Paul’s Greeting to Titus

Transcript

GR 743
7/20/1986
Paul’s Greeting to Titus
Titus 1:1-4
Gil Rugh

We're in the Book of Titus, chapter 1, together. The Book of Titus and the first chapter. Titus is one of three letters of the Apostle Paul that are often called the Pastoral Epistles. So when you here someone talk about the Pastoral Epistles, they're talking about First Timothy, Second Timothy, and Titus. Timothy and Titus are sometimes viewed as young pastors, but that is not really an accurate picture of their responsibility. They are really apostolic representatives who had as part of their function appointing pastors in the churches which they oversaw. The Pastoral Epistles as you might think contain material related to the functioning of the church and pastoral ministry. It's in the Pastoral Epistles that we find what are the qualifications for men to serve in the position of pastors in the local church.

Now all three of these epistles have come under attack by liberals who declare that they could not be genuine letters from the Apostle Paul. So modern liberal scholarship rejects any idea that First and Second Timothy and Titus were written by the Apostle Paul. Rather, they would say they are forgeries written under Paul's name but probably in the second century. Now this idea didn't come up until the Nineteenth Century. Early in the Nineteenth Century, about 1807, a German scholar by the name of Schleiermacher came up with the idea that Paul couldn't have written the letters. The words, the language, the style is different than the other Pauline Epistles, like Romans, Corinthians, etc. Therefore, Paul couldn't have written this. I find no basis for rejecting Paul's authorship. It's interesting to me that it took til 1807 for anyone to come up with the idea that Paul couldn't have written it, and as you study these letters and compare them you'll find there are a lot more similarities to Paul's letters than there are differences. So we're not going to go into the issue of authorship but we're going to assume that Paul is the author--and that's what the epistles claim--and if you have question, you might peruse that as a study on your own to see what the issues are and come to grips with why Paul must be the author. This will come up because if you'll present material from the Pastoral Epistles to some people--I did this with a preacher on one occasion. I shared with him, well this is what I believe about this issue and shared it with him from the Pastoral Epistles. He said, 'Oh well, that's not authoritative because that was not written by Paul; that's a forgery.' So it's important to realize that many people reject this portion of the New Testament, but there is no good reason for doing that. My understanding is that the Pastoral Epistles would have been written after Paul's release from prison which is recorded in the Book of Acts. The Book of Acts closes with Paul imprisoned in Rome. I think the indication is that Paul was released from that imprisonment, carried on further ministry, and then was rearrested imprisoned again at Rome and subsequently executed. So the Book of Titus would have come from that time in-between those two imprisonments.

The letter is addressed to the man Titus. That's told to us in v. 4 of chapter 1. "To Titus, my true child in a common faith." Now Titus was a close and very trusted associate of the Apostle Paul. From some material in chapter 2, which we'll see in a later study, it seems that Titus was a young man. At least young in relationship to the Apostle Paul at this point. But he played a key role in Paul's ministry, and is a key person in the Christian faith and the development of key issues. Chapter 1, v. 4, would seem to indicate he was a convert through the Apostle Paul's ministry, where Paul calls him "my true child in common faith." It would seem to indicate that he was probably converted through the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

Remember in Acts chapter 15 there was a counsel at Jerusalem and the apostles gathered in Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul with them, to debate the issue of circumcision in relationship to salvation. And, was it necessary to require Gentiles to be circumcised in the context of salvation. And that was a very key time in the development of the doctrine of the Church. And the Apostles there came to the conclusion that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. The Gentiles did not need to be circumcised. Now that is important in connection with Titus because Titus was the test case. When Paul went to Jerusalem in Acts 15, he took Titus with him and Titus was a Gentile, a Greek. He had both a Gentile father and a Gentile mother, and Paul took Titus to Jerusalem with him refusing to have him be circumcised and thus made Titus the test case in that conflict.

