedrin council giving Peter and the other apostles strict orders not to teach in the name of Jesus. They tried imprisoning them, from which an angel released them and they continued preaching. They were brought again before the Sanhedrin and Peter stated that they must obey God rather than people.

2. [Slide 8] In each of these examples we also see another thread of similarity. Although they did not obey the command of the authority, they still submitted to the punishment of the authority for violating their laws. Even though they were unjust laws.

a. In Daniel, the men submitted to honor the outcome of the food trial. They submitted to the furnace. They submitted to the lion’s den. Even though they had no guarantee of the outcome.

b. In Acts the apostles submitted to imprisonment and would have submitted to execution had it not been for Gamaliel’s sound advice to the Sanhedrin council.

xvi. The point is this. In so far as it depends upon us, we must be at peace with all men. At times, we must disobey the command of an authority because it is opposed to a direct (not indirect) but a direct command of God. In this though, we still in some sense continue to submit. Because although we do not obey the law, edict, command or decree – we still submit ourselves willingly to the punishment for the law, and trust the Lord for its outcome.

xvii. Why am I spending so much time on this? My friends, very soon we will no doubt be pressed on many sides. The Deacons and I have already felt the push against us. How far do we go to accommodate the commands of our godless authorities? What law is too far? What are the commands of God and what are simply our preferences or traditions? Can we creatively obey some laws so we obey God and man? These are all questions we must begin asking – and we must be sure to find our answers from scripture without abusing it to say what we want it to.

xviii. [Slide 9] Slaves were notorious in Roman culture for being lazy thieves who often opposed their masters. Many ancient writers and play writers poke fun at the good-for-nothingness of slaves in this time. Meaning that slaves would have already been predisposed to kick against their master’s authority.

xix. And then a slave comes to Christ! What does that change? What does that do?

xx. Slaves would have had a lot of scriptural support to conclude that they must cast off their slavery. Indeed, their freedom in Christ demands that they do just this! Christ alone is King yes?

xxi. Especially if my master is a tyrant! I must resist him and in resisting him I am obeying God yes?

xxii. No. Paul tells slaves to be submissive to their masters. In some things? No, in everything!

xxiii. This would have been culturally counter to a slave’s normal lifestyle. To the extent that it would have pointed to something radically different in the slave. Indeed, every single aspect of church and home life Paul has given in this chapter so far – would be radically different than their culture in Crete.

xxiv. And Paul isn’t done.

b. [Slide 10] To do what is wanted and not talk back,

i. Not only must they obey their masters and do what they desire – but they must do so without talking back.

ii. The word used here means to speak against or to answer again. This is without grumbling, without complaint, without argument and without insult.

c. We would do well to remind ourselves again of the core of the entire section. What is Paul insisting for Titus to do? He is insisting that Titus speak about the behavior that is consistent with the gospel. Behavior that flows from the gospel. And what is clear, is that we are all rebels by nature. But through the gospel, we become obedient. We become zealous for love and good works. We become zealous for peace. In so far as it depends on us, we pursue it, without compromising God’s commands.

d. So for the slave – they must submit to their God appointed authority and they must do all their masters desire without complaint.

e. Paul will give the why for this in a moment along with another command but let us first review what we’ve seen in this verse.

f. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: Paul again is emphasizing that Titus must communicate behavior that is fitting of sound doctrine. That lives who have truly received the gospel, do assuredly and progressively change to be conformed to Christ.

g. Passage Application: So, Titus must teach slaves to not be like normal slaves but to submit to their masters and obey them to the extent that they would be pleased with the obedience. Not with complaint, but in love for Christ.

h. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this, we have noted that all of scripture testifies to the truth of God’s life-changing power in the gospel. This Wednesday, one of our deacons had actually assembled a list of passages of scripture that convey this exact truth. And they are MANY! And by his own admission, he knows, that it is not exhaustive.

i. Broader Biblical Application: So for us at CBC, we must be people who generally are submitted to every human authority. They are appointed by God for His purposes. Whether they do evil or good – they are there because He has put them there. And whether we disagree with their leadership, rules, edicts, laws, or decrees is completely irrelevant. We submit to their authority and obey to their satisfaction – without complaint. The only exception, is when they have commanded us to violate an explicit command of God. Even then, we submit to their authority to punish us for violating their despicable law.

Transition:

[Slide 13(blank)] So certainly, in regard to slaves and masters, the gospel flows outward in a slave’s behavior that is submissive and obedient to their masters. But it is not only submission that flows from the gospel…

II.) The gospel changes the behavior of those who have received it, so we must love and honor our human authorities. (10)

a. [Slide 14] 10 – not pilfering,

i. Why would a slave steal from his master?

ii. Jealousy, spite, to purchase their freedom, or simply as a way to get even.

iii. The multi-natured motive of theft leaves us to conclude that generally speaking Paul insists on genuine Christian love and honor flowing from a slave to his master. This is realized not only in submission, but even in care for his master’s possessions without considering them or taking them for his own.

iv. In other passages about slave and master relations, especially in I Timothy 6, we see this dyad of love and honor come into play. Not stealing from their masters certainly is an example of these broader principles.

b. [Slide 15] But showing all good faith,

i. This is a difficult construction in the Greek.

ii. Many translations take the adjective “good” and put it in an attributive sense for the noun faith. Meaning, good faith.

iii. This would give us another quality of a slave, in that he was trustworthy. This could certainly fit in the context and would even be a valid behavior for those slaves who are redeemed.

iv. However, adjectives can sometimes be used to complement an object. Let me give you an example

1. [Slide 16] Justin made the chili awful.

