Scripture Introduction
Many of you know the slogan, “Once Saved, Always Saved.” Some Christians love how that phrase justifies a lack of godliness even after they walked the aisle, or were baptized, or made some profession of faith. Other Christians hate the saying because of its lack of Biblical precision.
Maybe we should better say, “Once Saved, Always Changed.” Those whom God saves he also sanctifies. Salvation is not the decision we make to follow Jesus, but Jesus’ decision to bring us to the Father. And he who began that work in us will be sure to complete it.
Warren Wiersbe warns us of the danger of a faith based on slogans: “There are many professors who are not possessors. A Christian is not sinless, but he does sin less.”
John Piper: “The Bible knows nothing of the modern idea that your soul might be saved while your life is wasted away…. But many secretly hope Jesus, while saving your soul, will leave your life alone.”
2Timothy 2.19: But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
“Once saved, always changed” is the theme of Titus 3. Please give your attention as I read this portion of God’s word.
[Read Titus 3.1-8. Pray.]
Introduction
Francis Schaeffer (one of great Christian thinkers of the last century) wrote about living out the Christian faith in a morally failing world. In his aptly titled book, How Should We Then Live?, Schaeffer seeks answers to questions like, “What is the relation between a Christian and the culture?” I think this question should grip every Christian: “Now that God has converted us, how should we then live?”
One answer, Pietism, proposes that we retreat from the world and keep religion to ourselves – faith should be personal and private, without worldly effect or influence. The opposite idea, “triumphalism,” wants Christian truth forced on others: the faith should change the world without regard to the preferences of people or even whether it has properly impacted us. Instead of either of those, the Bible says that the kingdom of God is within, while its influence radiates out. Its rule advances by the grace of the gospel as it changes hearts and lives.
As a result, the true Christian makes a difference in the lives of others through the difference God has made in our lives. Jesus calls it salt and light – preserving, flavoring, blessing, influencing. We make a difference in the world when we are the people we should be – so transformed by the grace of God that we are an aroma of life to those whom God is saving.
This morning’s text shows Paul’s concern for the church’s witness in a fallen world. We too live in a culture that rebels against God. How should we then live? How can we be who we should be when surrounded by so much that is not the way it ought to be?
1. To Be Who We Should Be, We Must Remember Our High Calling (Titus 3.1-2)
This past summer Daniel was mowing the grass at Compass Church. While he cut the front of their large property, someone stole his gasoline cans. Back in July, during the middle of the night, someone egged our house and cars. A few weeks ago, Daniel and Rebekah biked to the grocery store to purchase some items for a taste-test challenge for her Chef’s Journal newsletter. While they were in the Kroger in Fairfield, Daniel’s bicycle was stolen. Friday, when I walked out to get the mail, I found that someone had spit their half-eaten candy in the church mailbox.
These are minor wrongs, almost irrelevant annoyances in day-to-day life. But they do show, in their small way, a difficulty of living gracefully in a world of sin and sinners.
Christians are not exempt from the problems people face. What shocks us, however, is that Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5.44-45). Instead of getting even with those who wrong us, Jesus wants us to “not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Matthew 5.39-41).
So the effects of a fallen world create relational problems, especially with those who do not worship Jesus as Lord – who live for themselves. But there is more: most true Christians feel disappointment with the government that rules us. Corruption too often mars public officials, and even when it does not, they seem set on removing freedoms and replacing them with a nanny state – controlling us “from cradle to grave.”
In spite of our frustrations, however, I dare say that living a godly life in a depraved culture would have been much harder for the new Christians in Crete than for us. The Romans had taken over their island, and we can be sure that the rule of these invaders offended all the citizens. Additionally, these new Christians lived among neighbors who did not share their faith. They must have felt the mocking and mistreatment from people who saw no value in godliness, no benefit to following the Jewish Messiah.
With these difficulties, Paul tells the Christians in Crete to respect those who rule over them and to relate to their non-believing neighbors with kindness, care, and compassion. Adorn your profession with a life that witnesses to the character and power of the gospel.
In cooking class we learned that people eat with their eyes first. When the gourmet chef prepares food, he or she must be careful about plating, paying attention to color and shape, arranging the food so that it is attractive. Appearance is the first experience of a meal: we eat first with our eyes.
Titus 2.10 reminds us that “in everything we must adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” Our faith is seen with the eyes before it is heard from our lips. So if we really believe that God’s kindness led us to him while we were sinners, then we should be kind to those who sin against us. Such is our high calling – to be both good citizens and good neighbors.
We are good citizens when we are rightly ruled: submissive and obedient. “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13.1). We can demonstrate by a life of joyful submission that our Father in heaven does all things well and can be trusted in the leaders he has placed over us.
We are good neighbors when we are rightly relating, showing a readiness to do good, even to those who do not share our faith. We are to malign no one, but to be peaceable; as far as we are able, to live in harmony with everyone; ready to yield personal advantage for the sake of others. Jesus called it meekness, and we are to display this perfect courtesy toward all people. Not just those who treat us well, or those in the church. We are to show an indiscriminate kindness to our neighbors.
This is hard. Frustrated by the erosion of culture, we may become bitter and angry when people respond badly to our efforts to be kind. But God makes no exception for ungodly government or sinful neighbors. Christians have a higher calling because we know the grace of God our Savior. This is how the gospel within us witnesses to his power.
