Titus 2b-3

Introduction***

Last week we did not finish out Titus 2.

We got close, but left off with verse 11, so we’ll be picking it up from there and moving into chapter 3 and finishing out Titus.

In our study so far … in fact, for the last half year or so as we’ve been studying these Pastoral Epistles … 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, we have dealt a lot with doctrine.

Good doctrine, sound doctrine, healthy doctrine, bad doctrine, false teaching and false teachers … it’s been a whole lot about those thing.

And that’s not because it’s what I wanted to talk about.

God didn’t give me a desire to speak on those things.

We have done so, because we are going verse by verse and doctrine is what Paul primarily focused on in these epistles.

In fact, there are at least 22 references to “teaching” or “doctrine” in the thirteen chapters of the Pastoral Epistles.

So, clearly, Paul considered the doctrines of scripture to be extremely important in the proper expression of faith so that people are not led astray.

Now, when we have a conversation or sit through a meeting what we tend to remember the most are the negatives.

So, you may have been going home every Sunday thinking “false teachers this” or “false doctrines that.”

And THAT’S GOOD ... because maybe just maybe you’ve started to heed Paul’s warnings and put down some books, podcasts, or tv shows you’ve been watching.

But we have not only talked about bad doctrines.

We’ve also talked about the creeds and sound doctrines.

Good things like (a) The Doctrine of Inspiration and the Inerrancy of Scripture, (b) The Doctrine of the Trinity, (c) Salvation by Grace through Faith, (d) Justification, and Sanctification, (e) The Nature of God ...

… and many other biblical doctrines that are found in the written word of God rather than in the imaginings of men.

But some of us probably left thinking something like, “I wish he’d talk about something other than False Doctrines and things that are wrong” or something like that.

You see, we tend to remember the negative things because they shock or surprise us.

And it may be that we are shocked or surprised to find out that some things we thought were true were in fact what Paul would call, “Doctrines of demons.”

And someone may even be angry that I pointed out a particular teaching as being unbiblical.

The point is that we HAVE talked about right and sound doctrines during this time.

And we will get to do that again today.

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Now, let me remind you that the key to this short epistle is the first verse of chapter 2.

Titus 2:1 NKJV

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:

In this letter, Paul speaks not necessarily to the church, but to Titus.

He is to, “Speak things which are proper for sound doctrine.”

You see, for the proper expression of faith, sound doctrine is important.

Unless the Pastor himself is anchored in sound doctrine, the church will drift into all kinds of unbiblical stuff.

That’s because the Pastor who is not anchored in sound doctrine will speak unsound things.

And, if we are not depending on and being faithful to sound doctrine ourselves, we cannot grow in Christ or discern when doctrine isn’t sound.

I want to make sure I’m anchored in sound doctrine so that this church is too.

Biblical doctrine refers to teachings that align with the revealed Word of God, the Bible.

False doctrine is any idea that adds to, takes away from, contradicts, or nullifies the doctrine given in God’s Word.

One sneaky characteristic of false doctrines are that they take what is established in grace by faith and makes it about works and legalism.

It might simply be something that’s made up … has nothing to do with scripture.

Or it might be taking a descriptive text from scripture and making it prescriptive.

The writers of the Bible wrote for specific purposes to specific audiences.

They wrote to inform, correct, challenge, teach and explain things to the people in their time period. 

Because the Word of God is living and active … because God’s Word does not fail, we can receive instruction from it for today.

But we must be careful not to read into it things that just are not there.

In John 20:31 we read:

John 20:31 NKJV

but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

John was writing to show people that Jesus was actually Who He said he was and that He is the way to salvation.

We may gather that the people he was writing to, must have had a hard time believing this.

And as we read through John’s gospel we can see what things he emphasizes to back up these claims.

People today have a hard time believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing in Him brings salvation.

And so the Gospels present to us Jesus and are instructive in God’s solution to our sin and judgment.

The Epistles continue presenting Jesus Christ and the doctrines related to our salvation, but also are instructive in living out our faith.

