Sound Exhortations

Titus 2:15 – 3:8

Titus 2:15 – 3:8 ~ Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

Introduction — This week it was hard not to be bombarded by the raucous anger of our society over the political craziness having to do with our southern border. Something that hits rather close to home when you’re 50 miles, or so, from that border. I’m not necessarily interested where you line-up on the debate over this present issue. Like with any family, if we got into that discussion, I’m sure there would be some disagreements within our church family. Hopefully we’re all learning to disagree agreeably; as hard as that can be.But the level of anger from the left to the right, and vice versa, in this, and pretty much every political debate, always brings me to the place of reflection, as a follower of Jesus. I find myself wondering, both as a Christian, but more-so as a Christian leader and pastor, how should I respond, and how should I encourage others to respond? How should I carry myself if and when I find I don’t agree with the policies of my government? What should I do if I believe that those over me, in authority, as rulers, are acting foolishly, or with malice, or hate, or I think they are being inspired by wrong motivations, or evil desires?
Well, as is almost always the case, we happen to be at a place in the scriptures that answers—at least in part—some of these questions. But also, as is often the case, the answers that the Scriptures give, are not really what my nature would desire. In other words, my flesh doesn’t exactly like God’s answers.
1. What I find fascinating is that Paul, the author of this text, recognized when he wrote it (2,000 years ago) that the natural inclination of those that Titus would be leading, would be to buck against, or resist this teaching. which is why we begin this section with the following exhortation.
Titus 2:15 ~ Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
1. Point 1 — There are some truths worth offending over.
  1. Grammatically that’s probably not the ideal way to say it. So if you’re an English teacher, feel free to correct my bad grammar in the margins of your sermon guide.
  2. In 21st century Western culture, we are told that about the worst thing you can do is offend somebody. We are hyper-sensitive to offense. You’re just not supposed to ever say anything that might offend somebody’s sensibilities, or make them feel bad. So we trip over ourselves constantly trying to be unoffensive.
    1. Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t think we should make it our aim to purposefully offend people.
      1. No, you’re not a “prophet” if you “say it like it is no matter what,” and don’t care about hurting people. You might just be a jerk. That’s not a classification of spiritual gifting
    2. That said, we need to recognize that there are truths that are hard truths. And just because those truths are hard truths doesn’t mean they’re not still truths. And there are times that we need to speak, exhort, and even rebuke with the authority of the Scriptures, even if those things that are spoken might be offensive and therefore despised.
      1. I can all but guarantee that there will come a time in our nation that some of the ‘offensive’ words of Scripture will be categorized as hate-speech and considered off limits. Should that come to pass, we’re still going to speak, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Why?
        
        2 Timothy 3:16-17 ~ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
        17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
      2. And don’t miss that just a couple of sentences after Paul wrote that, he would write…
        
        2 Timothy 4:3-4 ~ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
        4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
        
        We’re there…
2. Speak hard truths. Exhort people to a higher-level of living. If necessary, rebuke unholy attitudes and actions, with all authority. Even if you’re despised because of it.
  1. What sort of hard truths should we speak and exhort?
Titus 3:1 ~ Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
1. I think it’s safe to assume that 2 Timothy and Titus were written right around the same time. Titus was clearly written before 2 Timothy. We’ll see that when we get into 2 Timothy in the fall. But they were certainly written close to each other.
  1. In the passage I just referenced in 2 Timothy Paul said that the sound doctrines of the Scriptures are preached so that the people of God would be ready “for every good work.” And here in Titus 3:1 Paul says, “Remind the people you’re leading to be “ready for every good work.””
    1. And how can we be “ready for every good work”?
2. Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey
  1. The New Testament doctrines exhort and instruct us to…
    1. Point 2 — Be submissive to, and obey the authorities that govern you.
      1. Objection 1 — The authorities that Governed in Paul’s day must not have been difficult to submit to.
        
        Wrong. Paul was living under one of the most wicked leaders of all history; one who initiated the first (effectively) state-sanctioned persecutions of Christians.
      2. Objection 2 — We cannot submit or obey those authorities that tell us to disobey God.
        
        Yes. Sometimes, civil disobedience is necessary.
        
        But, if you disobey those authorities that are over you…
        
        You must do so because they are acting against God or calling you to disobey His command. Not just because you don’t like the rules.
        
        Additionally, the one who disobeys the governing authorities (what we call civil disobedience) because they’re acting against God, must be ready and willing to suffer the consequences of civil disobedience. What consequences?
        
        Jesus was crucified
        
        Nearly all the early apostles were jailed and many were executed for their righteous civil disobedience.
        
