Titus Study #7

“Putting Up with Perverted People” 

Titus 3:8-11

Study #7 in Titus Series 

 

INTRODUCTION: 

Do you have any “problem people” in your life?

·       Critical people = always finding fault with people and programs

·       Touchy people = thin-skinned, making everyone around them walk on eggshells

·       Grouchy people = grumpy, difficult to get along with

·       Opinionated people = think they are correct on every subject

·       Pushy people = bossy, it’s my way or the highway

 

How do you handle them?

·       You can IGNORE them (pretend they are invisible, let them keep pushing your buttons).

·       You can ENGAGE with them (react, go head-to-head, declare war on them).

·       You can PLACATE them (give them what they want, tell them what they want to hear).

·       OR, you can DEAL with them (honestly, kindly, courageously, in Christian love).

 

It’s bad enough when we must be around difficult people at home or at work, but what about at church? How do we deal with brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ?

 

TRANSITION: 

Since the days of the Early Church, Christians have been faced with this very issue: “How do we deal with people who get out-of-line in the Body of Christ?” 

 

The New Testament deals a lot with this subject. Jesus gave us instruction on this subject in Matthew 18. Paul dealt with this problem in almost all his letters.

 

All the examples I can think of fall into 3 broad categories: 

1.    Rotten Doctrine = They believe in the wrong stuff.

2.    Despicable Behavior = They act in the wrong manner.

3.    Lousy Attitudes = They think in the wrong ways.

...Or, sometimes a combination of all three.

 

Our text for this study is Titus 3:8-11.

 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 8: This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things, I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

·       “This is a trustworthy statement,” meaning, “You can trust this, it is factual, and you can take it to the bank!” But to exactly which “statement” is Paul referring? I believe that he is referring to what he has just said in verses 4-7. If you look closely, you’ll see that these four verses comprise one long sentence with the phrases divided by commas. In fact, it is one single declarative sentence, one amazing statement about how God saves sinners. Truly it is one of the most important soteriological statements in the New Testament.

·       “…and concerning these things” But Paul is referring to the broader context of what he has just been saying in vs. 1-7. And what was that? Let’s review.

o   In Vs. 1-2 Paul tells Titus to “remind” the Cretan believers to make sure that their walk, (i.e., their Christian life) is in accord with their talk, (i.e., their testimony) and that their “good deeds” are an accurate reflection of who they have become in Christ. Paul tells Titus to remind them that they need to obey their leaders, and live peaceably with all men, and show Christian kindness to believers and unbelievers alike.

o   In Verse 3 Paul reminds Titus and the believers in Crete that we too were all once unbelievers, caught up in sins of every description. He lays out an embarrassing list of the sins we used to commit regularly. Namely, we were wickedly foolish, disobedient, deceived deceivers, enslaved to lusts and evil pleasures, full of malice and envy, hateful haters. That’s a bleak picture of what we were like but accurate, nonetheless.

o   This list reminds me of what Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers in 1 Cor. 6:9-11, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” So, what’s his point? A= Don’t be proud, because before we were saved, we were just like them. This thought launches Paul into the subject of how we got saved.

o   In Vs. 4-7 Paul reminds Titus that our salvation has nothing to do with our goodness or our good works, so there is no place for pride. It is all about His timing, His kindness, His mercy, and His grace. We contributed exactly NOTHING! Verse 5 starts out, “HE SAVED US.” That sums up the whole argument. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, plus nothing. As a result, we have been made heirs of God and one day we will go home to spend eternity with Him.

·       “…concerning these things, I want you to speak confidently” – It’s easy to speak confidently when we know the truth is on our side. It’s easy to preach with confidence and conviction when you know you are standing on the immovable Rock of Truth.       

·       But good doctrine should always bring forth good actions. We “…were created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Eph. 2:10). We were not saved BY good works, but we were saved FOR and UNTO good works. There is a huge difference.

·       “…be careful to engage in good deeds.” Notice that Paul used this same expression in verse 1 (“…be ready for every good deed”).