They were written to people who were living a few thousand years ago.

Yet are just as relevant to us today without having to add to them or take away from them.

The Hebrew scriptures were written to and about people who lived even longer ago than that.

And they were predictive of God’s promised Messiah Who was to come.

In both testaments there are texts that are descriptive.

David’s battle with Goliath is a descriptive text in the Old Testament.

The story of Gideon setting out the fleece is a descriptive text.

Abraham placed his son Isaac on an altar to sacrifice him.

In Acts 19, God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul.

David’s battle with Goliath is not prescriptive … telling us that we like David must go out and slay our giants.

Gideon setting out the fleece is not a prescription illustrating for us that we should test God.

And Abraham’s attempted sacrifice of his son is not prescriptive … we are not to sacrifice our children.

In Acts it was God who was healing people … it wasn’t Paul and it wasn’t the handkerchiefs.

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If we make these descriptive texts prescriptive then we miss the true point of the texts!

We miss or undermine that David and Goliath is a picture of Jesus - victorious over our great enemy, Satan.

AND we miss or undermine that Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac was a foreshadowing of our Heavenly Father allowing His Son to be sacrificed for our sins.

We take something that foreshadows salvation by trust in Jesus and make it about works instead.

It puts things out of order … it puts works ahead of grace and makes grace dependent on works.

As Paul said to the Galatians:

Galatians 3:3 NKJV

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Why is it that Christians easily accept teaching that places Christ lower than works?

Because that is what the flesh wants.

The grace of God is a powerful force in our lives as believers.

As Paul will put it in verse 12 of chapter 2, the grace of God teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions.

It teaches us to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.

We cannot set aside grace and do works pleasing to God.

In fact, Ephesians 2 makes it pretty clear:

Ephesians 2:8–10 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

God prepared good works for us to walk in and it is by our standing with God, … That is our standing of “saved through faith” according to His grace … that anything we do is pleasing to Him.

Grace not only brings about initial change; it enables us after that to be pleasing in the eyes of God.

However, we still carry around with us hearts that are wicked.

And because of that, there is a constant possibility of sinning.

And there is a double work of sanctification … we are sanctified to God when we trust in His Son, and God also works to sanctify us as we submit to Him, so that we become more Christlike.

Many try to put the emphasis on man to change … Even back then.

And unsound doctrine does just that … It puts the emphasis on people.

Titus was to speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine.

Why?

Because sound doctrine points to grace.

The teaching or doctrine which is to be adorned by the lives of God’s servants is the teaching of the Gospel.

We get to start out this morning with verse 11 talking about grace.

So, let’s pray and dig in.

Prayer: Lord, as we embark to study your Word, we ask that our hearts would be open to receive all that You have to say to us. We desire to be hearers and doers and for You to lead us in Your ways. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

v11-15

Up to this point in chapter 2, Paul had first commanded Titus to “Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine.”

Following that, he commanded Titus to exhort certain behaviors to various groups of people … older men, older women, young men, young women, and slaves.

And now verse 11 starts with the word “For” which means it’s a continuation of thought.

Next we have “the grace of God” and “salvation.”

The 2 cannot be separated.

The verb “Appeared” is the Greek ἐπιφαίνω epiphainō, meaning “show; appear; give light to.”

It is only used 3 other times in the New Testament … one of which is in Titus chapter 3.

In verse 4 of chapter 3, it is applied to the kindness and benevolence of God toward all humanity.

Here, in verse 11 of chapter 2 it is applied to the phrase “all men.”

Now, we must remember that not everyone today … and certainly not everyone at the time this letter was written …

had heard the gospel, so it cannot mean that everyone has been enlightened by the good news.

Instead, it is referring to its ability to save all men … and we might even better translate it, “All classes of people.”

People could not save themselves.

God’s grace had to bring salvation to lost mankind.

And this salvation was not discovered by sinners.

It appeared to them by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

God in His grace sent His Son to redeem those in the bondage of sin.

