Being Justified by His Grace...the Wayfarer 11/11/12

Being Justified by his Grace 
11/11/12

“That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

(Titus 3:7)

Today we complete the series taken from Paul’s epistle to fellow worker Titus.

This final chapter, like the last two is equally rich with pertinent advice and enlightenment for us today as it was to Titus all those years ago.

Paul opens this chapter with:

“Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

For we ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another”

(Titus 3:1-3)

Paul reminds us that the nature of this beast called man is a sinful creature, and that all at some point, have fallen victim to our inherent sinfulness.

We are to be subject to the people that have been chosen to lead us, obeying the laws that have been established in as far as they do not detract from the nature of our Christianity.

The term ready to every good work states that we need to live our lives in such an honorable way that we assist those in need to the best of our ability instead of centering ourselves on self alone.

To speak evil of no man, is a means of telling us to concentrate on our own faults instead of searching for fault in others to make us look and feel better about our own lives.

To be no brawlers, covers a vast territory that includes the pride that men have in their own physical ability and the disdain that they show for those who are not in possession of this same strength which is, after all a gift given by God himself to those He wills to have it.

He goes on to tell us not only are we to refrain from brawling, but are to show meekness to all men. This means showing an understanding of the weaknesses of others, and kindness toward them when they stand in need.

Paul enumerates the facts of our own failures to live up to the standards set by Christ Jesus reminding us that we were and sometimes still are foolish, disobedient and deceived.

Particularly in our youth we find that despite our parents best teachings the urge to follow the crowd and the things that are popular at the time do indeed deceive us, making us disobedient to them, as well as to God.

We need to remind ourselves that we are not perfect, and never will be in this body, and therefore have no right to judge others who have the same faults that we either had or in some cases still have!

He continues, mentioning the divers lusts and pleasures that mankind by his very nature seeks out that is sinful in and of itself. It is easy to see the failure of others to overcome these things without remembering that we too were, and are subject to the same temptations as are they, and that without the help and guidance of our Lord, would succumb to the same things we see them indulging in.

Paul reminds us that without Christ, we live in malice, envy, and have an inherent hatred for anyone we perceive to be in a better position in life than are we.

Envy is another word for the covetousness that is pervasive in a society that insists that we should attempt to keep up with the Jones’.

It is this envy, (covetousness) that is responsible for any number of other sins that invade our hearts, minds and life if we fail to curtail it.

Paul not only enumerates the failures that life often has in it, but the means to overcome those failures, that we have found, and the necessity to share that solution with others!

“But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. “(Titus 3 4-7)

Paul reminds us that nay righteousness, or goodness that we have comes not of ourselves or any action that we have taken to attain it, but by the love, self-sacrifice and utter grace of God himself through Jesus!

 This tells us that without the presence of the Holy Ghost and the regeneration of our sinful souls, we would be just as guilty and unjustified as any of the worst among us!

Paul stresses that this regeneration comes only through the acceptance of Christ Jesus, and that this alone justifies the hope of eternal life through Him!

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.”

(Titus 3:8&9)

Paul reminds Titus and us as well that we need to constantly maintain our faith and prayer in order not to fall back into the traps that previously imprisoned our very being.

We are to be careful to maintain good works, this means continuing in our love for our fellow human beings instead of the self-indulgence that so easily and readily rears its ugly head in our lives.

Avoiding foolish questions is an admonishment to keep the faith when being subjected to ridicule of those who would attempt to negate our beliefs through the use of logic or science and the philosophies taught by the many false religions and prophets of the world.

Anything that denies the fact that Christ came in the form of humanity, was sacrificed for the sinfulness of us human beings, or the Deity of our Lord is false teaching that would subvert and steal your souls if possible! 
  

Paul continues with how we are to handle such people:

A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject;

Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”

(Titus 3:10&11)

Choose the truth of Christ over the teachings of men, and reject those teachings that deny Christ!

Paul concludes the letter to Titus with instructions to come to where he is in Nicopolis, and to bring with him certain of those who are in Crete assisting him. :

“When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.

Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos  on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.

And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful.

All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen”

(Titus 3:12-15)

The 14^th verse is an admonition that those workers that are to come with Titus understand that they are to be able to support themselves through the honest trades which they already practice, just as Paul himself relied on working to take care of bodily needs instead of being an encumbrance to the people to whom he was sent.

I call attention only to one more thing in this missive, and that is Paul’s salutation at the end. We are to greet those who love us in the faith and ask God’s continual grace be with us!

I conclude here with the same salutation of love of this sinner saved by grace through the blood of my Savior, and ask His grace for those willing to accept it.

2 Timothy 1:12-14 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

¹³ Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

AMEN and AMEN 
the Wayfarer