Title: Gospel Shaped Lives Part 1

Text: Titus 2:1-8

FCF: We often struggle discipling others

Prop: Because the gospel changes the behavior of those who have received it, we must generationally make disciples.

Scripture Intro: NET

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Titus 2. Having explained the true gospel from its opposite, and having shown the failure of the false teachers in Crete and the great need for qualified men to help refute them – Now Paul turns to Titus and tells him to teach the people.

What follows is a hard hitting, come out swinging, difficult to swallow exposition of what behavior goes with the gospel and how that message is delivered down through the church. As one expositor said, if you can’t say amen, you better say ouch. This may be an ouch kind of message.

I am in Titus 2 starting in verse 1. I am reading from the NET which you can follow on page 1345 in the pew bible or in whatever version you have.

Transition:

There is a lot here, and really this is only 2/3 of what Paul is saying in this section, hence the two-part message. So, let’s get to it.

I.) The gospel changes the behavior of those who have received it, so we must teach behavior that corresponds to the gospel. (1-3)

a. [Slide 2] 1 – But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching,

i. Paul’s primary critique of the false teachers is that they say they understand who God is, they are privy to secret knowledge that has propelled them beyond the rudimentary teachings of the gospel… but the fact remains that they have not stayed in the truth. This is demonstrated by their lifestyles of self-righteousness, added laws, and sinful practice.

ii. This still happens today. People who seem to be the best at knowing God, oftentimes set themselves up as especially devout, adding extra laws to show how serious they are while simultaneously failing to keep the clear laws God does give. They put emphasis on tangential teaching or disputes over things that are unclear rather than the firm and healthy teaching.

iii. We’ve seen this in Ravi Zacharias. We’ve seen this in Hillsong’s ministry. We’ve seen this is Joshua Harris. We’ve seen this countless musical artists and publicly recognized Christians and Christian leaders. The formula continues to repeat.

iv. That is why Paul’s words here to Titus cannot be glossed over. They cannot be under appreciated. They cannot be emphasized enough.

v. As for you Titus. When all others crumble. When all others fail. When all others leave the truth. As for you Titus.

vi. Communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching. But what does that mean? First, what does it mean to communicate behavior? Second what is behavior that goes with sound teaching?

1. First, the word behavior does not actually exist in the text. The NET adds this to help explain where Paul is going.

2. Paul desires that Titus, contrasted to the silencing of the opponents, should speak what goes with or corresponds to sound teaching.

3. What is clear, as Paul continues, is that which must be spoken, which corresponds to sound teaching, is obedience to Christ. A life changed by the power of the gospel.

b. [Slide 3] 2 – Older men are to be temperate

i. So first, interpretationally, we have to recognize that the first word is presbytery or Elder. So, the question must be, is Paul referring to the office of Elder or to older men?

ii. As is almost always the case, context helps us here.

1. There is no indication that Paul is introducing further qualifications or roles for Elders.

2. Paul speaks of female elders in verse 3, which if taken as an office would contradict much of what Paul has said about their exercising authority.

3. Young women and young men are mentioned in the context as well.

iii. What is obvious is that Paul is expressing truth toward age groups. In that case, we know that this is not talking about Elders, but rather older men in the church.

iv. As an interesting point of clarification, and what I will attempt to prove later in the sermon, is that I believe Titus to be one of these older men.

1. We cannot know for sure the age of Titus. In fact, we raised this question in a recent Wednesday night bible study.

2. However, given the number of clues in this passage, and the length of time Titus has been with Paul, I conclude that Titus is probably an older man at this stage. Perhaps even older than Paul.

v. That may be why Paul goes directly from telling Titus to speak of behavior that is fitting to sound teaching to explaining what that behavior is in an older man.

vi. The first of these is to be temperate. To be temperate is to be sober and vigilant. It is to be watchful. It is to be on guard. Able to see anything that is amiss.

c. [Slide 4] Dignified

i. This means that there is a certain seriousness about these men.

ii. They are not young men trapped in aging bodies. They don’t succumb to flights of fancy and toys. They recognize that they are older and that life is not for playing all the time.

d. [Slide 5] Self-controlled

i. They are conscience of the time they have left on the earth.

ii. They are not preoccupied with addiction to any substance, practice, or experience.

iii. Rather they are in control of their thoughts, actions, finances, and practices.

e. [Slide 6] Sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.

i. Their faith, love and endurance are healthy.

ii. Their bodies may yet be failing, but their spirit is more vibrant than it has ever been.

iii. They should be entering their spiritual prime as they are used to being pressed into the mold of Christ. They have clung to their faith through many difficulties and stages in life.

iv. Their confession of truth and the doctrines to which they cling should be all the more solid and healthy.

v. Their love expressed toward God and other believers should be Christlike and often given.

vi. Their endurance and patience in trouble and trial should be consistently trusting of God and His sovereignty.

