Daily Writing

Tuesday, 26 June 2018

…whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, Titus 3:6

Paul’s words of this verse refer to the mercy of God which led to our salvation “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Thus, specifically, he is referring to the Holy Spirit. As he says, “whom He poured out on us.”

The “pouring out” of the Spirit is is something that is referred to in both testaments of the Bible. For example, several prophets in the Old Testament mention this. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, and Zechariah each speak of it. The example from Joel is then repeated in Acts 2. Paul refers to the pouring out of the Spirit in Romans 5:5 as well (more specifically the love of God by the Holy Spirit) –

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

It is this pouring out which was done so “abundantly.” The word gives the sense of “richly.” The precious Spirit is poured into an earthly jar of clay. Thus the contents are what is of value, and they are what make the vessel holy and suitable to God. The thought of this abundance is referred to by Jesus when He said, “…God does not give the Spirit by measure.”

Instead of doling out the Spirit in small doses, He pours it out on His people in abundance. We are filled to capacity. When a person calls on Christ, they receive the Spirit in His fullness. Just as when a person gets married, they will never get more married, so when a person receives the Spirit, there is a completeness to the reception of the Spirit. Any filling after receiving Jesus is passive, not active. The Spirit will get more of us as we submit to God. And this process is accomplished “through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

It is the reception of Christ that allows the Spirit to be poured out. It is living rightly before God because of Christ that fills us with the Spirit (passively) after that point. In Paul’s words, we now have a better understanding of the words of verse 4. There he said, “God our Savior.” Now He refers to Jesus Christ our Savior. God’s work of salvation is accomplished through the work of Christ Jesus. From there, God pours out His Spirit in the believer. All three members of the Trinity are clearly presented in this passage, each fulfilling His own role in the process. Though the word “Trinity” is never used in Scripture, the doctrine is clearly taught nonetheless.

Life application: Biblical doctrines do not have to be stated by name for them to be valid doctrines. “Original sin” and “rapture” are words not used in Scripture, but both are clearly taught. “Trinity” is not used in Scripture, but the concept is. Don’t be led astray by people who knock on your door and tell you that the things you have been taught are not true just because they are not explicitly named in the Bible. Instead, open the book up, show them where they are wrong, and tell them to come back when they have received the true gospel; not a false one.

Glorious God; exalted heavenly Father! It is so wonderful to walk in Your presence, knowing You are always there with us. No matter where we go, and no matter what point in history we find ourselves, You are already there. What a comfort it is to know that we are never separated from You, even for a moment. Thank You for this wonderful knowledge. Great are You, O God, and greatly are You to be praised. Amen.

Monday, 25 June 2018

…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, Titus 3:5

This continues the thought of the previous verse, but it is tied into the whole package of thought since verse 3:1. Paul exhorted the believers through Titus in verses 1 & 2 to be subject to rulers, to obey, to be ready for every good work, and to do so in a peaceable, gentle, and humble attitude. Then in verse 3, he spoke of the wretched state that we all were in prior to being saved by Christ. That was immediately followed up in verse 4 with, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared…”

That now brings in the words of verse 5. Paul begins with, “not by works of righteousness which we have done.” This is being contrasted to the state we were in, and it is complementing the “every good work” of verse 1. We were in a state of disobedience, living in a manner contrary to what God expects of us. In that fallen state, God initiated the process of our change by sending Jesus. We had not yet done any good works in order to merit His favor. Even if people before coming to Christ did good things, they could never meet the high standard of righteousness that God expects. Our deeds were tainted by sin. But even more, they were done in a state of unbelief.

Without belief in Christ (faith), there can be no merit for our works. Our state was fallen, and so nothing we did could meet God’s bar of what is considered “righteous.” And so Paul says that our works are wholly excluded from merit before Him. He sent Jesus before any such works of righteousness were possible. Thus, the sending of Jesus was an act of pure grace; unmerited favor. And it was in a condition of needed mercy. We needed to not get the righteous justice that was due to us.