·       “These things are good and profitable for men. – “These things” (i.e., these good deeds) are good and profitable for men.”  We do good works for the glory of God and for the people whom God loves, because we love HIM! We do not do them to earn our salvation or to gain His favor.

 

Verse 9: But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

·       Notice that this clause has only one verb, which is “avoid.” It is a command, an imperative. This Greek verb is perístemi , which literally means “to turn oneself about so as to stand facing the other way.” Check out 2 Timothy 2:16 where it is used in a similar manner. To avoid means “to shun, to do an about-face from, to have nothing to do with.” That seems clear enough.

·       Then there are four substantives, nouns, things that Paul warns Titus to avoid, namely, “controversies, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the Law.”

·       Paul’s argument is bolstered by the one adjective he uses, which is “foolish.” These four things he mentions are stupid and foolish, and a complete waste of time. His advice to Titus is to avoid getting caught up in verbal battles over idiotic subjects, which he says are “unprofitable and worthless.” Notice how this phrase stands in sharp contrast to what Paul said in verse 8 about standing on the truth and doing good deeds, which he says are, “good and profitable” for all men. In fact, these are some of the things Paul said ought not to be taught, and that he warned against up in Titus 1:11. Instead, Titus should focus on preaching and teaching the simple, time-tested Word of God.

·       N.B. Christian discussions that do not lead to Christian actions are a waste of time. It is easier to discuss theological questions than it is to be kind, considerate, and helpful. There is no virtue in endlessly discussing deep theological questions while the simple tasks of the Christian life are left undone.

 

Verse 10: Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,

·       “Reject” = Refuse to have anything to do with him, leave him behind. Paul says that Titus must take measures against those who insist on going their own way. Their self-will makes them self-condemned.

·       “…a factious man” = The Greek word is herétikos, from the verb meaning “to choose, to prefer.” It gives us our English word heretic. The idea is that a factious man (heretic) chooses his own point of view over that of Scripture.

·        “…after a first and second warning.” This is in keeping with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18:15-17, “¹⁵ “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Does this mean that we should burn him at the stake, or refuse to talk with him, or move to the other side of the street when we see him coming? NO! We simply no longer treat him like a brother in Christ but as a non-believer that we want to win to Christ. How are we supposed to treat unbelievers? Treat him like that.

 

Verse 11: …knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

·       “…is perverted” = The Greek word is ekstréphō and means “to twist, to subvert, to turn inside out.” Nowadays we use this word almost exclusively to mean sexually perverted in some way, but the term is more general. All sin is a perversion of God’s righteousness and a twisting of His original design.

·       “…is sinning” = The tense of the verb indicates the state of continual sinning.

·       “…being self-condemned” = This is an interesting double compound word in Greek and is also what we call a hapax legomena, meaning it appears only one time in the Bible. Literally the word means to judge himself down, which doesn’t make much sense in English, but in other words, his own words condemn him. The proud heretic who rejects the truth will one day hear his own words played back to him. 

 

“Challenging” people come in 6 basic types: 

 

Type 1 = Trouble-maker churchgoers with lousy doctrine 

·       Titus 1:10-16; 3:8-11 

·       2 Timothy 3:1-5

·       Romans 16:17-20 

 

Type 2 = Nice, sincere people with screwed-up theology 

·       2 Timothy 2:23-26 

 

Type 3 = Orthodox Christians with D.R.A. (= Dirty Rotten Attitude) 

·       Philippians 4:1-2

·       Galatians 2:11-14

 

Type 4 = Christians caught up in sin 

·       Matthew 18:15-22

·       1 Corinthians 5:1-13

·       1 Timothy 5:19-20 (elders)

·       Galatians 6:1 

 

Type 5 = Baby Christians

·       1 Corinthians 3:1; 4:20

·       Ephesians 4:14

 

Type 6 = Interested seekers (open but ignorant)

·       Matthew 5:13-16 

 

