The Role of the Believer
September 25, 2024
Pastor Bernard Ibrahim
Titus 2,
I'd like to focus on this idea of the grace of God and our salvation and good works. And you see it here as the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, instructing Titus, who, you may remember, is right now on that island of Crete. From the context it appears there are several churches that he is being instructed to guide, support, establish elders and to help them grow, to edify them. So this is to the churches there.
You see in verse 7, “Be a model of good works.” The whole passage, starting in verse 2 all the way through verse 9, talks about key roles of believers, older men, older women, younger women, young men, bond servants, slaves; what they are to put off or avoid, and what they are to do in terms of adorning the gospel. You see that word adorning in verse 9 really means to be ornamental, to embellish, to honor, to give honor to the gospel.
How do we do that? In everything we give honor to the doctrine of God, our Savior. This relationship is repeated a couple of times, and it's clear that one of the purposes of salvation beyond the eternal is the temporal. The temporal earthly purpose of our personal salvation from God for us is the living out of good works. And we often think of salvation with a lot of different purposes, and there are many. We are alienated, so it reconciles us to God. We have sinned, according to our credit, and what we deserve, both as humans through Adam and our own evil works. We have guilt, it takes away guilt. We are strangers, but we're adopted in our salvation, part of the family of God. We're forgiven. We are promised glorification, eternal life. But for here on earth what are we waiting for? You see, it's that language, “Waiting for our blessed hope”, verse 13. What are we waiting for? Well, we're waiting for the appearing of the glory of God and Jesus Christ. We'll see Him face to face in the flesh in this new body that we'll have.
But while we're waiting, what does our salvation point us to do? And you will know that this theme is throughout the Scriptures. While we're waiting - you've been saved believer, I've been saved. Between salvation and us being in heaven, does our salvation compel us, point us, have a purpose in how we live? And I think the question is answered twice here. The grace of God trains us or instructs us, directs us. You see in verse 12, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” So it's our salvation and it trains us to renounce ungodliness. And then the positive, to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age. So when you ask yourself, “God saved me, for what purpose?” Well, it's here. You see it there in verse 14, “He redeemed me from all lawlessness.” He bought us back, that's what we were enslaved to, lawlessness. He wants us purified for himself. We are his, his own possession, we are actually his slaves, we are property of the Savior and he wants us to be zealous or zealous for good works. This is the relationship between the way we are to live, putting off that ungodliness and worldly passion, renouncing that life and being zealous for good works in whatever role the Lord saved us in. This is the purpose of our salvation for us individually, for every one of us who has been saved and is still alive here on earth. That's the earthly, temporal purpose of our salvation.
We're very familiar with this concept, it's throughout the Scriptures, Ephesians, 2, 8, 9, and 10. It's actually the first verse on our church website, “For by grace you have been saved through faith,” talking about salvation. How does it happen? Through faith by God's grace. And this is not your own doing it is a gift of God, not a result of works. Works have nothing to do with our salvation, so that no one may boast, for we are his workmanship. Notice, now it's starting to get into, now that we're saved what are we? “Created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Same way in the Scriptures, 2 Timothy 3, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” You may remember Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence.” And then this phrase, which often when I was younger really was very mysterious to me, “Work out your own salvation.” We being Baptists, especially at Grace Baptist, we don't like putting the verb ‘work’ with ‘salvation’. But the concept is actually throughout the Scriptures, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” How do we do that? Well, it actually follows in the next verse, “For it is God who works in you.” These are those good works that Titus was being instructed on, “Both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The relationship for us in terms of the purpose of why God saved us is not always clear, but evident for us as we're living here on earth between our salvation and our eternity is to adorn the gospel, adorn the doctrine of God through the good works that God has prepared for us, and instructed us to do.
I'll close with just this one verse, Galatians 6:9, 10, “And let us not grow weary.” Remember, Galatians is the book about not following a gospel that is false, but a gospel that's based on grace alone for salvation. Galatians, there was an error there that they were starting to wander towards weaving in works or traditions to be saved and preaching a false gospel. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. This is my encouragement to you. That this is how we work out our salvation. By God's grace, we've been saved and God has a purpose for us if we're still here on this earth alive. And those are found regardless of your role, old man, young man, old woman, young woman, single, married, employed, employer. Regardless of the role there are good works that the Lord expects of us to be growing in until we all get to heaven.
Pastor Bernard Ibrahim
Titus 2,
“But as for you, teach (or instruct) what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and steadfastness. Older women, likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. (And then pointing to him as an example) Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior."