Turn over to Galatians chapter 2, another letter of the Apostle Paul, the Book of Galatians and there Paul is doing battle over the issue of salvation by faith alone, demonstrating that circumcision has no place in salvation. And in Galatians 2, v. 1, Paul says, "Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. And it was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. But not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised." Verse 5, "But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour." So you see Titus had been in the thick of major, central doctrinal conflict with the Apostle Paul. He had gone to Jerusalem and he himself was the test case where Paul declared circumcision was not necessary to salvation. Here is Titus uncircumcised but
Thoroughly saved by the grace of God. Titus had played also a key role in Paul's conflicts and contacts with the Corinthians.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, his first letter, and he also wrote a very severe letter to the Corinthians and had Titus be the one to carry that very severe letter to the Corinthians. Again, showing Paul's confidence in Titus to be able to stand true in the face of conflict. One writer noted this as being an outstanding quality of Titus. The very fact that Paul could trust him. You know, when you're under conflict, when you're facing battle, you want someone who is reliable who is going to stand with you. When the criticism comes, those who were more on the fringe begin to waver. Now Paul is under severe, biting criticism from some at Corinth and some false teachers who were influential at Corinth. When Paul wants to write a letter of rebuke, he has Titus carry that letter. It indicates he has full confidence that no matter what they say about Paul, no matter how they attack Paul, Titus will be there standing firm, true to Paul and what Paul teaches. That gives you some insight into the character of the man Titus.

Turn over to 2 Corinthians. Second Corinthians chapter 2. Titus is mentioned 13 times by name in the New Testament. Most of those references are in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. Let's just read some of them quickly and that'll help us to understand something of the character of Titus and appreciate his letter a little more.

Second Corinthians chapter 2, v. 12. "Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother. You see Paul had sent Titus to Corinth with this letter. Now he was anxiously awaiting the return of Titus so he could hear what the response of the Corinthians has been, and Paul is troubled because Titus has not yet returned. So even though he has an opportunity for ministry in Troas, he moves on into Macedonia because he is anxious to meet with Titus and find out what the reaction has been. Over in chapter 7 of 2 Corinthians. Paul talks about when he finally met Titus in v. 6. "But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more." The Corinthians were humbled by the letter from Paul. They repented of their sin and rejoiced over Paul's ministry. Titus brought that greeting.

Over in chapter 8, Titus had been the one sent to make the collection among the Corinthians for the church in Jerusalem. Again, an indication of how trustworthy the man Titus really was. V. 6 of chapter 8, "Consequently we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well." Of completing the collection for the saints at Jerusalem.

Down to v. 16, "But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord." See Titus is a man of strong character, earnestness. He had a love for the Corinthians and counted it a privilege to minister to them.

Down in v. 23, "As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow-worker among you." So you see the high esteem in which Paul holds Titus. He's a partner, a fellow- worker. He's not down here and I'm up here. I see Titus as joined together with me in our ministry.

Over in chapter 12, v. 17, "Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he?
Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit and walk in the same steps?"
Strong commendation for Titus. Doesn't Titus live just like I do? Doesn't Titus minister just like I do? You can't accuse Titus of taking unfair advantage of you.

We last hear of Titus in the closing remarks of Paul's last letter. Back in 2 Timothy, just before Titus, chapter 4, Paul is again imprisoned in Rome. His execution is not far away. And in 2 Timothy, chapter 4, v. 10, "Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia." Evidently Titus again had been sent on a mission by Paul into the region of Dalmatia, present day Yugoslavia, showing how Paul trusted this man even as his ministry is drawing to a close. One of those he trusts to go as his representative is Titus.

So as we come back to Titus chapter 1, this is the man who is the recipient of this letter. He is serving as Paul's representative in the City of Crete, as we'll see in a moment. He had been sent there to put things in order. We're not told how the church at Crete began or the churches. All we know is that they're there. Whether they are the result of Paul's ministry, whether they are the result of the Day of Pentecost, because we're told in Acts chapter 2 there were people from Crete in Jerusalem at the Day of Pentecost, at any rate these churches are established but they are in a deteriorated condition. Paul sends Titus to set things in order, to organize them biblically, to appoint godly men as elders over the churches, to bring the church into conformity with a life of godliness. And that's the theme of the letter to Titus--godliness, or good deeds. A related expression is used a number of times through Titus--good deeds, godliness, living a life that conforms to our new life in Christ. In Christ, when we believe in Him and His death on our behalf, we are made perfect in Christ. We call that our position. As God sees me in Christ I am perfect, holy, blameless, without sin.
Now my life lived out on this earth is to be growing more and more into conformity with this position that I have in Jesus Christ. The Book of Titus focuses in on living a life that reflects the character of God in all that I do.

