Titus 3

Bible Study with Pastor Terry Gray

3 PRINCIPLES TO LIVE AS A DISCIPLE OF JESUS

1. Understand the Grace of God (Titus 3:3-8)
Allow the Grace of God to guide us in doing good things.

Picture of those who are not saved (Paul includes his past self): Titus 3:3-4
Foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and addiction. Non-Christians stand condemned before God, guilty. Their future is judgment.

Picture of those who are saved (Titus 3:5):
All sins are washed away and forgiven. Those who are saved are renewed and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, justified by faith.

How do we go from being unsaved to saved? 


Titus 3:5
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

Not by our own works! There is nothing we can do to move ourselves over. We can never earn it. We can never be good enough. This isn't just some low-confidence mumble jumble. God has set a standard for righteousness. The Law was given to us to illustrate just how strict that standard is. 

James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

When we say, "we can never be good enough," that is a FACT. One unclean thought, and we fall short of God's standard. The ONLY human who did not fall short was the god-man, Jesus Christ. This is why only Jesus' blood has the power to cleanse us from our sins. This is why we cannot depend on ourselves to reach salvation.

God in his grace sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. Good people don't go to Heaven. Only sinners whose sins have been forgiven by God's grace through faith go to Heaven! 

Titus 3:8
... those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good

We are to maintain good works. Why? We are motivated by the grace of God. We do good works because God is AWESOME to us. He saved us from eternal condemnation. He changed our lives. He changed our destiny! We are saved by the grace of God. We should also live by the grace of God.

1 John 3:9
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

Be mindful of grace of God continuously. Let God's grace be our motivation to excel. 

2. Strive for unity and harmony in the Church (Titus 3:9-11)
Jesus prayed for us to be one in him! There are teachings that can come into the church and destroy the unity and cause in-fighting, bickering. This was true in the early church, and this is true today.

Titus 3:9
Avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless

Back then, early Christians fought over trivial things like genealogy. There are people today who continue to argue over such details. Some studying Hebrew myths and fables claim that genealogies must be studied because God was putting together a new Hebrew tribe.

Then, there were those who were obsessed with the Law, etc.

Paul says arguing over these topics are useless and unprofitable.

For example, Christians today fight over whether we can dress a certain way, whether we can dance, etc. Even churches become divided over such issues--such LEGALISTIC issues!

What was Jesus' two commands for us? Love God. Love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).

If our heart is not with God, then it doesn't matter whether we dress a certain way or remove ourselves from the dance floor--or whatever else we prevent ourselves from doing. If our heart is not with God, then anything we try to do to bring ourselves closer to God is hypocritic--very much like the Pharisees who kept themselves ritualistic clean on the outside but remained spiritually unclean on the inside.

When our heart is not with God, and all we do is bicker over legalistic details, we cause a rift in the Church. We all have our own convictions, including how to dress, how to read the Bible, how communion should be conducted, becoming overly obsessed with semantics rather than staying true to the Word, focusing on one portion of the Truth in the Bible rather than ALL of the Truth, etc. If these convictions are neither supported nor refuted in the Bible, and these convictions help some of us in our walk with God, great. Follow through with these convictions, but keep them to ourselves; don't force them onto others. Do not cause strife in the Church over legalism. That is simply not the heart of God.

Titus 3:10
Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.

Two. That is the number of chances Paul suggests we give to people who aim to divide. At a certain point, a line must be drawn to keep divisive people out, especially when such people show no will to stop or to work WITH the body of Christ (as opposed to against it). A good shepherd keeps the lambs safe from the attacks of wolves. No good shepherd would invite wolves into his flock!

3. Get excited about God's work and get practically involved (Titus 3:12-15)

Titus 3:14
Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.

Maintain good works.

Paul surrounded himself by a team of lawyers (Zenas) and other godly men (Apollos). All were flexible, ready to do God's work, especially where God has positioned them in life, be it a lawyer or a preacher. There was a lot to be done back in Paul's day, and there continues to be a lot to be done today.

