Posts Tagged ‘Titus’

Three Themes from Titus 3

Posted: August 23, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Titus
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When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing.  And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.  All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.  —Titus 3:12–15

Bethlehem Baptist Church of Minneapolis, MN, did a series of summer messages from the book of Titus.  Here is David Mathis’ introduction and conclusion:

We come this weekend to the letter’s final four verses. This is Paul’s final chance to echo his main themes, and he does not disappoint. In fact, we may even say that the whole letter is summed up in these four final verses. I have in mind three main themes that resonate here….

…let’s increasingly be a people on mission, shaped by the Son who was sent by his Father on mission. And let’s increasingly be a people for others, in word and in deed, in action and in attitude, just as Jesus was for others and sought to do others the greatest good possible in dying for sinners. And let’s increasingly be a people of grace, like our Savior, the man of grace, who is the Grace of God incarnate.

Of grace, for others, and on mission—to the glory of God.

Complete message, Titus: Tract for Our Times, found at HopeinGod.org

August 23 Titus 3:9-15

Posted: August 23, 2012 by Pam Larson in August Bible Readings, Bible Passages, Titus
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August 23 

Titus 3:9-15 (ESV)

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.

Final Instructions and Greetings

12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all.

Spurgeon: Nothing more delightful

Posted: August 22, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Titus
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“The kindness and love of God our Saviour.”—Titus 3:4

C.H. Spurgeon, in Morning and Evening:

HOW sweet it is to behold the Saviour communing with His own beloved people! There can be nothing more delightful than, by the Divine Spirit, to be led into this fertile field of delight. Let the mind for an instant consider the history of the Redeemer’s love, and a thousand enchanting acts of affection will suggest themselves, all of which have had for their design the weaving of the heart into Christ,and the intertwisting of the thoughts and emotions of the renewed soul with the mind of Jesus. When we meditate upon this amazing love, and behold the all-glorious Kinsman of the Church endowing her with all His ancient wealth, our souls may well faint for joy.

August 22 Titus 3:1-8

Posted: August 22, 2012 by Pam Larson in August Bible Readings, Bible Passages, Titus
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August 22

Titus 3:1-8 (ESV)

Be Ready for Every Good Work

3:1 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.

Piper: The meat in the middle of the sandwich is our blessed hope

Posted: August 21, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Titus
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For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. —Titus 2

John Piper, in a sermon, “Our Hope: The Appearing of Jesus Christ”

Notice first of all from our text in Titus 2 that there are two appearings of Christ—one called an appearing of grace, the other called an appearing of glory.

Verse 11: “For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men.” That is the first coming of Christ—the appearance of grace.

Then verse 13: “Awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” That is the second coming of Christ—the appearance of glory.

First grace, then glory. In Paul’s mind these two are inseparably linked. Which is why the rejection of a real second coming is an attack on the very center of our faith, namely, the first coming of Christ to die for sins. The Christ who will come in glory is the Christ who came in grace.

Verse 14 describes just how that grace appeared—”[Christ] gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.” So when the grace of God appeared in history about 2,000 years ago, it appeared as a real man, who really died to redeem us from sin and to make us zealous, or passionate, for good deeds. This was the aim or purpose of the appearance of God’s grace in Jesus Christ.

That same aim of grace is described in verse 12 as well: “The grace of God appeared training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world.” That is the same as saying (in v. 14) that Christ aimed to purify us and make us zealous for good deeds.

So verses 12 and 14 are like a sandwich around verse 13. Both verses describe the aim and effect of God’s grace as it appeared in the first coming of Jesus Christ. The meat in the middle of the sandwich is our blessed hope (v. 13). What God’s grace has begun in our lives through the first coming of Christ his glory he will complete in our lives through the second coming of Christ.

August 21 Titus 2:11-15

Posted: August 21, 2012 by Pam Larson in August Bible Readings, Bible Passages, Titus
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August 21 

Titus 2:11-15 (ESV)

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Why should people believe it’s life‑changing truth if your life isn’t changed?

