As preached by Timothy O'Day.
1) Good works declare the reality of the gospel, so we should insist on them (1-8).
2) Devotion to anything else distracts from the gospel, so we should avoid it (9-11).
3) Healthy churches speed along the mission of the gospel (12-15).
Set in order with Good Works
Titus 3
November 10, 2024
After I graduated college, I waited tables. A peculiar aspect of waiting tables is that much of your pay comes through tips. At the end of your shift, each server has to log how much money they received in cash tips because this is taxable money in the eyes of the government. But doing so is completely on the honor system. Where I worked, as you clocked out a question would come up on the computer system asking how much money we received in cash tips. One time, as I was clocking out, on this question, pulled out the cash I received, counted it, and then logged it in. Another server saw me do this and said, “You know you don’t have to do that.” Concerned, I told this server that actually we did. But then the other server responded, “No, I mean you don’t have to tell them the truth. They won’t know.” Yet, I continued to tell the truth. Now, part of the reason that I continued to tell the truth is because I am terrified of the IRS. But there is a greater reason. I truly believe that one day I will stand before Jesus Christ. I believe that he sees all. I am not afraid of judgment for my faith is in Christ, but I do care what he thinks. I want to please him. And, at the end of the day, the pleasure of Christ means more to me than getting tax-free money.
What separated me from my co-worker on that day was what we believe will happen one day. My co-worker said that she did not think that she would stand before Jesus one day to give an account of her life. I firmly believe that I will, and it changes the way I live now. What you think will happen in the future changes how you live in the present.
This is the exact point that Paul is making at the end of the letter to Titus.
The Context of Titus 3
Titus is a letter from the apostle Paul to Titus, one of his missionary co-workers. After Paul’s imprisonment in Rome, he continued his missionary work, which led him to Crete. For some unknown reason, Paul had to leave Crete before the churches were fully set in order, so he left Titus behind to finish this task. This letter serves as instruction for Titus but also as a letter of authority for Titus to use as he continues to set the churches in order. As we have seen thus far, being a church set in order means it is set on the foundation of the gospel message, protected by qualified men, established in living that fits with sound doctrine, living in light of God’s justifying and sanctifying grace, and, as we see in chapter 3, the church is also set in order with good works.
The importance of the church being devoted to good works while we await the return of Christ is the main idea of Titus 3, being mentioned in verse 1, 8, and 13. As God’s people, we have the expectation that Jesus will return, as we see in Titus 2:13, God’s people are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” While good works do not save us, Titus 3 teaches us that we should be devoted to good works while we await Jesus’ return. Why? Let’s walk through the reasons.
First, good works declare the reality of the gospel, so we should insist on them (1-8)
Chapter 3 begins with an exhortation that connects back with how chapter 2 ended. Titus 2:11-15 is the theological foundation for the ethical exhortations of Titus 2:1-10. In chapter 2, Paul is saying in effect “do these things because God has justified you in Christ and continues to sanctify you in Christ.” Chapter 3 opens with a very similar structure. Titus is to remind the believers to to do 7 things, which break down into two spheres: relationships with governing authorities and relationships with all people in general.
In regard to how Christians are to relate with governing authorities, they are to be submissive, meaning that they are to acknowledge the authority over them, which is also manifested in their obedience to this authority. Submission and obedience are related. One can declare himself to be submissive, but he shows it through obedience. Christians should be people who obey the authorities set over us in government and in the workplace. The only biblical reason given for not doing so is when the state or an employer calls us to sin against God.
But barring the call to disobey God, Christians should submit and obey leaders. Not only this, but they should be ready—that is eager—to do good works. Here good works simply means “whatever is good.”
As we follow the Lord today, we should remind and exhort one another to submit to the God-given authorities over us, obey those who have authority over us, and be ready to do good to any and all around us. This thinking continues on in verse 2 and moves from authorities to people more generally. There we read that Christians are to speak evil of no one, avoid quarreling, and instead be gentle and courteous to all.
As Christians, we should generally read that and say, “Okay, sounds good.” But the reason Titus needs to remind everyone to do these things is because this world is full of temptation to do otherwise. We can have authorities over us who treat us poorly, so we are tempted to not submit and get even by disobeying. If we do submit and obey, the temptation can be to do so with a lackluster attitude, not eager to do good but resigned to merely complying. As we experience evil in this world, we want to return evil with the way we speak of others—tearing down with gossip and slander, jumping into fights, forsaking gentleness and courtesy because, we might say, they don’t deserve it.
So we need to remind each other to live this way. But we need to also remember why we live this way, which is what Verses 3-7 layout for us. Simply put, we live this way because it declares that the gospel is true.
Eagerness for Good Works Springs from the Gospel
Verses 3-7 layout who all Christians once were, what God did to redeem us, and what it means for the way we live now.
