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Titus 2:10 Sermon Notes - Gospel Jewelry

That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. — Titus 2: 10

THE apostle greatly values the doctrine of the gospel, or he would not care so much to have it adorned.

The apostle highly esteems the practical part of religion; hence he regards it as the beauty and ornament of the gospel. What a wide range of practical instruction we find in this short letter! With what holy ingenuity is this interwoven with the doctrine!

We are bidden to obey the precept that we may adorn the doctrine.

We have in our text—

I. A NAME OF ADORNMENT FOR THE GOSPEL. "The doctrine of God our Saviour."

1. It sets forth its greatness: "doctrine of God."

Our fall, ruin, sin, and punishment were great.

Our salvation and redemption are great.

Our safety, happiness, and hopes are great.

2. It sets forth its certainty. It is "of God."

It comes by revelation of God.

It is guaranteed by the fidelity of God.

It is as immutable as God himself.

3. It sets forth its relation to Christ Jesus: "of God our Saviour."

He is the author of it.

He is the substance of it.

He is the proclaimer of it.

He is the object of it. The gospel glorifies Jesus.

4. It sets forth its authority.

The whole system of revealed truth is of God.

The Savior himself is God, and hence he must be accepted.

The gospel itself is divine. God mind is embodied in the doctrine of the Lord Jesus and to reject it is to reject God.

Let us believe, honor, defend, and propagate this "doctrine of God our Saviour." What else is so worthy of our love and zeal?

II. A METHOD OF ADORNMENT FOR THE GOSPEL.

This is a remarkable verse. Observe—

1. The persons who are to adorn the gospel.

In Paul's day, bond servants or slaves.

In our day, poor servants of the humblest order.

Strange that these should be set to such a task!

Yet, the women slaves adorned their mistresses, and both men and women of the poorest class were quite ready to adorn themselves.

From none does the gospel receive more honor than from the poor.

2. The way in which these persons could specially adorn the gospel:

By obedience to their masters (verse 9).

By endeavors to please them: "please them well."

By restraining their tongues: "not answering again."

By scrupulous honesty: "not purloining" (verse 10).

By trustworthy character: "showing all good fidelity."

All this would make their masters admire the religion of Jesus.

3. The way of adornment of the doctrine in general.

Negatively, it is found:

Not in the decoration of the building, the priest, the choir, or the worshippers.

Nor in the attraction of peculiar garb and speech.

Nor in the finery of philosophical thought.

Nor in the tawdriness of rhetorical speech.

Positively, it lies in another direction.

We must adorn it by our godly lives.

Adornment, if really so, is suitable to beauty. Holiness, mercifulness, cheerfulness are congruous with the gospel.

Adornment is often a tribute to beauty. Such is a godly conversation; it honors the gospel.

Adornment is an advertisement of beauty. Holiness calls attention to the natural beauty of the gospel.

Adornment is an enhancement of beauty. Godliness gives emphasis to the excellence of doctrine.

Let us all endeavor to adorn the gospel, by:

Strict integrity in business.

Constant courtesy of behavior.

Unselfish love to all around us.

Quick forgiveness of injuries.

Abundant patience under trials.

Holy calm and self-possession at all times.

Gems

Yes, and mark you, this is to be done not as the prerogative of a few grandly gifted spirits and on some occasion which may lift them proudly up to the gaze of the universe. As found in the text, it was of the power of the poor Cretan slaves the apostle was writing, of their power, too, not in some tremendous trial, as of torture or martyrdom, to which the cruelty of their masters sometimes subjected their faith, but of their power to do it "in all things": in the daily, lowly, degrading service of a menial; in the small things as well as the great; in the squalid stall and fold as well as in the splendor of the palace; absolutely, in "all things" to adorn the glorious gospel of God. O blessed bondsmen of Crete, going forth under the lash and the chain, yet with hearts of faith under their burdens and smiles of love amid their tears, doing work for God impossible to an angel! — Charles Wadsworth, D. D.

We have all heard the story of the girl who said she had been converted, for she now "swept under the mats." Koba, an Indian warrior, recently gave evidence of his conversion by saying, "I pray every day, and hoe onions. "An Indian could not give a much better evidence of his sincerity than that. Manual labor is not the chief joy or pride of an Indian warrior.

Fox says, "When people came to have experience of Friends' honesty and faithfulness and found that their yea was yea and their nay was nay; and that they kept to a word in their dealings, and that they could not cozen and cheat them; but that if they sent a child to their shops for anything, they were as well used as if they had come themselves, the lives and conversations of Friends did preach. All the inquiry was, Where was a draper, or shopkeeper, or tailor, or shoemaker, or any other tradesman that was a Quaker?"

A Brahmin wrote to a missionary, "We are finding you out. You are not as good as your Book. If your people were only as good as your Book, you would conquer India for Christ in five years."

Light conceits and flowers of rhetoric wrong the Word more than they can please the hearers. The weeds among the corn make it look gay, but it were all the better they were not amongst it. — Leighton

Titus 1: Exposition by C H Spurgeon

Titus 1:1-4 . Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior; to Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

While reading this chapter, we must understand that Titus was sent to Crete, to superintend the preaching of the gospel throughout that island. Crete was at that time inhabited by a people who were only partially civilized, and sunk in the very worst of vices. Paul, therefore, tells Titus to speak to them about things which would hardly be mentioned to Christians nowadays.

You have probably noticed that Paul’s benediction, when he is writing to a minister, is always. “ Grace, mercy, and peace. ” Writing to churches, his usual formula is, “ Grace be to you, and peace; ” but God’s servants, called to the work of the ministry, need very special “ mercy ”-as if the higher the office, the greater the liability to sin, and therefore, in his Pastoral Epistles, whether he is addressing Titus or Timothy, Paul wishes for his sons in the faith, “ Grace, mercy, and peace. ” Oh, what a mercy it will be for any of us ministers if, at the last, we are clear of the blood of all men! If, having been called to preach the gospel, we shall do it so faithfully as to be acquitted and even rewarded by our Lord and Master, it will he mercy upon mercy.

This “ charge ” of the beloved Pastor has even more force and pathos now that he has gone “ away ” to heaven.

Titus 1:5 , 6 . For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: if any be blameless, the husband of one wife,

For there were many converts there who had two or three wives. Whatever position they might be permitted to occupy in the church, they could not become officers, they must keep in the rear rank.

Titus 1:6-12 . One of themselves, even a prophet of their own,

According to Jerome, this was Epimenides, a prophet-poet, who lived in Crete in the sixth century before Christ.

Titus 1: 12 . Said, The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

They were a degraded people; and hence, those who would teach them had a most difficult task, and needed great grace. Paul exhorts Titus that only specially fit men, men whose example would have influence, and whose characters would have weight, should be allowed to be elders in such churches.

Titus 1:13-16 . This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

This was bad soil; but it had to be ploughed, and to be sown, and with an Almighty God at the back of the gospel plougher and sower, a fruitful harvest came even in Crete. We need not be afraid of the adaptation of the gospel to the lowest of the low. If there be any quarter of the town where the people are more sunken in vice than anywhere else, there the gospel is to be carried with more prayer and more faith than anywhere else. Depend upon it, God can bless his Word anywhere, among Cretans, or among any other sort of degraded people.

Titus 2: Exposition by C H Spurgeon

Titus 2:1 . But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine;

There are certain things which are suitable to go with sound doctrine; they are meet and fit and appropriate thereto.

Titus 2:2 . That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

Among the heathen, old men often gave themselves up to drunkenness and gluttony; so now, this is the teaching that is to be given to aged Christian men. They need faith, love, and patience, as well as the virtues of sobriety, gravity, and temperance. The infirmities of old age often create petulance, so the grace of God is to make the venerable Christian to be full of faith, love, and patience.

Titus 2:3 . The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

Old women also among the heathen were often addicted to the taking of much wine, so here they are cautioned against it by the Spirit of God.

They are also tempted to spread slanderous reports against people: having little to do in their old age, they are apt to do that little by way of mischief; so they are warned that they are not to be “ false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things. ” And how beautifully can an aged Christian woman, by her kindly example, be a teacher of good things! There is no more charming sight under heaven, I think, than that of an elderly Christian lady, whose words and whose whole life are such as becometh the gospel of Christ.

Titus 2: 4 , 5 . That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

There were some women who supposed that, the moment they became Christians, they were to run about everywhere. “ No, ” says the apostle, “ let them keep at home. ” There is no gain to the Christian Church when the love, and the industry, and the zeal, which ought to make a happy home, are squandered upon something else. The young women of Crete appear to have been such that they needed to be taught “ to love their husbands. ” That expression does not occur elsewhere in Scripture. Christian women do not need to be told to love their husbands; but these Cretans, just brought out of the slough of sin, had to be taught even this lesson. Oh, what a blessing is love in the marriage relationship, and what a gracious influence love has upon children! How are they to be brought up aright except the whole house be perfumed with love?

Titus 2: 6 . Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

That exhortation is as necessary in London as it was in Crete. Young men often know a great deal, or think they do; and they are very apt to be intoxicated with the idea of knowing so much, and being able to do so much, so that the exhortation to them is to “ be sober minded. ”

Titus 2:6 . Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

They are full of spirits, they are very sanguine, they are apt to be carried away with novelties; exhort them to have that which is thought to be a virtue of age, namely, sobriety. Let them be old when they are young that they may be young when they are old.

