What Does God Think of You?
Text: Titus 3:1-8
Introduction: Do you ever wonder what people think about you? Do you really even care? Whether we will admit it or not, most of us do care what others think of us to some extent. Allow me to pose another question: Has anyone ever told you what they think about you? Unfortunately, some people just feel it is their lot in life to share what they think about others quite openly whether the things they have to say may be hurtful or not.
Today, I want to look at this matter from a spiritual perspective. If you were to ask Satan what he thinks about you, he would probably say, "You are a failure!" If you asked society what they think of you, they might say, "You are a fool!" If you asked self, that is, your own heart, self might say, "You are a fake!" Have you ever heard these things? Many have and some even on a daily basis!
But, does it really matter what Satan, society and self think about you and me? No! All that really matters, in the end, is what God thinks about us. Have you ever wondered just what God thinks about you? Is it possible to know what God thinks about us? Do we really want to know what He thinks about us? This passage before us gives us a clear revelation of God’s thoughts about us.
Paul is writing to Titus, a young Pastor on the island of Crete. In chapter two, he wrote about how believers should behave in the church. In this chapter, he talks about how believers should behave in society. Paul calls on Titus to "put them in mind" or "remind them" about certain things. He wants believers to remember who they are in Jesus; what they have in Jesus; what God has done in them through Jesus; and what God expects of them as believers in Jesus.
In these verses, Paul answers the question: What Does God Think Of Me? In this passage designed for instruction, we can also discover a word of encouragement. Some of you may become discouraged as you wonder how God sees you. Well, if you are saved, you are about to find out. If you are not, then you are going to learn how God would see you if you came to Jesus. Let’s look into these verses together as we address the question: What Does God Think Of Me?
I. God Thinks You Are Precious
- vv. 3-6 - "For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, captives of various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the goodness and love for man appeared from God our Savior, He saved us--not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior"
A. Satan says, "God doesn’t care about you at all." God says something completely different. In these verses, we learn that God loves us more than we can possibly understand.
B. Verse 3 describes what the believer was before meeting Jesus.
1. Foolish – Ignorant of everything to do with God.
2. Disobedient – Rebellious toward God’s authority.
3. Deceived – Being led deeper and deeper into sin by Satan.
4. Captives of various passions and pleasures – A slave to our fleshly appetites and passions.
5. Living in malice and envy – Given over to a lifestyle of evil - never satisfied.
6. Hateful – Mean-spirited and hard to get along with.
7. Detesting one another – No love for our fellow man.
*God could have written us off and just allowed us all to go to Hell, but He loved us and did something about it!
C. In spite of what we were and are, God chose to display His love for us.
1. Verse 6 says this display came through Jesus Christ.
2. God’s love for fallen man was evidenced by the sending forth of Jesus into the world to die for our sins.
3. The cross is God crying out: "I love you! You are special to Me!"
D. So, what did this dosplay of God’s love do for us?
1. Verse 4 begins with the word: "but."
2. God knew what we were; He knew all about our sins and our excess baggage, yet He still chose to save us by His grace.
3. Verse 5 describes all that His love and grace did for us.
a. He saved us from the penalty of our sins (saved).
b. He washed us from the defilement of our sins (washing).
c. He renewed us by His Spirit.
Application: God did all of this for us with no help from us! Our works, our religion, our efforts can never save us, they only compound the problem! God loved us so much that He went to work to see us saved. Satan will tell you that God doesn’t love you at all; however, the evidence speaks something quite different! The evidence says that you are precious in His eyes!
God not only thinks you are precious,
II. God Thinks You Are Perfect
- v. 7a - "having been justified by His grace"
A. Satan and your flesh may be telling you that you are a dirty, wicked, good for nothing - but God says different.
B. God sees fit to justify us - meaning we have been rendered righteous - brought into a perfect and right standing before God.
C. Being justified is far different from just being forgiven.
1. Just being forgiven means that there is still a remembrance of the crime committed.
2. To be justified means that that person has been totally acquitted and exonerated of all charges - no record of any wrongdoing exists any longer.
Application: God has justified us, made us just as though we never sinned, by His grace - unmerited favor. Because of this, you and I are found perfect in God’s sight.
God not only thinks you are precious and perfect, but:
III. God Thinks You Are Privileged
- v. 7b - "we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life"
A. Satan comes by and tells the believer that serving God is waste of time - it just doesn’t pay off to live right, go to church, pray and read the Bible; but, God sees things just a little differently.
B. Verse 7 indicates believers are a privileged people - heirs of a hope.
1. Believers have an earthly hope.
a. As adopted sons and daughters of Almighty God, we can live this life right now as kingdom kids.
b. We have the privilege of God’s presence, God’s provision, and God’s power available to us right now.
2. Believers have an eternal hope.
a. We don’t have to live with an uncertainty about the after life.
b. We have God’s promise of heaven to come.
c. We can live with peace now because of the peace that we know eternity has for us.
Application: We are God’s children now. As such, we gain the benefits right now of that relationship. We are privileged. God loves us and blesses us as His children. And because of heaven’s promise, we can live without any fear of what tomorrow holds.
God not only thinks you are precious, perfect and privileged, but:
IV. God Thinks You Are Profitable
- vv. 1-2, 8 - "Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people....This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone."
A. Satan and the flesh like to tell us: "God can’t use you! You will amount to nothing as a Christian. Look at the things you do. Look at how you live. You are a failure." - but once again God has a different way of looking at things.
B. God saved us for a purpose and part of that purpose is so that He can use us for His glory!
1. God can use your walk –
a. Paul is telling these folks to walk in a disciplined manner, obey the laws of the land and submit to the people who are in authority over them.
b. This simple walk of faith is proof that they are different from the world around them.
c. As you and I live for the Lord and demonstrate His love and grace to others, we are allowing Him to live through us and God uses that to touch hearts.
2. God can use your witness –
a. Paul tells these people that the way they treat others is a testimony in the hands of God.
b. He instructs them to avoid slander and fighting.
c. We should treat people with kindness and gentleness.
d. The way in which we conduct ourselves around others and the way we treat others is as powerful a witness as any we give with our lips.
3. God can use your works -
a. Those who set their heart to go after God will find their producing good works.
b. God not only saved you to keep you out of Hell; but, He also saved you to put you to work for Himself.
Application: Oftentimes, Satan and our flesh will lie to us and try to deceive us. They often get in the way of our forward progress for the kingdom of God. God sees much more in you and I than we will ever see. God sees potential. God sees profitability. Don’t allow yourself to be duped into believing you are something less than all God has said you are.
Conclusion: So, what does God think of you? He thinks you are precious; perfect; privileged and profitable. That’s how He sees you. Now, what do you need to do in your life to line up with His vision of you? Has He shown you that there is room for improvement in your walk with Him and your work for Him? If so, get to Him and deal with that today.
The things I have mentioned today are only true if you are saved. What does God think of you if you are not saved? He thinks you are in trouble. He thinks you are living a dangerous life. He looks at you with love and knows that there is a way out. There is hope for you if you will come to Jesus and be saved. If you will, He will think all the wonderful things I have shared today and so much more. Isn’t that what you want too?
Disclaimer: Portions of this message or some ideas contained herein may have been gleaned from other sources. PLease feel free to use this message as the Lord leads for His glory.