This salvation is for “all people.”

It’s not OF you or me, but it IS AVAILABLE to you and me and everyone who believes on Jesus Christ for salvation.

And Paul reminded us in 1 Timothy 2 that God, “Desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

1 Timothy 2:4 NKJV

who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

There is a universal need, and God provided a universal remedy for all who trust in Christ.

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Grace here in verse 11, has a duty.

Look again at verse 12 … It is a teacher.

We often think of God’s grace being that which saves us and it stops there.

But God’s grace also sustains us, teaching us how to live … denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and living well.

How can this be?

It is the argument of legalists that grace produces indifference to obedience.

“Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile” kinda thing.

But not according to Paul.

He says that grace teaches obedience.

And this is because that position of being sanctified to God is also the position of being sanctified by the work of God.

Salvation is not only a change in position (once slaves to sin, now set free from the slavery of sin), salvation is also a change in attitude.

Our appetites, ambitions, and actions change as a work of God … a work that we get to cooperate with whether by participation or by discipline.

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The Greek word that is translated “teaching” is παιδεύω paideuō (pay-dehv-oh) and carries the sense of discipline.

We are disciplined by God’s grace.

His grace trains us to be the kind of people that glorify Him.

Godly living involves both the negative and the positive.

We deny “ungodliness (anything that is unlike God)” and we deny “worldly lusts.”

In verse 12, the verb “Deny” is translated “Renounce” in the ESV and “reject” in the NET Bible.

The verb means that it is a settled matter for us.

The Bible reads in 1 John:

1 John 2:15–17 NKJV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Now, consider that word “worldly” in verse 12.

I think in the mind of Christians this idea of what is worldly and what is not worldly changes and develops, but is not a settled thing.

And it is also the case that the term is not properly understood … is “worldly” inherently sinful or is “worldly” sometimes sinful but sometimes okay … depending on what it is?

Well, to think of it in those terms might be the problem with the failure to understand the term.

Instead, consider what the early church father, John Chrysostom, said.

He said that worldly things are things which do not pass over with us into heaven but are dissolved together with this present world.

So, we might simplify “worldly things” to be anything we would not want to show to God … certainly sinful things and shameful things.

BUT it could also be those things that do not translate to heaven … that is those things that are specific to this world.

And, because we really don’t know certain details about what the greater part of eternal life will look like, whatever those kind of worldly things are, can be a bit ambiguous.

The point is that so often we can be critical of things that are not of themselves sinful … especially when they are not personal to ourselves.

AND we can get so caught up in trying to determine what is allowable that we burden ourselves with limits that are not from God.

And that eventually becomes us trying to do what only Christ can do.

It is only Christ who can make not only our outward life but also our inward heart fit for God to see.

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In verse 11, and as we talked about last week, “Sober” means “self-control, prudence, and restraint.”

This emphasizes the believer’s relationship to himself … we restrain from just going out and doing whatever our flesh nature wants to do.

Next, the word “righteously” deals with our relationships with other people.

Do we deal with other people uprightly, justly, and fairly or do we use a different wight and measure for them?

And then “godly” speaks of our relationship to the Lord … it speaks of our devotion to the Lord.

Of course, the setting of living soberly, righteously, and godly is “in the present age.”

The term present age speaks of the current world we live in.

We live “in this present age”, but we live knowing this is the smallest part of eternity, and that this present age will end.

Those who reject Jesus must live for this present age … it’s all they know they have.

But those who believe in Jesus for eternal life do not have to live like this age or for it.

Paul wrote to the Galatians that Christ has redeemed us from this evil age, and he told the Romans that we must not be conformed to it.

Do not read below:

Galatians 1:4 NKJV

who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

And Paul reminded the Ephesians that they once walked according to the course of this world, but should no more.

Do not read below:

Ephesians 2:2 NKJV

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

And in Hebrews we are told that we have tasted the powers of “the age to come.”

Do not read below:

Hebrews 6:5 NKJV

and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

Having tasted what is to come, we look forward to, “The blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” of verse 13.

