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Titus 3 Haughty Hearts Part 31

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Titus 3:3 “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.” We live in a world that is full of deception. We deceive ourselves and others with worldly ideologies that would have you believe that you are a good person, that you can find strength in yourself, that you can have your own truth, and that freedom is being able to do whatever you want, whenever you want. The Bible tells us something different. If we start with the basic knowledge that we can do no good in and of ourselves then all of those concepts go out the window. In Titus 3:3, Paul is describing all mankind, and if you think you’re an exception, then you deceive yourself! Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Christians can sometimes have haughty opinions and think they’re better than unbelievers, but Paul is reminding us that we, too, were “foolis...
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Titus 3 The good citizen Part 30

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Titus 3:1-2 “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate and always to be gentle toward everyone.” The way that Christians behave in society has a direct relation to the impact of the gospel. Once again, Paul speaks of Christian living but this time he’s specifically referring to our conduct in society. The Christian should be law-abiding, obedient, and, as our text says, “ready to do whatever is good.” Paul, once again, takes us back to the evils of the tongue when he tells us to slander no one. We are called to radical goodness! Not only are we not to speak evil of others, but we are also to be courteous and considerate to everyone. We often try to categorize sin into greater and lesser evil but that is not right. Sin is sin. All of our behavior must be such that it commends the gospel so that others will be attracted to the gospel. We must seek to save! Jesus spoke o...
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Titus 3 The Authorities Part 29

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Titus 3:1-2 “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate and always to be gentle toward everyone.” As Christians we are part of two kingdoms but ultimately our allegiance first lies with God, our true King. Having said this, we are also required to be good citizens of our country on earth. We are not above the law but must be obedient to the ruling authorities that God has put in place. When and where our earthly authorities differ from God’s law, we must first be obedient to God. We must not allow the government to lead us astray or cause us to disobey God. If we look to the disciples, we can see that they only disobeyed the government in order to stay obedient to God. They did not do this lightly and many suffered, were beaten, threatened, thrown into jail or even executed for it. As Christians, we must study and understand what God requires of us in His law so we wil...
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Titus 2 Live the word of God Part 28

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Titus 2:15 “These, then, are all the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.” If we look back to Titus 2:1, it says, “You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.” Paul starts with a command and then gives instructions for following it. He tells Titus what and how to teach the various groups of people. In verses 11-14, Paul tells us why we are to live as he has instructed; God gives us grace so that we can live this way while we await “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13). Christ redeemed us and continually purifies us so that we are His people and will seek to do what is good. This brings us to our text today, in which Paul reiterates his point. All the things Titus has been told to teach must be taught with encouragement but also rebuke when necessary. Paul reminds Titus that God is our authority. By the working of the Holy Spirit, he is to share the word of God....
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Titus 2 Redeemed to do what is good Part 27

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Titus 2:14 “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.” The Christian life is lived between two points: Christ has appeared, and He will appear again. We look back to what He has done, and we look forward to what He will do. Our text points us back to what He has done for us so we’ll know why we are to do what He says. Christ came and redeemed us from all wickedness, and having purchased us by His death on the cross, He released us from the power of sin. Not only are we freed from sin, but we are also purified from it’s influence and control so that we might live in accordance with God’s good and perfect will. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The Bible, quite clearly, tells us that we are not our ow...
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Titus 2 While we wait Part 26

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Titus 2:13 “While we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” One of the things that marks a Christian lifestyle is that the Christian knows this life is temporary. Christian living, Paul says, is one of “waiting for the blessed hope”. We know that this mortal life is momentary in God’s eternal plan. We await eagerly, with patient hope, the return of Christ Jesus our Savior. Paul has been teaching Titus, and us, about Christian living and so we know that, while we wait, we are to live a certain way. We live looking forward to an eternity with our God and Savior. We await eternal redemption from our sinful and worldly passions, when death will no longer hold sway over us, and we await the restoration of creation; when we, and this earth, will be restored to its perfect order as God designed. Without Christ, man is enslaved to his passions and desires. We were dead in our sins, but Christ came to give us life, to free us from the power...
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Titus 2 Say “No” to ungodliness Part 25

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Titus 2:11-13  “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It 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.” We’ve learned that the grace of God came to us through Jesus Christ and appeared to all men, therefore, no one can give excuse or deny this truth. But our text has more to say. Grace should have a profound effect on us and “It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives”. God’s grace stirs in our hearts a longing for good which will lead to the very thing Paul has been trying to teach us about: Christian living. The grace that saves us also disciplines us. Our lives must and will be marked by devotion and thankfulness to God. Mankind is enslaved to their own sinful desires and worldly passions, but...
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