And this is exactly what God provided. God sent His Son to us not in a state of merited favor, “but according to His mercy.” God’s extended mercy implies that we needed mercy. If so (and it is so), then it means that we actually deserved His punishment. We had not worked our way out of the pit of destruction. Instead, we wallowed in it. Remember also, Paul was an observant Jew. And not only was he observant, but he was the cream of the crop; a Pharisee. And yet, he includes himself in the equation. He was as in need of God’s mercy as all others. Jesus said as much to the people of Israel –

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20

Obviously, if the most observant Jews of all could not enter the kingdom of heaven through their own merit, then it shows that something much greater was needed. This is what Paul now speaks of in Titus. God sent Jesus to us as a merciful offering. It is in this act that “He saved us.” The only way we could be brought out of the pit of destruction in which we lived was for God to initiate the process. In that, and through that, we can be saved. Paul is speaking only to believers here. The words, “He saved us,” are speaking only of those who are actually saved by God through the work of Christ. However, it is inclusive of all who are saved – past, present, and future. Paul’s words are written as doctrine for the church age.

He then explains how this salvation came about. It was, “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Reformed theologians say that a person cannot be saved unless God first regenerates them in order to believe. They then believe, and after that, they are saved. They then say that being “born again” in John 3:3 is that process. In other words, a person who is born again isn’t yet saved. He is simply regenerated in order to believe at that point. Only after that will he will then believe and be saved. If that isn’t the craziest theology imaginable!

Paul’s words here completely refute such illogical doctrine. The “washing of regeneration” literally signifies “water for washing.” It is baptism (of the Holy Spirit) that Paul speaks of here. The only other time he uses this term is in Ephesians 5:26. There he says (while speaking of the church) –

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,” Ephesians 5:26, 27

It is first through the word that one is washed. The word is given by the Spirit of God. This then needs to be brought back further, to Romans 10 –

“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:16, 17

Paul’s words clearly show that “not all have obeyed the gospel.” There is a choice (free will) which is involved in the process. That choice is based on the word which has been given by the Spirit of God. In hearing the word, a choice is made (belief). In that choice, faith is exercised. In the exercising of that faith, man receives “the washing of regeneration.” That is the baptism (of the Holy Spirit) spoken of by Paul here, and which leads to “the renewing of the Holy Spirit.” This is what Paul means when he said in the previous verse, “He saved us.” It takes us again to Romans 10 –

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

The entire process is initiated by God, but it must be acted upon by man (faith). The moment that faith in the gospel is exercised, Paul then tells us what the result is. This is found recorded in Ephesians 1:13, 14 –

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

The sealing of the Holy Spirit which Paul speaks of in Ephesians 1 is the same thing he is referring to in Titus 3. Through the word, we “hear.” In hearing, we believe. In believing, we are sealed with the Spirit and are saved. The entire process is of God, and not of our own works. Faith is not considered a work (Romans 3:27), and it is something we must exercise as a part of this process.

Finally, the “renewing of the Holy Spirit” means that we are now acceptable to God. Though we are still capable of wrongdoing, that wrongdoing is not imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:19). Rather, God accepts us because of Christ, and our works are now made acceptable to Him through Christ as well. That is the “every good work” which Paul cited in verse 3:1.

Life application: It seems as if such a long commentary on what Paul says at times is unnecessary. His words are clear and precise. But because so many people have come in and muddied the theological waters, even to the point where there is complete confusion in how Paul’s words are presented, there actually needs to be a highly detailed explanation of his thoughts at times. Always be ready to dig into the word, keep the waters clear, and accept the basics as they are given (such as free-will) from the start. Once we divert from the obvious, the pure flowing river becomes tainted. In the end, it is all about Jesus who has come to give us the remedy to the state which we are in.

Lord God, thank You for the Holy Bible; Your precious word. Help us to read it daily, apply it to our lives always, and to never muddy its purity with unsound theology. Your word is a wonderful light, and it is the purest of water. Thank You for your precious word. Amen.