In verse 14, Grace reforms us because God purifies us and makes us His own special possession.

Jesus Christ makes us able to live with the sobriety that has everything under control; uprightly toward our neighbors; reverently toward God.

It’s a process of purification that is often called “sanctification.”

Its goal is to make the believer more like Jesus Christ, “conformed to the image of His Son” as the Bible says in Romans 8.

Do not read below:

Romans 8:29 NKJV

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Sanctification is not only separation from sin, but it is perhaps even better thought of as devotion to God.

Peter expressed this quoting from the Old Testament, “Be Holy for I am Holy.”

Do not read below:

1 Peter 1:15–16 NKJV

but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”

Do not read below:

2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

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In verse 14, we are again reminded that it is Christ who redeems us … not ourselves … or any deed or many deeds we might perform.

We are dependent on the work of God, Who purifies us for Himself as His own “special” or “peculiar” people, zealous for good works.

The word is “peculiar” in the KJV, “special” in the NKJV and is translated as “His own possession” in the ESV and NASB.

The Greek word περιούσιος Periousios does not mean “odd” or “strange” … or even “awkward” as I’m sure many of us feel.

It means, “Special; Of one’s own possession.”

It’s closest Hebrew equivalent is סְגֻלָּה Sᵉgŭllāh (s-goolah) which means “personal property.”

Moses referred to the Hebrew people as, “A special people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Do not read below:

Deuteronomy 14:2 NKJV

For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

In Titus, Paul speaks of those who have believed on Jesus Christ as, “a special people for God’s own possession.”

And also in verse 14, Christ “gave Himself for us.”

This means that He became our substitute.

The word redeem means, “To set free by paying a price.”

We were all slaves to sin.

In chapter 3, Paul says:

Titus 3:3 NKJV

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

As slaves to sin, we could not set ourselves free; but Jesus Christ gave Himself as the ransom for our sins.

By His death, He met the just demands of God’s holy law, so that God in His grace could forgive and free those who believe on Christ.

All who believe on Christ have been redeemed “from every lawless deed.”

This means we are no longer slaves to sin.

Chapter 3

One of the reasons for Titus to speak things which are proper for sound doctrine was for the benefit of Christians to live without the frustration of feeling like they are only part time clothed in Christ.

As we’ve seen, sound doctrine promotes Christian living … in other words, understanding sound doctrine, we can properly live out our faith, “adorn(ing) the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” as we saw in verse 10 of chapter 2.

Secondly, we are able to be a pattern for other Christians to follow … “a pattern of good works” as Paul said in verse 6 of chapter 2.

But it also prevents us from looking like hypocrites to the unsaved world … “that the Word of God may not be blasphemed” as Paul said in verse 5 of chapter 2.

With chapter 3, Paul touches on the public duty of Christians.

This was particularly relevant to the people of Crete.

The Greek historian Polybius recorded that the people of Crete were known for constant insurrections and wars.

The Christians of Crete could not behave this way and be a good testimony of Christ.

Christians were already looked on with suspicion in the Roman Empire.

That is because their conduct was so different and they met in private meetings for worship.

It was important that they be good citizens without compromising the faith.

Their unbelieving neighbors might disobey the law … but Christians must submit to the authority God has placed them under.

Romans 13 says that, “The authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

Do not read below:

Romans 13:1 NKJV

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

So, in this final chapter of Titus, Paul opens up with a reminder to be subject to rulers and authorities.

v1-2

The world is not a friendly place to those whose allegiance is to Christ.

Jesus Himself said:

John 15:19 NKJV

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

The Lord does not take us to heaven the moment we are born again.

It is His will that for a time we remain here.

He has important work for us to do.

But we are not left here to do that work on our own.

We enjoy divine protection.

Jesus prayed:

John 17:15 NKJV

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

We have the divine Presence of the Holy Spirit.

We also have divine guidance as to how to conduct ourselves here … this is given to us in the Bible.

