Sunday, January 26, 2025 PM

Gospel-Centered Responsibility in Titus 1:1-4

Let's open our Bibles and turn to the book of Titus. Returning to chapter 1, we'll be reading verses 1 -4 this evening. Titus chapter 1, verses 1 -4. As we continue our study on what a good church needs.

What a good church needs. Speaking with a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the blessings of gathering together as a church body. We thank you for the clarity of your word and the hope that we have in Jesus Christ.

We pray that as we consider this opening to Titus from the Apostle Paul, that you would remind us of the blessings that we have in Jesus Christ. And it's in his name that we pray, amen. As we've been thinking about this brief letter of Paul to Titus, it's called one of the pastoral letters.

Titus and 1st Timothy and 2nd Timothy. Chalk full of instructions to both these men from Paul, concerning what is necessary for a healthy church. So there's instructions there concerning elders and deacons and members of the church about how to handle various needs in the life of a local church.

And so in the letter to Titus, we have a theme of what a good church needs. That a good church needs good direction, good doctrine, and good deeds. These three in a good dynamic. And all of these are addressed in one way or the other in every passage that you work through in Titus.

But there'll be a greater emphasis on one than the other. Here in the opening, in the first four verses, we're being exhorted that a good church needs to be gospel centered. And let's go ahead and read the passage this evening.

Titus 1, verses 1 through 4. Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgement of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested his word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God, our Savior.

Gospel-Centered Revelation and the Non-Lying God

Now we've been thinking about that in terms, first of all, in verse 1 of gospel-centered responsibility, Paul identifying himself as the slave of God. What kind of slave? An apostle, that kind. The one that has been entrusted with a message, to send forth the message of the gospel.

And we see what he's about in terms of encouraging the saints, calling the elect unto salvation to believe and to grow in that faith, to acknowledge that truth which accords with godliness. And now we're looking at verses 2 and 3 where we're looking at gospel-centered revelation, that God has made a promise.

And the last time we were thinking about how that promise is one of eternal life, the promise of eternal life in Christ. And that this promise may be relied upon because it was made by one who was eternally true, the descriptor of God being the non-lying God, which is a great contrast to the gods of the Cretans, as they worshipped the Greek pantheon of gods and every single one of them was a liar.

So the one true God, the creator, he's the non-lying God, so you can rely on his promises, and that this promise was made from eternity past. So it's a promise based on God, not on anything that's happening in the day today.

So it's a reliable promise every which way you look at it. So now we're going to move forward into verse 3 and look more at what Paul has to say here, namely this perfect moment. Verse 3 says, but at the proper time, so notice in due time, has in due time manifested his word through preaching.

Notice the relationship with verse 2. This eternal life which God who cannot lie promised before time began, but has in due time manifested his word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior.

So when we think about what has been promised, what has been declared, what has been shown, we think about Paul's message. Remember, he's an apostle, he's one sent out with a message, and this message pertains to, first of all, the faith of the elect.

Now, of course, it's not only that we would believe in the truth, but that faith is the objective set of truths once for all handed down to the saints. The faith that we encounter time and again throughout the New Testament, the full body of what we believe about the person and work of Christ.

The faith that is declared and described from saint to saint, from generation to generation, the faith is declared. So Paul is out there preaching the faith, and this is also in connection with the knowledge of the truth.

He's preaching the faith of the elect, the knowledge of the truth, and also the hope of eternal life, the hope of eternal life. All of these different descriptors are a way of talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ, to which Paul is set apart.

Now, the promise of eternal life, the promise of the truth which leads to godliness, the faith of the elect, all of this is something that God promised before time began. And it's a promise that God made, and this is the God who does not lie.

Now, I want us to see how verse three lies in parallel with these ideas, so we can understand Paul's point. So, right at the very heart of verses two and three, at the very end of verse two, the very beginning of verse three, you'll notice that there is a focus on time, there's a focus on time.

So, right in the middle, we have before time began, and then we have the expression in due time. You see that? So, there's a timeless word, there's a timeless promise that is rooted in who God is, but it is proclaimed at the proper time, in the right time, in the due time.

The word for due or proper has the idea of that which properly belongs to. It is right and proper, it is significant because of the surrounding circumstances. So, what does this timing have to do with?

It has to do with the arrival of Jesus Christ, his life, death, and resurrection, and now it is the proper time for his gospel to be proclaimed. It's long been said that the gospel was in bud in the old covenant, and now it is in bloom in the new.

In the old, it was somewhat hidden, it was somewhat obscured, but now in the new, it is on full display. It makes sense now for it to be proclaimed in this way, because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

So, what was, now notice that there are two other words on either side, two other ideas on either side of this focus on time. In the end of verse two, we have the idea of promised, and this, of course, is a key word as you're working your way through the Old Testament.

It's about the promise, the promise, the promise, and all the promises working together as that one big promise of Jesus Christ and the gospel, and then in parallel here, we also have another word there at the beginning of verse three, the word manifested.