vii. Such should be the behavior that flows from sound doctrine for older men.

viii. However, their list is not quite done. I’ll explain what I mean toward the end. Just keep it in the back of your mind.

f. [Slide 7] 3 – Older women likewise are to exhibit behavior fitting for those who are holy

i. So, we see a direct parallel here between older men and older women.

ii. Their behavior also must conform to a certain standard. The standard is holiness.

iii. All who receive sound teaching by God’s grace, have been set apart as a holy people unto God. Therefore, the source of this lifestyle of an older woman is still sound teaching but specifically that they have been marked out by God for His purposes.

iv. In essence this changes the trajectory of their entire lives.

v. How specifically?

g. [Slide 8] Not slandering

i. If an older woman is to be set apart for a Divine purpose, they certainly cannot be malicious gossips going about spreading lies or truth in an effort to destroy other people.

ii. They cannot be busy-bodies flitting from house to house saying “have you heard about…”

h. [Slide 9] Not slaves to excessive drinking

i. Drunkenness is appalling whenever we discover it. Being a slave to alcohol, or any substance is truly devastating. But there is something about this particular slavery when applied older people, that is particularly pitiful and reprehensible.

ii. It is not how women set apart for a divine purpose should behave.

iii. As a side note: It is interesting that Paul does not have one negative attribute to list with regard to Older men. All of them are positive attributes that ought to come from sound teaching, but for older women there are two negative characteristics that cannot go along with holiness.

iv. Perhaps Cretan women struggled with these in their old age. Either becoming bored or lacking vigilance, they become drunks and gossips.

v. I wish I could say that it was only Cretan women to which this applied – but I think the temptation endures even to today for older women.

i. [Slide 10] But teaching what is good.

i. And here is the only positive expression of holiness that Paul lists for Older Women.

ii. That doesn’t, of course, mean that this is an exhaustive list. In fact, we will see a secret list for older women and older men in a few minutes. But for now, we’ll go with this.

iii. The ladies have gotten bored and become gossips and drunks.

iv. Instead, they should be using their time to demonstrate in word and deed what is good.

v. And what is good?

vi. God being the very definition of good – we can just as easily supply the words: godly or Christlike.

vii. They ought not be bored. They have so much to teach. They have plenty to demonstrate.

viii. This teaching is directed at a particular target which we will address next, but for now let’s review what we’ve seen so far.

j. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: Paul illustrates exactly what kind of behavior should flow from healthy doctrine. In a word, holy.

k. Passage Application: So, Titus must speak these things to the Cretans. He must utter these behavioral standards and connect them to the gospel from which they flow.

l. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this text, we know… WE KNOW – that Christians are changed irrevocably by the grace of God. How can we not be? Almost every book of the bible speaks to God’s desire for His people to be set apart. To be different. And in the New Covenant – God supplies a new heart capable of doing what He desires.

m. Broader Biblical Application: So at CBC we ought also to teach these behaviors. To demand that they be practiced among us. Why? Because they are the natural outflowing of a person who has experienced the grace of God. There can be no doubt, older men and women, those who have had time to grow in their faith, should be people who are like Christ. They should be examples. They should be mentors. Indeed, it is not out of turn for me, a young man, to demand that the older men and women in this church, be these kinds of people. You must be these kinds of people.

Transition:

[Slide 13(blank)] And of course, if they are to be examples and mentors, we must ask who they are to mentor. Who are they to guide?

II.) The gospel changes the behavior of those who have received it, so we must pass on what we have learned to the next generation. (4-8)

a. [Slide 14] 4 – In this way they will train the younger women to love their husbands

i. Grammatically speaking there is no real ambiguity here. The ones teaching are the older women.

ii. Why is it so important for them to be non-slandering, non-drunk, teachers of good?

iii. They have a generational imperative to teach younger women.

iv. Can older men teach younger women? Of course! But most naturally this falls to older women.

v. If an older woman is set apart for holiness, not slandering or drunk, but a teacher of good – she is going to teach younger women a few things about life. This then is the secret list for older women. Because if you are not modeling these, then you cannot teach them.

vi. So Older women must teach younger women by example, how to love their husbands. But we need to break this word down a little to catch all that is being said here.

vii. Love their husbands is actually 1 compound word in Greek.

1. Love – of a brotherly, friendly, or fondness kind.

2. Man – or contextually husband.

viii. This word is also not a verb. In our reading it seems like it is… but in actuality it is an adjective.

ix. Older women are to teach younger women how to be husband-lovers. And if I can take the liberty… how to be husband-likers.

x. This is certainly love – but less of duty and more of covenant and commitment. It is bonded love.

xi. Older women ought to be teaching and demonstrating to younger women how to like, appreciate, befriend, and otherwise selflessly support their husbands.

xii. Do young women need this today? You better believe it. But here is the harder question… Are there any older women who can teach it?

b. [Slide 15] To love their children

i. In the same way, Older women ought to teach and demonstrate how younger women ought to be children LIKERS.

ii. This does not negate a parent’s role in authority. We are not saying that parents should befriend their children. Nor are the older women imposing a laxer standard.

iii. But kindness, fondness toward one’s own children ought to be taught and demonstrated.

iv. Oftentimes young mothers can see their children as enemies, even hell-raisers

Title: Playing Defense

Text: Titus 1:10-16

FCF: We often struggle recognizing the need for us to defend the truth.

