Titus Chapter 3 Verses 1 – 2

 How’d you do? Going through just that short list… I didn’t do too

spectacularly! First part, not too bad. The whole subject to rulers and

authorities, I’m fairly good there. I’m too small and too pretty for prison!

HA! I’m ready for good work, or at least I think I am. I want good work.

Blessings and good things in my life and in the life of others around me…

 Speak evil of no one… Sliding here. Peaceable, gentle, showing all

humility to all men… See why Paul told Titus to “remind them.” These

are things we do need to be reminded of… The tense of the Greek here is,

“keep reminding,” or, “go on reminding.” Yes, because these things slip

quickly through the daily grind but also because the truth is, these are all

a package deal.

 I want to be ready for every good work. Everything that the Spirit who

dwells in me says, “This is good. This is the way. This is profitable.” In

the Greek, the idea is, compared to everything else, this is good. Not just

for my own good or profit or advantage, but because the heart of a

believer delights in what honors the Lord. So, I can’t pick that up and

leave these other things. And that is primarily why Paul instructs Titus to

remind, remind again and then remind again… Yes, because it slips but

also because its necessary unto a result.

 So, I need to watch my tongue. Watch how I talk about everyone.

Outwardly and inwardly. Because speaking evil of anyone trips up my

readiness for good.

 Peaceable. I laugh when I read the word in the Greek. It, amacho. Ha!

Macho in the Greek is the word for brawling or brawler and when you

have an “a” in front in the Greek it denotes the negative of that word. So,

this is not to be a brawler. Not one who defaults to or runs to a fight with

someone. The word in the Greek also means invincible. Don’t be

invincible. And that is hard.

 In order to be a peaceable person, not a brawler, you have to stay willing

to be hurt by others without retaliating. That one is tough. But just think of

the Lord and how He deals with you and me. How often do we do or say

things fundamentally against Him and yet He will never leave us, forsake

us, or vary in His unconditional love for us?

 Remind them to show all humility to all men. All humility to all men, just

like Jesus who gave all of Himself for all of the sin of the world, the sin of

all people of all time. This is the code for being ready, queued up, poised,

positioned and prepared for good works. Y’all and I and all of us pray to

be blessed. Are we willing to take the road of blessing because this is it!

 We are to be subject to rulers and authorities and to obey. Romans 13:1-3

says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is

no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed

by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of

God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers

are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of

the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.”

 But also, please know the next verse because it is of utmost importance

and relevant, “For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil,

be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister,

an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” What if the ruler

and authorities are not God’s minister for good? There are limits.

 We are to obey and be subject to every ruler and authority, be it law

enforcement, our bosses in our jobs, in our homes our husbands, fathers,

mothers, grandparents, we are to obey in reverence to God and in wisdom,

even going the extra mile…, unless what they are ordering is against the

Word of God.

 Here’s the biblical precedent. In fact, there are many, I’ll give you two.

Acts Chapter 5, Peter and the apostles were doing great works and

preaching Jesus and the captain of the temple, the high priest and the chief

priests heard about it and brought them before their council. Acts 5:28,

“Saying, did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And

look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this

Man’s blood on us!?” Acts 5:29, “But Peter and the other apostles

answered and said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

 Daniel Chapter 6. King Darius signed a law making it illegal to pray to

any god or person except the king himself for thirty days. Daniel 6:10,

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And

in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt

down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before

his God, as was his custom since early days.”

 There are limits to my subjection and obedience to rulers and authorities.

Why? Because there IS an ultimate ruler and authority, and it is Him that I

serve in my subjection and obedience to others. So, yes, let that empower

you to stand for what is right in the eyes of God and in accordance with

the Word of God, but also know, that if you are one that does not readily

and willingly subject themselves to others authority for the sake of your

reverence to God, the ultimate Authority, then you’re missing something

as a Christian…, and you are not prepared for blessing, for every good

work.