More Texts About Dealing with

Difficult People in the Local Church

 

Matthew 18:15-20 

Romans 16:17-20

1 Corinthians 1:11-12; 5:1-13

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 

Galatians 1:6-9; 2:11-14; 3:1-3; 6:1

Philippians 3:2; 4:1-2 

2 Thess. 3:2; 3:6-15

1 Timothy 4:1-3; 5:19-20; 6:3-7

2 Timothy 2:23-26; 3:1-9; 4:14-15 

Titus 1:1o-11, 14; 3:8-11

Hebrews 12:5-13

2 John 10-11 

Titus Study #6

“Pressing Forward, Ignoring the Past”

Titus 2:15 - 3:7

Study #6 in Titus Series

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever watched a marathon race? The official distance of a marathon is 26.2 miles. That’s a long way to run! The current world record holder is Kelvin Kiptum from Kenya. In October 2023 at the Chicago Marathon, he won with a time of 2:00:35. That averages out to 4:36.0 min./mile. While watching that race on TV I noticed several things:

1.    Marathon racing is all about endurance, timing, and attitude as much as it is speed. I observed that during the race the front runner was replaced several times.

2.    The runner needs a plan, a strategy, and he must stick to it.

3.    Although he looked back occasionally, Kelvin mostly kept his eyes on the road ahead. It is hard to run forward while looking backward. The miles slipped away behind him and were forgotten – whether they were run well or not. Kelvin Kiptum, the winner, maintained a forward-looking perspective!

TRANSITION:

Paul had this attitude as well. In Philippians 3:12-14 he wrote, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Many people are hobbled in this life by things in their past that end up limiting their future.

·       Feelings of worthlessness

·       Guilt from bad choices and sinful behaviors (cf. Hebrews 12:1)

·       Moral defeats that they allow to define them

These past things will cripple you and rob you of your joy in the present and hope for the future unless you learn to lay them aside and let God take care of them. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

NOTES on the Text:

Our text for this study is Titus 2:15 - 3:7. You must remember that this was written as a letter. When Paul wrote it, he did not divide the text into chapters and verses. That happened many years later by scribes that subdivided the biblical texts to make them easier for us to study. When you read the context, it becomes obvious that the chapter break is in the wrong spot. The context needs the last verse of chapter 2 to make sense. 

Verse 15: These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

·       “These things” - WHICH THINGS exactly? We must look back to what Paul has been saying.

1.    1:1-9 – Paul taught that church leaders must live godly lives, above reproach, criticism, or accusation.

2.    1:10-16 – He said that false teachers and troublemakers in the church must be dealt with, not ignored.

3.    2:1-10 – Paul urged that all Christians should be careful to live in a way that will “adorn” the teaching of the Gospel because people are constantly observing our lives.

4.    2:11-14 – Paul said that we should live “sensibly, righteously, and godly” with an eye to the sky, always looking for Christ’s return.

·       “…speak” = Means to communicate, talk it up, proclaim

·       “…exhort” = Means to encourage, motivate, lift up

·       “…reprove” = Means to convince, convict, point out error

·       “…with all authority” (cf. Matthew 28:18). Christ has authorized us with His authority.

ü  Authority not from men

ü  Authority not from a denomination

ü  Authority not from an ordination certificate

ü  **But from God himself and His Word

·       “…let no one disregard you” = The Greek word is περιφρονέω (periphronéō). Literally it means, “to think around you” i.e., to try to go around you because they can’t defeat your argument head on. Paul, in writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, said “let no one despise your youth.” There he used a similar word, καταφρονέω (kataphronéō), which literally means, “to think down on you” i.e., think little of you, or underestimate you. You can see that these two passages are very similar in their intent and meaning.

Verses 1-2: Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, ² to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

·       “Remind them” – The Cretan believers had heard all this before from Paul when he was with them in Crete, but their memories needed to be refreshed.