Prop: Because our status as humans is desperate, we must rebuke false teachings and teachers.

Scripture Intro: NASB

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Titus chapter 1. Last week, Paul specified very clearly why he had written to Titus on this particular occasion. First and broadly, Paul wanted Titus to put the things that remained back in order in Crete. Secondly, as part of setting things in order, Titus must appoint Elders in each city. But those men who would be Elders must be qualified men. Because the calling, role, and work of an Elder demands a certain kind of man.

But Paul is not actually finished explaining why these men must have such high qualifications. Why must they have such high character? Why must their home be in order? Why must they be solid in the faith? It is because the opposition they are facing demands men who will not waver.

I am in Titus chapter 1 and I’ll start reading in verse 10. I am reading from the NASB today, but you can follow along in the version you prefer or in the pew bible on page 1345.

Transition:

Paul will masterfully preach the gospel in this section if you pay attention. He preaches the gospel by talking about its antithesis. Follow me into this text looking for the gospel, will you?

I.) Because there are many false teachers, we must rebuke false teaching. (10-11)

a. [Slide 2] 10 – For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers, and deceivers

i. Paul here, is introducing the great need for Elders to be the qualified men they need to be.

ii. The primary reason is because their opposition are not those kinds of men.

iii. First, they are rebellious. They do not conform to the law of God. They do not love the law of God. They do not desire to conform to the teachings received from the apostles. They have gone out on their own.

iv. Second, they are empty talkers. They desire to speak about things that do not matter. They are consumed by them. They waste time speculating over matters that offer little in comparison to the gospel.

v. Lastly, they are deceivers. Both of themselves and of others. They believe what they say and say what they believe. And they are leading people astray.

b. [Slide 3] Especially those of the circumcision,

i. This single phrase is the reason I chose the NASB today.

ii. The NASB translates this raw from the Greek without trying to interpret it. That is what I wanted.

iii. It is difficult to know exactly what Paul means here.

iv. He could mean Jews

v. He could mean Jewish Christians who are apostatizing

vi. He could mean Judaizers who are demanding people to be Jews before being Christians.

vii. He could mean Jews like in Ephesus who had distorted genealogies and mythicized the Old Testament to produce wrong doctrine.

viii. It is unlikely that we can know exactly what Paul was talking about. Except that somehow the Jews were involved.

ix. We again have this word especially. The normal usage of this word is especially, but it can also mean namely. So is Paul limiting all the rebellious, empty talking, deceivers to those of the circumcision, or is this one group that was the worst offender of these charges.

x. Given what he says in verse 12, it seems that the latter is more likely. That those of the circumcision are the ones causing the most damage. But, they are by no means the only pack of wolves the Cretan church faced.

xi. All of these kinds of people are people…

c. [Slide 4] 11 – who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families,

i. It is of the utmost importance that Titus silence these people.

ii. Not in an ungodly way. Not with fists. But with sound doctrine and rebuke.

iii. Why?

iv. Because whole families of believers are being led down this path of false teaching.

v. To the extent that they are leaving the confessed truths and sound soteriology that they have received.

d. [Slide 5] Teaching things they should not teach

i. Instead, they are buying into the doctrines that these empty talkers have no business teaching.

ii. This is another reason to consider the qualification of children being believers to be part of the visible church.

iii. The parallelism here is inescapable. The man qualified to be an Elder must keep his home firmly rooted in the sound doctrines. Not the children’s conversion but rather in their sound teaching. In other words, their family won’t be the ones who have been upset by these false teachers.

e. [Slide 6] For the sake of sordid gain.

i. Like in I Timothy, the primary desire of these false teachers is to amass earthly gain for themselves. Money, fame, respect, power.

ii. This is why an Elder must not be greedy for gain. Because his opposition is bound to desire just that. And the temptation to pursue this, wealth, power, fame, is strongest when people are listening to you.

f. [Slide 7] Passage Truth: Paul sets the reasoning for the high expectations of the Elders against this concept, that there are so many different kinds of false teachers about, that it is necessary to have qualified men to refute them.

g. Passage Application: And that is exactly what Titus, and the newly appointed Elders he is setting up in each city, must do. They must silence these false teachers and mute their teaching. Indeed, entire families are being thrown into upheaval. It has already begun. Titus must stop this.

h. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this passage, we can see that false teachers have always been around. Since the garden when Satan questioned God’s word, to the false gods turning people away from Yahweh in the Old, and then into the early church with all kinds of false teachings. False teachers have always pressed against those whom God has revealed Himself.

i. Broader Biblical Application: So for us, the application must be, to fight. Not with fists, swords, guns or tanks. But with doctrine. To teach sound soteriology. To teach what God has revealed is the narrow path. This is how we rebuke, silence, correct and otherwise put down the danger of false teaching. We counter it with truth. We point out the failures of the teaching, with the truth of the gospel.

Transition:

[Slide 9(blank)] So the gospel is on display in its opposition. The gospel is a set standard, so firm that to oppose it is rebellion, it is not empty but full, and it is the truth not lies. It unifies families in that truth fills them with more than earthly things, and is the teaching they have received from the apostles. But what else?