So, the promise is, this is going to happen, this is going to come to pass. Manifested is, now you see it, now it's here, now it has come to pass, and the promise is on display, it has been fulfilled.

So, it makes sense that the preaching of the gospel has its proper time and moment, because the promise has come to pass, and so it is now manifested. Now, the reason, I think the reason why we need to focus on these parallels is on this, not only because of the focus on time and promise and promise made, promise is kept, but also we have this expression of the non-lying God.

Now, what is this descriptor in parallel with in Paul's pattern? Well, let's see. It says, manifested his word through preaching. You see that? But has in due time manifested his word through preaching.

So, why is this important for this? If he's the non-lying God, what does that mean for his word? It's a non-lying word. He's a non-lying God, therefore this word doesn't have lies in it. There's no deception in it.

There's no, nothing wrong with it. It's not leading us astray. To read it, and to hold it, and to believe it is to not be led into error. There are so many people today that would just say, if you were to take up your Bible and read it, you would come to all manner of wrong-headed ideas, just in accord with the latest various consensuses, which are different every generation.

The non-lying God has given us his word, and this word that has to do with the faith of the elect, and the acknowledgment of the truth, which is undogodliness, which is the hope of eternal life, this word is properly now being manifested in Jesus Christ through the preaching of the gospel.

This is right and proper, having the promise now been fulfilled, and Jesus Christ is at the right hand of the Father. That's why this is the right time for the preaching of the gospel, the heralding of the truths of the king.

And so, everybody needs to know what the non-lying God has promised, has been fulfilled, and this happens by preaching his word. This is the great hope for Cretans. Let's get off on the right foot. How do you solve a problem like the Cretans, right?

Preach to them. Preach the word to them. Preach the good news of Jesus Christ to them. That is what they need. So, this is getting off on the right foot, I think, for Titus to be confident, to be encouraged that, yes, stay the course.

Preach the word. Preach the word of the non-lying God, and this is going to be the recipe for success. Now, Paul has a lot to say in his writings about the preaching of God's word. Now, notice he says, now, this preaching was committed to me, he says, according to the commandment of God our Savior.

Now, we remember when Paul was commissioned to the preaching of the gospel. He was, his whole life got turned around. Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus as he was on his way to persecute the followers of the way, and Jesus said, not so fast.

You're going to stop doing that, and you're my chosen servant to preach the gospel to the Jews, to the Gentiles, and you're going to go through a whole bunch of trials and tribulations, but for the sake of the gospel.

Now, Paul often reflects on that in his writings, both on the power of the preaching of the gospel and his own calling to that task. I think a classic passage for us to think about is in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and again, if the Cretans had problems, certainly the Corinthians had problems.

As we have already discussed, to be called a Cretan was not a compliment, but there was another group of people in the Mediterranean basin that to invoke their name was also, to talk about in an insulting way, the degradation of morals.

To Corinthianize something was to completely turn an area into moral degeneracy. So, you could be called a Cretan, and you could also, oh, they just Corinthianized that entire city. All right, well, what's the hope for the Corinthians?

1 Corinthians 1 verse 18, for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. He'd say the same thing in 2 Corinthians. When he talked about that the preaching of the gospel was an aroma of death to some, but that very same aroma was life to others.

And then verse 19, for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

So, the best, most well-received, most applauded thinkers in any sphere of thought, none of them could think their way to God. None of them could achieve that level of awareness and knowledge. He says in verse 22, the Jews request a sign.

How often do we hear the Jews face to face with God the Son incarnate demanding another sign? How many more signs do you need? They request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom. Paul says, but we preach Christ crucified.

Now, think about that. This is not, Paul is not saying here, Jews receive no sign. He's not saying here, Greeks receive no wisdom. He's saying, we preach Christ crucified. Here is your sign, oh Jew. Here is the epitome of wisdom, oh Greek.

Christ crucified. To Jews, a stumbling block. They were given the sign, they didn't want it. To the Greeks, foolishness, but oh the wisdom of God in the cross. And yet, the Greeks rejected the wisdom of God.

But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. You see that Christ, the power of God. There is your sign and the wisdom of God. There is your wisdom.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. So, Paul has great confidence in the preaching of the gospel. He wants Titus to have great confidence in the preaching of the gospel.

As Titus begins to set in order the things that remain on the island of Crete, and appointing elders for each local church in each city, what will those elders, what should they have confidence in for the continued ministry in those churches?

But the preaching of the word of the non-lying God, wherein the promise has been fulfilled, so that we have the faith of the elect, the truth which is according to godliness, and the hope of eternal life.

Paul’s Ministry and Accountability in Preaching

Now, Paul says it in a different way and specifies how vital his calling is in 1 Thessalonians 2 3 -4. In that context, he wants to focus on who he's accountable to when he's preaching. So, 1 Thessalonians 2 3 -4.

Paul says, For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. So, his preaching did not come from error, uncleanness, or in deceit.

Verse 4.

But, as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak. Not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. So, the preaching of the gospel, the bringing forward of the word of the non-lying God, when that is done, the consideration is, was this pleasing to God?