Titus 2:7 . In all things skewing thyself a pattern of good Works:

Titus was himself a young man; he must, therefore, be a pattern to young men; and as a pastor or evangelist he must be a pattern to all sorts of men.

Titus 2:7 , 8 . in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

It is a pity when truth suffers at the hand of its own advocate; and perhaps the very worst wounds that truth has received have been in the house of its friends. You must be careful, therefore, “ that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. ”

Titus 2:9 . Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters,

They were mostly slaves in those days. A sad condition of society was that in which service meant slavery; yet even slaves were “ to be obedient unto their own masters. ”

Titus 2: 9 , 10 . And to please them welt in all things; not answering again; not purloining,

Not practicing petty thefts, as, alas! some servants do even now,-

Titus 2: 9 , 10 . To be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; not purloining,

Not picking and stealing, which very naturally was the common habit of slaves; and who wonders at it in their wretched condition?

Titus 2:10 . But shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Is not that a wonderful passage? Here is a slave able to be an ornament to the gospel of Christ! This blessed gospel is not sent to kings and princes only; when Paul preached it, the great mass of the population were in cruel bondage, treated like dogs, or even worse; yet the gospel had a message even for them, it told them that they might, by a godly character, adorn the doctrine of God their Savior.

Titus 2:10 . But shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

The life of the Christian, even if he be a servant, is to be an ornament of Christianity. Christ does not look for the ornament of his religion to the riches or the talents of his followers, but to their holy lives “ that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. ”

Titus 2: 11 , 12 . For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Christians are not to run out of the world, as monks and hermits sought to do, but to live “ in this present world. ” Yet, while in the world, we are to be godly, that is, full of God. That kind of life which is without God is not for Christians. Those worldly desires, the pride and ambition, which are common to worldly men, are not to have power over us; we are to deny them, and to live soberly. This word relates not only to eating and drinking, but to the general sobriety of a man’s mind: “ Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. ”

Titus 2: 13 , 14 . Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

See what Christ died for, see what Christ lives for, see what we are to live for,-that we should not only be a people purified, but purified unto Himself. We are not only to have good works, but we are to be zealous of them; we are to burn with zeal for them, for zeal is a kind of fire, it is to burn and blaze in us until we warm and enlighten others also.

Titus 2: 15 . These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

As I have already reminded you, Titus was a young man; and people are apt to despise the pastoral office when it is held by a young man. Yet they ought always to respect it, whether it be held by a young man or an old man. God knows best who is most fitted for the work of the ministry: and those of us who are getting old must never look with any kind of scorn or contempt upon those who are commencing their service, for we, too, were young once. You cannot measure a man’s grace by the length of his beard, nor by the number of his years.

Titus 3: Exposition by C H Spurgeon

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.

Gentleness was not reckoned a virtue among the Greeks; I do not suppose that the people in Crete had ever heard of it before Paul wrote this Epistle to Titus. Among the Romans and the Greeks, it seemed to be a virtue to stand up for your own, to be like a gamecock, who is always ready to fight, and will never miss a chance of fighting; but this Christian virtue of gentleness is a most amiable one, and greatly adorns the doctrine of Christ. The world has run away with this word gentle, and now calls many a person a gentleman who has no right to the name. I wish that every gentleman were indeed a gentleman. It is very significant that Moses, the type of the Lord Jesus under the law, was the meekest of men; should not Christians therefore excel in gentleness under this milder dispensation?

Titus 3:1 . Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.

You see, they were a rough, wild, rebellious people in Crete, and Christianity comes to civilize, to sober, to sanctify, to save.

Titus 3:2 . To speak evil of no man

Oh, how necessary is this exhortation even to this day!

Titus 3:2 . To be no brawler, but gentle, shewing all meekness, unto all men.

Meekness and gentleness are two of the ornaments of our faith. I would that some professed Christians would understand that unholy contentiousness is not after the mind of Christ, it is not according to that gracious command, “ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ” No, the Christian must be willing to suffer wrongfully, and to bear it in patience; he is never to be one who renders evil for evil, or railing for railing.

Titus 3:3 . For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish,

Well, then, if other people are foolish, we ought to bear with them.

Titus 3:3 . Disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

That is what we were once; and if the grace of God has made a change in us, we must not boast, we must not censure others, we must not set up as self-righteous judges of others. Oh, no! our action must be the very reverse of all this.

Titus 3:3 , 4 . For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, a d hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

“ The philanthropy of God ” would be a good translation, or rather, a sort of borrowing from the Greek itself. “ After we had seen the philanthropy of God, ”-

Titus 3:4-7 . But after that the kindness and love of God o r Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, a d renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a very practical Epistle. See how closely Paul keeps to the doctrines of grace. He is never like Mr. Legality, he never teaches that we are to be saved by works; but, being saved by the grace of God alone, and being made heirs according to the hope of eternal life, we are then, out of gratitude to God, to abound in everything that is good, and holy, and kind, and after the mind of Christ.

Titus 3: 5-8 . 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 Savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying,

It would be worth while for you to turn to the other places in which this expression, “ This is a faithful saying, ” occurs.

Titus 3: 8 , 9 . This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions,

There are always plenty of thorn about, and there are certain professors who spend half their lives in fighting about nothing at all. There is no more in their contention than the difference between Tweedledum and Tweedledee; but they will divide a church over it, they will go through the world as if they had found out a great secret,-it really is not of any consequence whatever,-but having made the discovery, they judge everybody by their new-found fad, and so spread a spirit that is contrary to the Spirit of Christ.

Titus 3: 8 . And these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

They are saved by faith; let them be careful to maintain good works. “ These things are good and profitable unto men, ” that is, to those who practice and observe them.

Titus 3: 9 . But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

There are hundreds of questions, which are thought by some people to be very important, but which have no practical bearing whatever, either upon the glory of God, or upon the holiness of man. We are not to go into these matters; let those who have time to waste take up these questions; as for us, we have not time enough for things that are unprofitable and vain.

Titus 3: 9 , 10 . And genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

A man that is an heretic-One who really turns aside from the truth, and sets up something contrary to the Word of God; what is to be done with him? “ Burn him, ” says the Church of Rome. “ Fine him, put him in prison, ” say other churches; but the inspired apostle says only this,-

Titus 3: 10 . After the first and second admonition reject;

Just exclude him from the church that is all. Leave him his utmost liberty to go where he likes, believe what he likes, and do what he likes; but, at the same time, you as Christian people must disown him, that is all you ought to do, except to pray and labor for his restoration.

Titus 3: 10 , 11 . A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

When it comes to unbelief of fundamental and vital doctrines, we who are like Titus, set in office over a church, must deal with such deadly evils with a strong hand.

Titus 3: 11-14 .

How the apostle comes back to that point! Let all our people, our friends, our brethren, our kinsfolk, “ let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. ”

Titus 3: 12 , 13 . When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.

Paul had already told Titus to bid the saints in Crete to abound in good works; now he is commanded to take care of certain travelling Christians, and to speed them on their way. It was the custom in olden times, when travelling was very different from what it is now, when the Christians passed from one town to another, to find out the church, and to be entertained and speeded on their journey by their fellow-believers. Thus they kept up a practical fellowship of love to all the saints.

Titus 3:14 , 15 . And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

May that final benediction drop like the dew upon this whole company! “ Grace be with you all. Amen. ”

THESE seem to have been the two guiding stars of the apostle's life--faith and knowledge. Some are afraid of the conjunction. The men of faith are afraid of science, and the men of science often despise faith. But they are not antagonistic.

Faith.--The faith that inspires all elect souls is one and the same. In some there may be more, in others less; but its attitude toward God and its phases of experience, trial, and triumph, are the same in all who believe. In addition to this, the general facts and truths on which our faith lays hold, and from which it extracts its nourishment, are the same: and it is a comfort to know that these have been passed on from age to age from the earliest days, and that we are called to believe in them, and hold them fast.

Knowledge of the Truth.--We need not fear or shun knowledge, which is simply the exploring and discovery of the ways and thoughts of God. "Let knowledge grow from more to more." Only let her always concern herself with the great facts and methods of God's universe, rather than with human speculation and fancy. There is a distinction between knowledge and wisdom. The one may be only intellectual; the other is always moral. Those who pretend to know are not always wise; but the wise always know.

Godliness.--True knowledge will make you godly, reverent, devout; filling you with the Spirit of God within, and with likeness to God without. It is only as you are godly, that you will really be wise and know things that are hidden from the wise and prudent. True knowledge leads to godliness, and godliness back to knowledge.

 Titus 1:5-9 (See also devotionals below)
Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless. - Titus 1:7

TODAY IN THE WORD
The Gift of the Stranger: Faith, Hospitality, and Foreign Language Learning, by David Smith and Barbara Carvill, proposes hospitality as the foundation for our “encounters with strangers,” that is, for cross-cultural relationships. We should view a short-term missions trip, for instance, as an opportunity to receive hospitality, and getting to know an immigrant neighbor as a chance to offer hospitality. Biblical hospitality includes a pattern of showing humility and respect when interacting with others, and Smith and Carvill apply this pattern to foreign language learning in ways that should encourage and convict both students and teachers.
The virtue of hospitality doesn't get much attention today, yet it is in the list of qualifications for eldership. Neither this list nor the one we'll study tomorrow are exhaustive or definitive. Both were written to pastors at relatively new churches— Titus in Crete and Timothy in Ephesus—so they could organize the local congregations and develop godly leadership teams.

