Good and Godly Deeds
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Good and Godly Deeds
Good and Godly Deeds
This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone.
Titus 3;8
My Worth is Not in What I Own
Two wonders here that I confess
My worth and my unworthiness
My value fixed - my ransom paid
At the cross
To realize that your worth is in Christ radically changes the way in which you live. It motivates you to live for Christ, to live Good and Godly Lives for the King.
Read more: Keith & Kristyn Getty - My Worth Is Not In What I Own Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Titus is very similar to the two letters to Timothy. Paul had a similar. Titus is the next to last letter Paul wrote.
Titus is very similar to the two letters to Timothy. Paul had a similar. Titus is the next to last letter Paul wrote. Timothy, if you remember, was in Ephesus, trying to straighten out the church at Ephesus. Titus is in a different location. He’s in Crete. And he is there to straighten out the church at Crete. Both of them Paul looks to strengthen and give them some apostolic authority for the task they faced.
The letter to Titus is only 3 brief chapters, but they are super enriched with doctrinal treasures and amazing calls to live Good and Godly before God, the church, and the world.
Paul begins this way in verse 1: Read it with me.
1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
Titus 1:1
To build up the faith of God’s elect
And their knowledge of the truth
That leads to godliness.
To set right or to set in order is the Greek word ἐπιδιορθόω, which meant “to set straight.” In ancient times, the term was used of setting bones or straightening bent limbs. We derive from orthos orthodontist, who is a dental specialist who straightens and aligns crooked teeth. Paul sent Titus to Crete to correct and set straight certain doctrine and practices in the the churches in Crete that had become defective. What remains indicates that Paul and perhaps others, had done some of the correcting already and Titus was now to complete the task.
And that’s the goal. Paul looks to write Titus that the church will be built up in the faith, and their knowledge of the truth, And in everything he instructs Titus is to lead to godliness.
And in everything he instructs Titus is to lead to godliness.
So, three areas in which he seeks to instruct Titus in Good and Godly Deeds: First, in the Character and Conduct of Leaders, then in the Character and Conduct of the Church, and Finally, in the Character and Conduct before the World.
I. The Character and Conduct of Leaders
I. The Character and Conduct of Leaders
The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town:
Titus 1:
Richard Baxter wrote in his classic book The Reformed Pastor these words to pastors.
When your minds are in a holy, heavenly frame, your people are likely to partake of the fruits of it. Your prayers and praises and doctrine will be sweet and heavenly to them. They will likely feel when you have been much with God.
O Brethren, watch therefore over your own hearts; keep out lusts and passions of worldly inclinations. Keep up the life of faith, of love, of zeal. Be much at home and much with God….
Take heed to yourselves, lest your example contradict your doctrine...
God’s standards for leadership in the church are high. All too often Biblical standards for pastors are lowered, selectively applied, or simply disregarded. One of the most harmful trends in the church is the failure to discipline and permanently disqualify pastors who have committed gross moral sins. No matter how gifted, popular, formerly effective, or repentant, the Lord makes it clear not to accept such a man back into the position of leadership.
The Lord requires that the Character and Conduct of the leaders in His church are to be pure, holy, and above reproach. Anything less is unacceptable to Him and it should be to His people. Paul’s central theme in is that only a man whose character meets divine standards should be allowed to enter or remain in the ministry. Paul commissioned Titus to select such men for leadership in the churches of Crete. And his charge specifically was “to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town:”
To appoint elders...
ἐπιδιορθόω
L
one who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion.
5 Areas of Qualification for Eldership
Godly Reputation — verse 6
Sexual Morality — verse 6
Family Leader — verses 6
General Character — verses 7-8
Teaching Ability — verse 9
Godly Reputation
— “One who is blameless”
Blameless — This is someone who is completely blameless. This is someone who is not subject even to indictment. Being Blameless is so important that Paul repeats the qualification in verse 7. It’s also required of deacons in .
The word means “to call into account,” and it has a negative prefix which makes the meaning “not to call into account.” In other words, an elder or overseer, should be subject to being called to account.
Paul is not talking about sinless perfection, but that the leaders of Christ’s church must have no sinful defects in their lives. There must be nothing in their lives to disqualify them as models of moral spiritual character for believers under their care to emulate.
1 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.
They not only must teach and preach rightly, but they must also live rightly. The Lord calls ALL elders to be godly men with exemplary lives and to set a pattern of virtue and devotion to the Lord for other believers to follow. Every elder needs the Lord to say of him like Job:
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.”
