Transcript

Two years before the death of John Newton, author of the song, “Amazing Grace”, a friend and brother in the ministry called to have breakfast with him.

Newton told him this over breakfast, “I am not what I ought to be! How imperfect and deficient I am! I am not what I wish to be, although I abhor that which is evil and cleave to what is good! I am not what I hope to be, but soon I shall be out of mortality, and with it, all sin and imperfection.

“Though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor yet what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was: a slave to sin and Satan. And I heartily join with the apostle in saying that ‘by the grace of God I am what I am!’”

After trusting Christ as our Savior, we are no longer what we once were, dead in our sins, in spiritual darkness and headed for the eternal lake of fire. Christ has given us life, we are in spiritual light and headed for the glories of heaven.

Once we are saved, we are forever changed in Christ. And God wants our new standing and position in Christ to change and transform our lives by His grace.

Titus 3:1-2: “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”

Paul speaks of government here. After speaking of how various groups should act in the church toward each other and as a testimony before the world, Paul turns in chapter 3 and instructs Titus as to how we should act toward governmental and civil authorities.

Paul says “Put them in mind,” or to remind the Cretian believers to willingly subject themselves to the authority of the state and to obey the civil authorities. The tense indicates that Titus was to be “reminding continuously” the Cretians about this.

We all tend to forget. And we all need to be reminded of truths in God’s Word. For those who have been saved for a while, much of what you hear in sermons, or read in books is a reminder of what you already know. But we all need to be reminded to put into practice what we may have forgotten, and what God wants us to do.

Paul expected believers to submit and be subject to governmental “principalities,” “powers,” and magistrates, which represents both the offices of government and those who occupy them.

“Principalities” refers to the first, the principal in authority. “Powers” speaks of those under principalities with delegated power/authority, and “magistrates,” are under both.

Believers are to be good citizens, and to subject themselves to the laws of their country and its government.

One commentator rightly says, “The command here leaves no room for anything short of complete, submissive obedience. It’s not merely respect but compliance with their laws and directives.”

But this can be a difficult verse to obey. Sometimes our government can make obedience a major struggle. But when we think we couldn’t imagine a less deserving leader to submit to, it’s important to remember who the Caesar was when Paul wrote this letter.

Nero was the Caesar. Nero: the man who would later sentence Paul to death, a wicked ruler who hated Christians and viciously and severely persecuted and killed them.

He was completely pagan, morally bankrupt, despotic, cruel, oppressive, murderous, unjust, sadistic, corrupt to the core. Yet Paul still called for obedience and urged believers at that time to submit to the government.

Christians are instructed to submit because Romans 13:2 says, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.”

Romans 13 teaches that government is an institution of God and therefore we need to submit to its authority. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

You see here in verse 1, how submission to government does not focus on personality or their spiritual beliefs but on their position: principalities, powers, magistrates. Authority is an instrument in the hand of God. God has placed authority over us and we are to submit to them even when we might disagree with what they do or believe.

The word “subject” speaks of submission, which in the Bible has to do with order. In the home, the husband has the role of being the head of the home before God, and the wife is to place herself under his loving care.

In the workplace, the employer is over the employee and the employee is to place themselves under their bosses and submit to them and to what they ask of us in the workplace. In life, governmental leaders are over the nation and its people, and we are to place ourselves under them, and submit to them and to their laws and directives.

As the Lord said in Luke 20:25: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.”

It’s been said, “Our flag is symbolic of our taxes. We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bills, and blue after we pay them, and then we see stars!”

As citizens of a country we should give what is expected to the government; and as citizens of heaven, we should give our ultimate allegiance to Almighty God.

This world is not our home, and fixing the world’s governments is not our fight. We are called to submit to them, pray for them, obey the law and pay our taxes, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty,” as I Timothy 2:2 says.

Our fight is the fight for people’s souls, to fight the good fight of the faith, in standing for God’s truth and proclaiming it to all. Fixing a government will not fix people’s souls, only Christ can do that. People need Christ most of all.

And “to be ready to every good work” Paul writes, which speaks of cooperating and being ready, willing and prompt in performing every good work for our country or in our community. If we are assigned jury duty we should obey.

If our country or community needs help in disaster relief, we should be ready to help, by lending a helping hand or giving to those in need. A Christian should be an influence for good in their community in every way.

In addition, to submission and obedience to governmental authorities, Paul urged kindness to those around us in four specific ways, two negative, two positive.

First, we are “to speak evil of no man.” This phrase speaks of not maligning, or to curse, slander, or treat someone with contempt that we don’t agree with. It refers to any speech that disregards or disrespects the status of another.

“No brawlers” speaks of being peaceable, not prone to be quarrelsome or to attack others, but able to dialogue about issues when we don’t agree.