Look in chapter 1, v. 8, elders are to be "hospitable, loving what is good." There's that emphasis on good, the good works, the good deeds, loving what is good. Down in v. 16, "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny
Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed." That unbeliever, the false teacher, worthless for good works or good deeds.

Down in chapter 2, v. 7, "In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds." Titus, your life is to exemplify godliness, good deeds or good works. V. 14 of chapter 2, Christ Jesus "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." Now you note, we see this balance but we have to keep it in mind--He's not saying you ought to do good deeds to be saved, that by doing your best or good works you could get to heaven. But, as a result of the transforming work of the grace of God in your life, good deeds and good works are the result. In chapter 3, v. 1, "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed." V. 8, "This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds." V. 14, And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful." Now this life of godliness that we as believers are to live in the midst of an ungodly world is to have an impact upon the unbeliever. Are our lives making an impact? Is our testimony for Jesus Christ making an impact? The words that we speak, the gospel that we preach must be supported by lives that conform to godliness, otherwise there will be no impact in our testimony. One of the great tools of Satan in nullifying or canceling out any impact of the gospel of Jesus Christ is believers whose lives are conformed to this world and this world system. We say the words1 of the gospel, but there is no impact felt because it is a life of godliness that the Spirit of God uses to give impact to the words of the gospel. We're going to see in a moment, you need the words of the gospel to be saved. No one was ever saved by looking at a life. You must hear the gospel to be saved. But the gospel as it is proclaimed must be supported and demonstrated by transformed lives. That's why we in a country like this can have so many believers, at least professing believers, and so little impact with the gospel. You cannot tell a believer from an unbeliever. We have become totally assimilated into this world system, and so we mouth the words but godliness does not support what we're saying.

Titus chapter 2, v. 5, Paul speaks to this, where he talks about the conduct of young women. They are to behave with good deeds and note the end of v. 5, "that the word of God may not be dishonored." So you see, if I do not have a biblical lifestyle, the word of God is dishonored. If I am dishonoring the word of God, how can I expect the gospel of Jesus Christ as I preach it or proclaim it or share it to have any impact? I am working against the very thing that I'm saying. In v. 8 of chapter 2, "Sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us." V. 10, "showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect." So key, our life is to be adorning the doctrine that is being taught and being preached.

The first four verses of this letter form an introduction or salutation. They are the greeting. We often put it at the end of our letters today. Here, you put it at the beginning. You identify the writer, the recipient, and then give a word of greeting. The bulk of this introduction or salutation focuses on the one who is the writer, the Apostle Paul. He's going to establish his position, his authority, his reason for ministry. Not because Titus needs this, but Titus serves in Crete as a representative of the Apostle Paul. The authority of Paul is behind him. People need to realize that the authority of God is behind Paul, so that they will respect Titus and submit to the teaching of Titus, which is the teaching of the Apostle Paul.

The first three verses really focus on the writer of the letter, the Apostle Paul. Let's look at some of the details of what Paul has to say about himself. First in identifying himself. He'll identify himself in two ways: he is a servant, and he is an apostle. Paul always had crystal clear before him who he was. I wonder if someone asked you to very concisely say who you are, how we would first off come to identify ourselves. Would it be in the context of the job we have, a position we hold or something like that? Well, Paul was always in relationship to Jesus Christ. Everything came back to that? Who am I? I am number 1, a bond- servant of God. Who are you? I am a bond-servant of God. Paul, a bond-servant, a dulos, a slave of God. This puts him in proper perspective and proper relationship. He belongs to God, and he is responsible to serve God. I am a servant of God. So God is my owner and my responsibility is to Him. So it's not just a way of saying something nice, but it put Paul's life and ministry in perspective.
This is really a statement that can be made of any believer. Believers are those who have been purchased by God for Himself. So everyone who is truly a believer in Jesus Christ, who has come to experience the salvation that God has provided in His Son, is a slave or servant of God.