·       N.B. Our biggest problem is not in not knowing what to do, but rather in doing what we know is right. Sometimes we need reminders to help us do what we know we should do, like children with chores or naughty behaviors.

·       For most Christians the problem is not knowing what we should do but in finding the energy, moral fiber, courage, and gumption to do it!

·       We would rather study the problem, have meetings on how to do it better than others have done it, analyze why we have not done it, etc... rather than just get out and do it! 

**So, according to Paul, what do we and the believers in Crete need to do?

·       “…be subject to rulers and authorities” – at work, at school, on the highway, with the IRS, etc.

·       “…be obedient” – follow directions without rebellion and resentment

·       “…be ready for good deeds” – means eager, looking for opportunities

·       “…malign no one” – means to speak evil of, with cancerous speech (N.B. the word malign is the root of the word malignant)

·       “…be peaceable”– uncontentious, not always fighting and arguing, not pugnacious

·       “…be gentle” – tender in words and actions

·       “…showing every consideration” – putting others first (like Christ did) (e.g., 2003 book by Robert Fulghum, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”) 

N.B. Paul’s “Remind them” in 3:1 is a key to this passage:

1.    3:1-2 – Of how they should act

2.    3:3 – Of how they used to act before Christ

3.    3:4-7 – Of what Jesus did to change them from the inside

Verse 3: For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

·       “For we also once were foolish ourselves” – Notice that Paul included himself in this scenario. He was very aware of who and what he was before he met Jesus on the Damascus Road. But he was changed, and so have we been, so let’s act like it! We ourselves are no better than the unbelievers around us.

·       What we were like = Ephesians 2:1, 3; 4:17-19; 5:8 (N.B. “Christian goodness does not make a man proud; it makes him grateful.” William Barclay)

·       What were we like?

ü  Fools – This word goes way beyond silliness and includes wickedness. The Bible says, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.’”

ü  Disobedient

ü  Deceived and deceiving others

ü  Enslaved to all kinds of nasty stuff

ü  Wasting our lives in trying to get ahead of others

ü  Hateful toward other people, even to those close to us

ü  In other words, we were rotten to the core, bad to the bone

Verses 4-7: But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, ⁵ He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

·       So, in these verses Paul tells us what God did to rescue us from this gruesome picture!

ü  He poured out His kindness on us – “…the kindness of God our Savior” (cf. Psalm 34:8)

ü  He demonstrated true “philanthropy” toward sinners – “…His love for all mankind appeared” This “appearing” (epiphany, cf. 2:11, 13) happened when in the fulness of time God sent forth His Son, Jesus. (cf. Romans 5:8; 2 Peter 3:9)

ü  He saved us without regard to our works – “…He saved us not on the basis of our good deeds” (cf. Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Timothy 1:8-9)

ü  He saved us through His mercy – “…He saved us according to His mercy” (cf. 1 Peter 1:3)

·       N.B. Notice that God’s mercy and grace are evidenced in two ways:

ü  “Rebirthing” = Regeneration – “…by the washing of regeneration” (1 John 1:7; John 3:3)

§  We are reborn for eternity

§  We are reborn to “newness of life” = life begins over (Romans 6:4)

ü  “Renewing” – “…and by the renewing by the Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

§  It is as if life was worn out, run down. When a man discovers Christ, there is an act of renewal which repeats itself ever day through the Holy Spirit constantly pumping in His new life.

·       God “…poured out the Holy Spirit on us richly through Jesus” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

·       God also “…justified us by His grace” (Romans 5:1)

·       Moreover, by God’s grace and mercy we were “…made heirs” (Romans 8:16-17)

·       This glorious inheritance includes “…the hope of eternal life.” (John 3:16) – As the children of God we look forward to everlasting joy in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus. 

But how can we get changed at the core of our being? – Only God can do it for us!

Ø  We must believe in Christ as our Sin-Bearer, trusting in nothing else.

Ø  We must repent of our sin and turn away from it.

Ø  We must accept His kindness, love, and mercy toward us.

