Right Living

An Introduction to Titus

Titus 1:1-5

When I think of July the 4th, I think of right living! What does right living look like? (Ice Cream and tomatoes). Right living isn’t free, it’s hard work, and everyone has sacrificed in order for us to live right living. Consider our nation. We have freedoms, yet those freedoms cost thousands of lives so that we may worship and live in freedom. We must take a stand for the truth to continue that right living!

This letter was believed to be written around 64 AD, from Paul to Titus. Persecution was happening, some were trying to live on both sides of the spectrum. This letter was instructions to Titus to restore the churches at Crete for God’s glory! He is tasked to restore right living, especially among pastors! A Barna report recently shared that only 41% of senior pastors have a biblical worldview, 28% of associate pastors, and 12% of youth/children pastors. This is alarming! We have pastors teaching false doctrines such as: prosperity gospel, repentance-less salvation, and an inclusive God (multiple ways to heaven)! You better believe that God loves and receives all people, but the Holy Spirit will not allow us to remain the same as when God called us to follow Him! God’s love is radically shown through Jesus Christ! We must not shy away from hard conversations that show and share both the love and truth of the gospel!

 

I. Live as a Servant of Jesus Christ (Titus 1:1)
a. Surrendered– “Paul, servant…” The NASB and the NKJV says that Paul was a bond-servant. The HCSB says that Paul was a “slave of God.” A bond-servant was someone who didn’t have anything of their own. A slave who had been freed, yet willingly surrendered their possessions, devotion, and allegiance to their Master!
b. Set Apart– “God’s elect” A chosen group of followers of Jesus Christ. In the OT the elect were the people of Israel, NT and today, they are the people who love and follow Jesus Christ. They knew and love the truth! The truth brings freedom as John 8:31-32 makes this crystal clear! “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” As set-apart ones, send time in the truth.
c. Sanctified– “which accords with godliness” Growing towards Christ-likeness. There is no long-term separation between belief and behavior if you are truly born again. I say long-term, because we slide from time to time, but the Holy Spirit is our true North compass.

 

II. Live with Security in Jesus Christ (Titus 1:2-3)

How do we gain assurance?

a. Through His promises (v.2) Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
b. Through the proclamation of His Word (v.3) Romans 10:17 “Faith comes through hearing the message of Christ.”

 

III. Live Steadfast for the Work of Jesus Christ (Titus 1:4-5)

The word steadfast means dedicated, committed, or unwavering. Titus was given a mission and was to be committed to that mission in Crete to establish pastors or re-establish pastors and restore order in house churches throughout that region. Some of their leaders were Christian in name only! They talk false teaching! You have a mission! You have to live steadfast for Christ! We have dropped the ball on proclaiming the truth! It will be costly to live steadfastly! It will be uncomfortable to live steadfastly, but if you’re born again, you realize that Christ is worth living for!

Titus- He was a Gentile believer/pastor. Paul mentored him and trusted him as part of his mission team. Paul took him to the Jerusalem council, he was evidence of God’s salvation among the Gentiles as we see in Gal. 2:3. Titus also knew the structure of the Jerusalem church with the elders and apostles leading them.

We see Titus in 2 Cor. 7:6 in which Paul had sent Titus to Corinth to check up on the church there when he couldn’t go.  Titus was the one who returned to Paul after 1 Corinthians was received by the church and brought Paul the news that they had been obedient in disciplining the sinners there. We also see Titus in 2 Cor 8:16-24 when Paul recommends Titus to send the second letter.  He identifies him as his partner in ministry.

Crete- This is a large island off the coast of Greece that had several strategic harbors to the Mediterranean Sea. What a great place for a network of churches! The Cretans were greedy people who had served as mercenaries. They lived immoral lives. Some of the churches’ leaders called themselves Christians, yet taught false doctrine, continued to live immoral lives.

Why does the book of Titus matter to us?

  1. It teaches that the gospel produces transformed people. Transformation means growing towards Christ-likeness.
  2. It teaches that one’s fruit of being born again will be shown through their actions.
  3. It teaches that it is vitally important to have godly men who pastor.
  4. It teaches that true Christians will share the gospel and instruct others, integration of ages.
  5. It teaches that we must deal with doctrinal and moral error in the church.
  6. It teaches that the gospel is the basis for Christian ethics.