Sunday, 24 June 2018

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Titus 3:4

Paul’s words of verse 3 spoke of the disobedience of believers prior to coming to Christ, including all of the perverse and hateful things they participated in. Now he begins to contrast that to the greatness of God, and what he has done for us, even while we were in that detestable and unrighteous state. This contrast begins to be seen immediately with the word, “But.” It is Paul’s way of saying, “We were this way, BUT! Let me now tell you about the greatness of God’s love.” And so he begins with, “But when the kindness and the love of God…”

We were “foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.” Despite this, God was still willing to overlook what we had done because of what He had accomplished for us apart from anything we had done. It was an act of kindness, and it was an act of love. The Greek word translated as “kindness” is used only by Paul. It signifies “meeting real needs, in God’s way, in His timing” (HELPS Word Studies). Our needs were met, and love was poured out by “God our Savior.” The Greek reads, “the Savior of us, God.”

God, meaning God the Father, is contrasted to Jesus our Savior here. What this means is that God the Father initiated the process of salvation, and He appointed His Son to accomplish the work to be done. It is this kindness and love of God which then was directed “toward man.” This takes us immediately back to the thought of the previous verse. It was not just toward man, but toward fallen man as Paul described. We were in a wretched state before God, and yet God directed His kindness and love towards us anyway. It is this unfathomable display of God’s unlimited grace which Paul says has “appeared.”

That which has appeared will be qualified in the next verse, and then it will be stated in the verse after that. But we know who it is that has appeared. It is Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank God for Him. The words here are reflective of what Paul says in Romans 5:8 –

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Life application: There is no merit in our salvation. We were as far from God as we could possibly be. The infinite gap could never be bridged, nor could a ladder rise so high. Only God could make the connection once again. As this was an act of His grace, let us never boast that it is otherwise. All glory is to be laid at the feet of Christ Jesus our Lord. God’s kindness and love have appeared and saved us.

Lord God, we were in a wretched state; cut off and without hope in this world. And yet, despite this, Your kindness and love towards us were made manifest in the giving of Your Son for our sin. Your love toward us while we were still sinners is marvelous, and we have received it as such. Let us not now squander that glorious salvation which You have wrought. But help us to live out that gift of life with gratitude and thanks which is displayed in honor towards You. Amen.

Saturday, 23 June 2018

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 the previous verses, Paul spoke of being subject to rulers, and to act in a manner which is right in conduct towards others. In this context, he begins this verse with, “For we ourselves…” Paul is not speaking merely of himself and Titus, but of all believers. This is clearly evident from the content of the coming verses. He is making a general statement about all people – the life that we live in our fallen human nature. With this understanding, he says that we “were also once foolish.”

The word indicates “not thinking.” Thus it is someone who is unmindful of their actions and who acts in a dense or mindless way. As HELPS Word Studies says it, such a person is “just plain stupid.”

Next, Paul says that we were once also “disobedient.” It speaks of someone who is unwilling to be persuaded, and thus acts in a contrary manner. In the case of religion, it would be someone who is unwilling to be persuaded by God. God has revealed himself in certain ways, such as through creation. His self-revelation makes His nature and being obvious, and yet we outwardly rebel against what is obvious, doing what we prefer instead of what He prefers.

We also were once “deceived.” The idea is of one who sways from the proper path, roaming into error, or simply being misled. The Greek word is planaó, and it is where the word “planet” is derived from. A planet is a “wandering body,” unlike the stars whose course appears constant and predictable. The use of the word in the Bible almost always describes the sin of roaming from what is proper.

Paul next says that we also were once “serving various lusts and pleasures.” It is actually stronger in the Greek, indicating slavery to desires and pleasures. Instead of living in a right, circumspect, and moral manner, we as humans participate in that which is corrupt, becoming enslaved to our passions and earthly desires. As slaves, we act in a manner which is obedient to the flesh, honoring it as our master.

In addition to this, he notes that we also once were “living in malice and envy.” The word translated as malice signifies “evil.” Thus we have an evil bent in our minds which is then worked out in outward evil conduct and in doing harm to others (malice). We are also consumed with envy towards those around us who possess what we desire, but do not have. Together, the malice and envy form a deadly cocktail which can, and often does, result in real harm to those who are the target of our unhealthy attitude.