Posted: August 20, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Titus
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Titus 2:5,8,10

5 … that the word of God may not be reviled. 

8 …so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

10 …. so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

John MacArthur in a sermon, “Sound Doctrine Backed By Sound Living” from Titus 2:1-10

Obedience to the requirements in this chapter are essential, Paul points out, not only for their own sake which is a given for you can then know the blessing and the joy of Christian living, but because it has such powerful effect on others.
Now this is stated in three purpose clauses in the chapter.  One is in verse 5, the second is in verse 8 and the third is in verse 10 and they are potent.  Let’s look at verse 5.  All of this matter of behavior, end of verse 5, is in order that or for the purpose that the Word of God may not be dishonored.  That’s it.  The first compelling issue here is the honor of the Word of God.  Back in 1 Timothy 5:14, younger widows are instructed to get married and bear children and keep house.  Why?  To give the enemy no occasion for reproach for some have already turned aside to follow Satan. In other words, how you live is going to impact how people view Christianity and it makes Christianity attractive or turns them away into the path of Satan.  The Word of God, he says, may not be dishonored.  That’s what holy living produces.  The word here is really the word for blasphemed at the end of verse 5, disdained, rejected, treated as a lie, disregarded, mocked, shunned, ignored.
In other words, how you live will directly determine how people feel about the Word of God.  Amazing.  A Christian wife who is not what she ought to be, a Christian young man who is not what he ought to be, a Christian older man who is not what he ought to be, a Christian older woman who is not what she ought to be is going to give reason for people to blaspheme God’s Word.  You see, the world doesn’t judge us by our theology, the world judges us by our behavior, right? And they judge the validity of the Scripture by our behavior.  They…they judge whether Scripture is really true and powerful and life changing by whether it changes our lives.

I remember Sam Ericcson telling me that time some years back that he had invited a lawyer, he was working for a law firm in L.A., he invited a lawyer to come to church and he said, “We want you to come because our church teaches the Bible, we have a pastor who teaches the Bible and I think you’d appreciate it.” And he said, “What church is it?”  And Sam said, “Grace Community Church.”  He said, “Ha,” he said, “I don’t go to any church but I sure wouldn’t go to that church, the most crooked attorney I know in the city goes there.”  End of discussion.  The Word of God was blasphemed in that man’s life and consequently this man turned his back on the truth.  I mentioned that, by the way, on the following Sunday to our congregation without naming which lawyer it was and I think 25 lawyers repented.  But that’s the simple illustration of what happens when you don’t live the life, you bring reproach on the truth.  If it’s life‑changing truth, then it ought to change your life.  Why should people believe it’s life‑changing truth if your life isn’t changed?

August 20 Titus 2:1-10

Posted: August 20, 2012 by Pam Larson in August Bible Readings, Bible Passages, Titus
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August 20 

Titus 2:1-10 (ESV)

Teach Sound Doctrine

2:1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound [1] doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Slaves [2] are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

You don’t correct error by hints or nice suggestions.

Posted: August 19, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Titus
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Pastor Steven J. Cole of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship, in a sermon on Titus 1:10-16

Paul writes (1:13), “But reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith.” “

  • Them” may refer to the false teachers, as the preceding context would indicate. But, being sound in the faith would point to believers.
  • “To reprove” means to convince of the errors.
  • “Severely” means sharply, as one cuts off something with a single blow of an ax. You don’t correct error by hints or nice suggestions.
  • “Being sound” means being spiritually healthy. It implies that if you don’t correct these spiritual errors, like a serious disease, they will lead to spiritual demise.
  • “The faith” points to a well-defined, narrow body of truth. We can know when others or we are in it and we can know when others or we turn away from it.

August 19 Titus 1:10-16

Posted: August 19, 2012 by Pam Larson in August Bible Readings, Bible Passages, Titus
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August 19 

Titus 1:10-16 (ESV)

10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, [1] a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” [2] 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

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