One interesting principle that emerges is that marriage, parenting, and home life are seen as proving grounds for church leadership (v. 6). Elders must be faithful and monogamous (if married), not engaging in any form of sexual immorality. They must have obedient, believing children whose characters have been shaped by their parents' godly training and discipline. And they must practice hospitality, which literally means “loving strangers” (cf. Lev. 19:34). Those who do so might even entertain angels unaware (Heb. 13:2).

Another key principle is the importance of character. Most of the other attributes on this list, whether stated positively or negatively, have to do with moral actions and habits (vv. 7-8). This is instructive, given our culture's emphasis on abilities and achievements. Elders should be upright and self-controlled, not proud, angry, hurtful, dishonest, greedy, or self-pleasing. Spiritually speaking, their faith should be strong and they should be able to teach and defend sound doctrine (v. 9).

APPLY THE WORD
Are you aware of the leadership policies and procedures at your church or in your denomination? If not, try to find out how leaders are chosen. Who is eligible? Is there any kind of leadership development program? How are leaders held accountable or disciplined when necessary? What authority, responsibilities, and privileges do leaders have? What is the history of the leadership structure currently in place? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Finally, commit to pray for the leaders in your church, and for their families.

Titus 1:5-9
The Lord detests men of perverse heart but he delights in those whose ways are blameless. - Proverbs 11:20
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the early months of the year 1999, the world watched as the U.S. Senate deliberated the fate of former President Bill Clinton. Although the impeachment charges against the President were controversial, the real question had to do with whether character had anything to do with national leadership. No doubt the discussion of character will continue to be raised in future political campaigns, but the matter should be settled once and for all when it comes to the leadership of the church. God’s Word is very clear that those who provide spiritual direction in our congregations are to be people of excellent character.

You will recall from our study on Friday that the character trait of “goodness” refers first of all to thinking about things that are excellent, especially as it relates to people. Then we learned that those “most excellent things” that we ponder in our minds are to be put into practice (Phil. 4:8-9). Although the word translated as “goodness” in 2 Peter 1:5 is not found in our reading for today, it seems obvious that Paul wanted Titus to be on the lookout for individuals whose lives demonstrated excellence. They were to display this pursuit of excellence in their family life, their interpersonal relationships, and their emotional stability.

One might ask why Paul didn’t just ask Titus to find good managers or successful businessmen to help operate the church in Crete. But the text is clear that “goodness” must characterize church leadership, especially those who are elders, for two reasons. First, goodness (or in this case “blamelessness,” v. 6) should be the pursuit of a leader because such individuals have been entrusted with the Word of God (v. 7). If they haven’t shortchanged people and possessions in other areas of life, there is a great possibility that they will not distort what God is saying in His Word.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Maybe you are not a church leader right now, but you might be one day. Take an inventory of your present situation. Are you pursuing excellence in your family life? If not, try to determine why that is not a pursuit right now. At the same time, are you pursuing excellence in your relationships with people in your church? If not, why not?

Titus 1:5-9
Encourage others by sound doctrine. - Titus 1:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
A recent survey published by Training Journal revealed a dwindling trust in leaders after surveying approximately 300 employees. Leaders destroyed trust by 1) being out of touch with what is happening with employees, and 2) by saying one thing and doing another. One employer said, “Trust is crucial in the workplace . . . Leaders need to focus on what they do, only then will they truly win the hearts and minds of their people.”

Paul’s letter to Titus quickly turns to the organizational structure left behind to manage these fledgling churches. Paul reminds Titus that he must “appoint elders in every town” (v. 5). Leadership, good leadership, would be crucial to the successful growth of the church. And these leaders must be carefully selected. They must reflect the God whom they are called to serve. Bad leadership would harm the church and its followers.

The verses outline the qualities these leaders should have, and the words chosen paint a portrait of the highly selective qualifications: “blameless, hospitable, holy, and disciplined.” There are also specific guidelines on what a good church leader should not be: “quick-tempered, violent, dishonest, or over-bearing” (vv. 6-8).

It is clear that a negative leader will cast a dark shadow on the truth of God’s Word. As noted in other epistles of Paul (1 Tim. 1:6), false leaders would creep up and threaten to destroy the young church. “Command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer” (1 Tim. 1:3). These false prophets would mislead others, twist truth, and cause others to fall away. Paul’s warning throughout his epistles is strong and without subtlety. Good leaders were (and are) vital!

As the survey about leadership reminds us, a leader’s life and actions must be consistent with his words. We cannot say one thing and do something else. Our lives, once taken captive by God, must now be fully in His control. A good leader will also know Scripture and doctrine, holding firmly to truth and encouraging others to be grounded in God’s Word (v. 9).

APPLY THE WORD
While the list of godly qualities in today’s passage applies to specific leadership roles, it is good to take a quick personal inventory of the characteristics that Paul identifies. How does our own life match up with this list? Would people identify us with the positive or the negative characteristics listed here? Is our life a good witness for Christ? Or, are our personal negative traits threatening to overshadow the message of God’s love?

Before you follow a leader,
Check his beliefs, and pray;
Be sure he's following Jesus,
And that he knows the way. --Hess

The only leader worth following
is the leader who is following Christ

A British ambassador was reporting to Queen Elizabeth II about a head of state he had been having difficulty with. The ambassador tried to approach the subject delicately, using large words and complicated language. However, the more he spoke, the less clear he became. Finally, the exasperated queen interrupted and said, “Are you trying to tell me that the man is just bonkers?”

Paul was just as blunt in his assessment of the false teachers that Titus had to refute. Quoting the philosopher Epimenides, Paul declared, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” Epimenides was a religious teacher who lived in the sixth century B.C. Aristotle and Cicero referred to him as a “prophet.” Paul quotes him because Epimenides was from Crete and because of his strong criticism of his own people. Although his assessment was harsh, his opinion was widely shared. So much so, in fact, that in Greek culture, to call someone a “Cretan” was synonymous with calling that person a liar.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY - When are “sharp words” warranted in dealing with another believer? Paul’s directive to Titus provides a helpful checklist that can be used when we are considering a possible rebuke. First, how serious is the offense? These false teachers required a sharp rebuke because of the nature and impact of their teaching. Others were being seriously damaged by their false doctrine. Second, what is our motive? Is the goal redemptive? Do we want to sound off, or do we want them to be sound in the faith? (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Titus 1:15-16 (See devotional below)
To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. - Titus 1:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
The British poet Lord Byron was invited to the home of Samuel Rogers for a dinner party. During the meal he was asked if he would like some soup. “No,” he replied, “I never have soup.” “Would you like some fish?” the host asked. “No,” the poet ans-wered, “I never eat fish.” Next the host offered Byron some mutton. Again, his guest dec-lined, saying that he never ate mutton either. “Would you take a glass of wine then?” the host asked. “No” Byron answered. “I never drink wine.” Finally his exasperated host asked, “What exactly do you eat and drink?” “Nothing but hard biscuits and soda water,” Byron replied. Having neither, Rogers served Lord Byron potatoes in vinegar. Later he asked a friend of the poet, “How long will Lord Byron persevere in his present diet?” “Just as long as you continue to notice it,” was the answer.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
True righteousness is the result of faith in Christ’s finished work and is reflected in one’s character. However, when we think of people who are “detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good,” we hardly think of those who are religious. We associate these terms with murderers, thieves, and immoral people. Yet in God’s eyes, those who trust in their own efforts for righteousness are as condemned as notorious sinners. Praise God today for giving true righteousness to all those who trusted Him in Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:1-10 (see also devotionals below)

In everything set them as an example by doing what is good. - Titus 2:7

TODAY IN THE WORD In May 2011, the United Kingdom celebrated a royal wedding. Prince William and his bride Catherine Middleton wed amidst pomp and circumstance that reminded many of William’s parents. In 1981, the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana drew unprecedented publicity. Viewers watched a “fairy tale” marriage that began with a horse-drawn carriage. Unfortunately, the union ended with allegations of cheating, depression, divorce, and a tragic death. The “fairy tale” crumbled before our eyes.
In today’s passage, Paul turns the spotlight from the church to shine on the home. How is the quality of a believer’s faith reflected in relationships? How should belief in Christ affect our daily lives and those with whom we live and whom we love?

Paul examines each member of the household, outlining individual duties and responsibilities. To older men, he encourages them to be “worthy of respect” and to exhibit “self control,” among other qualities (v. 2). Older women are to live reverently and teach good (v. 3). Notice how both are called to consider others more important than themselves. Older men and women are called to live exemplary lives for younger people to follow.

The letter next encourages a pattern of discipleship for older adults to teach the things they have learned. “In everything set them an example by doing what is good” (v. 7). Whenever you teach, Paul notes, be mindful of the example you are setting so that nothing you do can discredit your message. For old and young, he encourages believers to live lives so that opponents have no opportunity to make credible charges of wrongdoing (v. 8).

We should not assume that the mention of slaves in verse 9 provides any justification for slavery, even granting that slavery in the first century often looked different from chattel slavery or contemporary labor bondage. But the text here reminds us that no matter our situation, we can still have the dignity of bringing glory to God. We can still extend honesty and respect to others.

Why must we subject ourselves to others? Why should we treat others with respect? This seems counter-cultural in a “me-first” generation. Yet, Paul firmly reminds believers that our lives are a direct reflection upon God and His Word. Our lives are to be held captive by Him. We must live exemplary lives so that “in every way [we] will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (v. 10).