As God's people, we should all get practically involved. As mentioned above, it is not that good works save us, but rather, we do good works because we are saved. Doing good works is a part of our growth as Christians and maintains our walk with God. And just as Paul surrounded himself with Christian men and women, we, too, should get involved with a Christian community. It is easier for Satan to attack those who isolate themselves. It is much harder to attack a group of strong Christian men and women!

Titus 2

Bible study with Pastor Terry Gray

REVIEW

Titus was left on Creed to accomplish two things 
1. Set things in order -- morally, doctrinally, logistically 
2. Appoint elders in each church for leadership 

This mission was difficult and arduous, both physically (Creed was a mountainous island; Titus needed to cross mountains to go from church to church) and spiritually (people of Creed were corrupted).

PAUL INSTRUCTS TITUS TO GUIDE THE PEOPLE

The #1 priority of any pastor, of any church, of any Christian is to teach the sound doctrine of the Word of God (Titus 2:1).

To older men... (Titus 2:2)
Older men who have become seasoned men of God are those who have persevered in their walk with Jesus. These men are...
- Sober: not drunk; level headed, self-controlled, not just limited to alcohol
- Reverent: dignified, reputable, worthy of respect
- Temperate: self-controlled
- Sound in the faith, in the love, and in the patience of God

To older women... (Titus 2:3-5)
Godly women are...
- Reverent in behavior: sacred in behavior
- Not slanderers: not involved in malicious gossips
- Not be given to much wine
- Teachers of good things
- Good examples to younger women

This is not a section for deaconesses or female elders. Rather, Paul is using this opportunity to discuss the behavior of older Godly women in general. As elders, older women should walk with the Lord and pass on their experience and knowledge about their walk -- How to be persevere in their walk as Godly women; how to be Godly wives; how to be Godly mothers.

To young women... (Titus 2:4-5)
Godly young women are to...
- Love their husbands and children: love them enough to care for them unconditionally
- Be discreet and chaste: balanced, self-controlled; pure in heart and mind; devoted to only their husbands
- Be good, gentle, and kind to their husbands and children and others
- Be obedient and submissive to their husbands: Be busy at home, keepers of the home, caretakers of the home

The general principle here is not to imprison women or give men reason to be chauvinists. Paul is stressing that the focus of a young woman should be keeping the home in order, nurturing the home. Men are leaders; women are helpers of their husbands -- This is God's order, set as early as the time of Genesis, set as early as the first couple on Earth, Adam and Eve.

This order may not be glamorous to human eyes but in God's eyes, this is holy. This is HIS order.

This is not to say that women who work are ungodly. If women can work AND keep their homes in order, then there is nothing unbiblical about it. However, if the women who work cannot keep their homes in order, cannot be effective supporters of their husbands, then they need to prioritize God's order before their own ambition. 

The bottom line is caring for the home is a top priority. It doesn't matter how we do it, as long as we do it. 

To young men... (Titus 2:6-8) 
Titus was a young man and was told to be an example to other young men.

Godly young men are...
- Sober minded: level headed, self-controlled, serious minded -- Avoid reckless living that is common in young men
- Knowledgeable in doctrine
- Sound in speech: Speak wisely

We all know adolescence is not easy. Hormones are going, and peer pressure can be difficult to endure. However, if we are are grounded in God's Word, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us through difficult decisions. Are we here to glorify ourselves or God? God's Word keeps us grounded and makes it clear the answer to that question. And once we fully understand the implications of that question, our battles against the flesh and against worldly desires aren't so impossible anymore.

To bond servants... (Titus 2:9-10)
Godly bond servants are...
- Obedient and submissive to our bosses
- Well-pleasing to our bosses
- Trust-worthy

Don't pilfer company goods. Be careful with how we use company resources. Be completely trustworthy. Be given a job to do it and to do it well. Be good, law-abiding citizens of the country of residence. Be ready for every good work. Speak evil of no one.

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" (Romans 13:1).

ALL authorities are appointed by God. Even dictators. We may not agree with the leaders that God has put in place, but we are to honor them and respect them -- God put them there for a reason.

Think of Joseph's life. He met many tyrannical leaders. However, he continued his walk faithfully with God; he also followed the rules set by the government. And because he was faithful, God delivered Joseph. God eventually placed Joseph as the Prime Minister of Egypt!