Let's look at a couple of passages, First Corinthians chapter 6. I believe this is a doctrine that we give verbal ascent to, but it's one we often don't live out. If we really live the doctrine of being the servant of God, godliness will characterize our lives. First Corinthians chapter 6, v. 19. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" You don't belong to yourself. That's not your life. That's not your body. You're not free to do with your life what you want to do. We hear people say, It's my life; I want to live it the way I want to live it. God says it's not your life; you don't have the freedom to live it the way you want to live it. It's My life.

Verse 20, "For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." That follow through? God paid the price to purchase me for Himself. I am a sinner. The wages of sin is death. The Son of God died on a cross to pay the penalty for my sin. Now I belong to Him. He purchased me. I am His to do with as He pleases. This is His body. I cannot now decide what I'd like to do with my life. What would I like to do with my body? I'm a servant of someone else; I must now ask, what does He want to do with this life? What does He want me to do with this body? And here I'm told I'm obligated to glorify Him in your body. What I do with this physical body is to glorify Him. That means a life of godliness.

Over in 1 Peter chapter 1, vs. 18 and 19, Peter says that we were purchased "with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. First Peter chapter 1, vs. 18 and 19, "but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." That was the purchase price, the death of the Son of God. If you are truly a believer in Jesus Christ, that is not your life. That is God's life. That's why we have the authority with the word of God to instruct one another on what is right and what is not right to do with that life. I can tell you in light of the Word of God that you cannot live a life of immorality, and you say, It's none of your business what I do with my life. It is none of my business what you do with your life; but it is_ my business what you do with God's life. It is your business what I do with God's life. You see, all of us who are believers are servants and slaves of God Himself. What a privileged position! What an honor to belong to God, to have Him as indeed our owner.

Back in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul talks about how this fact in recognition of being the servant of God and of Jesus Christ controls us. In 2 Cor. chapter 5, v. 14, "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;" and note v. 15, "and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." The one who loved them and died for them. Doesn't that fit? Jesus Christ died for me; He paid the penalty for me. He purchased me. Now it's His life. Therefore I am obligated to live my life for Him. That's the natural follow-through. Do you really understand that as a believer in Jesus Christ? Has that been the molding, shaping factor in your life in the days of this week? You know, I find in our society that believers are busier and busier but have less time and less time and less time for the things of God. Something's wrong.
We've forgotten to whom we belong. We are the servants and slaves of God. The people of this world, they're the servants of Satan. They live their lives differently. Do I really understand I'm the servant of God? I like the way Paul puts that, right out front--"Paul, a bond-servant of God." Now that puts everything about my life in proper perspective. That everything about me now, you ought to see in the context of it's done in light of the fact that someone else owns me, controls me and directs me in everything that I do.

Come back to Titus chapter 1. He also says he is "an apostle of Jesus Christ." That fits with being a bond-servant. The particular element or area of his service is as an apostle of Jesus Christ. As a servant he has been appointed by God as a representative or a messenger of Jesus Christ. An apostle is one sent with a message as a representative of another. Paul as an apostle was one sent with a message from God to represent Jesus Christ. That's his position. Apostles, I take it, were unique in the foundation of the Church. They had unique qualifications and responsibilities. It was through them that the Scriptures were given, such as this letter to Titus. Paul saw himself in that framework as that special representative and servant of Jesus Christ.

Now what is his mission? What is he to be accomplishing? He says he is a servant and an apostle, "for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness." As an apostle, he is one sent with a message; as a servant, he is representing someone else. Now his ministry is for the faith of those chosen of God. Key element in Paul's life, in Paul's service, was to bring to faith those that God has chosen for Himself. He refers here to the chosen of God, that's where we get the word 'elect' from. The elect of God. The elect are those God has sovereignly chosen in eternity past to be the recipients of the salvation that He would provide in His Son, Jesus Christ. Now Paul said his ministry was preaching the gospel, and he'll elaborate this in a moment, so that those whom God has chosen might come to believe the message of the gospel. Paul saw his ministry, then, to go and preach the gospel so the ones God had chosen could hear and believe that gospel.