Not, was it pleasing to men? The main consideration in the preaching and teaching of God's word is not, did the people really like it? Were they really welcoming and receptive to it? Did it seem to, as Paul warned to Timothy, did it seem to tickle their ears?

The main consideration is, was it pleasing to God? The one who, the non-lying God who has promised this and manifested this, the one who has given us his word, was the preaching and teaching of God's word pleasing to him?

Did it meet with his approval? So, that's the main consideration that Paul is concerned with here in this opening of the letter. That's a good reminder for Titus and the elders and so forth, that this is not about acclimating oneself to the Cretan way of life, but calling Cretans to become acclimated to the way of Christ.

That there is a standard and God as our creator has shown that in Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God. So, we need to be conformed to him, conformed to his gospel. So, in verse four, to wrap up the introduction here, after Paul has gone on this long introduction of who he is and what he is called to, he addresses his audience of one, so to speak, it's not really just one, because this is going to be read in all the churches on the island of Crete, but he addresses Titus, notice how he describes him, a true son in our common faith, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Common Faith, Unity in Christ, and Grace and Peace

So, Paul says to Titus, you are my true son, you are a true child of mine in a common faith. Now, common doesn't mean plain and unimpressive. Common means that which is shared. This faith is what Titus and Paul both share.

Truly, this is what they have in common. In fact, it's the entire basis for how Paul can call Titus a son. When we think about Paul and Titus, I mean, how different can you get? Titus was an uncircumcised Gentile, and he shared the same beliefs as Paul, who was an incredibly Jewish member of the tribe of Benjamin.

If you were to put Paul and Titus on a graph, on a line chart to determine Gentileness and Jewishness, Titus would be on one end and Paul on the other. They were very different, and yet, Paul calls Titus his true son, his child in the faith.

It's an expression of endearment. It has the idea that Paul was the one who brought the gospel to Titus, and Titus believed. Ever since then, the relationship had continued, and much to the glory of Christ.

When he says a true child, he's talking about the one who is 100 legitimate member of the family. Titus should be recognized by those on the island of Crete as Paul's true son, his legitimate child.

The idea that Titus is bringing along Paul's ministry, what Paul began there in Crete by the grace of God, is being continued by Titus, and therefore, the folks on Crete should respect Titus and the efforts that are ongoing there.

And this faith, this common faith, again, is what we've already examined. This is the essential truths of the gospel. Jude 1 verse 3, Jude writes, Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, again, salvation that we shared, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all handed down to the saints.

In that, yes, of course, we should be encouraging one another to trust in Christ and to grow in each one of our personal expressions of faith. But this passage is about that objective faith, the set of objective truths that were handed down from Christ to the apostles, from the apostles to the early churches, and from those churches on and on and on.

I find it extremely encouraging to read the writings of, say, Athanasius or Irenaeus and so on, and read in their writings their faith in Jesus Christ and how much we have in common across 1 ,800 years, 1 ,500 years, and so on.

And to have that warm fellowship in their writings and my heart knit with theirs as we both worship and glorify Christ. That is a wonderful thing to experience. And we thank God that we've been given a good shepherd who has generation after generation successfully grown his flock, shepherded his sheep, and preserved his gospel in the world.

We give all the credit for that to Jesus Christ. And we thank God for the blessing of the Holy Spirit by whom we know God as our Father. So this is a common faith. This is a common salvation that we share in together.

Ephesians 4 verses 4 through 6 reminds us that there is one body and one spirit. We are called in one hope of our calling. We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

And so the focus there about our unity in Christ and then considering all the ways that we might divvy ourselves up, all the different ways that we might divide ourselves. Galatians 3 .28 says, There is neither Jew nor Greek.

There is neither slave nor free man. There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Every one of those designations, Jew, Greek, slave, free man, male and female, all of those in part of the consideration of household codes in the Old Covenant, everybody was distinct and different in their own position in the Old Covenant.

All had various distinctions. All had various different ways of relating to the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant, we are all brothers and sisters. We are all one in Christ Jesus. And because He is all of our righteousness before God.

And so Paul writes to Titus, his true child in a common faith, and he says, Grace and peace from the Father in Christ Jesus, our Savior. So, being one in their faith in Christ, they fully and equally share in all the blessings of salvation.

Jesus is the Savior of them both. God is the Father of them both. Grace and peace are theirs equally in Christ. We are reminded in Romans chapter 5 verse 1,. Therefore, having been justified by faith, what does that mean?

Apart from the works of the law, apart from our own merits, apart from any consideration of our own background and standing, having been justified by faith, which is another way of speaking about grace, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

How is it that we have shalom with God? How is it that we are right with God? Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That's true of oh-so-very Jewish Paul, true of oh-so-very Gentile Titus, true of the saints in the first century, true of the saints in the 21st century.

We have our peace with God by the grace that is manifest in Jesus Christ. Next time, we'll begin to talk about the practicalities that Paul brings forward to Titus, the need to set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city and to begin to organize the churches.

All right, so let's close by singing the doxology together.