Ø  We must receive His salvation by faith alone, apart from our own good works.

Ø  We must trust Him to wash us clean through His forgiveness by the washing of regeneration.

Ø  We must welcome His Holy Spirit into our life.

Ø  We must accept His justification by faith alone. 

This allows us to live according to verses 1-2 and enables us to have a righteousness that people can see and understand (cf. Matt. 5:16). 

CONCLUSION:

Have you been changed at the core, or is there still rottenness where only you and God can see it? He stands ready to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness if you’ll just believe in Him and entrust your life to Him. He’ll make you into a new person (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).

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A personal note to my readers:

I love producing these studies and putting them online. While I am no longer in active full-time ministry since retiring, I still teach a weekly community Bible study here in Eastern Oregon where we now live. These study notes are what I am teaching each week. My prayer is always that they will be helpful to people seeking to know the Bible better. At the end of every study there is a comment box for people to weigh in with observations or questions but almost no one ever does that. I do not know why. Over the past few months, the number of people who are accessing the blog has increased and I am curious about who you are, how you found me, and how you are using the studies. Are you mostly using them in your personal devotions, or as source material for your teaching or preaching? Any way you choose to use them is fine with me. I am just happy that you are finding them helpful. Please tell me a little about yourself – where in the world you live, what your life is like, how you are growing as a Christ follower – things like that. You can use the comment box or if you prefer, my email address is nosliwekim88@gmail.com. May God pour out His richest blessings on you and your loved ones. Mike

Titus Study #5

“Living Looking Upward”

Titus 2:11-14

Study #5 in Titus Series

 

INTRODUCTION: 

·       What is your “perspective” on life?

ü  Are you an optimist, or a pessimist?

ü  Are you a giver, or a taker?

ü  Are you a doer, or a watcher?

·       Our English word “perspective” comes from the Latin verb, perspicere, meaning “to see through, to inspect, to look through, or to look closely at,” as with a lens or a telescope.

·       We all see through some sort of lens:

ü  our education

ü  our beliefs

ü  our values

ü  our convictions

ü  our experiences, etc.

·       For a Christian, the New Birth, God’s Word, and the indwelling Holy Spirit should determine our attitudes and everything we see or think.

·       A “new creature” should be new in every way. (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

TRANSITION: 

Titus 2:11-14 tells us what our perspective should be. There are few passages in the NT that so vividly explain the moral and spiritual power of the Incarnation as this passage does. (i.e., God become a man so that He might redeem us to Himself through the Cross.)

 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 11: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

·       “…the grace of God” (Greek χάρις, charis) = A gift freely given with no thought of receiving something in return; in this case shown even to enemies!

·       “…has appeared” = The Greek verb is ἐπιφαίνω from which we get our word, epiphany (see also in vs. 13). This occurred in the fulness of time in the past.

·       “…bringing salvation” = σωτήριος (sotérios) is a one-word Greek adjective qualifying the word grace, i.e., salvation bringing grace. (N.B. the word order does not change the meaning)

·       Note that Paul is not saying that all men are saved, but that God has graciously provided salvation all over the world for those who will take advantage of it.

 

Verse 12: …instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

·       “instructing us” = Greek παιδεύω, paideuō, is the word for teaching children, e.g., how to print their letters, brush their teeth, tie their shoes, etc.

·       “…to deny ungodliness and worldly desires” – (negative command). Deny = disown, not ignore. See Isaiah 1:16, “Cease to do evil; learn to do good.” We are not born knowing how to live godly lives. We must be taught.

·       “…worldly desires” – Chrysostom, one of the Early Church Fathers, defined worldly desires as things which do not pass over with us into Heaven but are burned up together with this present world. They are kindling, thus a waste of time and effort.

·       “…to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age” = (a positive command). We live in a wicked world in wicked times. We need to be instructed in how to navigate our way through the swamp. 

