Godly Living

If you have your Bibles and I hope you do, let me invite you to Titus chapter three. We will be spending our time here today in the first eight verses. Before I read the text laid before us, I want to remind you of where we are in the letter of Titus. Paul has written Titus and the whole purpose of the letter was connecting how theology and ethics go hand in hand.

Titus 3:1–11 ESV

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Titus 3:1–8 ESV

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

TitusI have to tell you all something that you may find to become a shock. Lord willing if we all become pastors in churches or go into full time ministry…we will be overwhelmed at some point. There is all sorts of priorities and tasks that will ultimately fall on our shoulders that will be too much to bear for all of us. We may be in a small church where we could be doing things we did not think we would do. From cleaning toilets to doing handy man work around the building. We may end up in a large church where we do not have to do those things, but will have a lot more people under our care. Ministry will get overwhelming.

have to tell you all something that you may find to become a shock. Lord willing if we all become pastors in churches or go into full time ministry…we will be overwhelmed at some point. There is all sorts of priorities and tasks that will ultimately fall on our shoulders that will be too much to bear for all of us. We may be in a small church where we could be doing things we did not think we would do. From cleaning toilets to doing handy man work around the building. We may end up in a large church where we do not have to do those things, but will have a lot more people under our care. Ministry will get overwhelming.

Paul tells Titus here in this text reminding him of the duties he must be doing in his pastoral work. As Paul reminds Titus, he is reminding every pastor and future pastor to be reminded and for God’s people to be reminded of.

What will it take for us to live godly lives?

For us to live Godly lives, we must...

Titus 3:1–2 ESV

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Paul starts off “remind them” and first is that they are to be

This statement in our culture is against the grain. We have free speech in our country, and it has been used for good, but is has also been for bad. People have been very vocal about their distaste for Donald Trump and his leadership of our country.

People can be very mean when it comes to the leadership of their church. They are complaining about everything he is doing and his leadership of the church.

Even students here at BBC can complain about the authority over them at the school whether it is the professor or their RA, or the administration.

But what Paul is calling for here is to be submissive to those above you. We are are called to submit to those above us as we know God has placed them in authority over us. Paul is calling not just for obedience, but being ready to whatever is good that helps society.

As we are to be outwardly subjective to authority, we must be inwardly obedient. We must obey all government commands that do not go against God’s commands.

Paying taxes

Orderly in behavior

Speed limits on roads

As the government takes care of us, protects us, and keeps society moving along, when an epidemic strikes or natural disaster, Christians should be the first ones to step up and help out.

The next four things Paul wants to remind Titus of is something I think we need to be reminded of often.

“We are not to speak evil of anyone,” but how guilty we can be to talk bad about someone before we ever talk good about them.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Gossip

Christians don’t gossip. They just share prayer requests!599

“We avoid quarreling” means that we are peaceable. The beatitudes speaks about the blessed are the peacemakers.

We are to be gentle with those around us, and show perfect courtesy. Now the ESV is the only translation that used the phrase “perfect courtesy,” but I think the emphasis is to live a life vividly distinct from the world so that the world may know that something is different about us.

Our friends and families see the way you and I live and when there is no distinction from the world the gospel does not look attractive whatsoever.

We must be mindful and live life reminded of these truths Paul is reminding Titus to live a godly life. He must be reminded of the obligations.

We are to be reminded of our obligations but we must also...

Titus 3:3 ESV

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

The picture of what verse three is for our former selves is dark. We were people of this world. We were foolish. Disobedient. Led astray. Slaves to various passions and pleasures. Passing our days in malice and envy. Hated by others and hating one another.

This was our former life. We lived for ourselves with us as the priority. We were depraved wretched sinners separated from God in need of a savior.

Notice how verse three is paralleled with verses one and two.

In verse one believers are to be submissive to authorities. In verse three we were foolish, disobedient, and led astray.

Titus 3:3 ESV

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

Those three first words “foolish, disobedient, led astray” ultimately mean that we had no wisdom in us and we resisted God’s Wisdom, and so we followed other peoples’ lies.

Not only did we have no wisdom, we were slaves to our passions and pleasures. We would find our fulfillment in anything other than God.

We could not rightly relate with those around us. Our self-oriented attitudes and us pursuing our passions and desires harms our relationships around us.