II.) Because all men are wicked, we must rebuke false teaching. (12-14)

a. [Slide 10] 12 – One of themselves,

i. This gets a little tricky in the context.

ii. Who is “themselves” here?

iii. [Slide 11] There are a few options

1. It could be those of the circumcision. This seems to flow from the text previous. However, as we go forward it will become apparent that this cannot be.

2. It could refer to those in general, who are teaching falsely. This again flows naturally but with the context that follows starts to seem more confusing.

3. This could be referring to the families who are being upset by the teaching, and by extension, Cretans in general. As difficult as it is to see this connection from the previous verses, this must be what Paul means as we move forward.

iv. So let’s keep reading assuming the last is what he is saying, that one of these Cretans…

b. [Slide 12] A prophet of their own, said “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

i. So, a Cretan born prophet is on record for saying that Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.

ii. First of all, who said this?

iii. Epimenides, a 6th Century BC seer from Crete.

iv. [Slide 13] So, this prophet is definitely not of the circumcision. He was not Jewish. That eliminates the first option. Second, although he certainly was not a Christian and was a false pagan prophet, he could not readily be identified with the rebellious, empty talking, deceivers in Crete at the time.

v. So for Paul to say that this guy was one of them… he has to mean Cretan. One of their own nationality.

vi. This is difficult contextually because we don’t notice the shift until afterward. However, it is not uncommon to do this in writing or spoken word.

vii. [Slide 14] What did Epimenides say about Cretans? They are… well… Cretans.

Title: A High Calling

Text: Titus 1:5-9

FCF: We often struggle taking seriously the qualities of an Elder.

Prop: Because an Elder has a high calling from God, we must display these qualities to be considered for appointment.

Scripture Intro: ESV

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Titus chapter 1. Last week we got a little bit of the background of both Titus and the people of Crete. We also looked at Paul’s introduction to this letter and his hope that Titus will be given grace and peace from God to accomplish all that is necessary there.

With that, we step into the letter in earnest. Today, we’ll get a sense of exactly why Paul is writing to Titus, we’ll see the second qualification list for Elders, and also deal with our first major interpretational challenge in the book.

Lots to learn here. I will be reading from the ESV starting in verse 5. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1345 or whatever version you have.

Transition:

It is a full passage with applications that are both supremely relevant to our church and incredibly powerful to our culture. So buckle up!

I.) The call of an Elder requires examination, so we must display these qualities to be considered. (5-6)

a. [Slide 2] 5 – This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you –

i. As in I Timothy, Paul doesn’t waste any time in getting right to the point of this entire letter.

ii. The letter serves two very specific purposes

1. To help Titus put the church in order there.

2. To help Titus appoint qualified men into Eldership in each town in Crete.

iii. Bringing order is, by and large, the rest of the letter besides our text for this morning. So, although we could elaborate on this today – in reality – you just need to keep coming each Sunday after this one to find out what that means

Title: Introduction to Titus

Text: Titus 1:1-4

FCF: We often struggle with the daunting work that God has given us.

Prop: Because all God’s elect, in every role, are tools of God for His purposes, we must depend on God to work through us.

Book Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Titus chapter 1. Today we begin our second of three pastoral epistles. At the beginning of I Timothy, we delved into the background of these books. Let me review that a little, especially since Titus shares the same contextual backdrop as I Timothy.

As we noted at the beginning and end of I Timothy, these epistles are called the pastoral epistles, but probably should be renamed the Ecclesiastical Epistles. Meaning they were written specifically to talk about the order, practice, behavior, purpose, direction and focus of the entity known as the ecclesia, the assembly, the church. Not the building, but the people. Not necessarily on an individual level, as most epistles are written, but as a body of believers.

Although disputed by more recent and more liberal scholars, Paul’s authorship is resoundingly affirmed by early church fathers and by conservative scholars.

Although the history is unclear, we supposed that sometime after Paul’s imprisonment recorded in Acts 28, Paul was released and went on a 4th missionary journey. In this, Paul set up Elders in churches along the way to deal with growing problems.

[Slide 2] On his way to Macedonia, he leaves Timothy in Ephesus and stops by the island of Crete. There he leaves Titus. He sails from there to the region known as Macedonia and to the city called Nicopolis. That means that I Timothy and Titus were probably written at the same time and from the same place. Probably around AD 62-63.

So who is Titus? Titus was an uncircumcised gentile Christian. We know this about him because Paul says so in Galatians 2. He went with Paul to Jerusalem to authenticate Paul’s message before the other apostles. On this occasion, They did not ask that Titus be circumcised. This validates Paul’s argument in Galatians, that gentiles need not be Jewish first before being Christians. Other than this though, we don’t know much about Titus. He was an early convert of Paul, that much is true. He has probably been assisting Paul for more than a decade. We know that Paul sent him to the church of Corinth as his emissary, both delivering Paul’s message in II Corinthians and also helping the church at Corinth to understand and apply it.

[Slide 3] Although we can’t be sure, it seems that unlike Timothy, Titus’ job in Crete was far less permanent. Paul talks about Titus rejoining him in Nicopolis, and in II Timothy we actually find that Titus is in Dalmatia, which is modern day Croatia and Bosnia. Across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Titus, according to church tradition, went back to Crete after Paul’s death and remained there serving until he died.