APPLY THE WORD
Today, take a moment to pray for those who live in the closest relationship to you: your spouse, your children, or your siblings. You can also pray for a parent, a boss, or a neighbor. Ask God to strengthen these key personal relationships. Ask Him to help you hold your tongue when necessary, and to honor your loved ones with the respect they deserve. Ask God to guide and strengthen you to make your relationships a positive, selfless reflection on His name.

Titus 2:1-8
You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. - Titus 2:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
William Tyndale learned the doctrine of justification by faith by reading Erasmus's Greek edition of the New Testament. Though denied permission to translate, it then became his lifelong passion to make the New Testament available in his native language of English. He completed his translation in Europe and had it smuggled into England, where it faced fierce opposition from the government and established church. Living in Antwerp, Belgium, he began translating the Old Testament as well, but in 1535 was betrayed into the hands of the law. Condemned as a heretic, he was strangled and burned at the stake.

Tyndale paid the ultimate price for his devotion to God and His Word. As we've read, obedience is an essential response to the Bible. The complementary truth is that our obedient actions verify and exalt the truth and power of Scripture.

Paul wanted sound doctrine taught (v. 1), but interestingly he elaborated on this idea not in terms of propositions but rather virtues. While there's no reason to think the virtues are exclusive, he presented them in categories appropriate to specific groups—older men (v. 2), older women (v. 3), younger women (vv. 4-5), and younger men (vv. 6-8). Addressing specific audiences is not meant to divide but to unite. The older women should teach the younger women, for example, and Titus should be a model for the younger men.

Verse 5 is our key: “so that no one will malign the word of God.” When younger women live godly lives as described here, this promotes the gospel; otherwise, godless actions speak louder than any words. The virtues listed include love, self-control, purity, kindness and submission. Similarly, Titus is to live righteously so that outsiders will have “nothing bad to say about us” (v. 8; cf. 1 Tim. 3:7). This principle applies across the board, that is, when we live to please God, He uses our obedience to bring honor to His Word and glory to Himself (v. 10).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In which season of life described by Paul are you? “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1).

Take another look at the verses in this passage written specifically about you. How would you apply them to yourself? Pray over them, asking God the same question. As He leads you into what steps you should take, tell someone to whom you'll be accountable, and go do it!

Titus 2:1-10
Surprise and Astonish Them

MARK Twain took delight in exposing the follies of human behavior. He once said,

"Always do right. This will grat­ify some people and astonish the rest."

People are often surprised when someone does what is right. That's why it made national news a few years ago when a high school basketball coach turned in his state championship team after discovering that he had unknowingly used an ineligible player. He and his team had achieved the dream of every coach and every prep athlete—one that carries with it a lifetime of cherished memories. But they gave it all back—the trophy, the glory, the pride. They gave it back so they could keep something more important—their integrity.

Doing what's right is not a new idea. David realized what it took to walk in integrity. He knew that to do right he would have to avoid hypocrisy and dishonesty. Integrity was worth more than anything he could gain by sacrificing it.

Doing right has a price tag. It may cost money if we refuse to cheat; it may cost time if we refuse to cut corners; it may cost plea-sure if we refuse to compromise a moral standard; it may cost rela­tionships if we refuse to support unethical behavior.

But none of these is worth more than integrity.—J D Brannon

Titus 2:1-10
TODAY IN THE WORD

As you read the last two days' studies on the qualifications of church leaders, the thought may have occurred to you, ""That's wonderful. But what about the rest of us?""

These few important verses of Scripture answer that question admirably. But Paul's instructions to the church through Titus are more than a series of good ideas. As you read these directives in light of the personal, family, and society-wide meltdown happening in American life today, you'll realize the divine wisdom built into the church.

The Bible's admonishments to older men should sound familiar. These personal and spiritual qualifications are many of the same qualities required of elders. While the elders are charged with specific leadership responsibilities in the church, all of the older men in Christ's body need to be examples of godly maturity.

Older women have an incredible mentoring and teaching role to fulfill toward the younger women in the congregation. The New Testament consistently highlights the home as the incubator for the church--a church in miniature, as a matter of fact. The pivotal place of a wife and mother is obvious here, but God knows that being a good spouse and parent doesn't happen automatically. Someone needs to show the way.

Young men are told to be self-controlled, a command that covers an awful lot of territory. Titus himself probably fit in that category in the church on Crete, so young men can read in Paul's words to Titus a spiritual challenge to themselves.

The last group to be addressed is workers with the hardest ""job description"" ever: slaves who were obligated to serve their masters. Even in this situation, a Christian slave was to show good faith and integrity.

Notice how often Paul refers to our testimonies as the reason for being faithful in our actions. No one should be able to ""malign the Word of God"" because of what we do (v. 5). Our behavior should be so blameless that even our opponents can't make any charge against us stick (v. 8). And workers can make the gospel ""attractive"" by their faithful service (v. 10).

In other words, there is much at stake spiritually in the way we live. The world is still watching.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY - The days when our culture reflected Christian values and moral standards have gone the way of black-and-white television.

The guidelines for Christian behavior in Titus 2 are not only missing in the culture at large; they are absolutely counterculture today. But then, God has called His people to avoid being conformed to the world. Romans 12:2 addresses this issue of a counterculture commitment. Read this powerful verse as your prayer to the Lord today. 

In his book entitled The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis tells the story of an old woman who met an enemy on her way out of church. When her opponent began to speak ill of her and to abuse her verbally, the old woman replied, “Isn’t it a shame for ye to be talking to me like that, ye coward, and me in a state of Grace the way I can’t answer ye? But you wait, I won’t be in a state of Grace long!”

Somerset Maugham, the British author, once wrote that the only thing that makes life tolerable in this world is the beauty that men create out of chaos. In “The Painted Veil,” he said that things like painting, music, and literature make it possible to regard the world we live in without disgust. “Of all these,” he declared, “the richest in beauty is a life well lived. That is the perfect work of art.” In Titus 2:7–8, the apostle Paul expresses a similar sentiment. Only in this case, he says that a life well lived is the best defense of the Christian faith.

Titus 2:7-8 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

Pastor Raymond Biddle shared the following experience with me in a letter. He wrote, "Our church has a good, clear-ringing bell. But yesterday we were ashamed of it. The first dull sound sent me looking for the bell ringer, who soon found out what was wrong. Nearly an inch of snow and sleet had blown on it during a night storm, and it was thoroughly encased in ice. What a poor call to worship it gave! Then the Lord impressed on me the thought that Christians often become sheathed in the sound-deadening things of the world. As a result, their witness becomes `ice-encased'.

The devil rejoices when Christians are drawn away from the Lord and their testimony is dulled by an accumulation of worldly attitudes and actions. Some of the "ices" that encase believers are price, jealously, materialism, hatred, lying, gossip, envy, and all the other sins that characterize our old nature. The best way to keep from becoming "iced up" is to keep "fired up." This is accomplished through prayer, the study of God's Word, and regular fellowship with other believers.

Do you need a good spiritual "thaw"? Let your testimony sound forth loud and clear! Richard W. De Haan  (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

It is not always words galore
Nor brilliancy of speech
That opens wide the gospel door
Within the sinner's reach. --Rotz

A Christian is a living sermon.

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Titus 2:7
A Good Teacher

While a student at Bryan College, I came to know Bible teacher Irving Jensen. He was well-known for his course on Bible-study methods, and he has published dozens of books and magazine articles on the subject. He believed deeply in what he taught and was a very effective and influential teacher.

Jensen was so effective because he lived what he taught. His speech was sometimes hesitant, and he didn't use flashy classroom techniques, but he loved his students and taught us to love the Word of God by the way he lived and what he taught. He lived out the words of Titus 2:7-8, "In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you."

We are to back up what we say about Christ with a lifestyle that is above reproach and cannot be condemned by our enemies. Our lives are to be so exemplary that people around us are attracted to the truth about Christ (v.10).

Our words and our way of living should exemplify the message of Christ. By words and by deeds—that's how to be a good teacher. — David C. Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

How easy it is to use many words
And give little thought to the things you say!
So, willingly yield your lips to the Lord
And hearts will be blest by them every day.-- Dennis J. De Haan

If your mind goes blank
don't forget to turn off the sound.

Titus 2:9-10 (See also devotional below)
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters . . . so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. - Titus 2:9–10
TODAY IN THE WORD
Clement of Alexandria was a church leader who lived during the last half of the second century and the early part of the third century. In his book on the ethical life of the Christian, entitled The Teacher, Clement notes that many of the unbelieving women of his day, belonging to nobility, wore gold jewelry because they were afraid that without such ornaments they might be mistaken for slaves. Clement ob-served that the Christian, on the other hand, understands that true nobility is found in the beauty and substance of the soul. “For us,” he explains, “what corresponds to freedom is not a mere semblance, but a being free because God, who even accepted us to be His children, is our educator. Therefore, we must attain the highest degree of freedom in the way we bear ourselves at rest or in motion, in the way we walk and dress: in a word, in every part of life.”

