Live like You’re Saved! – Titus 3:1-7

Titus verse by verse. Believers are exhorted to live out their Christian faith in the world. The remembrance of our salvation will motivate us to obey these commands.

This chapter: Concluding exhortations

This lesson: The Apostle now exhorts us concerning our relationship with the unbelieving world, and particularly, our relationship to earthly authorities.

The Duties of Believers (Vs. 1-2)

Our attitude to authority (1a)

1. “be subject” = to put oneself under the authority of
2. “principalities, powers, magistrates” = government authority
3. Cretans had a reputation for being insubordinate (Fairbairn)
4. Note: Limitations to earthly authorities: “Obedience to external authority can be due only in so far as that authority has a right to command; when it oversteps this, and issues injunctions which reach beyond its proper line of things, the higher principles of obligation come in: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29) (Fairbairn)

Our approach to life (1b)

1. ‘ready’ = a willing mindset, not having to be coerced and coaxed
2. “every good work” = outflow of genuine salvation. In context, could refer to things required by those in authority

Our agreeableness to others (2)

1. Truthful – “speak evil of no man”
   1. Refers to speaking against a person in order to injure them (slander)
   2. Note: To reprove sin and error in a godly manner is not “speaking evil”
2. Peaceful – “be no brawlers but gentle”
   1. “no brawlers” = lit. not fighters, not contentious (in word or action)
   2. ‘gentle’ = “sweet reasonableness, being satisfied with less than is due you”
3. Humble – “shewing all meekness unto all men”
   1. Word closely related to humility
   2. Webster: “mild of temper; not easily provoked or irritated; yielding; given to forbearance under injuries; humble; submissive to the divine will”
   3. Vine: “Meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self- interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation.”
   4. Illustration: Moses (Compare Num. 12:3; Ex. 32:19-20)

The Depravity of our Past (Vs. 3)

There are 7 things that characterized our past lives before conversion:

We were Ignorant

1. ‘foolish’ = unwise
2. I. Cor. 2:14 – Natural man doesn’t understand the truth

We were Rebellious

1. ‘disobedient’ = to God’s laws
2. Rebellious in nature and practice

We were Deceived

1. ‘deceived’ = led astray
2. Deceived by Satan, the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4)
3. Deceived by our own sinful hearts (Jeremiah 17:9)

We were Enslaved

1. Slaves to lusts
2. Slaves to pleasures
3. ‘divers’ = many coloured, of various sorts. E.g. “divers diseases” (Mark 1:34); “divers temptations” (James 1:2)

We were Revengeful

1. ‘malice’ = malice desires hurt to another and rejoices in it (Matthew Henry)
2. Example: Absalom

We were Envious

We were Hateful

1. Absence of true love
2. Test is not if one can love someone who is close to them. Test is how we respond to those who injure us.

The Deliverance of God (Vs. 4-7)

The Compassion of God (4)

Note the words used in these verses to describe the heart of God:

1. ‘kindness’ = love of man. Our word ‘philanthropy’ comes from this word
2. ‘love’ = Divine love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10)
3. ‘mercy’ = not giving us the justice we deserve (5)
4. ‘grace’ = giving us what we don’t deserve (a gift) (6)

The Helplessness of Man (5a)

1. Salvation is 100% of Christ and 0% of man!
2. Isaiah 64:6
3. Ephesians 2:8-9

The Operation of the Spirit (5b)

1. “washing of regeneration”
   1. ‘washing’ = the laver or bath (reference to spiritual cleansing)
   2. ‘regeneration’ = new birth. Compound word – ‘again’ + “to become”
2. “renewing of the Holy Ghost”
   1. ‘renewing’ = to be made new
   2. “Holy Ghost” = the Agent of the new birth (not baptism or some other sign gift)
   3. John 3 – Jesus’ teaching on the new birth

The Abundance of salvation (6)

1. ‘shed’ = pour out
2. ‘abundantly’ = richly
3. Here is Love (Hymn)Here is love, vast as the ocean, Loving kindness as the flood, When the Prince of Life, our Ransom, Shed for us his precious blood. Who His love will not remember? Who can cease to sing His praise? He can never be forgotten, Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.On the mount of crucifixion, Fountains opened deep and wide; Through the floodgates of God’s mercy flowed a vast and gracious tide, Grace and love like mighty rivers, Poured incessant from above, And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice, kissed a guilty world in love.

   Of thy fullness thou art pouring, Thy great power and love on me, Without measure, full and boundless, drawing out my heart to thee.

4. The Love of God (Hymn)

The Results of salvation (7)

1. Justification = declared righteous
2. Inheritance (Rom. 8:15-17)

Conclusion

1. Are you saved?
2. If so, are you living like it?

Sermon 8 of 9 in Titus Series

Sermon Audio Id: 8271761543