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).

*******************************

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