Titus is to remind the believers, “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 to show true humility toward all men.”

We have here clear teaching on how we are to live as Christians as we continue on in the world.

The Greek word ὑποτάσσω hupotassō, means “subject” but it is a conglomerate of two words, hupo meaning “under” and tassō meaning “an arrangement.”

God has established an order and in that order he establishes rulers and governments here on earth.

We are to be subject to God’s arrangement … His order.

And there is a reason for that.

Paul stated that reason in 1 Timothy:

1 Timothy 2:1–4 NKJV

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

As Christians, we are in the world, but not of it.

We talked about this idea of “The world” earlier.

It can be difficult sometimes to discern what is meant by “the world” and the danger is that we misunderstand it, and set aside the commission of Christ in order to be as separate as possible.

In the case of 1 Timothy 2 Paul the idea is that in the world there are those who are in rebellion against God and His order.

As Christians we are no longer among the rebellious people of the world … a line has been crossed and we are distinct from the world.

If we look like the world because we are acting like the world, we ARE NOT shining as lights in the world.

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“Ready to every good work” (Titus 3:1) means “cooperating in those matters that involve the whole community.”

Our heavenly citizenship (Phil. 3:20) does not absolve us from responsibilities as citizens on earth.

However, the fact that “obey” is mentioned separately from “submission” indicates that not all submission requires obedience.

And the fact that Christians are to be ready for every good work indicates that not everything a ruler may ask of us is good … and those things we should not take part in.

In fact, since God ordains all authority, it is the responsibility of authority to exercise authority that is pleasing to God.

Where authority is in rebellion against God, we must be in accord with God.

However, in some cases there is room for opinion as to whether a government is acting as it should … a grey area.

And we must be careful not to have a bad attitude toward the government and show it by slanderous accusations and belligerent actions.

Paul writes, “to speak evil of no one,” and “to be peaceable.”

He also says to be “gentle.”

The word gentle in verse 2 is ἐπιεικής epiekēs and means “Gentle, Kind, Tolerant.”

Where we can be tolerant without compromising on God’s Word, we may do so in order to be humble toward others.

Another way to put it would be, “Don’t be overly critical of your unbelieving neighbors.”

“Just remember that you were also slaves to sin before God saved you!”

And to make that point we have verse 3.

v3-7

This verse needs little explanation.

We each know what it means from our own experience.

And when we look at verses 3 and then consider 4-7 together, we understand that God’s kindness towards us should not make us proud.

It should make us supremely grateful.

In regards to the Christians on Crete, Titus was to instruct them not to regard their unbelieving neighbors with contempt.

Rather they should see them as in a very perilous situation … They need to hear about the kindness of God.

A great illustration of “the kindness of God” is found in 2 Samuel with David’s treatment of Mephibosheth.

Because Mephibosheth was a part of Saul’s family, he expected to be killed.

Mephibosheth was a part of the former order which had rebelled against God.

But David, a picture of Christ, received him into his own household and gave him a place at the royal table.

I think you see the picture … we were once a part of the former order in rebellion against God.

But Christ has received us and God has made us members of His family and we have a place at the royal table.

And that’s not because of us, but because of Him.

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Verse 5 reminds us that salvation came not only because of God’s kindness and love, but also because of His mercy.

We did not save ourselves.

He saved us.

How did He do it?

Through the miracle of the new birth, the work of the Holy Spirit of God … “Through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” as Paul puts it here.

This does not refer to baptism because, in New Testament times, people were baptized after they were saved.

People were not baptized in order to be saved.

Acts 10 illustrates this in that people were saved and then baptized afterwards.

The Greek word here for “Washing” refers to being “bathed all over.”

When a person trusts Christ, he is cleansed all over from all his sins, and he is made “a new person” by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Paul uses the same word in Ephesians 5 to describe the church being washed with the water of the Word of God.

Do not read below

Ephesians 5:26 NKJV

that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Salvation comes to a sinner when he trusts Christ, when the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to bring about the new birth.