This is also what Paul means when he urges Titus to tell slaves to live their lives in a way that will “make the teaching about God our savior attractive.” Their response to the daily challenge of submission and service offered believing slaves an opportunity to use their lives to “adorn” the message of gospel. Paul provides concrete instructions for doing this. Slaves were to submit to their masters, not in a grudging spirit but in a genuine effort to please them. They were also to show respect to their masters by refusing to talk back to them. They were to show their trustworthiness by refusing to steal from their masters. None of these commands was contingent upon the character of the master. Paul was not condoning slavery in saying this. Elsewhere he urges slaves, if they are able, to obtain their freedom and those who are free not to become the slaves of men (1 Cor. 7:21–23).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Use the categories in today’s passage to evaluate your own performance on the job. What kind of attitude do you have toward your employer? Does your work reflect an attitude of respect? How do you speak to those in authority over you? What about the quality of the work you perform? Does it reflect the kind of integrity that would attract someone to the gospel? Choose one area that might need improvement and plan to work in a way that will “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.”

Evil forces have entered the gates and are tearing down the values Christians embrace as true and good. Many thoughtful people believe that we are witnessing the moral collapse of Western civilization, and they are afraid.

2. "Jesus is coming."

Christians have lived for 20 centuries with the hope that they will witness the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The darker the night, the brighter shines that hope. The barbarians may have won a battle, but they will not win the war.

3. "The church doesn't know whether it is coming or going."

Many of those who claim to know God deny Him by their words and actions. A great number of Christians believe that the hands on the clock of history are nearing the midnight hour, but they don't know just how close. Whether our Lord comes today or in a thousand years, Christians must say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present evil age (Titus 2:11).

Let's get our eyes off the barbarians, keep looking for the coming of our Lord, and live for Him today.-- Haddon W. Robinson  (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Faithful and true would He find us here
If He should come today?
Watching in gladness and not in fear,
If He should come today?-- Morris

What we believe about the world to come
shapes how we live in the world today.

Titus 2:11-15
While we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. - Titus 2:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the Peanuts episode, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” Linus is convinced that the Great Pumpkin will appear on the night before Halloween. He convinces Sally to join him for an all-night vigil, but the Great Pumpkin fails to appear. Charlie Brown consoles him: “Don’t take it too hard, Linus. I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life, too.” Linus retorts, “What do you mean ‘stupid’ Just wait till next year, Charlie Brown. You’ll see!” Linus was convinced that his patience would bring great reward.
For believers in Paul’s era, the knowledge of Jesus Christ’s appearance on earth and the promise of the Lord’s return was motivation to change their worldly behavior. This was not imagination or childish fantasy. The Lord had promised to return—and that changed everything.

“The grace of God . . . that offers salvation” (v. 11) refers to Christ’s appearance, death, and resurrection. Many had been firsthand witnesses to this event. It had radically changed the lives of the Apostles and teachers of the church. The incarnation of Christ instructs believers how to live godly lives.

Living with a focus on Christ’s Second Coming will cause believers to adjust earthly priorities. Followers of Christ will be less focused on immediate rewards and more focused on eternal gain. We will be less consumed by “worldly passions” and temporary pleasures (v. 12). We will exhibit self control and avoid wickedness.

Temporal and eternal priorities are contrasted here. What may seem important now becomes temporal in light of His return. As one hymn writer wrote, “Only one life / t’will soon be past. / Only what’s done for Christ will last.” As believers, we are to be not only grudgingly obedient to Christ’s commands, but also “eager to do what is good” (v. 14). The word “eager” suggests a high level of motivation, a willing attitude.

Believers should live mindful that the return of our Savior is imminent. He could appear at any moment, and we must be ready.

APPLY THE WORD
Each year, many people set goals. Some people have lifelong dreams and aspirations. What are you waiting for? What motivates you on a daily basis? While earthly goals are often worthy, our eternal mindset should be our primary motivation for our moment-by-moment choices. Ask yourself: will this count in light of eternity? The great message of our reading today is that Jesus’ return matters for our lives today—it inspires our joy, obedience, hope, and testimony.

Titus 2:11-12 (See also devotional below)
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. - Titus 2:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
John Newton wrote what may arguably be the most famous hymn ever penned. The opening words of “Amazing Grace” are known and loved by Christians and non-Christians alike:
Amazing grace! how
sweet the sound–
That saved a wretch
like me!
I once was lost but now
am found,
Was blind but now
I see.
In this hymn, Newton attributed his salvation and his spiritual growth to the grace of God. What’s more, Newton ultimately pinned his hope of enjoying God’s presence for eternity on the grace that he had received at salvation. For Newton, God’s grace brought salvation and was the key that unlocked all the blessings of the Christian life.

The apostle Paul also considered the grace of God to be the key to transformation in the Christian life. According to Titus 2:11–12, grace is the root of the salvation experience, the grace of God that “brings salvation.”

When Paul says that this grace has “appeared to all men,” it is likely that he is thinking of Jesus Christ as the embodiment of God’s grace. The Greek term that is translated “appeared” in this verse is the word that is the root for the term “epiphany.” In some Christian traditions, epiphany Sunday was the date on the Christian calendar when the church celebrated the Magi’s presentation to the newborn Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
You probably already know the first verse of “Amazing Grace” by heart. Memorize the rest of the verses and meditate upon them with Titus 2:11–12 in mind. As you do, consider how far-reaching the effects of God’s grace have been in your life. Spend some time with your family or friends sharing about God’s grace in your life. You may even want to sing Newton’s hymn, or some other worship song, as a way of expressing your gratitude to God for His grace.

Does the following anonymous poem describe how you feel?

My soul is like a barnyard duck
Muddling in the barnyard muck,
Fat and lazy with useless wings;
But sometimes, when the northwind sings
And wild ducks fly overhead,
It ponders something lost and dead,
Then cocks a wary, bewildered eye
And makes a feeble attempt to fly.
It's quite content with the state it's in,
But it's not the duck it might have been.

Are you haunted by the fear that you'll never be what God meant you to be? That you're preoccupied  with the trinkets of this passing world? Are you "living in the barnyard" when you could be soaring?

Do you really want to fly? Do you long to soar above the pettiness and insignificance of the barnyard muck?

You can! Put aside the sin and worldly weights that are holding you down (Heb. 12:1) and get  busy with the tasks the Lord has for you. Only  in Christ do we find the fulfillment He longs for  each of us to enjoy.

Remember that Jesus came to set you free and let you soar as you look for His coming (Titus 2:11-13). Isn't it time you got out of the mud and did some
flying? -- Haddon W. Robinson   (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

In this world but never of it,
Help me, Lord, to live this day
Free from all that would entangle,
Of the dazzle and array. -- Graves

If your Christian life is a drag,
worldly weights are probably to blame.

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Titus 2:12
Think!
READ: Titus 2:1-15
We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. --Titus 2:12

Immediately following a soccer game in Athens, Greece, years ago, 21 people died and more than 50 were injured. The tragedy occurred when a wildly excited crowd responded to the victory of their team by blindly rushing out of the stadium. What they didn't realize was that a gate at the bottom of one of the 20 staircases was locked. As the mob reached the gate, many people were trampled by the shoving masses behind them. The fans were celebrating so loudly that they couldn't hear the screams of those who had fallen down.

This kind of mindless activity does not happen just at soccer games. In a subtle and even more tragic way it goes on around us every day. We may not be shouting or blindly running in a crowd, yet we go along, oblivious to the fact that people are dying and entering eternity without Christ. Often we become so absorbed in our own affairs that we fail to hear the sounds of those up ahead who are nearing the end of their lives. In a sense, our lack of love and concern is contributing to their plight.

If we've become complacent, let's think carefully about the words of Paul in Titus 2. He called for good judgment and clear-headed living, without which we'll never hear the cries for help above the noise of the crowd. — Mart De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

From the human standpoint, there is no solution for the problems of the world. Leaders seem to be completely frustrated in trying to deal with the unrest and increasing violence in society. The only complete and permanent solution is found in the return of Christ. When He comes, He will set up His kingdom. He will rule the nations in righteousness, and "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14).

As we await our Savior's return, let us keep on praying, working, and watching, while "looking for the blessed hope" - our only hope for this world. Richard W. De Haan  (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

And for the hope of His return,
Dear Lord, Your name we praise;
With longing hearts we watch and wait
For that great day of days!- Sherwood

As this world grows darker,
the promised return of the Son grows brighter.

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Titus 2:13b
Are You Looking Up?
READ: Titus 2:1-15

Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of . . . Jesus Christ. --Titus 2:13

Are you so eager for Christ's return that you hope it will take place today? I wouldn't be honest if I answered an unqualified yes to this question. You see, I'm enjoying life right now. I love what I'm doing. My wife and I are having fun watching our grandsons grow toward manhood. There are still people and places we would like to visit during our retirement years.

Does this mean that I'm not "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing" of Jesus Christ? (Ti. 2:13). No, it doesn't. I believe that His return is indeed "the blessed hope." Earthly pleasures are only temporary and cannot compare with the joys of heaven. Besides, I am troubled by the sin, sorrow, and suffering all around me.

All Christians are thankful for Jesus' promise, "I will come again and receive you to Myself" (Jn. 14:3). But our own circumstances affect how eagerly we anticipate His return. Whether life for us today is a joy or a struggle, we are to deny "ungodliness and worldly lusts" and to "live soberly, righteously, and godly" (Ti. 2:12).

God wants us to enjoy life. But He also wants us to live each day as if it may be the one in which He will return. Are you looking up? — Herbert Vander Lugt (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

"'Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works.--Titus 2:13-14.

THE two words unto Himself, which may, indeed, epitomise a human life, are closely associated with the words, a peculiar people, which, in the Revised Version, are translated, a people for His own possession. Love longs for proprietor. ship, and the whole object of our Saviour's work for us is to secure the right to call us His own.

"Lives there a man with heart so dead,
That never to himself has said,
This is my own?"