Who We Once Were
In verse 3, Paul includes himself and all of us in this list of sinners, people who were not eager for good works. Whether you have a religious background or not, before you come to Jesus you are living as a fool who disobeys the living God; one who is led astray, slaves to passions and pleasures, and passing your days in malice and envy. You hate others and are hating by one another. How is this true of all people? Let’s consider these statements in pairs:
Foolish and disobedient declares the reality that apart from Christ, we are depraved. Apart from God’s instruction, we do not naturally head towards wisdom and obedience to God. Rather, we head toward living that destroys and disobedience to God. This is true not just of the irreligious but of the religious as well. For religion that does not conform to God’s word (Mormonism, Islam, Buddhism) is not true, so it foolishly leads away from the truth and obedience to God.
Led astray and slaves refers to the fact that we are not just perpetrators of evil but victims to it as well. We are caught up in a flow of evil that we cannot control. Satan has unleashed a system on this world that is “anti-god” in nature, and we quickly fall into the stream of it and cannot get ourselves out. Evil if one could have a genuine desire to be righteous, good luck accomplishing that in this evil world.
Passing our days in malice and envy, hating others and being hated, speaks to the human discord we experience. Envy is wanting the good that others have, malice is wishing evil on others. And the world is full of people who want the good that others have, wish evil on them, and thus hate one another. That’s what the world is full of, and you and are are no exception.
Or, I should say, if you are in Christ you were once no exception. Now, in Christ, you are.
What God Did to Redeem
The only way to escape from such bondage is for God to act for us, and this is what he has done in Jesus Christ. When Christ appeared, the goodness and lovingkindness of God appeared in him.
He saved us, and notice the grounds, “Not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.” That is to say, God does not look at us and say, “This whole world is full of evil people, but you are decent. I’ll take you. No, all of us were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. It is only because God had mercy that we are saved from the wrath that is coming on this world because of sin.
In order to redeem us, God showed mercy on us in Jesus Christ. We all deserve eternal wrath for our sin, but God took on flesh in Jesus Christ, lived a life of perfect obedience, died a substitutionary death on the cross, and rose again on the third day to show that sin is completely paid for those who trust in Jesus Christ.
But not only did Christ give himself for us, but he also poured out the Spirit of God on us, who washes us to the point of regeneration (new life) and renewal (new creation), as it says in verse 5. It is by coming to Jesus Christ in faith that we receive the fullness of God’s Spirit, becoming a new creation, which is what we see in verse 6.
What It means for the Way We Live Now
All of this has implications for the way we live now, which is what verses 7-8 tell us. Verse 7 declares the good news of the gospel again, saying that by faith alone we are justified by God’s grace—his kindness to give to us what we do not deserve, namely redemption in Jesus Christ and regeneration through the Holy Spirit.
As this happens, verse 7 tells us that this makes us heirs according to the hope of eternal life. In other words, you are destined for the new creation. You are awaiting the day of your full salvation when Christ returns to make all things new. The Bible tells us again and again that one day, Jesus will come back and he will wipe out sin completely, right every wrong, and make this creation, which is stained by sin, glorious and sin-free. If you are in Christ, you are destined for this new creation.
That is the hope of eternal life: being with God in the new creation forever.
Your eternal destiny has implications for what you do now, which is the point of verse 8. When Paul writes, “This saying is trustworthy,” he means the gospel message he just laid out: we were helpless sinners, God has saved us by his mercy in Jesus Christ and the power of the Spirit, and we are destined for eternal life in the new heavens and earth. Since this message is true, verse 8 goes on to say that we should insist on these things, meaning the good works to which Paul began chapter 3.
The reason we should devote ourselves to good works and insist on them is, as verse 8 ends, “These things are excellent and profitable for all people.” The above good works are profitable because they draw attention to the reality and truth of the gospel. Good works aren’t the gospel and they are not the grounds of your salvation, but they point to the truth of the gospel.
Think of it this way: lostness doesn’t get the attention of a lost person. Sin doesn’t impress sinners. Foolishness blends in with the foolishness; disobedience blends in with disobedience; addiction to your passions and pleasures blends in with the world, malice and envy blends in with the world; hate blends in with the world.
But holiness stands out. Submissiveness is a glare that some think is beautiful while others find it pitiful, but everyone notices it. Obedience stands out in a world of rebels like a lone tree in a field. In a world of laziness, you being prepared to serve will stand out; in a culture of slander, you holding your tongue will get people’s attention; in a land that rejects God’s law, you will be weird for not fighting and insisting on your own way; and in a selfish world, gentleness and courtesy look like yellow highlights on an otherwise white page.
The job at which I was most able to share the gospel was when I was a waiter. My coworkers would ask me why I would report all of my cash tips (the IRS knows only if you report your cash, but the law says you are supposed to), why I would pull the table all the way out instead of just sweeping around the edges, why I kept my break time instead of waiting for someone to come and get me off my break, and why I showed up on time. Before you think that I am some incredible person, think again about what I did that got people’s attention: I merely obeyed my boss and the law. I was ready for work. Some people thought I was lame, some people thought I was disciplined, but all of them knew that I was a Christian—they asked me and I could tell them.
