And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. (Titus 3:14-15)

These last sentences from Paul’s letter to Titus give us a few final things to remember. We can first look at the goal: that Christians may not be unfruitful. God wants us to “bear fruit” as believers.

The idea of “fruit” or being unfruitful here is a poetic way to speak of a Christian life that brings forth good things. It’s good for an apple tree to bring forth good apples, and it’s good for a Christian life to show the “fruit of the Spirit” described in Galatians 5:22-23: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

Here, Paul says we will not be unfruitful if we maintain good works, and if we meet urgent needs, giving us the opportunity to show forth the fruit of the Spirit. It’s good for Christians to do good, and to do good in Jesus’ name! We should not only start doing good works, but we should maintain good works, keep on doing them. We should look for urgent needs and try to meet them in Jesus’ name.

This is another way that the wonderful letter to Titus encourages us to do good and to show the reality of our faith through such good works. We also see another way that the message of Paul and the message of James were not in contradiction, and that Paul also believed that real faith would show in real life.

A Special Kind of Love

In the last verse of Titus, we are reminded of Paul’s warm relationships with Christians all over the Roman Empire. He sent a greeting both to Titus and to the other Christians on the Island of Crete. In this, notice this line: greet those who love us in the faith.

We should be grateful for the people in our life who love us in the faith. We enjoy our bond as brothers and sisters in Jesus, a bond that can go deeper than blood because it is in the faith. I want to say “thank you” to those who love us in the faith.

At the end of it all, Paul wrote: Grace be with you all. Even though the letter to Titus has a lot of emphasis on practical Christian living, we can only live the way God wants us to when we walk in His grace. We’re grateful for all His grace gives us and teaches us, and we long for that grace to be with us more and more. By faith, receive His grace today and for the coming week – and then maintain good works!

Click here for David’s commentary on Titus 3

Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. (Titus 3:10-11)

In this section of Titus 3, Paul told Titus to remember several things. Here he told him to remember to reject a divisive man.

Divisive people are not a new problem for the church. Titus 3:10-11 tells us that they have been a challenge for pastors and church leaders from the earliest days of Christianity. Simply said, the divisive man divides people in God’s family without good cause. I have never met a divisive person who didn’t think they had good cause, but clearly not all of them do.

Connecting Titus 3:10-11 with the previous verse, we can see that these divisive people were focused on “foolish disputes” and things that were “unprofitable and useless.” It seems they divided over things that didn’t matter much.

Recently I heard a respected pastor say that one of the biggest problems in the church today is pettiness. People get offended and divide over small, sometimes trivial things. They lose their sense of proportion and end up going their own way and drawing others with them over minor issues. I think there was a lot of truth in that pastor’s observation.

What to Do With the Divisive

Notice what Paul said to do with the divisive person. First, reason with him or her, and do it a first and second time. Our first reaction to such people should not be anger or frustration, or to tell them to “shut up.” We should approach them with love, bringing godly admonition in wisdom. We should be willing to do this more than once.

If they persist in their divisive ways, they add rebellion, rejection of authority, and unwillingness to learn to their sin of divisiveness. It’s only then that we should reject them. This means that we should put them outside the care and comfort of the community of God’s people. We should do this as gently as possible and with only the necessary measure of firmness, not more.

Notice that we are not to do them any harm in body, soul, character, or property. The times when the church dealt with divisive people by persecuting them in those ways were dark days that, God helping, will never be repeated.

It’s good to know how to deal with such divisive people. But consider this: are you the divisive one?Do you argue and dispute and divide over things that are small in the big picture? It’s hard to see this sin in our self; pray that God searches our heart and mind and that we listen to what He tells us.

Click here for David’s commentary on Titus 3

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. (Titus 3:8)

Some people like to claim that the Bible contradicts itself. Most of these claims are fairly silly, and can be dealt with easily. Some are a more involved, and take some effort to understand. Titus 3:8 speaks to one of these “more involved” matters.

The claimed contradiction is between Paul and James. The Apostle Paul was one of the champions of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone. The Apostle James emphasized the necessity of good works and a life that honors God.

If you took a single verse from James and a single verse from Paul and set them against each other, you might think there is a contradiction.

Then we read what Paul wrote here in Titus 3:8: those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. You might say that with that statement, Paul summarized the entire theme of the book of James!