In John 3, Jesus, speaking to Nicodemus said that a man must be born of the Spirit.

Paul wrote in Romans that, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

Do not read below

Romans 10:17 NKJV

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We hear the message of the Gospel, believe, and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

So then, as we see in these verses, there are two pertinent words, “Regeneration and Renewing.”

Regeneration is being born again …

… when we are made new creations in Christ and sealed in the Spirit of God.

Renewing is an ongoing process through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Our mind is renewed so that we think more and more on the things of God.

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Verse 7 introduces another term.

Not only have we who are Christians been washed and made new in Christ, but we have also been justified (Titus 3:7).

This is an incredibly wonderful doctrine.

The Bible explains it in detail in Romans 3:21–8:39.

Justification is the gracious act of God by which He declares a believing sinner righteous because of the finished work of Christ on the cross.

God puts to our account the righteousness of His Son, so that we can be condemned no more.

Not only does He forget our sins, but He forgets that we were even sinners!

Isaiah 43:25 NKJV

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

And Hebrews 10 says, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Hebrews 10:16–17 NKJV

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

His forgetting is not forgetfulness, though, because God is omniscient.

Rather, He chooses not to remember our sins.

The word justify means to vindicate or to declare righteous … But in the majority of New Testament cases, it means a declaration of righteous standing by God.

It is an action on the part of God … It is not that God is tricked into seeing us as righteous because we are clothed in His Son as if having put on a costume.

Rather in Christ God makes us righteous, and thus we are declared righteous.

It has nothing to do with us … The Calvinist and many who don’t realize they are holding to a Calvinist view will say that justification is by faith alone, but that all who are truly justified will persevere in faith and good works until death

So then, justification by faith alone in the Calvinist understanding carries the fine print of “works” required for later “final justification.”

If this is your understanding, then you disagree with the Bible … But you agree with many other Christians … So there is that.

When we step away from the Bible for the opinions of people, we will inevitably add in works.

There is no second justification or final justification to be found in the Bible … Justification once is justification forever.

As Jesus said:

John 5:24 NKJV

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

The Bible teaches that justification is by faith alone … Period.

One believes in Jesus for everlasting life.

At the time of belief, a person is not only regenerated and eternally secure, he is also justified and guaranteed that he is permanently righteous in his standing before God.

And this does not hinge on the perseverance or the works of said person … Only on the faithfulness of God.

Thus, the standing of a believer before God is not doubtful, and the Gospel is, in fact, GOOD NEWS.

And for this reason verse 7 says that the result of this kindness, love, mercy, and grace … is Hope.

Of which the biblical sense of this hope is the guaranteed fulfillment of all that God has promised.

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Paul wraps up this thought saying, that Christians should live godly lives and be “careful to maintain good works.”

This is not to maintain our salvation … this is because it is “good and profitable to men.”

The only evidence the unsaved world has that we belong to God is our godly lives.

We don’t receive a mark and in most cases we look just like regular people.

It’s our good works which glorify God that set us apart.

“Good works” do not only mean going to church and helping out at church.

It also means serving our unsaved neighbors … being a help in the community, and to have a reputation for assisting those in need.

Of course, also ministering the Gospel.

But it also means being a good father, mother, husband, wife, employee, citizen … and so on and so on.

We might see these things as mundane … but they are the very things that the Bible speaks of as pleasing to God.

v9-11

As opposed to doing good works that shine the light of the Gospel, there are things that we might devote ourselves to that would be unprofitable.

And Paul brings up things that we might debate about or spend inordinate amounts of time discussing.

Arguments and quarrels among Christians over imaginings, fables, and doubtful things are contrary to the attitude of winning others to Christ.

Paul is warning Titus to avoid people who like to argue about the unimportant things of the faith.

Now, I must point out that Paul is not telling Titus he should not contend for the faith and call out false teachers and false doctrines.

That would contradict much of what he has said in his Pastoral Epistles.

And, in fact, with verses 10 and 11, Paul says that while there are some arguments that can be avoided, there are certain people whom we should deal with: The “heretic.”