When we think more about self instead of God and those around us, we hurt those around us.

Our former state, and this state Paul wants Titus to be mindful of his past, but he does not stop there. The believer’s story does not stop there.

Titus is reminded of the obligations. He is reminded of his past. He is also

Titus 3:4-

Titus 3:4–7 ESV

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Verse three reminds us why we need to be humble, and to do verses 1-2 are not possible without the grace of God.

Preaching the Word: 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus—To Guard the Deposit Repeat the Message of God’s Grace (vv. 4–11)

The essence is this: When we explain our eternal status, God gets the credit, and we get the blessing.

Verse eight tells us that this is a trustworthy statement. We could spend a lot of time into these several verses Paul is reminding Titus of and he wants Titus to remind his church of these truths.

We serve a God who is good. We could do a whole sermon right there on the goodness of God. We serve a God who shows loving kindness.

We serve a God who gave up his Son for us. And that son Jesus Christ came willingly on his accord leaving heaven and he appeared and God appeared fully God and fully Man.

We talked last week that we can rejoice at the statement “For the grace of God appeared, bringing salvation for all people” and we can rejoice again this week that verse four says our God is good, he displays loving kindness, and he appeared to us.

But lets look at verse five

Titus 3:5 ESV

5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Humbling. God saved us. And it goes on to say it was not because of our works. We do not have to get right before we come to God. We do not have to be righteous before we approach God. He saved us according to his mercy.

The original languages makes it abundantly clear that it is not by our willpower or our good deeds that we receive salvation, but it is the grace and mercy of God. His work and not our work.

“by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”

washing refers to a spiritual cleansing. It is a work of the spirit that we are washed clean.

Regeneration goes with washing as we are washed clean the result is that we are then regenerate. We are born again.

“Renewal of the Holy Spirit”

We are made new in Christ. We hear often the put off put on language in the Bible and Paul is reminding Titus of this. We put off our old selves because we are made new in Christ.

We are made new because we are washed by the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:6 ESV

6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

We see a real Trinitarian God that the whole Godhead is part of our salvation. Verse five shows the Spirit at work.

This text reminds us that God made a promise that his Spirit would pour out on this world. And what was promised to the Israelites in exile is enjoyed by those who are in Christ. We have God the Spirit living within us teaching us, guiding us, convicting us, and comforting us, and is with us all the time.

Baker New Testament Commentary: The Pastoral Epistles 3:1–8

“Sanctification is that gracious and continuous operation of the Holy Spirit, by which he delivers the justified sinner from the pollution of sin, p 392 renews his whole nature in the image of God, and enables him to perform good works.”

Titus 3:6 ESV

6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

This text reminds us that God made a promise that his Spirit would pour out on this world. And what was promised to the Israelites in exile is enjoyed by those who are in Christ. We have God the Spirit living within us teaching us, guiding us, convicting us, and comforting us, and is with us all the time.

God the Father not only gave us his Son, but also pours out his Spirit. We have received Spiritual gifts from the Spirit being poured out on us.

Titus 3:7 ESV

7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

What was said in verse three has ended. That was our former state, and as believers we are now justified by his grace.

See we are justified by his grace. We have been positionally moved into Christ and now we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:8 ESV

8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Trustworthiness

A little boy walked down the beach, and as he did, he spied a matronly woman sitting under a beach umbrella on the sand. He walked up to her and asked, “Are you a Christian?”

“Yes.”

“Do you read your Bible every day?”

She nodded her head, “Yes.”

“Do you pray often?” the boy asked next, and again she answered, “Yes.”

With that he asked his final question, “Will you hold my quarter while I go swimming?”1438

I read that story, and my first thought was

For Paul to make that statement, maybe he had to be trustworthy. Titus had to trust these words Paul is writing to him.

Then my next thought was, “Paul is calling Titus to trust this statement, we also must trust this statement. In verses 1-7, Paul has reminded Titus of many things he must do personally and what he must call his church to do.

His church was to trust this statement. We are to trust it today

why?

Because if we believe this is God’s Word, then this book is true. The sayings in this book are true. The commands we must obey. The warnings we must take seriously. The miracles we must believe happened.