Paul finishes the verse of how we once also were by saying that we were “hateful and hating one another.” The word translated as “hateful” is found only here in the Bible. It signifies people who actively and purposefully hate things that are good. It is an attitude which is repulsive. HELPS Word Studies says that it is seen “…when ‘self-revealed failure’ is apparent even to the perpetrator of a crime.” In the end, such hatred is actually a hatred of God. As noted above, He has revealed Himself in a manner which is obvious. But fallen man refuses to participate in loving Him. Instead, we act out in a hateful manner. Paul then combines this with “hating one another.” In being hateful, we transfer that corrupt state of self outwardly, acting hatefully to others. There is no sense of brotherly love, but of ill-will.

Life application: We all have these negative qualities inside of us, whether we act on them or not. It is a part of human nature. The further we are from a life of godliness, the more these will be acted out. They will be on prominent display in our life and conduct. Eventually, we become like brute animals. A sufficient example is to look at those who are in gangs. They display most of these traits towards the world around them. Their only allegiance is to self-gain, and there is no regard for the Creator, or for those created in His image. Without Christ, this nature exists and can be brought forward from anyone. The tribulation period will demonstrate this on a global scale.

Lord God, our human nature is one which is fallen, and which is at enmity with You. Without Christ Jesus, life is a bad path which can easily degrade into the vilest conduct towards You, towards others, and towards self. Thank You that we can be freed from the flesh to walk in the Spirit because of Jesus. In this, we can and will become vessels which are holy and acceptable to You. And so Lord, help us to apply Your word to our daily walk always. Amen.

Friday, 22 June 2018

…to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. Titus 3:2

Paul’s words here continue the previous verse. They are words to Titus concerning instruction that he is to give to all in the congregation. He had just instructed him to tell “them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work.” He now adds to that with, “to speak evil of no one.”

The Greek reads, “to not blaspheme anyone.” As he has just been speaking of rulers, the idea probably is meant towards them first. It is very easy to speak evil of rulers and authorities. For the Christian, this should not be the case. However, Paul extends it to all. Not only are we to be subject to the ruling authorities, giving them respect, we are to act in that manner with everyone we encounter. We are not to speak ill of them, slander them, or defame them. Our words should be words of edification, not destruction, towards and about others.

Paul then notes that believers are “to be peaceable.” The word is actually a negative, “not contentious.” It signifies one who abstains from fighting. Instead of arguing or beating others up, we are to use words of encouragement and give a hand of support.

Next, he notes, “gentle.” The word gives the sense of acting in a fair and reasonable manner. HELPS Word Studies says that it signifies “‘gentle’ in the sense of truly fair by relaxing overly strict standards in order to keep the ‘spirit of the law.’” In that case, it would indicate not acting in a legalistic, over-bearing way.

The verse then ends with, “showing all humility to all men.” The previous word, gentle, is an outward way of acting. This one, humility, is an inner trait. This word signifies a mild, meek, and humble demeanor. Paul says that believers are to have this quality, and then they are to display it towards all men. There is to be a gracious nature to our character as we interact with our fellow believers, remembering that we are in the presence of God and thus our humility is as much an acknowledgment of Him as it is towards those we encounter.

Life application: As we look at our fellow believers, we might see the traits Paul has been stating either being put into action, or they might be completely lacking. If we can notice these things in others, then we obviously can apply them to ourselves. Hold fast to what is good, reject that which is contrary to the word, and demonstrate the qualities that have been described to the best of your ability at all times.

Lord God; Almighty Father – You have given us words of how we are to act, and the character we are to display towards others. It is so easy to stray from those exhortations. We get upset at our leaders, we have disagreements with those we encounter, we get hungry or tired and our emotions get sour. Help us to realize our limitations, and to step back from speech or action which would be harmful to our witness of You before others lest we act in an inappropriate manner. Surely we need Your continuous prompting in this! Amen.