Job
Sexual Morality
— “The husband of one wife...”
He is to literally be a “one-woman man” or a “one-woman husband.”
Because this qualification is so often misunderstood, it would do us well to note what Paul is not talking about. It’s unquestionable that he is not a polygamist, but that is not Paul’s point here. Being married to one spouse is not exclusive to elders — all members are to have only one spouse.
2 But because sexual immorality is so common, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
1 Corinthians
Neither is Paul referring to a widower who has remarried, since that is permissible.
Nor is Paul saying an elder must be married since he was not married.
Also, and this is probably the most misunderstood aspect — he is not referring explicitly to divorce — he would have made that clear. Although he may be including unbiblical divorce. And though God hates the putting away, He graciously permits under certain circumstances, divorce because of adultery. And we read in that if an unbelieving spouse leaves, “let him or her leave, the brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases.”
What Paul is getting at is the singularity of a man’s faithfulness to the woman who is his wife. This means inner as well as outward concerning sexual purity and desires.
It’s possible, and all too common, for a husband, while outwardly married to one woman to not be a one-woman man. He can have sexual desires for another woman besides his wife or engage in improper behavior with another woman.
28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Therefore, he is not a one-woman man, and then unfaithful and disqualified. Therefore, he must be completely free of fornication, adultery, unbiblical divorce, and remarriage (except as a widower), free of mistresses — all moral stains tarnish the reputation of Christ and His church.
Only a sexually pure and faithful man is qualified to be the pastor and example in Christ’s church.
Family Leader
— “Having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion.”
If a man cannot spiritually and morally lead his own family, he then is not qualified to lead the church.
Faithful children speaks of children who are believers. And these children are then to be without wildness or dissipation. This carries the idea of utter and shameless immorality. It was commonly used at that time of drunken revelry at pagan festivals. They were also not to be rebellious as in submitting to proper authority of especially their parents and of society.
A man whose children are wild and rebellious, even if they’re believers is not qualified for pastoring or for other elder’s duties.
General Character
Then Paul specifies a general personal Character in five negative and six positive attributes.
7 For an overseer, as God’s administrator, must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled,
Titus 1:7-8
Elders of the church are to be the spiritual and moral leaders and guardians of the church. And you will notice that this is a must! They must be blameless. He must be above reproach. The qualification is not optional but an absolute necessity, because pastors not only must teach truth but also must demonstrably lead lives that are godly examples to their flock and most importantly glorifies God.
And so, Paul gives these 11 attributes that simply and clearly lay out the kind of man an elder must be.
Teaching Ability
9 holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.
Everything prior to this has had to do with the Pastor’s spiritual character and conduct. Paul then deals with the primary ministry of the Pastor and it is that of a Teacher. He has to be able to teach. And this we’ve seen throughout the pastoral epistles. Paul repeatedly emphasizes the critical importance of elders to carefully and consistently preach, teach, and guard God’s Word.
Preaching is the public proclamation of the truth intended to move the will of the hearer to respond. Teaching is directed to the mind of the hearer to understand. Preaching involves admonition and exhortation — teaching involves illumination an explanation. And so many times the two overlap and are often indistinguishable.
As John MacArthur put it — “All good preaching has elements of explanation, and all good teaching includes some exhortation.”
And I want you to notice the construction in verse 9 — “Holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.” It is important to maintain the foundation for effective teaching of the Word and that is that the Pastor has to understand the Word and be obedient to that revelation. He must be absolutely unwavering and loyal to the Scripture. He must Hold Fast Hold fast means to strongly cling to — and so, he must strongly cling to the Word of God.
And what you have is to so hold fast and strongly cling to God’s Word so that you are able to teach.
That is the Character and Conduct of Leaders. In chapter 2, the subject changes from pastors to the church, from leadership to laity.
II. The Character and Conduct of the Church
II. The Character and Conduct of the Church
But you must say the things that are consistent with sound teaching.
:1
This is direct and practical instruction of how believers are to live.
He begins with — But you. This is a transition by contrast between the false teachers in verses 10-16 in chapter 1 and Titus.
Titus was to “say the things that are consistent with sound teaching.” Titus was to give regular and careful pastoral instruction to the church that would result in practical Christian living that was good and godly, believing and obeying the Word of God.
And he was to be consistent in it, never letting go, letting down, never backing off, it was to be fitting, appropriate, proper, and seemly in relation to God’s Word. Titus was to teach that the Word would produce righteous living. And so, doing this gets up front and personal.