As for this text, Paul is saying, “Trust verses 1-7. Be reminded of what your obligations are. Be reminded of where your former self was. Be reminded of the grace of God.

Paul calls for him to be insistent on these things. These sayings Paul has said are not to be taken lightly. These are not tertiary issues.

Our former state as people of this world are true. We were saved only our of God’s mercy and grace and we did not have anything to do with it.

This statement is trustworthy, and once Paul says that he moves on insisting on these things for the purpose of God’s people may be careful to devote themselves to good works.

Remember that we are not saved out of our righteousness, but the grace and mercy of God.

WE have no room to boast and our works do not help us with salvation. Our works are out of delight to the God who saved us from our former state.

Notice also how the verse speaks to those who have believed in God. That is those who have recently believed in God to those who have believed for many years.

Believers of all age spectrum should commit themselves to a life where visible fruit is seen and our lives reflect the messaged we have believed.

Preaching the Word: 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus—To Guard the Deposit Distinctives of Grace (vv. 4–8)

What God has commanded is not onerous or punitive. Rather, those who pursue the godliness that only comes out of love for God will discover additional riches of his grace. His commands lead to what is “excellent” (beautiful, honorable, or precious) and “profitable” (resulting in blessing) for “everyone” (plural, anthropos, men, indicating people generically, not just the religious elite or those already converted).

We are to do good works. Paul has been calling for Titus to do good works throughout the letter and Titus will call his church out to do good works, and I am calling you out now to do good works, and you will go to church tonight and your pastor will call you out to do good works. And for the rest of your life you will be called out to do good works...

not for the purpose of salvation, but because you have been saved by the grace and mercy of God.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Christian Life, Motivation And

There is a story quoted in baseball circles about Earl Weaver (when he was manager of the Baltimore Orioles) and his experience with a born-again outfielder named Pat Kelly. As the story goes, Kelly is said to have told Weaver he had learned to walk with God, to which Weaver is reported to have glibly replied, “I’d rather have you walk with the bases loaded.”

The Christian walk is incomprehensible to those who are not motivated by Christ.150

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Christian Life, Daily Walk

Imagine a field covered with freshly fallen snow. Off to the one side you notice two figures entering the field. The first is larger than the second—perhaps they are a father and his son. As they walk across the field, you notice that the father pays no particular attention to where he is going, but his son, on the other hand, follows directly behind, making a special effort to step in his father’s footprints. After the two figures pass off the scene, you notice that there is only one set of tracks visible in the field, although two people had walked across it. The Christian life is that way. In our daily walk we ought to be following Christ’s example, particularly in times when we are suffering. If someone were to observe the snow-covered fields of your life, would there be one set of tracks, those of Christ? Or would he see two sets, one belonging to Christ and the other distinctly yours?146

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Grace

The believer who seeks to live the Christian life through self-effort is like the man who, in attempting to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, found his boat becalmed for days. Finally, frustrated by his lack of progress, he tried to make his stalled boat move by pushing against the mast. Through strenuous efforts, he succeeded in making the boat rock and so created a few small waves on the otherwise smooth sea. Seeing the waves and feeling the rocking of the boat, he assumed that he was making progress and so continued his efforts. Of course, although he exerted himself a great deal, he actually got nowhere.

So it is in the Christian life. The source of the Christian’s strength lies in God’s grace, not in exertions of will-power, or in efforts of discipline, or any other self-effort.607

What will it take for us to live Godly lives?

For us to live Godly lives we must

As Paul has done throughout this whole letter, he wants to remind Titus of what he is to do as a minister of a church in Crete with people who need to be guided. Who need to be reminded that as believers they are to give their life to Christ. And their lives are reflections of what God has done in their life.

As we leave today and we all go our separate directions, do we need to be reminded of our obligations?

Are we humbled by where we were to where we are now?

Would we say yes to the question, “Do we live a Godly life?”

Godly Living

Beginning

Be reminded of our Obligations

Submissive to rulers and authority

to be ready for every good work

Be reminded of where we come from

“passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”

Be Reminded of the Grace of God

We were children of this world.

We have been made alive.

We move forward with an eternal perspective

Conclusion

Be Reminded of our Obligations

Be Reminded of where we come from

Be Reminded of the mercy of God