[Slide 4] With these details, a picture emerges of Titus. Although not much is said about him, and although he is only written this short letter – it seems that Titus was Paul’s righteous “fixer.” He goes to Corinth, a fairly difficult setting with all kinds of problems, and a whole lot of disunity and disorder, and helps to bring them to order. And now he is being left, for a short time, to do the same for the church in Crete. Although Paul exhorts Timothy often in I and II Timothy about his own character, and even encourages him not to be timid. Titus is never really given much exhortation. To that degree then, Titus sets himself apart from even Timothy, as a man whom God uses to right the ship.

As with I Timothy, some kind of false teaching has arisen there in Crete. The teaching is similar but not identical to what Timothy was facing in Ephesus. Paul is sending Titus to get it under control but the method for doing this is somewhat different than what he recommends for Timothy.

The themes in Titus largely reflect the themes in I Timothy with one addition. There seems to be a heavier emphasis on the confession of proper truth. Certainly, Paul’s message is a gospel that produces godliness. However, Paul takes pains to give strong doctrinal statements that are simply not in I Timothy. And the emphasis is on the gospel shaping the church to look like Christ. Much like the picture above – we are slaves and pawns. Jars of clay. Yet when we look into a mirror – the reflection should be our King.

We are still keeping our eyes out for specific phrases. Although Paul never breaks into doxology in Titus (interesting since there is more theology here than in I Timothy) there is one “this is a trustworthy saying” in Titus.

I plan to read the entire book of Titus this morning. I would ask that if you feel so inclined to read a chapter from Titus, please go ahead and make your way toward the front and sit in one of these front pews. We only need 3 volunteers today. But, before we read the text itself, and as the volunteers make their way up, there are a number of challenging passages or concepts in Titus that we will be studying.

Chapter 1

1.) Is one qualification of an Elder that their children are saved? That seems… kind of out of their hands, right?

2.) Paul insults an entire people group. Racism?

3.) Christian liberty unleashed – all is pure to those who are pure?

Chapter 2

4.) Wives duties are to keep the house and to submit to their husbands??? Oh boy.

5.) Slaves again. Not a problem to have them… oh Paul.

6.) Universalism again. God’s grace has appeared bringing salvation to all people?!?!

Chapter 3

7.) Submission to wicked rulers and authorities… again?! That is not very American of you Paul!

8.) Regeneration precedes works. If our State of Theology Survey proved anything, it was that our church is not unified on this teaching. Many believe that faith precedes regeneration. However, Paul in Titus makes it clear that regeneration precedes works, it does not follow works.

9.) Justified by faith, grace, or works? The bible says all of them. So, which one is it?

10.) The harshest of church disciplines… for a divisive person.

Pray

Scripture Reading

At this time, I’ll ask for three volunteers to come up to the front here and read a chapter in the book of Titus. Each chapter is no more than 16 verses long, so it shouldn’t be too taxing for us. We did this with I Timothy, and it was wonderful hearing the entire letter read in one sitting.

If you are not reading, you can follow along in your bible and on the outline which was printed for you instead of sermon notes this morning.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 5] I will read one more time the text for this morning. Titus chapter 1 verses 1 through 4. I am reading from the CSB this morning, but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1345 or in whatever version you have.

Transition:

Well, we won’t linger long in the text this morning but I want to allow Paul to introduce himself and express his warm greeting to his friend and spiritual son, Titus. Let’s dive in.

I.) Church leaders are but tools of God, used for His purposes, so we must depend on God to work through us. (1-3)

a. [Slide 6] 1 – Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,

i. Once again, Paul identifies himself.

ii. Paul describes himself as a slave of God. This is not a title that is unique to Titus. In fact Paul calls himself the slave of Christ or God often.

iii. Indeed, the New Testament writers refer to God’s people as His slaves. And although this word can refer to bondservant, ie, one who submits freely to serve another… it doesn’t necessarily mean that in the context.

iv. In the truest sense of the word, Paul is the slave of God. He does what His master says, regardless of his own personal will and to the disregard of his own person interests.

v. But Paul speaks often of how merciful and gracious his Master is. So it is a joyful slavery.

vi. Paul also describes himself as an apostle.

vii. The word itself means emissary, delegate, or ambassador.

viii. If this was all the word meant, it may be true in some sense to refer to all of God’s children as apostles. In fact, Paul calls every Christian an ambassador, or representative of Christ in II Corinthians 5.

ix. He does not use this word though.

x. Although the raw definition of apostle can mean ambassador or delegate, it is clear that even early on in the church’s history, the word apostle was a reference to a particular office.

xi. The apostle is a delegate of Christ. His representative. In a direct kind of way. This office was established for the foundation of the church and has since expired. It is interesting that no one claimed to be an apostle of Christ in the early church after these men died. By the time of John’s writing Revelation, he was the last one.

xii. So has the church been established today?

xiii. I read a stat the other day… Do you realize that there are 3 times more members of Southern Baptist Churches than there were citizens of the Roman Empire during the time of Nero?

xiv. The church has been established, and therefore, we do not need apostles any longer. We need the apostles teaching, which is the teaching of Christ… THAT is sure. But the next big leader we wait for in the church – is the return of Christ – not another apostle.