Verses 2-10 are strong, straight-forward, and specific injunctions. And listen, these are contrary to and controversial with prevailing personal opinions and cultural standards of today. But these are patterns of holy living, good and godly conduct for every aspect of those persons who make up the church.
Look at them:
Older Men
Older Women
Young Women
Young Men
Slaves and
Masters
And I won’t deal with each of these in detail, but let me just give you a little.
Older Men (60 years of age and older) are to live holy, exemplary lives before the Lord, before the church, and before the world. Old age does not give us the okay to act the way we always wanted to but couldn’t get away with before. It shouldn’t be said of us, “Oh, he’s just old and cranky.”
3 In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good,
Older Women — generally, 60 years of age. Paul says, “In the same way.” What same way? The same way as the older men. So, just like the Older Men, the Older Women don’t have age as an excuse to be bitter biddies. They are to live holy, exemplary lives before the Lord, the church, and the world. They are to be a rich spiritual resource in the church and therefore would deserve special esteem and consideration. They been through having the babies and rearing the children and now they can instruct the younger women to love their husbands and children. Imagine if just the older women were to blossom in a local church according to this instruction what the churches would be like. So they may encourage the Young Women.
Younger Women — How greatly the change in many churches would be if the Older Women encouraged the Younger Women not merely in their feelings — but notice this!
4 so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s message will not be slandered.
Titus 2:4-
Godly women teaching younger women in holy living which is mainly loving their husbands and children! No biblical standard is more viciously attacked than the God-ordained role of women in society. And the feminist movement has made great inroads in the church. In the name of women’s rights, God’s Word is dishonored. It’s sexist, chauvinistic, and unfair. Dear Ladies, our present day culture has destroyed your thinking and perceptions. Love your husbands and your children the way God has commanded you to so God’s Word will not be slandered.
Do you know this was the very thing Satan did in the beginning was to convince the woman that God was holding back something good? And here we are.
Younger Men — Paul begins the same way — He says, “In the same way.” Encourage — this is better translated as Urge to strongly entreat someone. Paul says several things, but just look at the very first thing — “Be self-controlled — in everything.” If that one aspect could be attained. Young men who are frequently ambitious, impulsive, passionate, volatile, and often arrogant — if you would exercise self-control and show good sense and judgment in all things, so much would be good and godly conduct. Pray for this because self control is a fruit of the Spirit.
Slaves and Masters
Paul doesn’t address the condition of slavery, but recognizes its existence and the attitude Christian slaves and masters should have toward one another, whether they are believers or unbelievers. Before we jump on the current social justice bandwagon, we should understand that nowhere in Scripture is rebellion or revolution justified to gain freedom, opportunity, or economic, social, or political rights. And you do realize that you are Slaves to God.
1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,
What better way to exhibit what you are to God. And Finally, let’s look very briefly at the Character and Conduct the Church should have before the World.
III. The Character and Conduct of the Church before the World
III. The Character and Conduct of the Church before the World
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people.
Titus
This is so important to us as our world, our culture, this society moves to an ever increasing secular society.
How should we live in this society?
Look at this list.
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people.
This is easy! This is easy — IF you understand that our God reigns. Since God reigns, we don’t have to worry about what’s going to happen with the next cultural revolution. Now, I’m not saying don’t vote against it. Don’t not write your congressman. Or don’t speak out against it all. What I am saying is that realize that God reigns and what if He wants America to go down the tubes culturally to cleanse His church.
But also notice these statements in these two verses. They are totally against any fighting. The homosexual and lesbians, the feminists, the progressives, the Marxists, the whatever — They are not our enemies. They are the Mission Field. Don’t become hostile to unbelievers, the very ones God has called you to love and reach with the Gospel.
Do you see the importance of this?
Listen to this song by
For the cause of Christ the King We give our lives, an offering 'Til all the earth resounds With ceaseless praise To the Son.
For the cause of Christ we go with joy to reap, with faith to sow As many see and many put their trust in the Son.
Christ we proclaim, The Name above every name: For all creation, Ev'ry nation, God's salvation Through the Son!
For the King once lifted high To cries of rage, of ‘crucify!' Endured the cross As every sin was laid On the Son.
To the King who conquered death To free the poor and the oppressed For lasting peace For life and liberty In the Son.
Let it be my life's refrain: To live is Christ, to die is gain; Deny myself, take up my cross And follow the Son.
Is that your life’s refrain? To live is Christ, to die is gain?
Then deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow the Son.
Let’s Pray.