2. To Be Who We Should Be, We Must Remember Our Low Condition (Titus 3.3)
Just as verses 1-2 describe our calling in terms of rulers and relations, so also Paul reminds us of where we came from in the same terms.
First, we were once wrongly ruled. Instead of submitting to proper authority, we were controlled by rebellious hearts, directed by ugly desires, and unable to resist the addictions of pleasure. Rather than be governed by God’s wisdom through his word, we were deceived by “the way that seemed right, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14.12; 16.25). We bristled when someone told us what to do. We thought too well of ourselves – we were wrongly ruled.
We were also wrongly relating: full of malice, envy, and hatred. Our selfishness led to ill-will towards others. If it meant getting ahead, we would lie or cheat or manipulate. We wanted to succeed, and if that meant trampling the feelings and needs of others, too bad.
Now maybe you’re thinking, “I was never like that! I was a basically good person before I accepted Christ.” It is true that not everyone displays all of these characteristics to the worst degree. Maybe you had a good upbringing, where your parents taught you to be considerate of others and to practice a “golden rule morality.” Perhaps circumstances restrained your sin.
But God sees the heart, the underlying motives, how we would have acted if our situation had been different. A godly person responds well to rule and relationships whether circumstances are good or ill – the love of Christ controls us. But apart from God’s grace, the human heart is enslaved to selfishness – unable to find true victory over the world, the flesh, or the devil.
Please note something important in this text, especially if you do not see yourself in the description of verse 3. Paul’s upbringing was extremely religious – he was a Pharisee! Yet he does not stand high and holy and say, “Remind those Cretans that they were awful sinners. Tell them about the pit from which God saved them. Show them how ugly they were before they came to Christ.” No! Paul insists that a low condition is something we share. We all related wrongly to rule and relationship before God changed us. The kindness of God comes to the wicked, not those who are well.
Show mercy to the civil rulers and unbelievers around you – because that is how God dealt with us. So how do we do something so unnatural? How can we respond with grace with mistreated?
3. To Be Who We Should Be, We Must Remember God’s Gracious Salvation (Titus 3.4-7)
Though we were once far from God, living only to please ourselves, we are no longer! Not because we have decided to be good, but because God’s grace changed us. 1Corinthians 15.10: But by the grace of God I am what I am….”
Three things to notice:
3.1. Not by our works
Horatius Bonar put it so wonderfully in his hymn: “Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul; not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole. Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God; not all my prayer and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.”
Romans 4.4-5: Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
2Timothy 1.9: God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus.
3.2. But by God’s mercy
Horatius Bonar: “Your grace alone, O God, to me can pardon speak; your pow’r alone, O Son of God, can this sore bondage break. No other work, save yours, no other blood will do; no strength, save that which is divine, can bear me safely through.”
The word, “loving kindness,” in Titus 3.4 is (Greek Word) [philanthropia], from which we get the English word, philanthropy: “the love for and desire to benefit mankind.” God looked at a depraved and damnable people and felt love and compassion. We did nothing; his love caused him to do everything. So we cannot complain that those outside the church do not deserve our kindness, service, and ministry – because we did not deserve God’s kindness and ministry! He saved us, not because of works we did, but according to his mercy. He did this….
3.3. Through the Work of the Holy Spirit
Why will the true believer respond differently toward rulers and relationships? Ultimately because of the Spirit within you. The Spirit makes you like the Father, showering rain on the just and unjust, showing mercy to friend and foe. If you are a Christian you cannot help but witness with your life to those who have not yet experienced the mercy of God!
4. To Be Who We Should Be, We Must Remember Devotion to Good Works (Titus 3.8)
Please note two details that should change our lives.
First, God tells us to “be careful to devote.” Left to our own devices, everyone of us drifts back to self-seeking and self-serving behaviors. When you were first converted, thoughts of service and evangelism and outward focused works consumed your thoughts and thrilled your souls.
But passion wears off. That is why God insists that we be careful to devote ourselves to the good works which adorn the gospel in witness to those who do not know Jesus.
In the meeting we had yesterday, we started listing some of the ways God might allow us to carefully devote ourselves to good works in this community. I noticed two things. First, it will be hard, requiring some of our best time and effort.
Matthew Henry: “True believers must make it their care to maintain good works, not to do them occasionally only, and when opportunities come in their way, but to seek opportunities for doing them.
Second, it will be fun. My hearts skips with joy to hope that we can give up infighting and debate, and move beyond an ingrown church to an outgoing devotion to good works. Let us adorn the gospel! God tells us to “be careful to devote.”
Second, notice that these good works are “excellent and profitable for people.” They are excellent – morally good and honorable, and they are profitable – of benefit to others – not simply the church – but all kinds of people.
Dr. Philip H. Towner (Associate Professor of New Testament at China Evangelical Seminary (Taiwan) and Adjunct Professor of New Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis): “The importance of the visible attractiveness of the Christian life is that it might point others to belief in God. Paul’s thought is that since God’s love in Christ has transformed the lives of those who have believed, the manifestation of that love in their lives should have similar results in the lives of others. Mission is one of the primary reasons for the performance of the Christian life in the world.”
May God enable us to excel in profitable good works.