 

[N.B. Past = Verse 11, Present = Verse 12, Future = Verse 13]

 

·       “…to live sensibly” = The word means soberly and prudently, with temperance. Thus, we must be careful and watchful, living life with our eyes wide open.

·       “…to live righteously” = This word focuses on our horizontal relationships with other people. We are to live justly, giving people their just due, treating them fairly.

·       “…to live godly” = A synonym is “reverently.” It refers to our relationship with God, and speaks of a life of devotion, faith, reverence, and obedience.

·       “…in this present age” = The Greek phrase is νῦν αἰών, nun aiōn. We are immersed in this world. It is like the very air we breathe. But the world is not to be in us, and we are not to be of the world. (e.g., A boat on the water is good; but water in the boat is bad, very bad.)

 

Verse 13: …looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

·       “…looking for” = Like the lookout up in the “crow’s-nest” of a ship watching out for icebergs; or like refugees coming into NY Harbor trying to catch a first glimpse of the Lady of Liberty; or like the families of the Colombia crew scanning the sky to see their loved ones coming back into the atmosphere.

·       “…the blessed hope and appearing”  – This is the same word, epiphany, that we saw up in verse 11. The “blessed hope” is the appearing of Christ. These are not two different things, but one and the same thing. In Greek grammar the Granville Sharp Rule states that when two nouns of the same case are joined by καί (and) with the first noun having the definite article, then the two nouns are equal. That means that “the blessed hope” and “the appearing” are equal, they are the same thing. The Blessed Hope equals the Appearing of Christ’s Glory. His glorious return is the blessed hope of the believer.

·       Paul is telling us that we are to “Live Looking Upward,” thus, the title of this study.

·       “…our great God and Savior” = The same Granville Sharp Rule applies to this verse. Paul is saying that Jesus is our Savior and our God. 

 

Verse 14: …who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

·       “…who gave Himself for us” = He gave Himself in our place, on our behalf, in place of us. (e.g., “I’ll give you this for that.” = meaning in exchange for, in trade) – cf. 2 Cor. 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

·       “…to redeem us…for Himself” = Meaning to buy us back out of the slave market of sin.

·       N.B. The Negative (-) = Notice, He redeemed us from the power of lawlessness, sin, and iniquity.

·       The Positive (+) = He purifies us and makes us fit for Heaven to belong to God.

·       “…for His own possession” In Greek “His own possession” is just one word, περιούσιος, perioúsios. The KJV translates this as “…a peculiar people” which to us implies weird or strange. But that is not the meaning! The word actually means “special, set apart, reserved for.” The word was used for that part of the spoils of a battle or a campaign that the conquering king set aside, especially for himself. Through the work of Jesus Christ, the Christian becomes fit to be the special possession of God. He becomes good enough to belong to God through no effort of his own but by the purifying work of the Word and the Holy Spirit of God.

 

CONCLUSION:

That is the power of Christ’s redemptive work! – for the past, present, and future

1.    Past = Christ liberated us from the power and penalty of past sin.

2.    Present = He enables us to live a victorious godly life here and now.

3.    Future = He cleanses and transforms us to fit into the life to come as God’s own precious possession. 

 

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A personal note to my readers:

I love producing these studies and putting them online. While I am no longer in active full-time ministry since retiring, I still teach a weekly community Bible study here in Eastern Oregon where we now live. These study notes are what I am teaching each week. My prayer is always that they will be helpful to people seeking to know the Bible better. At the end of every study there is a comment box for people to weigh in with observations or questions but almost no one ever does that. I do not know why. Over the past few months, the number of people who are accessing the blog has increased and I am curious about who you are, how you found me, and how you are using the studies. Are you mostly using them in your personal devotions, or as source material for your teaching or preaching? Any way you choose to use them is fine with me. I am just happy that you are finding them helpful. Please tell me a little about yourself – where in the world you live, what your life is like, how you are growing as a Christ follower – things like that. You can use the comment box or if you prefer, my email address is nosliwekim88@gmail.com. May God pour out His richest blessings on you and your loved ones. Mike