xv. In fact, with all these high-profile church leaders apostatizing doctrine, or being involved in gross unrepentant sin – I’d say that hope in any would-be-apostle is quite silly.

xvi. So, all that to say – Paul is an apostle, but no, we don’t have any more today.

b. [Slide 7] For the faith of God’s elect

i. Paul now answers the question why.

ii. Why has God made Paul His slave? Why has Paul been commissioned to be an apostle of Jesus Christ?

iii. For the faith of God’s elect. Now what makes this phrase particularly challenging is because Paul uses a preposition here that has a wide variety of uses. Two of the most popular among our many English translations are…

1. According to the faith of God’s elect, meaning that his calling as an apostle is in the same vein or teaching as the faith received by God’s elect.

2. For the faith of God’s elect, meaning the purpose of his calling as an apostle was to see God’s elect receive faith

a. As a subpoint here some translations say for the sake of or to further the faith of God’s elect. Meaning that his apostleship was to grow the faith of God’s elect.

iv. All of these are certainly true – but I tend to favor the second option most without its subpoint. Perhaps reading up on Paul’s missionary trips these last couple weeks has colored my view, but it seems that Paul’s apostleship was all about seeing God’s elect receive faith in Christ.

v. Certainly, that could mean ongoing faith. But here particularly I believe Paul is getting at seeing God’s elect come to Christ for the first time.

vi. Then the ongoing nature of his apostle ministry is…

c. [Slide 8] And their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness

i. [Slide 9]So here we have the trilogy of faith.

1. Truth received from God by which we are saved (Christ’s faithfulness) Not in our receiving it, but in the effectiveness of the truth that we receive.

2. Growing Intellectual understanding of the faith (knowledge of the truth)

3. Proper behavior that must come from faith (godliness) from faith to faith (Romans 1)

ii. The trilogy of faith toward God’s elect is the purpose of Paul’s slavery to God and apostle call from Christ.

iii. This was essentially the primary focus of I Timothy – and indeed that endures in Titus. A gospel that brings faith in Christ to God’s people and grows them in knowledge and holiness.

iv. But knowledge and holiness is not the ultimate goal of this faith or Paul’s calling as an apostle.

d. [Slide 10] 2 – in the hope of eternal life

i. When biblical writers talk of hope, they do not mean wishful pie in the sky desires.

ii. Rather they mean blessed expectation of future peace and joy.

iii. That hope is in eternal life.

iv. But why would we hope in this?

e. [Slide 11] That God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

i. So, this whole phrase starts easy enough, but finishes with a perplexing statement.

ii. First, God who cannot lie has promised us eternal life.

iii. That God is not a liar is simple to understand but is a mega theme in all of scripture.

iv. Why will God’s Word not return Him void? Why is His word truth? Why is God faithful to His own Word? Why does God continue to show mercy and give grace?

v. It all comes down to this truth. God has promised and God is not a liar. It only takes 1 lie to be a liar and God isn’t one.

vi. But when did God promise this?

vii. Before time began. Why is that perplexing?

viii. Well, when did time begin? There can be several suggestions but really, they all revolve around the moment God spoke creation into existence.

ix. So before that time, God promised eternal life. Does anyone see some problems with that?

1. Who was there to hear the promise?

2. How can this promise of eternal life happen before the fall of man?

x. These are some… HUGE questions. I mean you want to talk about things that I am really not prepared to teach on, this is a BIG one.

xi. But let me make a suggestion to you – in order to reorient your thinking about the elect of God.

xii. God has promised that His elect will be given eternal life through union in Christ before they even existed. Before men fell. Before time began. Who did God promise this to? Christ. He promised this to His unique Son.

xiii. Now already, your alarm bells are starting to ring. I realize that. Already you are probably thinking – wait, isn’t the promise of eternal life for me? It is. But the promise wasn’t made to you… it was made about you. It was made to Christ, the second person of the Godhead. Or perhaps you are struggling with the other part. How could God have chosen people to have eternal life in Christ before men had fallen into sin and death?

xiv. Another time, perhaps when I am more prepared for such a large discussion, we can enter into all this. In fact, in II Timothy, I know there is a passage where this will come up again, and it is the first chapter so we’ll be getting to it fairly soon.

xv. But understand this. Your salvation in Christ as the elect of God was no mere accident, nor did God leave it up to each person to decide whether they wanted it or not.

xvi. My friends, if you are in Christ – God foreordained and predestined you to be in Christ before he spoke the world into being.

xvii. And although He did that for you – it is a promise He made and is fulfilling to His Son. That He would gather a people for Him - forever.

xviii. And my friends… God is not a liar.

xix. Even though all I have said can be the cause of much debate, listen to me… don’t let it.

xx. Rather – bask in the truth of God’s promise for you. If you are in His Son, you are part of a promise God made to Christ before the foundation of the world.

xxi. If your response is… why me? You are on the right track.

f. [Slide 12] 3 – In His own time He has revealed His word in the preaching with which I was entrusted

i. Paul has spoken of the hope we have of life in eternity future.

ii. Paul has reference how the promise of that life was made in eternity past.

iii. Now Paul connects the end and beginning to the now.