Over in 2 Thessalonians, just before First Timothy, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, v. 13, "But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth." See God chose you. Now the way this is worked out is the Spirit of God sets you apart and you come to believe the truth of the Gospel. Now sometimes we get involved in the theological debates that surround the doctrine of election. I believe the Scripture is clear that the sovereign God from among fallen humanity has chosen some to experience the salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. That ought never to blur what my responsibility is. I get all hung up, then, on what about those who aren't elect; and what about certain ones who aren't elect and certain ones are elect and how this affects them. All these issues, but you know how Paul narrows it all down to? My responsibility is simple: I go and present the gospel so that the elect can hear and believe. I don't worry about what God has done, I worry about what my responsibility is. God has chosen, and that's an act of grace because he has chosen from among rebellious, sinful people who didn't want anything to do with His Son anyway, and by His grace some will be saved. But they must hear the gospel and believe in the gospel of God. So Paul's ministry is simple. It's for the faith of those chosen of God so that they can hear and believe the gospel.

He goes on further and says, "the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness." You can't be saved without hearing the truth. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." This is why I said earlier in our study that a person cannot be saved by simply observing a life of godliness. If I lived the best, most godly life I could live but never opened my mouth to present Jesus Christ, the person could not be saved. Because you must hear, understand and believe that you are a sinner and the Son of God died on a cross to pay the penalty for your sins. Without hearing and believing those facts, you cannot be saved. So it's for the knowledge of the truth that people might come to know and believe this truth. Now it's the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness. When a person hears the truth of God and believes it, the result is a transformation on the inside. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (a new creation); old things have passed away; behold, now things have come." That's transformation is godliness. Now, that fact begins at salvation but continues on. Paul continued to preach the gospel and present the truth of God, not just so that unbelievers might hear and believe but so that those who have believed might grow to be more like Jesus Christ. This is why we come together to study the Word of God, because it is the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness. As I am exposed to the truth of God, as I study the truth of God, as I allow the Spirit of God to use the truth of God in my life, that supernatural transformation occurs that brings me more and more into conformity with the character of God Himself.

Over in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, v. 18, Paul wrote to the Corinthians and says, "As we are beholding in the mirror," the mirror being the Word of God, "the glory of Jesus Christ, we are being transformed into conformity with His image." That's being accomplished by the Spirit. So why do we study the Word of God? You say, I know these facts; I've heard these facts many times. Yes, but you're not everything yet that you need to be in the life you're living. I'm not everything I need to be. It's not enough that I know these facts, that I've heard these facts; but has this truth been assimilated into every area, every corner, every fiber of my being? So that I as much like Jesus Christ as is possible? Obviously that's not true yet because I am not yet perfect. That means I need the Word of God. I need the knowledge of the truth so that I might be more and more conformed to godliness. You know, the Word of God puts no value on knowledge for knowledge sake. Sometimes we pride ourselves in what we've learned about the Bible. And it's important, we need to know the truth. The truth is foundational for everything we're talking about. But Paul wrote to the Corinthians in First Corinthians chapter 8, v. 1, and said "Knowledge puffs up; loves builds up." Knowledge will make you proud but love will build to maturity. We need to be careful. I don't study the Word of God so I can know more. I study the Word of God so I can be_ more of what God wants me to be. Now it's important, some people say, Knowledge isn't important. Well you can't be a godly person in the true biblical sense of that unless you have a thorough knowledge of the Word of God and that knowledge of the Word of God is being assimilated into your life and you are being conformed to it. But by the same token, you can know a lot of facts from the Word of God and not be a godly person. Satan is willing to take a portion of the truth and distort it and corrupt it and make it something ugly. We have people running around spouting Bible verses who do not have lives of godliness. We have people running around claiming to be pious, holy, godly people who fail to understand the Word of God as God has given it.