Both Are Right

Paul definitely believed in good works, and that Christians should maintain them. In fact, he wanted Titus to affirm constantly this truth. It was a faithful saying. Paul would never say, “Just have faith, give no concern to good works.” Paul knew just as James wrote, that good works are an important part of the Christian life.

Yet, good works are not the reason why we are right with God. We are right with God because of who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross. What Paul and James want us to know is that if you are made right with God, it will show in good works. We are saved by grace through faith, but it is a living faith – the faith that saves will do something, and many good things for God, His people, and a needy world.

To put it another way, faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone. We must never put the cart of works before the horse of grace.

Ask God for wisdom about your own life. Do you maintain good works? Are you good for something in the here-and-now, or are you good for nothing?

Click here for David’s commentary on Titus 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. (Titus 3:3)

In Paul’s letter to Titus, this is a section of reminders. Paul wanted Titus to remind the Christians under his teaching and leadership of how to live the Christian life (Titus 3:1-2). But he also wanted Titus to remind them of how they used to live, what they used to be.

It’s as if God tells us, “Don’t ever forget how I have changed your life.” As Paul wrote, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived.” When in verses 1 and 2 we learned how to live, we learn in verse 3 why it is sometime such a struggle. We didn’t used to live in a godly way, and we have bad habits of thinking and doing to overcome.

Notice that Paul used the word “we” in this sentence. He included himself, and it was quite a list to include one’s self in: foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

For the Christian, all that should belong to the old life. Jesus gives us something new. Remembering this work of God builds four things in us.

First, gratitude  for how God changed us. When we think of what we used to be, we can be so thankful that God has done a work in our life and is still doing that work. We often think that we are not yet what we should be (and that is true); but thank God, we are not what we used to be.

Second, humilityas we see that it was His work that changed us. This was not our own self-improvement program; it was the work of the living God within us. Of course, it involved our will and effort; but even our will and effort were the work of God in us. We have nothing to be proud about.

Third, kindness to others in the same place. Sometimes we are quite judgmental towards those caught in the web of sin, forgetting that we also once were in similar traps. Remembering the changes God has done in our life should make us compassionate towards those who need a similar work of God.

Finally, faith that God can change those who are still in that place. It’s easy to despair when we long to see God work in the lives of others. Sometimes we give up hope. The next time you feel like that, ask Him for the grace to remember that if God changed you, He can change others as well.

Remember what you used to be, and have faith that the God who has begun a good work in you will complete it unto the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

Click here for David’s commentary on Titus 3

Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. (Titus 2:15)

These words from the Apostle Paul come at the end of a long section where he told Titus how to lead the churches on the island of Crete. Titus chapter 2 is filled with practical guidance for the pastor and the church leader, and the chapter ends with this interesting statement. Paul told Titus, “Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.”

The first thing is to speak these things. Titus, and every one of God’s messengers of grace are directed to speak the things of God’s Word. What Paul wrote to Titus (these things) was and is God-inspired Scripture.

We could have an interesting discussion over the question, “Did Paul knowwhat he wrote was Scripture?” But it really doesn’t matter if Paul was aware of it or not. God guided Paul and the other human authors of Scripture, enabling them to write His inspired Word through their own human personality.

These things were to be the focus of what Titus taught. The preacher must always stay centered on God’s Word.

Next, Paul told Titus to exhort and rebuke– and to do it with all authority. God’s messengers are to remember that they are messengers from a King, holding the word that brings life and turns back hell. The preacher needs to speak forth God’s Word, exalting it high above human opinion and speculation. When the preacher speaks, sometimes it will be encouraging (exhort) sometimes correcting (rebuke).

Finally, Paul told Titus, “let no one despise you.” This didn’t happen by Titus making a rule saying that Christians weren’t allowed to despise him. It happened because Titus lived a life of love and integrity. If Titus spoke with all authority, he had to back it up with his life. Titus had to live in such a way so that no one could rightfully despise him or his message.

One commentator points out that it was common for these letters from Paul to be read in the churches. Therefore, this remark, “let no one despise you,” was also something for the Christians and Crete to hear. When they saw Titus living an honorable and godly life, they had to step up and respect him and his message, even when it was a rebuke.

I’m sure that at some point this week God will have a word to encourage you (exhort) or to correct you (rebuke). Be ready to receive either word and to respond to it.

Click here for David’s commentary on Titus 2