iv. God, according to His own timetable, according to His own will…

v. Has revealed this redemption plan through His Word.

vi. His word that is always true

vii. His word that is our faith

viii. His word that reveals Christ

ix. God has peeled back the curtain for His elect to see this truth. Indeed, He did so as Paul himself preached it to many. Including Titus Himself.

g. [Slide 13] By the command of God our Savior.

i. The preaching of the gospel of God is a command levied upon this apostle.

ii. He is required to take and give this truth to all. Knowing that God is in the business of revealing it to His elect.

iii. And in this way… God, not Paul, Not Apollos, Not the believer themselves, no… God alone is our Savior.

iv. He has promised His Son, eternal life in Christ before time began for His elect, His bride. And God has opened up the eyes of the blind, unstopped the ears of the hard of hearing, he has risen the dead, birthed anew His elect to receive His truth.

v. That by faith in Christ, not faith in our faith in Christ, but by faith in Christ alone we will be saved.

h. [Slide 14] Passage Truth: So, Paul’s introduction is one of power and authority. His slavery to God and apostleship from Christ is for the benefit of the elect of God and in hopes of that eternal life promised by God to His people.

i. Passage Application: We have not yet arrived an any exhortation, but we can reasonably conclude that dependence on God is primary.

j. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Truth: From the rest of scripture, we know that God has appointed people throughout the ages to speak His message to the those who will receive it by faith. Paul is but one man in a long line of faithful preachers of God’s Word that is yet unbroken, even to today.

k. Broader Biblical Application: And so, with humble hearts we cry out to God to continue His Kingdom work in and through us, even today. Until that hope of eternal life, which He promised to His Son for His people, would be fully realized.

Transition:

[Slide 16(blank)] So Paul has a high calling that is only possible through God. But who is Paul writing to, and what is his desire for that person?

II.) All God’s people are tools to accomplish His will, so we must depend on God to work through us. (4)

a. [Slide 17] 4 – To Titus, my true son

i. Titus is a true or genuine son of Paul’s.

ii. Of course, this is not talking about Titus as the physical son of Paul – but rather his spiritual son.

b. [Slide 18] In our common faith

i. Common here does not mean hum drum or ordinary.

ii. Common instead means shared.

iii. This is the word that Catholic was taken from. And once upon a time, before Roman Catholicism forever took the word, Catholic would always mean shared or same.

iv. That is why in the apostle’s creed we see the expression catholic church. It doesn’t mean Roman Catholic; it means agreement in doctrine.

c. [Slide 19] Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

i. As we have come to understand, grace is God’s supernatural empowering to do something that we cannot hope to ever do on our own.

ii. Peace here refers to peace with men but also with God. A cessation of hostility with both.

iii. Although this is one of Paul’s standard greetings, it is interesting that he goes on to mention the senders of this Grace and Peace being God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

iv. So, absent from this list is the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

v. Once again, the case is made that where God’s grace is, the Holy Spirit is, necessarily.

d. [Slide 20] Passage Truth: Paul is writing to his spiritual son in common faith, Titus. His fixer. His hammer. His tool that God has given him to go and solve problems in churches.

e. Passage Application: But to do this, Titus must not rely on his past, his accolades, his pedigree, or anything save the grace and peace of God. Sent by the Father and His Son the Savior Jesus Christ.

f. [Slide 21] Broader Biblical Truth: So we also are instruments and tools for God’s use in this world. To be used in His power and direction to fix and mend what He directs us to fix and mend.

g. Broader Biblical Application: But we cannot hope to do this on our own, or even united together. We must rely on the abundant gifts of our Father and Savior. The Triune God.

Conclusion:

[Slide 22(end)] So CBC, what does this brief little intro of Titus mean for us? How does it affect how we live?

Paul alludes to this tension right in the first verse. He is both a slave of God and an apostle of Christ. He is both very lowly – but also of the highest rank possible in the early church. What does this mean? That no matter how we look at it – we are all tools of God used for His Kingdom. We are all equally blessed of God to be part of what He is doing, no the other way around. And although we may inhabit different roles within that framework – the bottom line is, that we are all one in Christ. We are all pawns reflecting our King.

Paul is an apostle, Timothy is an Elder, Titus is a fixer – but they are all commissioned by God for the faith of His elect and the knowledge of the truth which produces godliness. They all share the same hope of eternal life that God has promised to His Son that He would give them.

This great salvation, this great work we have before us – friends – it is all God. From top to bottom, from eternity past to eternity future – it is all Him.

Although Paul is an apostle, he is also a slave like you and I. Although Titus is a fixer, he needs God’s grace and peace.

My friends, there is no one in the universal church who is outside of this framework.

And Paul is about to tell Titus to set up Elders for the church in Crete. But not because Elders are the answer. Rather because Elders are those given the role by God to reveal God’s truth.

As we begin this book, knowing that there are problems that this church in Crete faces – we can gain a great deal of encouragement to know, that whatever we may face as a church in Columbus Michigan – it will only be solved by dependence on God the triune. His grace, His peace, His presence, His truth.

We are like Titus. Whatever Paul is about to command, it is only possible through God’s grace and peace. And no matter what we may face in the days and years to come, it is only possible through God’s grace and peace.