In verse 10, “Divisive man” is the Greek Word αἱρετικός hairetikon anthrōpon meaning “A person who causes divisions.”

This is a person who denigrates the Word of God.

He may add in false doctrines or he may try to distort or take away sound doctrines.

He or she might lay down God’s Word completely and teach about dreams he or she has had or try to read signs and divine seasons.

They divide people away from sound doctrine.

But that is not the only way they might divide.

There are people whose very desire is to cause division in the local assembly.

According to Galatians 5:19-21, this is a work of the flesh.

Do not read below:

Galatians 5:19–21 NKJV

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

In regards to how to deal with this person, Paul uses the word “Reject.”

This is a Greek Word meaning, “have nothing to do with.”

Paul says the first approach to these false teachers is to warn them.

This corresponds with what he said earlier about false teachers, “Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.”

Do not read below:

Titus 1:13 NKJV

This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

In chapter 1 Paul says about the false teachers, “They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households.”

Do not read below:

Titus 1:11 NIV

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

They were not to be permitted to go on peddling their false teaching unchallenged.

Now in chapter 3 Paul says something similar in regards to the divisive heretics.

He is first of all to be admonished.

Titus (probably with other church leaders) is to speak to the person about his error and warn him.

The same course of action should be followed today.

False teaching is too dangerous a thing to be ignored.

Once recognized, a false teacher is to be prohibited from teaching his errors anymore.

He is to be told to stop disrupting the assembly with his foolishness.

If he listens, then all is well.

If, however, he doesn’t heed this warning, he is to receive a second warning.

Titus then and church leaders today must not shrink back from this duty.

And if the warning is still ignored, Paul’s says ‘have nothing to do with him’.

Fellowship is to be severed until he gives clear evidence of repentance.

If churches today would take this simple step, a lot of problems, false teaching, and the handing down of unsound doctrines could be avoided.

v12-15

As we have seen Paul often do, he ends this letter with personal messages and greetings.

We don’t know much about Artemas other than Paul might have sent him to relieve Titus of his duties at Crete so that Titus could come to him at Nicopolis.

OR Paul might have sent Tychicus.

Tychicus was one of Paul’s most trusted messengers.

He delivered Paul’s letters to the Colossian and the Ephesian churches.

I’m quite sure that Paul sent Artemas to Crete and Tychicus ended up in Ephesus for a season.

Tychicus was one of the 8 men who was with Paul the first time he was arrested.

Nicopolis was on the western side of Greece.

We know nothing about Zenas, other than he was a helper to Paul.

He is here called a nomikos.

That could mean one of two things.

Nomikos is the regular word for a scribe, and Zenas may have been a converted Jewish Rabbi.

It is also the normal Greek for a lawyer; and, if that is its meaning, Zenas has the distinction of being the only lawyer mentioned in the New Testament.

Apollos we met in Acts.

He was zealous for the LORD and for the Gospel.

He initially taught an incomplete Gospel, but a couple of Paul’s friends came alongside him and he became a powerful preacher of the Gospel.

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So that is the end to Paul’s letter to Titus.

As he started the letter, so Paul closed the letter speaking things that were proper for sound doctrine.

Paul’s last instruction is that the Christian people should practice good works.

We can practice good works because the grace of God teaches us.

And God even tells us that good works bring reward in His presence.

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We started today with grace and we end today with grace.

And my prayer is that God strengthens us to continue in sound doctrine and not be carried away by teaching that is outside of the Bible.

It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray for believers and for Your church. Lord, we ask that You fill us with all truth through Your written Word. Inspire our witness of Christ, that all may know the power of His forgiveness and the hope of His resurrection. Help me to feed Your flock well and not to deviate from Your Word. Help our church body to walk in a manner worthy of the calling You have given us. Help us in all our dealings with one another to have humble and gentle hearts. Grant us patience for one another, bearing with one another in love. May we walk humbly with You, God, allowing You to direct us in all we do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.