Just because the heart of Jesus Christ is so vitally alive, He wants to be able to say, That is My own--"To purify unto Himself a people for His own possession." Oh, that from to-day, and onward, there might be written upon memory, thought, affections, body, time, business, property, and leisure moments the inscription, Unto Himself!

This expression is deeply rooted in the Bible. It reminds us of a mighty range of mountains, whose rugged ramifications extend for miles of broken country. The thought indeed permeates the Scriptures, and we will refer to a few of the passages, in order to fasten it as a motto on our hearts.

The first trace of God's longing for a people is in Exodus 15:16, in the song of Moses on the shores of the Red Sea--"Terror and dread falleth upon them; . . . till the people pass over which Thou hast purchased." As though God Almighty had gone in to the market-place of the world, and out of all the nations had purchased Israel to be His own.

Exodus 19:4-5. Here God speaks from Sinai, beneath which the hosts had just encamped--"Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Myself. Now, therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me from among all peoples: for all the earth is Mine: and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation."

Exodus 22:31, "Ye shall be holy men unto Me; therefore ye shall not eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs." The thought that they belonged to God must be prevalent even in their meals; whether they ate or drank, or whatever they did they were to do it remembering that they were His--"holy men unto Me."

Deut. 7:6-7. This is the most significant passage--"Thou art an holy people, unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon you because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples: but because the Lord loved you,"--the Revised Version gives the reading, "Because the Lord loveth you,"--"and because He would keep the oath which He sware unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God."

Deut. 14:1-2. "Ye are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people"--that is, a people for His own possession --"unto Himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth."

Deut. 26:18. "The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be a peculiar people unto Himself."

Deut. 32:9., "The Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance."

Amos 3:2. A most significant passage! "You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities"--showing that directly people come into close fellowship with God they expose themselves to very searching chastisement if they turn right or left.

Then there comes a great chasm, and we no more find God speaking of the Hebrew people as His own. They had backslidden, and He had cast them away. Yet God must have a people, for reasons we shall see presently.

In that wonderful chapter, Ephesians 3., God takes out of the midst of the Gentile His Church, which is born out of the grave of Christ. As our blessed Lord, the second Adam, sleeps, the Eve of His Church is, so to speak, taken from His wounded side; and the Church, as St. Paul tells us, composed of Jew and Gentile, but largely of Gentile, takes the place, during the present era, which was formerly occupied by the Jewish people; they are fellow-heirs and fellow-partakers of the ancient promises of God. This gives us the right, as members of the true Church of God, to appropriate to ourselves what was originally addressed to the Hebrew race in the Old Testament. Ephesians 3. is therefore the necessary link between what we have been considering and what is to come.

Eph. 1:18. Having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know"--three things:

(1) What is the hope of His calling:--that you are called to be a holy people unto God, and to occupy to-day the position the Jews were meant to occupy, but failed.

(2) "What the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints"--we have been redeemed to be God's inheritance, His possession, His glebe land, out of which He may rear crops for His glory.

(3) "What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe"--carrying us upon eagles' wings, and bearing us to Himself.

1 Peter 2:9. This reference completes the whole wonderful story. "Ye"--that is, the Church, composed of Jew and Gentile, largely of Gentile--"are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession; that ye may show forth the excellences of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: which in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."

Let us try to understand, so far as we may, God's great purpose. He spoke originally in creation, and thence His words were passed from mouth to mouth, so that Adam spoke to his son Seth, and he to his son, and so on, the holy words which God had communicated in Paradise. But the revelation became blurred and indistinct, and in spite of all that Enoch could do, whom God raised up as His prophet, the world became so bad as to compel him, so to speak, to obliterate His earlier work and begin again. It seemed impossible, moreover, that man could retain God in his knowledge. It therefore became necessary to provide him with a Book, a literature, which should be in his hand, which he could ponder and read, and which should perpetuate for him the true knowledge of God. In order for this permanent record of God, it was necessary that there should be a race of choice men specially trained to receive on the one hand, and transmit on the other, the high purposes of redemption. With this purpose God chose Abraham, then a Gentile, and called him from Ur of the Chaldees to Canaan, where he lived in comparative isolation, and became the father of a new race. In order that that race might be able to receive and to communicate Divine revelation, it was taken down to Egypt, where the art of writing was already in vogue, and where every opportunity was provided for acquiring the knowledge of literature. We are told that Moses was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt. After two or three hundred years of sojourn, Israel was brought by a marvellous succession of mighty works into the heart of the Sinaitic peninsula, where, amid thunderings and earthquakes, God spake to them.

Finally, they were settled in Canaan, comparatively isolated from the highway of the world, because it was intended that they should exist as a kingdom of priests, worshipping God, interceding for the world, receiving from Him His commands, and scattering them throughout the world of men. This was His holy purpose--to have a people wholly devoted to Himself, by whom He might speak, and through whom His redemptive purpose might issue, and who would be the means of blessing the whole of mankind, according to the ancient Psalm: "And God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him."

Israel failed in this, and so God chose us in Christ, His well-beloved Son, the Elect. We are the elect in the Elect, chosen in the Chosen, beloved in the Beloved, because our Saviour has undertaken, as His part of the Covenant, to keep us true in our holy obedience to God. He has made Himself responsible, through the Holy Ghost, to perpetuate in us a holy devotion and obedience to our Father. Israel was redeemed by the Paschal lamb; we by the Blood of the Son of God. Israel was brought out of Egypt; we have been brought out of the world; and the Red Sea, which, the Apostle Paul tells us, symbolises baptism, casts a wide and impassable chasm between us and the world. Israel was settled in Canaan; and we are intended to be a kingdom of priests, interceding for the world, receiving the Divine messages, and transmitting them to the world. We are intended to be holy, that is, given up to God, so that when God wants anything done He may be sure that, in coming to us, He shall find clean channels, meet and prepared for His use.

It is very interesting to notice the parallel there is between the action of the surgeon in the hospital and God's treatment of us. The surgeon keeps his instruments bathed in antiseptic lotion, so that no microbe or germ is able to touch the edge of the instrument by which he probes or cuts the flesh. The greatest care is exercised that even the hand should not touch the patient unless it has been washed in this antiseptic lotion, else it might become the means of introducing microbes into an open wound. Similarly God our Father, who longs to give Himself to men, but will not do it directly, is longing to have in the midst of the world a number of men who not only are spiritually antiseptic, and free from the microbes of moral evil, but whose whole life is antagonistic to evil, who shall live so near Him that they shall hear what He has to say, and go to their congregations, or comrades, with the distinct assurance that they have a message from the Lord. Ah, how absolutely necessary it is for us to be holy, that there may be nothing in our life to militate against the force of the truth we proclaim; that, in all things, we may be to God for a prize, and a name and honour!

Every believer who has been won by the grace of God has been redeemed and saved for a definite purpose. We have been conducted beneath the beetling brow of Sinai, have heard the thunder of the law, have been isolated from the world that we might listen to the Divine message. We have stood beneath the Cross, from which the Blood of Jesus cries, and we are looking for the advent of our Saviour from heaven. All this has been designed, intended, and brought about by God, that we might be "for Himself," not looking right or left to see what men may think or say of us, but pledged to be a holy, separate people, set apart by God for Himself. Woe be to the man or woman who, having been called to so high a vocation, is using for self the powers which were intended to be used only for God!

As we close, let us dwell for a moment on those words--"He gave Himself." As Jesus is led away by His foes, it might be supposed that He is their victim: you discover, however, that He is the one impelling power, and that He is engaged in carrying out His own eternal purpose. He is Master of life, and also Master of death; He gave Himself in His life, He gave Himself also in His death. Men die at random, and because they cannot help it; they have no purpose in their death. Jesus Christ died with a purpose: "He gave Himself for us." He gave Himself in eternity, He gave Himself in His incarnation, He gave Himself in the death of the Cross, He gives Himself for us, to us, through us. For us, because He bore our penalty; to us--every moment He continues to give Himself to us if we will only take Him in; and through us He wants to pour Himself upon the world.

Because Jesus gives us Himself we become constrained no longer to live unto ourselves, but unto Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. You never can root a man out of his selfishness except by his absolute love for some one who loves him beyond count; and Jesus Christ, knowing that by nature we revolve around the self-centre, and longing that we should no longer live to ourselves, but to Him, gave Himself, gives Himself always, in eternity and in time, that we may be decentralised, and may begin to revolve around the pivot of His nature, Himself the centre of blessedness and heaven. He gave Himself for us to redeem us to become vessels beneath the fountain, with our handles towards Him, that at any moment He may use us to give draughts of water to thirsty souls. A vineyard, that from our soil, as we face the sun, He may bring rich and beautiful produce! A farm, which He shall plough, and from which He shall raise crop after crop for His glory!

There is no limit in fact to what Christ will do for us when once we hand ourselves over to Him. Life is full of wonderful surprises for those who, like Joseph, faithfully serve the Lord in dark dungeons, and amid those with whom they have but little sympathy. When they have learnt the lesson perfectly, when the bones of their spiritual manhood are well set and well knit, when by faithfulness in the least they have prepared themselves to be faithful in much, the prison-door will suddenly open and they will go forth into the palace of the King.