And then this section, which I think is really the explanation and the reasoning, and it's repeated twice, of this relationship between salvation and good works:
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (and then the theme is repeated here when once he mentions Christ) who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you."
I'd like to focus on this idea of the grace of God and our salvation and good works. And you see it here as the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, instructing Titus, who, you may remember, is right now on that island of Crete. From the context it appears there are several churches that he is being instructed to guide, support, establish elders and to help them grow, to edify them. So this is to the churches there.
You see in verse 7, “Be a model of good works.” The whole passage, starting in verse 2 all the way through verse 9, talks about key roles of believers, older men, older women, younger women, young men, bond servants, slaves; what they are to put off or avoid, and what they are to do in terms of adorning the gospel. You see that word adorning in verse 9 really means to be ornamental, to embellish, to honor, to give honor to the gospel.
How do we do that? In everything we give honor to the doctrine of God, our Savior. This relationship is repeated a couple of times, and it's clear that one of the purposes of salvation beyond the eternal is the temporal. The temporal earthly purpose of our personal salvation from God for us is the living out of good works. And we often think of salvation with a lot of different purposes, and there are many. We are alienated, so it reconciles us to God. We have sinned, according to our credit, and what we deserve, both as humans through Adam and our own evil works. We have guilt, it takes away guilt. We are strangers, but we're adopted in our salvation, part of the family of God. We're forgiven. We are promised glorification, eternal life. But for here on earth what are we waiting for? You see, it's that language, “Waiting for our blessed hope”, verse 13. What are we waiting for? Well, we're waiting for the appearing of the glory of God and Jesus Christ. We'll see Him face to face in the flesh in this new body that we'll have.
But while we're waiting, what does our salvation point us to do? And you will know that this theme is throughout the Scriptures. While we're waiting - you've been saved believer, I've been saved. Between salvation and us being in heaven, does our salvation compel us, point us, have a purpose in how we live? And I think the question is answered twice here. The grace of God trains us or instructs us, directs us. You see in verse 12, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” So it's our salvation and it trains us to renounce ungodliness. And then the positive, to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age. So when you ask yourself, “God saved me, for what purpose?” Well, it's here. You see it there in verse 14, “He redeemed me from all lawlessness.” He bought us back, that's what we were enslaved to, lawlessness. He wants us purified for himself. We are his, his own possession, we are actually his slaves, we are property of the Savior and he wants us to be zealous or zealous for good works. This is the relationship between the way we are to live, putting off that ungodliness and worldly passion, renouncing that life and being zealous for good works in whatever role the Lord saved us in. This is the purpose of our salvation for us individually, for every one of us who has been saved and is still alive here on earth. That's the earthly, temporal purpose of our salvation.
We're very familiar with this concept, it's throughout the Scriptures, Ephesians, 2, 8, 9, and 10. It's actually the first verse on our church website, “For by grace you have been saved through faith,” talking about salvation. How does it happen? Through faith by God's grace. And this is not your own doing it is a gift of God, not a result of works. Works have nothing to do with our salvation, so that no one may boast, for we are his workmanship. Notice, now it's starting to get into, now that we're saved what are we? “Created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Same way in the Scriptures, 2 Timothy 3, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” You may remember Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence.” And then this phrase, which often when I was younger really was very mysterious to me, “Work out your own salvation.” We being Baptists, especially at Grace Baptist, we don't like putting the verb ‘work’ with ‘salvation’. But the concept is actually throughout the Scriptures, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” How do we do that? Well, it actually follows in the next verse, “For it is God who works in you.” These are those good works that Titus was being instructed on, “Both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The relationship for us in terms of the purpose of why God saved us is not always clear, but evident for us as we're living here on earth between our salvation and our eternity is to adorn the gospel, adorn the doctrine of God through the good works that God has prepared for us, and instructed us to do.
I'll close with just this one verse, Galatians 6:9, 10, “And let us not grow weary.” Remember, Galatians is the book about not following a gospel that is false, but a gospel that's based on grace alone for salvation. Galatians, there was an error there that they were starting to wander towards weaving in works or traditions to be saved and preaching a false gospel. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. This is my encouragement to you. That this is how we work out our salvation. By God's grace, we've been saved and God has a purpose for us if we're still here on this earth alive. And those are found regardless of your role, old man, young man, old woman, young woman, single, married, employed, employer. Regardless of the role there are good works that the Lord expects of us to be growing in until we all get to heaven.
Posted in Pastor Devotional