Alright, in Titus chapter 1, Paul's ministry then is so that people can hear and believe the truth, become exposed to the knowledge of the truth that will produce godliness in the life. Now in this all, the goal towards which this faith and knowledge move, the motivation of Paul in his ministry is "the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago." Paul's life and ministry was based on the hope of eternal life. The goal of our faith, the knowledge which produces godliness in our life is eternal life. It is the focal point of everything. You know, we lose sight of this. What is our purpose? Our purpose ultimately is to glorify God. Step back from that. What is the focal point of my life, then? It's the life that I have in God; it is eternal life.

In Christ I have a hope that can be found no where else. It's the hope of eternal life.
life. Now I have eternal life in Christ, but I haven't entered into the full realization of that like I will at a future time. Look over to 1 Peter, toward the back of your New Testament. The First Epistle of Peter, and the first chapter. This focal point constantly comes out in the writers of the New Testament. And in 1 Peter chapter 1, v. 3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God." That's what he's talking about. See that focal point? Eternal life.

John writes about it in his first epistle. First John chapter 3. He talks about the great love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God, and we are the children of God. First John 3:2, "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him." That's the hope that I have. "And every one who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Having that as the focal point of my life helps me to live a life of godliness here Now how important is that? I think we as believers talk a lot about eternal life, but how focal is that in the way we live our lives? How many people have you asked this past week, Do you have eternal life? Do you know what it means to have the hope of eternal life? Do you know for sure that if you died today you'd spend eternity in the presence of God?

One of our staff is going to conduct a funeral this week for a lady who was in her twenties and died suddenly. I have to ask myself, living in this city, how many believers asked that person, Do you know for sure if you died today you'd spend eternity in the glory of God's presence? The opportunity was gone for that person before they reached the age of 30. I wonder how many of us as believers crossed the path of that person and were totally insensitive to the fact that that person only had hours or days or weeks before they would be in eternity. How important is this issue of eternal life for me? I think it's something we as believers tuck away in the back of our minds or put it on a shelf and we know it's nice to have it there, it's a little bit of security for me. But Paul says that dominates my ministry! That dominates my life! I'm a servant, I'm a representative of God and of His Son Jesus Christ, and it centers in the hope of eternal life. That's why I'm proclaiming what I'm proclaiming. That's why I share the truth. Everyone who is ever going to have eternal life is going to have to hear what I have to say, Paul says. Is it that important to us? Paul said everywhere he went he made the gospel of Jesus Christ known. Is that of me? Is that true of you? Were you any place this week where the gospel of Jesus Christ is still unknown? Was I? That tells me something of where I put eternal life. I think it's sometimes a side issue for us as believers. We're not consumed by its importance, and then we wonder why the world is not impressed with what we have to say. We pull it off the shelf periodically and talk about it, but it's not a focal point of my life. Paul develops a little bit on this theme. He says really three things about this eternal life. He says it was promised by God before time began; it's been manifested now through His Word; and 3, I have been commanded to preach it. The hope of eternal life, "which God, who cannot lie". How do I know that what the Bible says about eternal life is true? God said it and God can't lie! So if there is not an eternal heaven and an eternal glory, God's a liar and God can't lie. So I've never seen heaven. I've never seen the full realization of eternal life with a glorified body, but I know it's true just as real as I'm here today because God said it, and God can't lie. Paul says, That's the foundation for it. A god who cannot lie promised long ages ago. You know that expression "long ages
ago" is literally "before eternal time." Before eternal time. What he's saying is, You go back before time as we know it, what we call eternity past before the creation of the world, God had planned that those He chose for Himself to experience His salvation would enjoy eternity in His presence. But now “at the proper time manifested, even His Word." What happened?
God planned this back before time. But now He has unfolded this truth in His Word. So I come now, it has been revealed. I have the Word of God. You note where the knowledge of eternal life is found? It is found in the Word of God.