“Gentle” doesn’t suggest we’re to be doormats; it’s a mark of strength. The term combines the ideas of dignity and reasonableness, and showing restraint and control, being able to respond without harshness or rudeness, even with difficult people.

When someone would try to argue with Dr. Harry Ironside over something he had preached on, he would reply: “Well, when we get to heaven, one of us is going to be wrong, and perhaps it will be me.” That answer and spirit would put an end to all arguments.

“Showing all meekness to all men” speaks of showing humility and consideration and describes a spirit of grace, even when it’s undeserved. This kind of demeanor toward others is one of humble courtesy demonstrated by gracious, kind responses to others.

And believers should offer this dignity to “all men” to all people, believers or unbelievers, regardless of their spiritual beliefs or political leanings, or others hot-button issues where we may disagree.

You can’t think of this verse without thinking of the Lord in His earthly ministry, who was gentle and meek and humble in His dealings with all people.

In Christ’s current heavenly ministry, this is His instruction for us His Church, to be like Him in our dealings with people in life.

Titus 3:3: “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.”

Paul writes the connecting “for” into the text to explain the reason for extending grace and kindness to non-Christian authorities and neighbors.

Christians extend grace to others because nothing separates us from corrupt, pagan leaders and lost people all around us except the grace of God.

In order to respond properly to all people, we should remember our past lost condition and what life was like before Christ, and how we used to act and think and react before we knew Christ. And we should remember the grace that saved us and transformed us, and then show that kind of grace and kindness to others.

God’s grace is to cause us to not look down on, or be critical or speak evil of people, but as the grace of God touches our heart to instead be gentle, meek, humble.

Before finding life in Christ, before salvation, Paul says we were “foolish.” Though unbelievers often think they have all the answers, outside of Christ Paul says we were lacking in understanding and not wise or sensible in our choices and conduct.

Apart from Christ we were “disobedient” and not obedient to God, His Word, or to what is right and good in God’s sight. We were “children of disobedience” Eph. 2:2 says. The old nature wants to rebel and willfully disregard any authority and be disobedient.

Apart from Christ we were “deceived,” deceived by “the father of lies,” Satan, and we didn’t possess or live in the truth.

We were deceived into thinking we know what’s best for our lives and what is truth with spiritual beliefs. The word “deceived” speaks of “wandering,” wandering from one thing to the next, one belief to the next, wandering and ending up on dead-end streets.

Jer. 17:9 says “the heart is deceitful above all things.” A person can be deceived by Satan and also by their own heart and mind, because they make themselves the authority, and are deceived by their own perverted judgment and thinking.

Apart from Christ, we were “serving divers lusts and pleasures,” abandoned to doing whatever makes self feel good, whatever makes self happy, whatever self wants to do.

Life for the unbeliever is lived according to the constant, ever-changing, selfish cravings of the flesh, serving and enslaved by all sorts of passions and pleasures, wanting the freedom to do whatever they want and ending up in bondage to that which they pursue.

And apart from Christ we lived in “malice and envy.” A malicious person is one who desires to destroy or inflict pain on others and finds happiness in doing so.

Envy is not just wanting what another person has, but resenting that person for having it. It speaks of one who is never satisfied with what you have.

Life for the lost is also about being “hateful and hating one another,” as hate often becomes a way of life for the unbeliever.

Titus 3:4: “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.”

“But” v. 4 shows us, something changed all of that. “But” Someone changed us.

“The grace of God appeared” Titus 2:11 says, and Christ our Savior’s “kindness and love appeared” verse 4 says, and He changes everything. Just like the “Appeared” in 2:11,13, it’s is a “eureka!” or “wow!” kind of word. It’s the idea of God’s kindness and love suddenly shining forth, and it surprising, astonishing and overwhelming us.

By God’s own initiative, motivated solely by His kindness and love, and despite our absolute unworthiness, God Almighty willingly reached down, sent His only begotten Son to rescue us from our sins and bring God’s salvation to us.

And our reaction should be one of astonishment to this appearance of such amazing love, and such incredible kindness.

In one Dennis the Menace cartoon, Dennis is shown walking away from the Wilson’s house with his friend Joey. Both boys have their hands full of cookies. Joey turns to Dennis and says, “I wonder what we did to deserve this?”

Dennis answers with profound insight: “Look Joey, Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not because we’re nice, but because she’s nice.”

The salvation that comes to us from God is not because we deserve it or because we’re nice, but just because God is extraordinarily kind and infinitely loving.

Verses 4-7 are one long sentence in the original Greek, and in your English Bible you can see this. And this is one mind-boggling sentence.

We were in the depths of depravity, and could in no way save ourselves, but God intervened and by His grace, kindness and love God sent His Son to rescue us. And in His kindness, God waits patiently for people to respond to Him and His provision of salvation.

Titus 3:5-6: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

Verse 5 shows how we are saved not because we are good, but because God is good.

We are saved, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by the finished work of Christ that He has done for us, and by the righteousness He gives to all who believe.