        If the Government were to rule that preaching the whole counsel of God (all the Scriptures) was illegal, and we still preached. Then we could potentially be prosecuted and punished. To that you may say, “What then would we do?”
        
        We should use the rights that we have, to uphold righteousness and justice.
        
        Paul did this. As a Roman citizen he appealed to Caesar when he was being dealt with in an unjust manner.
        
        Martin Luther King did this in the 20th century.
        
        The Masterpiece Cake Shop court case is a more recent example too.
        
        If our government ever came against our religious and free speech rights under the first amendment, we would fight that in the courts.
        
        And any time governments act with injustice, Christians should oppose such injustice.
        
        But, as a rule of doctrine, the New Testament exhorts us to be submissive to, and obey the authorities that govern you.
      3. There are bad governments. And there have been Christians that have righteously disobeyed such governments. But many of those Christians that have, have suffered in doing so. Ultimately we see this truth reiterated several times in the New Testament.
        
        Romans 13:1-7 ~ Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
        2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
        3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
        4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
        5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.
        6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.
        7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
        
        Paul wrote this to Christians, living in Rome, at the time of Nero.
        
        So we have this tension.
      4. Paul continues… Remind them…
Titus 3:2 ~ to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
1. Point 3 — Followers of Jesus make it their aim to be meek, humble, peacemakers.
  1. It didn’t take long for disciples of Jesus to be called “Christians” by the onlookers in their culture (Acts 11).
    1. I think it’s very fascinating that people outside the church began calling followers of Jesus “Christians” because the followers of Jesus were imitating Christ. The descriptive words used in verse 2 to describe the way we ought to live are words that perfectly describe Jesus.
  2. Speak evil of no one — The Greek word is βλασφημέω. Don’t speak blasphemously of anyone.
    1. That means, no “ad hominem attacks.” What is an “ad hominem attack?” It’s where you attack the person, or some straw man of that person, instead of rationally dealing with that person’s positions or ideas. What’s it look like. Just spend a little bit of time on Facebook, or read the comments on news articles. Within a few seconds you’ll see plenty of βλασφημέω.
    2. Instead of speaking evil of people…
  3. Be peaceable — Again, this is Christlikeness to a T. His character is revealed prophetically in Isaiah 9; there He is referred to as “The Prince of peace.”
    1. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught…
      1. Matthew 5:9 ~ Blessed are the peacemakers,
        For they shall be called sons of God.
        
        It is demonstrative of the children of God that they are peacemakers.
  4. Be gentle — be moderate, mild and patient.
    1. Philippians 4:5 ~ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
  5. Show all humility to all — The word humility could also be translated meekness.
2. This is how were are to be known in society.
  1. Quite frankly it seems that many ‘Christians’ in current American culture are the often the loudest and most obnoxious. We’re not known for peaceable, gentle humility. But Jesus sure was. So we need to make it our aim to be meek, humble, peacemakers.
Titus 3:3-5 ~ For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
1. Point 4 — The renewing power of the Holy Spirit is meant to transform every aspect of our nature.
  1. In another place Paul wrote…
    1. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
  2. This is the promise of the New Covenant…
    1. Ezekiel 36:26 ~ “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
  3. And it is a New Covenant of Grace.
    1. We do not receive this new nature based upon our works. But we certainly receive this new nature “for good works.”
      1. Ephesians 2:8-10 ~ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
        9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
        10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
  4. But in all of this we can never forget “we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.”
    1. And what changed us? “The kindness and the love of God our Savior … appeared … according to His mercy He saved us.”
      1. So note this well. What will be the thing that transforms the world around us that is filled with “foolish, disobedient, deceived” individuals that are “serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice, and envy and hate”? It’s not going to be our obnoxious candor.
        
        If we were drawn to salvation by the kindness, love and mercy of our Savior, then what do you suppose we need to show to a foolish, disobedient, and deceived world?
        
        And don’t forget, your foolishness, disobedience, lust, malice, envy and hate didn’t disappear by your hard religious efforts…
Titus 3:5-7 ~ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
1. It’s the renewing power of the Holy Spirit that has transformed every aspect of our natures. It wasn’t “by works of righteousness which we have done.”
2. And it is also the abounding presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives that seals us as heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
  1. I can never emphasize this point enough. Our hope of eternal life is not by our works of righteousness, but according to God’s mercy and grace.
Titus 3:8 ~ This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
1. Point 5 — The good news of the gospel should inspire our good works, which are good and profitable for all.
  1. Thats why Paul strongly urged and exhorted Titus to affirm these things constantly. That’s why we, 2,000 years later, continue to affirm these things week after week.