Do not fear to hand yourselves over absolutely and entirely to the keeping of Jesus. Commit yourself without dismay into His hands--the hands of a faithful Creator. He made you what you are, gave you those aptitudes and tastes, the peculiar idiosyncrasy which appears to make you different from anybody else, all these were His gift, and we must not think that the Redeemer will contradict the work of His own creation. His one aim and purpose is to deliver us from everything which is marring and spoiling our beauty, that His original scheme may stand out unblemished.

Have you ever heard someone described as being “so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good?” Those who say this usually mean that the person has very little common sense--spiritually minded, but irresponsible in everyday life. But in reality, those who are heavenly minded in the biblical sense know that the hope of heaven has practical implications.

AFTER all that we have professed and learned, how hard it is to believe that God intends just what He says! When the Holy Spirit says all, He clearly means ALL. And we are, therefore, taught that the death of Jesus was intended, not for our forgiveness and justification merely, but for our sanctification, and our deliverance from the power of all our besetting sins. The text does not promise freedom from temptation; but from all yielding to habits, dispositions, and tempers of soul which have ruthlessly tyrannized over us as Egypt over Israel.

Jesus died for thee, O child of God, that having been set free from the bondage of all iniquity thou mightest live soberly as regards the use of the world, righteously toward thy fellows, and godly toward the Almighty, and "looking for that blessed hope." The grace of God has appeared; His glory will appear. There has been an Epiphany of the one; there shall be as certainly an Epiphany of the other. Many awaited the first; more shall await the second. The one was in humiliation; the other shall be in glory: the one was as a Babe; the other shall be in the glory of the Divine Man. But till then we are called to wait with garments unspotted from the world, and hearts delivered from the love and power of human sin.

Let us teach the world that God has something tangible and practicable to give--not for the next life only, but for this. We are taught by that gentle school-mistress, the Grace of God, to live soberly, as regards our personal life; righteously, in relation to others; godly, in our attitude toward God. Wesley says, "Until you press believers to accept full salvation now, you must not look for any revival,"

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Titus 2:14
February 13
J C Philpot
From Daily Words for Zion's Wayfarers

"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous for good works." Titus 2:14

How can any one who knows anything of the blessedness of atoning blood and redeeming love and the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit continue in sin, that grace may abound? Doctrinal professors may do these things, for a mere 'letter knowledge' of the truth brings with it no deliverance from the power of sin.
But the living soul, in whom the God of all grace is carrying on his gracious work--can it trample under foot the cross of the suffering Son of God? It is impossible that a man who knows for himself the redeeming efficacy of Christ's atoning blood, and whose conscience is made tender in the fear of God, can, under the sweet influence of his love, deliberately crucify him again.
Not but what there is a falling under the power of sin and temptation, as David and Peter fell; but there will not be a willful sinning against him, when the blessed Spirit is bringing near his blood and grace and love. May we never forget that the suffering Son of God gave himself to purify unto himself a peculiar people--a people whose thoughts are peculiar, for their thoughts are the thoughts of God, as having the mind of Christ; a people whose affections are peculiar, for they are fixed on things above; whose prayers are peculiar, for they are wrought in their heart by the Spirit of grace and supplication; whose sorrows are peculiar, because they spring from a spiritual source; whose joys are peculiar, for they are joys which the stranger cannot understand; whose hopes are peculiar, as anchoring within the veil; and whose expectations are peculiar, as not expecting to reap a crop of happiness in this marred world, but looking for happiness in the kingdom of rest and peace in the bosom of God.
And if they are peculiar inwardly, they should be peculiar outwardly. They should make it manifest that they are a peculiar people by walking in the footsteps of the Lord the Lamb, taking up the cross, denying themselves, and living to the honor, praise, and glory of God. - J. C. Philpot. Daily Words for Zion's Wayfarers

Titus 2:14
All iniquity
J C Philpot

When George Burns, known for his long career as a radio comedian and film actor, reached the age of eighty-five, he said, “I was always taught to respect my elders, and I’ve now reached the age when I don’t have anybody to respect.” Titus, however, faced the opposite problem. For him the challenge was one of earning the respect of those to whom he ministered.

Finally, it's easy to tell who the Christians are. They're the ones sporting a witness on their T-shirts or caps, wearing WWJD bracelets, with crosses around their necks. Making a visible statement of belief has come a long way since the days of the ""Honk if you love Jesus"" bumper stickers. Is there anything wrong with wearing a witness for Christ? Of course not--as long as our behavior lives up to its ""advertising."" No wardrobe accessory can take the place of a Spirit-empowered daily life of humility and obedience that wears well in any situation.

Practical is an overworked term to describe certain sections of the Bible--and probably misleading, since it implies that some parts of the Word are impractical. But having said that, Titus 3 is about as down-to-earth as it gets in helping us understand how to ""work out [our] salvation"" (Phil. 2:12).

Verses 2-3 remind us that we're to be like Jesus for the best reason of all: because He reached down in mercy to save us from a life of sin. And He did it not by reforming us, but by regenerating us, making us alive again. We were dead in sin, not just slightly ill.

If God had done nothing for us except give us eternal life through Christ, we would be eternally grateful. But our loving Father did so much more. After He had rescued us from sin and washed us clean in Christ's blood, God brought us into His house and made us His heirs.

This means all that God has, we now have. Therefore, living to please Him through our obedience to Him and to the human authorities He has established, and through lives of good works and humility, is nothing more than our reasonable service. Anything less would be an insult to the God who appeared in flesh to save us when we were His enemies.

And what about those who are looking to cause trouble and sow discord in the body of Christ? We need to reach out to them in peace. But if they refuse to repent of their sin, we can't afford to let them drain the life from the church.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY - Actually, the idea of putting on our witness is not new at all.

The Bible tells us to put on a number of things that will protect us against sin and help us live the godly lives God expects of His heirs. For example, we are told to put on the armor God has given us (Rom. 13:12; Eph. 6:11) and to put on ""the new self,"" which is more like God (Eph. 4:24). How complete is your ""witness wardrobe"" today?

The eleventh–century German monarch Henry III became tired of his responsibilities and the worldliness of court life and decided to become a monk. When he went to the monastery and explained his intent, the prior warned him that the course he had chosen would be a difficult one.

“Your Majesty,” Prior Richard explained, “do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.” King Henry was undaunted and replied, “I understand. The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.” “Then I will tell you what to do,” Prior Richard said. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has placed you.” Henry did as he was told. After he died, he was given this epitaph: “The King learned to rule by being obedient.”

The great dividing line in life
Is what we do with Christ, God's Son;
Rejecting Him will lead to hell--
Receiving Him is heaven begun. --Hess

What you decide about Christ
determines your destiny.

Titus 3:3-5
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. - Titus 3:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
Author Mark Twain wrote a humorous guide to etiquette in heaven. In it he lists several “dos” and “don’ts” for the newly departed. Among these are the following:

•Upon arrival in heaven do not speak to St. Peter until spoken to. It is not your place to begin.

•Do not try to show off. St. Peter dislikes it. The simpler you are dressed, the better it will please him. He cannot abide showy costumes. Above all, avoid over-dressing.

•Leave your dog outside. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay and the dog would go in.

•Stay off the grass.

Twain was not a believer, but here he was correct about one thing. Entrance to heaven is a gift of grace and not a matter of personal merit. Paul emphasizes this fact in today’s passage by reminding us of our status prior to receiving Christ. The picture is not a pretty one. We were “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures” (v. 2). In addition, we “lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.” This reminder immediately follows Paul’s command to “show true humility toward all men” and is related to our obligation to submit to those in authority and to be peaceable and considerate of others (Titus 3:2).

It’s hard to show respect to those in authority when they don’t seem to deserve it. It’s also a challenge to be considerate of those who don’t honor God, who are malicious, and who seem to be driven by selfish interests.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Certainly, Paul’s reminder of what our status was prior to trusting in Christ is a reason to be grateful for the salvation we now enjoy. It’s also a reason to show compassion to those who have not yet put their faith in Christ. It can be helpful at times to consider what things might have been like if we had never experienced the grace of God. With the list contained in verses 3 and 4 in mind, what do you think your life would look like now if you didn’t receive forgiveness through Christ? Thank God for the difference in your life

THE emphasis must surely rest on appeared. Kindness and love toward man were always in the heart of God, but they were not clearly revealed. They might have been perceived in the order of nature and human life; but there are stormy winds as well as zephyrs in the one--and in the other deaths as well as births; knells of hope as well as marriage peals. But in Jesus the true heart of God toward man was manifested. It is thus in human life.

At first God blessed us anonymously.--In Cowper's memoirs we read how Theodora, his cousin, pursued him throughout his sad life with her gifts; but they always came without indication of their source. As the poet unwrapped his new-come treasure, he would say, "Dear Anonymous has come again; God bless him." So, through years of thoughtless childhood, and afterward in opening youth, we were the recipients of myriads of gifts contrived with the most exquisite skill to give us pleasure; but we did not trace them to their source. They were from God.

Since then His grace and loving kindness have appeared.--We have had eyes to see, and hearts to understand. The Anonymous Benefactor is now recognized as our Father and Friend. We no longer praise our earthly loves for our cornfields and vineyards, but our Heavenly Spouse (Hosea 2.). In the breaking of the bread we have recognized the Son of God, and we know now who it was that walked with us along the path of life, and why our hearts burned.

