The apostle Paul was directed by God to give detailed instructions to Titus on how to fix the problems in Crete. In today’s text Paul was addressing the matter of servants and masters. Not everyone can be a master. Masters have important work to do. Servants need to be obedient to their masters. Some people are not designed to be masters. They are better off being servants. God says servants need to be obedient to their own masters. Life is miserable when servants are disgruntled with their masters.
We have had unions for all of my lifetime. There was never a need for them. Unions are corrupt and they encourage the workers to envy their masters. They fight for more all the time. It is not possible to be happy and content when you are always dissatisfied with what you are doing.
God says servants need to be obedient to their own masters, to please them well in all things. Of course God is not telling servants they should commit sin for their masters. Masters need to know God and honour Him. However, God is addressing the need of the servants here. Servants should not argue with their masters. They need to obey their masters and honour God in their attitude toward their masters.
In verse 10 we see they should not purloin. The word translated as “purloining” means “to embezzle”. Servants do not try to force the hand of the master. They do not think they can take what does not belong to them because they think they are not being treated properly.
Servants need to show all good fidelity. Servants need to be honest in their work. Masters need to have confidence in their servants. They need to be able to trust them. We see again here that the issue is with regard to the doctrine of God. Notice as well that God is called our Saviour. We are reminded again that Jesus Christ is God. It is foolish to believe the lies of those who want to reject the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In verse 11 we are reminded as well that the grace of God has appeared to all men. This is another blow against Calvinism. God knows all things. He knows that the devil has many different tactics to try to keep people from knowing God’s peace. God says that His salvation is available to all. It is also presented to all men.
Those who are saved are taught the importance of holiness. They deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. Saved people cannot be motivated by materialism. They need things to live, but they do not live for things.
Again we are reminded of the importance of living soberly. That again is speaking of having a sound mind and doing things in moderation. Christians need to be governed by the grace and love of God. They ought not to be on a roller coaster ride. There needs to be a stability there. God provides that, but the saved person needs to draw from that blessing of God.
Notice that we are commanded to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. These things are needed now and they are possible now in Christ. The lost need to know there is a better way. There is a valid solution to their problems. A person does not need to go through life with that emptiness in their life. There can be purpose and hope in this life.
In verse 13 we are reminded that the saved person is looking for that blessed hope. We see again that the true child of God is not stuck on living just for this world. He has a higher goal. He needs things, but he does not waste his life chasing after things. What a waste to live to get things because when you die, you leave that all behind. What a waste to live your entire life, ignoring the truth and thinking that we need to please ‘mother earth.’ There is no mother earth. There is the true God and the true Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed hope is found in the appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Again we are reminded of the deity of Jesus Christ. There are cults that make it their life work to believe and promote the lie that Jesus is not God. They twist Scripture to try to prove that Jesus never declared Himself to be God. They deny the facts. There are so many places in the Bible we can go to and see that Jesus Christ is God.
The saved person has his hope in the fact that Jesus Christ is coming back again. That is not delusional. That is a fact. Jesus Christ is coming back again. Will you be ready to meet Him. A Catholic woman stated recently that she just needed to keep trying and hope things would work out. We have spoken to her many times but that Catholic false doctrine is so engrained into her heart and mind. Only the grace of God can break that bondage she is currently living under.
Jesus Christ gave Himself for us. What love is that? He came to this earth for us. His work was to redeem us from all iniquity. Those who are saved have all their past sins forgiven at the moment of salvation. What great news that is? The Catholics and some of her children believe that a little water on the head of a baby washes away original sin. Some Mennonites and other groups believe that a little water or much water will wash away sins. The fact is that the blood of Jesus Christ applied to the heart of the repentant sinner alone can forgive sin. The saved person is redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice that those who are saved are purified through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, Christians can and must live holy lives. Those who are saved cannot indulge in sin. Those who are truly saved have been given a new nature that does not want to sin. The apostle Paul spoke plainly on this in Romans 7. There are many other passages that also address this matter.
God’s children are a peculiar people. Lost people cannot live pure lives. They might try, but they cannot do it. The world knows lost people cannot live pure lives and so they try to help people to sin with the blessing of the government.
The politicians have been debating the legalization of certain hard drugs now for some time. B.C. wanted certain drugs legalized because they could see that arresting people for drug use and sales was a losing battle. They assumed that if they monitored the use of hard drugs, they could save lives. What happened is that there was a massive increase in overdose deaths due to this foolish and evil plan.
What is missing is the Gospel of Christ. The government does not believe in the Gospel of Christ. The majority of religious groups do not believe in the Gospel of Christ. Born again Christians are saved by faith in the Gospel of Christ. They have the privilege and obligation to testify to that fact as they meet with other people. The greatest need of man is to be saved. Those who are saved are motivated by the love of God to seek to help others to know God’s peace and blessing.
That is why Paul says that they are zealous of good works. They love doing good works. They know the blessing of being saved and they want to help others to see the benefit of God’s gift of salvation.
Titus needed to speak these things and he also needed to exhort others. He needed to speak with authority. Christian leaders do not go around apologizing for the truth. They do not ask permission to preach the truth. They should not be asking the government for permission to do what God has already commanded them to do. True Christian leaders get out there and they speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. That authority is from God.
Titus also needed to remember that no one had the right to despise him if he was doing what Paul had written here. No one had the right to try to diminish what he was doing.
We put a short article about our services into the local newspaper every week. We always remind the readers that our services are essential. We proved that even during the lockdowns. We did not allow the government to intimidate us. We warned those who tried to interfere with God’s Work that they were accountable to Him. That is the fact. Born again Christians have a hope that the world needs. They have a message that is from God. Others need that message. They may not recognize that need, but as we speak faithfully for the Lord, the Holy Spirit is already working in their hearts. They need to listen to Him and they need to listen to the sound preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
Pastor Bartel