We are saved from all our sins and from eternity in hell, not because we earned it, but according to God’s mercy. We all need God’s mercy. If we got what we deserved, we all deserve eternity in hell. But when we trust His Son for our salvation, God in His mercy does not give us what we do deserve.

Having trusted Christ as Savior we are regenerated or born again, born into the family of God. God saves us through the miracle of the new birth, which is all the work of the Holy Spirit of God, and not of us.

We can’t regenerate ourselves and we can’t make ourselves new. Our salvation is all of God. Washing doesn’t speak of water baptism. It speaks of being washed in the blood of Christ, having all our sins washed away and being made clean and pure in Christ.

When a sinner trusts Christ that He died for our sins personally and rose again, they are cleansed from all their sins, & made a new creation in Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The old statement is true: “Those born once will die twice, and those born twice will die once.” We need to be born again, and be born into the family of God, or we will face the second death, the eternal death of the lake of fire.

Salvation is all of God’s work, it’s by His righteousness, His life and His Spirit and because of His mercy, His grace, His kindness, and His love.

“He saved us” verse 5 says, we don’t save ourselves. And we are given new life by the Spirit, given the Spirit Himself and He saves us, cleanses, and renews us.

God’s grace, kindness, love, and mercy is to change and transform our whole life. All the things listed in verse 3 are listed in the past tense.

Though they can be, God is saying those things should be in our past and not in our present. Because we have new life in Christ, we should have a new way of life. Grace motivates us to do so. We each can be transformed by grace.

We shouldn’t be foolish any longer, but wise through the learning and living of God’s Word. We are not to be disobedient, but obedient to God and His Word.

We’re to be living by God’s kindness, mercy, and love, and not in malice, envy and hate. And God and His grace teaches us to not serve self or “divers lusts and pleasures,” it teaches us to serve God and other people and do good works. God saves and changes lives.

Verse 6 speaks of how the Holy Spirit has been “shed on us abundantly thru Jesus Christ our Savior,” as the Holy Spirit is given to us at conversion and indwells us.

God saves abundantly and He gives generously. And He has given us the Holy Spirit in abundance, in all His fulness.

God loves to give a lot when He gives. He is not stingy. He gives above and beyond all we could ask or think. It’s one thing I love about my wife Jessica.

When she gives me a piece of dessert, she doesn’t hold back, she loves to give a big piece of dessert. God gives us richly all things to enjoy, so I figure why not!

We see the Trinity involved in our salvation in this salvation sentence: it’s after the kindness and love and mercy of God our Savior, and the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, and through Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and our Savior, as He paid the price for our sin debt in full on the Cross.

Titus 3:7: “That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Verse 7 tells us we’re “justified” or declared eternally righteous by God’s grace. Having trusted Christ, on the basis of His shed blood we are given the gift of Christ’s righteousness and declared eternally right before God and can be condemned no more.

We don’t merit justification and we don’t deserve justification, it is ours freely by the grace of God. And when we believe in what Christ has done on our behalf at the Cross, in the court of heaven God by a final and irreversible judicial act declares us “Righteous!” And for eternity when God looks at you He sees you as righteous, as righteous as Christ.

And by God’s grace, we are also made heirs of eternal life. God saves us, regenerates us, renews us, sheds His Spirit on us, justifies us and makes us heirs.

We have a rich inheritance in Christ and are blessed with all spiritual blessings. And we are heirs of eternal life, we will live eternally with God, it’s guaranteed.

We have a whole lot to be thankful for because of the grace of God.

Titus 3:8: “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly…”

Paul writes, “This is a faithful saying.” And he is referring to what he just said in verses 4-7, which is one long mind-blowing sentence, that is packed with rich, amazing truth regarding our personal salvation.

Paul calls it a faithful saying, or a trustworthy statement, a statement that can be wholly relied upon and trusted in every way. We can trust our eternal destinies, our souls on the fact and truth that God has done everything necessary to save us.

We can trust completely that we are saved by the kindness and love of God, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, and that we are regenerated, born again, renewed, justified, and have eternal life, through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, and placing our personal faith in it.

And Paul tells Titus to “affirm constantly” these things, or to proclaim the gospel confidently and consistently and repetitively, to stress the truth of the gospel.

And he was to do so, because as back then, so now, there are so many voices of error out there constantly telling people the wrong thing, promoting false doctrine, false gospels, teaching things that don’t save people from their sins or hell.

And so there is a desperate need to constantly proclaim God’s grace clearly and emphatically and unapologetically to others, telling them the true gospel that saves, that Christ died for our sins, and rose again and that we are saved by grace thru faith alone.

Titus was to stress these truths and never stop speaking of God’s salvation, to never quit proclaiming God’s grace, to keep telling others how Christ has done it all, to continually assure others of the truth that the Cross of Christ is all-sufficient to save us.