He has manifested it at the proper time. His Word. Many people think eternal life is a fairy tale. Many people have a lot of strange and wonderful ideas about eternity and life after death. You know where you really find out about eternal life? You want to know what is really going to go on 10 seconds after you're dead? You have to come to the Word of God. You want to know if there really is such a thing as heaven, such a thing as hell? I must come and find out what the God who cannot lie says. Any wonder that the vast majority of the world lives their life in a fog? They've rejected the truth of what God has said! They have believed the lie of Satan! So they are in darkness concerning truth, but you and I are not. Important, it's so crucial for you to know, for me to remember that the only place in all the world that you can find out about eternal life is in the Word of God. Know what that means? That means if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you know the Word of God, and the only way the world can hear it is for you and I to share that word. That's why Paul was consumed with presenting the truth, that people might come to the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness. Because there's no hope for eternal life. You know that neighbor that you live next to, that person you work with? No matter what you do for them, what you do to them, if you don't share the Word of God with them regarding eternal life they cannot be saved. Now someone else may share it, but ultimately it comes down to that fact—Is that so important to me that my life is taken up every day I'm praying for those I'll have contact with, every day every unbeliever I have contact with I'm thinking in this context? God give me the courage and the boldness and the opportunity to present to them in your gracious love the truth of eternal life found only in your Son Jesus Christ. Should it matter that they may not want to hear it? Should it really matter that they may think it's foolish? They don't know that this is reality. That's why I must tell them. Does that really consume me? I'm really disturbed with myself, how easy it is to become lax, to become absorbed with believers and the study of the Word in and of itself, to lose sight of the fact there is a world around us lost, dying, have no knowledge of eternal life. His Word, "in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior."

God commanded Paul to go and share the truth. We have that truth. Now it has to be shared. The proclamation, the announcing of this truth, Paul says, that's my ministry. That's what my life is all about. Isn't it nice to be able to nail your life right down to that? For Paul it wasn't putting food on the table, wasn't keeping out of difficulty, wasn't trying to keep the status quo.
It all narrowed down to one thing: I have to tell people about Jesus Christ.

Now as you summarize your life, can you say that's what my life is all about? Really when it gets all down to the bottom line, what life is about for me is making Jesus Christ known. You know yourself, I know myself. Look over the last week, how have you done? That'll tell you how central this is in your life. Have you been burdened for the unbeliever? How many unbelievers are you praying for? How many unbelievers are you looking for opportunities to share the gospel with? What unbelievers do you know you could really make Jesus Christ known to? Paul says it was the command of God our Savior that I share this, and I'm His servant. So you see we've come back. I'm a servant of God, and He's commanded me to share the gospel. So that's what I'm doing.

Now Titus doesn't need all this. You know what this is doing? It's establishing the authority of Titus because Titus is now going and doing the same thing Paul was doing. And he's doing it with Paul's authority, and Paul has God's authority. That means Titus has God's authority through Paul. We're doing the same thing. We're reading Titus' letter. We're studying it. The Apostle Paul through the authority of God proclaimed this Word. We're doing now just like Titus. We have God's authority as given through the Word of God through Paul to do the same thing. So he says, "To Titus, my true child in a common faith," that common faith, the only faith that brings salvation. It's the faith of those chosen of God, in v. 1. Titus shared that common faith. He's a true, genuine, legitimate child. "Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior." Grace and peace--the unmerited favor of God that brings peace into the life. That's what he wanted for Titus in his ministry there.

I wonder, where are we in relation to this marvelous truth that God has given us? First, do you have the hope of eternal life? Have you believed the message of the gospel? I'm not asking do you know the facts? I don't want to know, have you studied the Word of God? I want to know, have you really come to believe in Jesus Christ personally? Know what it means to be transformed on the inside, to have a life that is conformed to godliness? Has this truth produced this godliness in your life? Are you more like Jesus Christ than you were six months ago? A year ago? Is His character more seen in your life in the way you life, in the priorities of your life? Are you involved in the proclamation of the truth which He has entrusted to us so that His Son might be made known? Who knows the truth of the gospel because you've been faithful in sharing it with others? May God use our lives, lives of godliness, our lips, bold and courageous to speak this truth to bring many of the elect to the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ the Son of God. Let's pray together.