Category: Titus

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Titus

No room for license, no room for pride

No license

We covered the first part of Titus 3 in the last blog, but because it connects with what we’re talking about today, I might as well put it all together.

Again in verse 1, he talks about how we are to obey those in authority, and then he says in verse 2 that we are to,

slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. (Titus 3:2)

It’s easy sometimes for Christians to become uncharitable or judgmental towards unbelievers because of their sinful actions. But Paul says we are not to slander them, but are rather to be peaceable and considerate, showing them true humility.

The last, I think is especially important. As Christians, we are to be humble and gentle with them in their failings. Why?

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7)

In short, we were no different from unbelievers before we became Christians. We too did stupid things, we sinned, and were in fact slaves to sin.

God didn’t save us because we were better than the rest of the people around us. Rather, he saved us because of his mercy. And he showed kindness and love to us when we didn’t deserve it by sending his Son to die for us.

Now God has made us new creations through his Holy Spirit who he has poured into our hearts. And now because of all he has done for us, we are made righteous in his sight and we have the hope of eternal life as his adopted children.

So there’s no room for pride as Christians. And we are not to look down on those who are “unholy.” Rather we are to reach out to them with the same love that God showed us.

At the same time, as I mentioned in the last blog, there’s no room for license when it comes to sin if we are Christians.

We are no longer the same. We’ve been washed by the blood of Jesus. We’ve been made new creatures in him. How then can we go back to a life of sin and the things that were destroying us?

And so Paul says,

This is a trustworthy saying.

And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.

These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:8)

And again,

Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives. (14)

So while there’s no room for pride in our own righteousness, there is no room for license either.

Even in Paul’s day, he faced both problems.

He faced those who proud of how “righteous” they were by keeping the law and those who were proud of their Jewish pedigree.

And he faced those who argued that they could live however they wanted to. (9)

But concerning both, Paul said,

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.

You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. (10-11)

How about you? Do you live in pride, thinking you’re so much better than others?

Remember you were not saved because of who you are or what you did. You were saved because of who God is and what he did.

Are you living a life of license? You were saved that you might be free from that. That you might become completely new and find true life and joy, not the counterfeit this world offers.

How are you living?

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Titus

A call to godliness

Godliness

This is a passage that is nothing short of a call to godliness among God’s people.

There are a lot of people who claim to be Christians. But as Paul said in chapter 1,

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. (Titus 1:16)

You cannot claim to be a Christian and simply live the way you want to. God has called us to be be holy. What does that mean practically? Paul tells them.

Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. (Titus 2:2-6)

All fiercely practical.

Later he gives instructions to the slaves, which are practical for employees today.

Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. (2:9-10)

Then in chapter 3, he gives instructions concerning our attitude toward authority, that we are to be subject to them (3:1).

Finally he gives us instructions on how we are to treat each other, that we are to do good to one another,

to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. (3:2)

And to Titus himself, Paul says,

In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (2:7-8)

In other words, Titus was not simply to teach these things, but to live them that he might be an example to all the church of the kind of life they were to live.

Just as importantly, by living that way, no legitimate reproach could come upon Christ and his teaching.

“But we are saved by grace! These instructions sound so legalistic,” some may say.

Yes we are saved by grace and by grace alone. But what is true grace? Does true grace teach us to live however we want because we are saved by the cross of Christ?

No. This grace,

teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (2:12-14)

Grace wasn’t given us as a license to live unholy lives. Rather grace was given us that we might become holy.

Jesus bought us out of slavery to sin and purified our hearts by his blood that we would become his own people. A people who want to please him and are eager to do what is right.

And this is so important to Paul, that he tells Titus,

These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. (2:15)

How about you? Are you using the grace of God to give you an excuse to live how you want to? Or are you so grateful for what he has done for you, that it’s your greatest desire to please him?

As a Christian, you have been called to godliness. Are you living that way?

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Titus

Standing for truth

Stand for truth

This is the last of the pastoral letters, in which Paul instructs a man named Titus on what he needed to do with the churches in Crete.

Apparently, there was a lot of false teaching there, similar to what Timothy was facing in Ephesus. There were those getting into myths and genealogies on one hand, and legalism on the other.

All this despite the fact that these churches were still relatively young.

Also, because of their immaturity in Christ, the people had little idea of what it meant to live holy lives.

So from the very beginning, Paul talks about how God called him for the sake of the believers that they may know the truth, a truth cannot be separated from godliness.

And it’s a truth, Paul says, that leads to eternal life which God has promised to all who believe. (Titus 1:2-3)

But because of a lack of leadership in these young churches, Paul tells Titus to appoint elders/overseers in the churches. They were in effect to be the pastors of these churches.

And as with Timothy, Paul tells them there are two important things a pastor or elder must have.

The first is character, that they must be above approach as people. (Titus 1:6-8)

The second is that they hold to the truth and that they relay it to those God has put in their charge. The reason?

For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group.

They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach–and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” (Titus 1:10-12)

Even in the church today, we see much of the same thing. People who don’t like what God has taught in his Word and corrupt it. People who lead entire families away from Christ by teaching things that are false.

Some, as in the case of Cretan teachers, do so for the sake of money.

Others corrupt it because they have bought the lie that we have to earn our salvation and that God’s grace is not enough.

Others corrupt it because it teaches against the kind of life they want to live.

But in each case, Paul tells Titus,

Rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith. (1:13)

In short, stand for the truth. Don’t just let lies slip by unchallenged. God is a God who never lies, and we are to imitate him. (1:2)

There are many, Paul says, who profess to know God, but by their works and by their teaching deny him. Why? Because their minds and consciences are corrupt. They simply do not want to accept the truth. But Paul charges Titus,

You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. (2:1)

Though others may stray from the truth, we are to stand for it. And we are not to compromise.

How about you? Do you stand for truth? Or do you let lies slip by, letting people go to their own destruction. Even worse, do you twist the truth to suit your own sinful desires?

We will stand before God someday based on what we did with his truth. What will he say to you on that day?