Introduction
We are a waiting people - we live in the hopeful shadow of the coming of the Lord. It is easy to get distracted by the daily challenges and forget this. It is an important and central factor in the way we live and the decisions we make. Paul Writes to Titus and expresses his instructions from the perspective of “while we wait”.
A few things to know about the Book of Titus:
Titus was a protege of Apostle Paul working with the church at Crete when this letter was written to him.
He was there to correct some problems and to appoint elders in the church.
The Cretans were widely known as immoral people (Titus 1:2).
Paul had two major purposes in writing this letter.
He sought to encourage Titus in his mission.
He provided specific instructions about the accomplishment of his task.
Just as it was difficult in Titus’ time to overcome the worldliness around him and be focused on the task at hand, it is the same with us today. Our hope is set somewhere else / sometime else. Titus 2:15 – “we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of ... Jesus”. We are a “waiting people” - What do we do ‘while we wait’?
1. ACCEPT THE OFFER
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
The Grace of God has appeared! Evans: Grace is not just a doctrine; it’s a person. And grace has a name: Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior, who says to all, “Come to me” (Matthew 11:28). The Grace of God offers Salvation! The Grace of God is for all People! God’s grace in Christ is offered to all.
No one is beyond God’s rescue, no matter who he or she is or what’s been done. In fact, the “worst” people in society are exactly those whom God seeks for his rescue project. - Tony Evans
Accept the offer of salvation - it is God’s graceful path through life for all who will believe!
2. LIVE THE LIFE
Titus 2:12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
Say No to Ungodliness. Towner: Ungodliness is a general reference to all that is anti-God. Titus 3:3 says, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”
Say No to Worldly Passions. The sinful impulses that express themselves through the body.
1 John 2:15-16 NLT Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
Galatians 5:19-21 in The Message: “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming - yet -never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on… If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom..”
While the world around us revels in ungodliness, how many of us are saying NO to ungodliness?
Say YES to living upright and godly lives! Live Self-Controlled lives! Self-Control - Without Self-control our lives are vulnerable to attack. Proverbs 25:28 "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." Upright. Godliness is God-likeness. It is our goal and hopes to become like Him.
Towner: Christ appeared to teach us to live a new life. … Part of the earliest gospel message was the call to repent (Mk 1:15). It meant ‘to change the mind,’ to leave behind an old way, a godless way, and turn to follow God.
Say Yes Now! (In this present age). Towner: The new life introduced by the appearance of Christ pertains to the present time.
While we wait we accept the offer, live the life, and …
3. Maintain Hope
Titus 2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Towner: …The ultimate manifestation of God’s glory at the close of history… which in the New Testament is understood to be the return of Christ.
Evans: Though they wait for the return of Jesus (2:13), they wait actively and not passively.
No matter how corrupt or destructive this world becomes, our hope is not in our comfort, cash, or church - it’s all in Jesus.
4. Stay Eager
Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
The Example of Jesus…
He gave himself for us. Jesus offered himself for us - the sinless for the sinful … the guiltless for the guilty. He ‘gave’ himself - willingly to atone for our sins. Towner: Christ’s redemptive death, understood in this way, is without question the ultimate illustration of God’s grace.
He Redeemed us. Towner: …a picture of being bought out of slavery or servitude through a ransom. Redeem described the process of paying for a prisoner’s release. Christ paid the price, rescuing us from slavery to sin, setting the believer free to serve God.
He purified us. Jesus claimed his people out of a sinful world. This is accomplished by the shedding of the blood of Christ.
We are his people - called together under the sacrifice of Jesus, Wearing His name and living his life.
Because of this we are Ready / Eager to do whatever is good - a theme in Titus:
3:1 “Remind the people to be … obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good…”
3:8 “... those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good….”
3:14 “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.”
Conclusion
While We Wait…Accept the Offer, Live the Life, Maintain Hope, Stay Eager.
Men must be convicted of their sin, not that they may feel that their case is hopeless, but that they may be led to the grace which is greater than all their sin. - William Barclay
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References
Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Westminster, Revised Ed. 1975.
Evans, T. (2019). The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (p. 1304). Holman Bible Publishers.
Shelly, Rubel. A Book-By-Book Study of the New Testament. 20th Century Christian Foundation, 1982.
Towner, Philip H. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: 1-2 Timothy & Titus. IVP, 1994.