Titus Chapter 3 Verses 3 – 7

 I remember very well what my mind was like, my life, my heart, what all

that was like before Jesus. I was a great guy, great heart, wanted and

meant well…, but being the person that I was created to be, that I knew I

was underneath all the hurt, shame, intense internal need that I tried to

constantly squelch down because it showed to others (in my mind) as

weakness…, to actually be that person was like trying to swim in a cement

swimsuit!

 I had the desire to live and yet found no ability to do so. Wanted to be a

good husband and love how I wanted to be loved myself, but not even

coming close. Restricted, arrested by something that I couldn’t put my

finger on enough to even understand. No chance at overcoming…

Intensely self-focused motivated by fear and wounds. And had lived that

way for a long time so I had amassed a good amount of regret and loss.

Like real loss. Loss of good people and haunted by what could have

been…

 Then I encountered Jesus. I got saved at a Calvary Chapel Men’s Retreat

that I didn’t want to be at but I went and somehow that man on stage told

me everything I just said to you about myself. He told my story but he had

a piece of the story that I didn’t. He had the answer…

 When I submitted my heart to Jesus absolutely everything changed. That

man in me that was restricted and caged and suppressed and gagged was

set free and who God created me to be came forth. Was always there but

was shrouded and imprisoned in darkness. There but dead in a way. Now

alive and like a puzzle that had been scattered all over the world, all the

pieces were in one place and the hope of the solved scene was coming

together.

 Weird to think of it that way but when you get saved that puzzle becomes

solvable, starts to solve and all at the same time IS solved! I didn’t

know how to pray and I didn’t care to ask for anything else. For months

my only prayer was two words over and over and over again and it was,

“Thank you!”

 I wasn’t these things that I read in verse 3, I was stuck in these things with

no way out. No matter how much I wanted and tried, I was foolish,

disobedient, deceived, serving various, all the lusts and pleasures living in

malice and envy… And didn’t want to be. Flesh loved it, I hated it,

stuck…

 This is why the gospel of grace has got to be taught. This is why the point

is not to tell people their behavior is wrong but rather to lead them to the

solution. And then let Jesus do what only Jesus can do because I have no

access to your heart and without the power and indwelling of the Holy

Spirit, neither do you!

 So, we don’t hate or stand against people that are stuck in sin and

unsaved! That’s exactly what the enemy would have us to do because it

adds to their loss and scolds them for what they can’t do anything about!

That’s what feels like hate to them. Because it is! We don’t hate them or

stand against them! We preach Jesus to them!

 The kindness and the love of God our Savior. Notice Paul now says,

“God our Savior,” when in verse 13 of the last chapter he said, “Our

Savior Jesus Christ.” Because Jesus is God and He alone is able to save.

Not our debating what is right with someone. Not convincing them

through our superior study. And certainly not through our threats. Jesus

alone saves. AND, He does!

 How? He makes them understand right and wrong. Not primarily! Look

back at verse 5, not by works of righteousness but through the washing of

regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Welcome to the experience

of getting saved!

 Regeneration is literally the mysterious word in the Greek that means new

birth. Recreation. The glorious change of all things for the better and the

restoration of that which is primal! I love that definition!

 Renewing! Anakainosis in the Greek. To relearn and learn again

everything but this time in its proper order, knowledge and understanding!

This is what surrendering your heart to the Holy Spirit does within you

and thus why Jesus called it being BORN AGAIN!

 And now having been justified by His grace…, just as if I’d never sinned,

the power and weight and restraint and hindrance of sin taken out of the

way by the work of Jesus the Savior, we live as heirs to God Himself

having inherited eternal life. All this AND heaven!

Titus Chapter 3 Verse 8

 Maintain those good works… That they, those that are trapped and

suffering, may see your good works and glorify the Father in heaven… In

their own heart of hearts…, see someone with it all solved. Salvation not

just on the inside but on the outside. A living display of the truth and

power of Jesus Christ and Jesus said if He be lifted up, He would draw all

men to Himself! And then, He’ll do for them and in them what He did for

me!

 Titus, this is how you are going to flip Crete for heaven! And it’s the same

for us! Why? Because it’s what flipped me…, and it’s what flipped the

world after His death, resurrection and ascension!