Brothers and sisters, if we want to highlight the gospel, one of the easiest ways of doing it is by devoting ourselves to good works as we are set free by the gospel.
Second, devotion to anything else distracts from the gospel, so we should avoid it (9-11)
After commanding Titus to remind the church to practice works that fit with the reality of the gospel so that they may profit others by adorning the gospel as true, Paul turns to a warning in verses 9-11.
Just as we are to remember to walk in light of the truth of the gospel, we need to avoid topics and issues that drag us away from the foundation of the gospel. What should we avoid?
Foolish controversies, speculations as opposed to revealed truth. This is not saying that we need to stay out of controversy, for Jesus himself was embroiled in deep controversy. Rather, we should avoid speculation that can cause division, building our theology and convictions on things outside of the Word of God and then calling other people to hold to such standards.
Genealogies, Dissensions, and quarrels about the law show the Jewish flavor to the controversies that took place in Crete. This is similar to what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:3-11, in which Paul says that there are men who want to be teachers, but they miss the point of the law and merely focus on small issues that actually lead away from the purpose of the law—which is to show our need of Christ and point us to Christ.
The gist of the warning is to stay away from majoring on anything that diminishes Christ and distracts from his gospel.
You can see this in the reason stated as to why these things should be avoided in verse 9, “For they are unprofitable and worthless.” Whereas devotion to thinking on the gospel and living in light of the gospel is “profitable for all people” (verse 8), these matters profit no one because they distract from the gospel that profits all men.
Take Heed
If a church gets caught up in fruitless speculation, it is doubly tragic. Not only is the gospel obscured for that church, but it is obscured so that all around do not see it either.
The mission of the church is to declare the excellencies of Christ who called us out of darkness, which is why we need to take our rule of framing the gospel with our lives very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that we need to be ready to practice discipline, which is what Paul speaks to in verses 10-11, writing that if a person stirs up division by making these issues primary over the gospel, then this person should be warned twice and then disciplined. While the steps aren’t spelled out as thoroughly as they are in Matthew 18, this is a reference to church discipline. As in Matthew 18, when one refuses correction, he is to be warned a second time. If he continues to refuse to heed the warning, then he is to be put out of the church and warned. By refusing correction, he has shown his true colors, as it says in verse 11, “Such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” As verse 3 shows us, submission and obedience to proper authority flow from the reality of the Spirit’s work in a person’s life. If he refuses to submit to authoritative correction, then he is declaring himself to be without the Spirit. As such, the church is not condemning him; he is condemning himself. Like a man thrown a life preserver, he refuses to accept it.
The Importance of the Church
Brothers and sisters, we must take our doctrine seriously because Christ is the only way of salvation and the gospel is the good news of his work. If division arises, then the gospel is obscured and the world does not profit from our witness. If we devote ourselves to good works, the gospel is adorned, and the world profits from our witness. This is why we must practice discipline and stay focused on the mission of declaring the gospel and making disciples.
This very idea leads us to the close of this epistle.
Third, healthy churches speed along the mission of the church (12-15)
The closing of epistles can seem trivial, but there is much for us to see in these parting words. As Paul wrote this epistle to help Titus rightly ordered the churches of Crete, he was in essence giving Titus instruction about what a healthy church looks like. This is how we have profited from this epistle—we want to imitate what we read here in order to be a rightly ordered church.
But the health of these churches in Crete is about much more than just these churches, just as the health of our church is about more than just us. The health of one church has implications for all other churches and for the spread of the gospel around the world. Look at these last verses to see how this is the case:
In verse 12, Titus is encouraged to come to Paul as soon as a suitable replacement arrives for Titus. That is, Paul wants Titus with him, but having the churches in Crete set in right order was important enough to delay Titus. These churches, on this Island, as small and as immature as they are, matter.
Why do they matter? Verse 13 gives us some light. While Titus is in Crete, Paul expects Zenas and Apollos, fellow missionaries, to go through Crete on their way to another location, presumably to preach the gospel in a new location. Since these churches are set in proper order, they will be able to speed them along, seeing that they lack nothing.
Then, in verse 14, speaking of needs causes Paul to remind Titus yet again to exhort the churches to learn to devote themselves to good works, that is to grow and get better at this. The benefit of learning all the more how to be devoted to good works is that the needs of the church will be met by the church itself, freeing up other resources to spread to other churches.
Here is what all of this means for us: as a young church ourselves, we need to devote ourselves all the more to learning how to devote ourselves to good works so that we can care for our own needs. As we do this, we become able to speed the gospel along through missions. Resources that were used on us can go to other places and we ourselves can use our resources to spread the gospel further and deeper.
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