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Titus 3:5
December 24
J C Philpot

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." Titus 3:5

To view mercy in its real character, we must go to Calvary. It is not sufficient to contrast the purity of God with the impurity of man. That indeed affords us some view of what mercy must be to reach the depths of the fall--a side face of that precious attribute. But to see its full face shining upon the redeemed, we must go by faith, under the secret teachings and leadings of the Holy Spirit, to see "Immanuel, God with us," groveling in Gethsemane's garden. We must view him naked upon the cross, groaning, bleeding, agonizing, dying. We must view Godhead and manhood united together in the Person of a suffering Jesus; and the power of the Godhead bearing up the suffering manhood. We must view that wondrous spectacle of love and blood, and feel our eyes flowing down in streams of sorrow, humility, and contrition at the sight, in order to enter a little into the depths of the tender mercy of God. Nothing but this can really break the sinner's heart.

"Law and terrors do but harden,
All the while they work alone;
But a sense of blood-bought pardon
Soon dissolves a heart of stone."

Law terrors, death and judgment, infinite purity, and eternal vengeance will not soften or break a sinner's heart. But if he is led to view a suffering Immanuel, and a sweet testimony is raised up in his conscience that those sufferings were for him--this, and this only will break his heart all to pieces. Thus, only by bringing a sweet sense of love and blood into his heart does the blessed Spirit show a sinner some of the depths of the tender mercy of God. J. C. Philpot. Daily Words for Zion's Wayfarers

"Lord, have mercy on us!"

Suddenly the word mercy struck him with great force. If anybody needed it, he did. At that moment he believed on Jesus Christ as his Savior. God forgave his sins and broke the power of his wicked lifestyle. The apostle Paul referred to both the mercy and the grace of God in salvation. He declared that it is by God's grace we are justified and delivered from the guilt of our sins (see note Titus 3:7). But he also said that it is God's mercy that delivers us from a lifestyle which he described as "foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another" (see note Titus 3:3). Let's thank God daily for His grace and His mercy. -- Herbert Vander Lugt  (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

English poet Edward Lear, known for his quaint children’s poems and accompanying drawings, was asked to give Queen Victoria drawing lessons. After one of the lessons, the Queen showed Lear several of the family heirlooms that were on display in her living quarters in the palace. Lear, taken with the beauty of the things he saw, without thinking cried out: “Oh, where did you get all these beautiful things?” Queen Victoria replied, “I inherited them, Mr. Lear.”

In today’s passage the apostle reminds Titus of the precious inheritance he received when he experienced the washing of rebirth and the renewal of the Holy Spirit. He says that the Spirit was “poured out upon us generously.” These words remind us of baptism and point to the spiritual reality behind baptism. All those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and eternal life have received the Holy Spirit. In Titus 3:5 Paul identified two primary aspects of this experience: the washing of rebirth, which signifies the forgiveness of sins, and the experience of renewal, which implies regeneration. This is possible due to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who has been poured out on us “generously through Jesus Christ our Savior” (v. 6).

Elsewhere Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a “deposit,” a kind of down payment on the full inheritance to be received in Christ (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:14). The gift of the Holy Spirit is a portion of what we will receive. It does not mean, however, that we have received only a portion of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been poured out “generously.” But we do need to be “filled” with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY - If you know Christ as your Savior, you don’t need to ask God to give you the Holy Spirit. You have already been given the Spirit as the earnest of your inheritance in Christ. You should, however, ask God to fill you with His Spirit and help you walk in His power, to be “strengthened with all power according to his glorious might” (Col. 1:11). You can do it right now, and ask the Lord every day to keep filling you with His Spirit. Rely upon the Holy Spirit for the power to live the Christian life. (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Titus 3:8-11 (See also devotional below)
But avoid foolish controversies . . . because these are unprofitable and useless. - Titus 3:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the most famous feuds in American history is the battle between the Hatfields and the McCoys. The Appalachian families began quarreling during the Civil War over a stolen pig. The feud intensified with an illicit romance and ended with murders on both sides. In 1891, after years of fighting, the two families called a truce. In recent years, the families have held joint reunions, and in 2003 they appeared together on television’s Family Feud, putting an end to their quarrels.

Quarreling, if unresolved, has a way of leading to destruction. In today’s passage, Paul urges believers to devote their lives not to promoting discord, but rather to “doing what is good.” Paul links back to the passage before: “This is a trustworthy saying” (v. 8). The word “this” refers to his emphasis on God’s mercy. Because of the great mercy God has extended to us, we are to show mercy to others and “devote” ourselves to doing good.

It was important that these new, struggling churches “avoid foolish controversies.” Paul particularly emphasizes that quarrels about the law are, in the end, “unprofitable and useless” (9). Note the contrast to the instruction in verse 8: whereas quarreling and controversies about esoteric matters are unprofitable, doing good is “excellent and profitable for everyone” (v. 8).

It is easy to quarrel about things we believe passionately. Even today, believers and congregations quarrel about interpretations of Scripture. The focus of believers, Paul seems to warn, must not be on these types of disagreements. Our priority is not to be on division and asserting our claims on particular minutiae as authoritative. We are to focus on living in a way that glorifies God.

The letter articulates how to handle people who seek out division in the body. Paul says to “warn a divisive person once” (v. 10). Those who do not heed warnings are to be viewed as a threat to the church. Confronting the division within the church quickly is important so that problems don’t linger and grow.

APPLY THE WORD
Every family, both our birth families and our church families, seem to struggle with problems of argument, feuding, and division. As believers, we are called to be peacemakers and reconcilers. How can you act as an instrument of God’s peace? This doesn’t mean avoiding conflict. Consider ways you can help alleviate arguments and reconcile warring factions. How can you speak words of peace into a tense situation? God has called you to this important task today.

Titus 3:12-15 (See also following devotionals)
Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to . . . not live unproductive lives. - Titus 3:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
Many missionaries have found Facebook helpful in raising support and staying in contact with donors. Northern Canada Evangelical Mission reports, “The benefits are obvious—urgent prayer requests can be sent instantly to many homes. Regular prayer letters are also increasingly sent by email. It saves on postage costs.” Facebook has enabled missionaries to stay in touch with those they are trying to reach, expand their circle of “friends,” and update supporters.

In the manner of first-century Facebook, Paul closes his letter to Titus by introducing new “friends” and commending his current friends for work well done. His friend Tychicus was mentioned earlier in the book of Acts (20:4), as one who accompanied him in his early days of ministry. Here, he reconnects old and new friends.

In these closing verses, he issues a status update of sorts. He tells them that he has decided to spend the winter in Nicopolis and asks them to visit (v. 12). The communion and dependence of believers in the early church was a key to their growth. Believers had a responsibility to one another for encouragement and provision.

To demonstrate this, Paul asks Titus and the church for a favor. He asks them to help friends in need: Zenas and Apollos. He asks the church to extend the hospitality he has been speaking about to these fellow believers and to “see that they have everything they need” (v. 13).

The theme of the book, acting out our faith in Christ, is motivation to “learn to devote themselves to doing what is good.” This is to be our life’s purpose—not a focus on selfish concern, but on building one another up and helping others in both spiritual and physical ways. Our lives are to be productive (v. 14).

The evidence of love between members of the church is evident in the closing verses of Paul’s letter. Greetings are exchanged by “those who love us in the faith” (v. 15). This was a community whose lives had been taken captive by their faith in Christ, and it showed in their love for one another.

APPLY THE WORD
If you use social networking sites, why not view them through the lens of ministry? How can you encourage someone on your “friend” list today? Who needs your prayers? To whom can you extend a hand of friendship? How can you connect or promote ministries in need? If you don’t use the Internet, your address book might work just as well. Consider how you can be a minister of networking, connecting those in need with those who would like to give.

 Titus 3:13 1 Corinthians 16:11-24
Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need. - Titus 3:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Chris began raising missionary support, he expected to be on the field in a few months. He finally left for language school three years later, still short of full support by $70 a month. During those years he worked in a factory during the week and shuttled his family from place to place on the weekends, hoping to be added to the missionary budgets of the churches he visited. Before he left for the field he confessed to a friend, “If I had known all that would be involved in raising support, I’m not sure we would have become missionaries.”

What does the church owe to those who minister on its behalf? We usually look at this question from the opposite perspective. We know what we expect of them. But we don’t always recognize that they have a right to expect something from us. We have an obligation to support those who serve the church in ministry.

This support takes two forms. One is financial in nature; this is especially true in the area of missions. Paul did not think that it was unreasonable to expect the Corinthians to help Timothy complete his missionary journey. They were to send him “on his way” (v. 11). Paul expected the same courtesy for himself (v. 6). The picture behind the language in these verses is drawn from the ancient custom of a host who, when seeing a traveler off, would go with him on his journey a certain distance (cf. Gen. 18:16).

The other form of support that the church owes its servants is emotional in nature. Paul commanded the Corinthians to send Timothy on his way “in peace” (v. 11). He also urged them to show appreciation for people like Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus who had provided both financial and emotional support to Paul (v. 17).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Draw three columns on a sheet of paper. In the first column make list of all the people you personally know who minister on behalf of the church. When you are finished, add the names of those who are connected with your church. Write the letter “E” at the top the second column and the letter “F” at the top of the third column. Next to each name write at least one practical way you can show either emotional or financial support for each person you have identified. Post the list on your refrigerator as a reminder.

Titus 3:12-15
TODAY IN THE WORD

Jean Louis Agassiz, the Swiss naturalist, was invited to deliver a lecture to a prestigious organization. When he turned down the engagement, saying that it would distract him from research and writing, the organization said that it would pay a large honorarium. “That’s no inducement to me,” Agassiz said. “I can’t afford to waste my time making money.”