Think of Paul's life. Paul wrote this letter when Nero was the emperor of Rome and was heavily persecuting the church! Paul did not call to arms a coup against Nero. Instead, he reminded us to heed God's order. Since ALL authorities are appointed by God, then as God's people, we have duties to heed God's appointments. God will hold each one of us responsible for our actions. If the leaders do not lead well, trust that God will judge them. It is not up to us to judge. It is up to us to make sure we fulfill our own responsibilities.

Be Godly, for Jesus gave Himself to save us (Titus 2:11-15)
Every Christian should be mindful of the above. All these characteristics reflect the heart of one who follows Christ. We should adorn the Word of God in all things. The grace of God motivates us to embrace and adorn the Word of God in all things.

Why should we be mindful of the above? Because Jesus is coming again for His people. We have been redeemed; we have been washed clean of our sins. Have an appreciative heart and act like one who has been redeemed!

Titus 1

Bible study with Pastor Terry Gray

Bond Servant of God (Titus 1:1)
This is the title Paul used for himself, of all the titles he could have chosen! This term is used for the lowest of the low of slaves. It also is a term saved for those who chose to remain a slave. In the Old Testament, to pay off debt, one can sell himself to the master. In the seventh year, the slave can then be set free. There are slaves that love their master so much, they'd choose to stay with their master forever, thus becoming a bond servant. 

Apostle of Jesus Christ (Titus 1:1) 
Paul also referred himself as an apostle of Jesus, a delegate of Jesus.

Preacher (Titus 1:3)
In addition to the two titles above, Paul also saw himself as a preacher, a teacher of God's word. Preaching is critical. Paul manifested the Word through preaching.

When we gather, there needs to be preaching. Crete was not an easy place to minister. One of their own poets even wrote that Cretans were always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons (Titus 1:12). Titus was left on this island when Paul had to continue on to do God's Will.

A True Son of Our Common Faith (Titus 1:4-5)
Paul called Titus a "true son of our common faith." Paul often sent Titus whenever there was a tough mission -- Paul took Titus with him to Corinth. Titus stood up to the Jews with Paul in regards to circumcision (Acts). And now, Titus has been given the task to go around the island of Crete to set things right in the churches and to appoint leaders.

Titus were instructed to appoint elders according to spiritual qualifications. It is not by popular vote. There is no election. Titus were to pick elders according to spiritual qualifications. 

Qualifications for Elders (Titus 1:6-9)
- Man of integrity
- Blameless
- To be above reproach 
- Husband of one wife 
- Father of well-behaved children
- Not be Self-willed, headstrong, given to drunkenness, violet, pursuing dishonest gain
- Hospitable
- Loves what is good
- Self-controlled
- Upright
- Holy
- Disciplined
- Hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught

We all, not just elders, need to be well-versed in the Scripture so that we can mature as Christians and bring up mature Christians. Additionally, we can also use the Scripture to refute false doctrines and teachers.

False Teachers (Titus 1:10-16)
There were a group of Jewish teachers at the time who enforced that Gentiles needed to become circumcised to become Jews and then be saved. Paul teaches here that there is only one way to God, and that way is through Jesus.

This brings up a major question for the Jews: What's so special about them then, if Gentiles don't need to become Jews to be saved? Today, we continue to be saved through Jesus. Anyone who comes and claims otherwise, those are false teachers, who turn God's Word into religious laws. As to the answer to the question, the Jews remain as God's chosen people, and God's promises to the Jews have not yet been fulfilled but will be fully fulfilled in the second coming of Christ. Gentiles are grafted into the covenant through the Jews. We are saved through Jesus, who was also a Jew. Simply put, the Jews are not replaced by the Gentiles, and God is not done with the Jews yet.

False teachers are...
- Insubordinate
- Deceivers
- Liars
- Lazy gluttons
- Defiled
- Profess to no god

False teachers talk a good game but have no proof of walk.

What do we do when we encounter false teachers? (Titus 1:11)
The mouths of false teachers must be stopped. False teachers destroy families, and they do this for dishonest gain: money, fame, glory, etc. We must stop their lies and rebuke them WITH LOVE (i.e., Guide them to the Way as opposed to just point a finger at them and condemn them).