Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
In this passage we see the qualifications of one who desires to lead […]

Titus 3:15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Paul is finishing up his letter of instruction to Titus. In finishing his letter, he did a typical salutation in that he said, everyone over here says hi. In addition, he told Titus to tell everyone who was around him that was a Christian that Paul and his comrades in the faith say hello. Paul then finished his letter by blessing Titus by asking that grace be with him.

Paul did not pray that Titus would have prosperity because Paul understood that prosperity is only temporary. Paul did not pray that Titus would receive no trials because Paul understood that trials help produce the character of Christ. Instead, Paul pronounced a blessing of grace, the divine influence upon the heart. It is by God�s grace that Titus was saved, it is by God�s grace that Titus was able to do God�s will, and it was by God�s grace that Titus would be able to be grateful for the trials that God brought into his life.

Paul did not expect just Titus to read this letter and then destroy it. Paul ended this letter by recognizing those who appreciated Paul�s ministry. Those who appreciated Paul�s ministry because they had the same faith in the Lord Jesus Christ would also appreciate the message that Paul was sharing with Titus.

Your faith in Christ makes you a member of the family of God. By your faith, you should obtain an appetite for spiritual things. Your faith in God should develop in you a love of righteousness and a hatred for all things evil. Your faith should cause you to have a Christian love for all those who are out in the field doing the service of God. It should create in you a desire to pray for and to support those who are serving God.

If you were working all day with your hands, at the end of the day, you would not think twice about spending some extra time on your hands to ensure that they were going to be able to work the next day. The same attention that you spend on your own body to the parts that are working, so too should you spend extra attention to ensure that those who are doing the work of God are well attended too and are able to continue to serve God.

Your faith in God is more then just a personal relationship with God. Your faith in God is the power that you need to overcome the temptations that face you in this world. Your faith has put you in the family of God.

Have you learned to love the things of God? Do you yearn to talk with God about your problems? Do you look forward to the time when you can open up HIS� words and read what HE has to say to you? Do you anxiously await those times when you can receive spiritual instruction as you forsake not the gathering of HIS saints? Your faith should have made a difference in you; you should be a new creature in Christ.

Paul had killed many Christians, yet now by the grace of God, Christians could love him and his ministry because both served the same God. Christians were able to love Paul and his ministry not because natural instinct says that they should, but because their faith in God gave them the power to forgive Paul for his past transgressions. Your faith in God gives you power to do things you never imagined. Your faith in God enables you to put the things of God first in your life.

Titus 3:8 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.

Paul is telling all who believe should constantly be demonstrating from their lives good works. Paul is not contradicting James who taught you that you are not saved by works. Paul is simply saying that if you are a believer because you have put your faith in the Lord Jesus, then you must maintain good works. The world expects you to be different but more importantly God expect you to be different. God desires that you no longer put your own needs first but that you put the needs of others first.

Prior to this verse, Paul encourages you to be subject to the rulers of the land, to not speak evil of anyone, and to be gentle and meek. You must remember that it is your sin nature that causes you to desire to do many evil things and to put yourselves first in your own eyes. However, God desires that you remember that it is through the blood of Jesus that makes you a new creature

Good works will not save you but they are profitable to you and your ministry. By good works, you will gain audiences that you would not have gained before. By good works, you will learn to put others before yourself. By good works you are able to draw attention to God and to properly reflect HIS glory through your life.

Imagine a young child who has learned his manners living in your neighborhood. The young child is quick to pick up the elderly neighbor�s newspaper when it is raining and run it to their house. He does not walk through others lawns, is quick to ask permission if he desires to do something and is always looking to help the neighbors. Everyone will comment about the wonderful job his parents did in raising this young man. Because the child is well behaved, he reflects well on his parents. He is not a child of his parents because he is well behaved, but he is well behaved because he loves his parents and desires to please them and do as they request.

So to as Christians we must learn to put others first, to do good works not so that you are a part of the family of God but so that you properly reflect the mercy and grace of God to the world. Christ came and saved you from your sins, it is the least that you can do to live your life in such a way as to cause others to look favorably upon HIM and HIS children.

Remember that James told you that faith without works is dead. Your works do not save but you demonstrate your faith by the fact that you do good works. You are different; you are called according to God�s purposes. Jesus commended the widow who put all she had in the offering. It is profitable to you and your ministry to others that you demonstrate your faith by putting others before your own needs.

People are watching you. They are looking at your actions to see if your actions correlate with your words. People hear what you say but until they see a difference in your life, they are not going to believe your words until they can see that your words have taken root in your life and have produced a positive change in your own life. Learn to demonstrate your faith by good works.

Titus 2:1-2 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

Paul was instructing Titus that he was to teach uncorrupted doctrine. This list is a list of uncorrupted doctrine that Titus was to teach to the older men. If Titus was to teach older men to do the things listed in this verse, he would be teaching sound doctrine. In addition, if the older men were living the things listed in these verses, they would be further demonstrating that they were in the world but not of the world.

However, this message of being vigilant, honest, self-controlled, true in their faith, demonstrating love, and being patient was not only for the older men. In verse three, Titus was told that he was to also teach these doctrines to the older women. The older women in turn were responsible for teaching the younger ladies what doctrine appropriate for them to be demonstrating in their life. It was not appropriate for Titus to be teaching the younger ladies. One of the purposes that Titus was told to teach this message to the older women was so that their behavior demonstrates holiness. The whole purpose of this particular list of true doctrine that Titus was to teach was for the purpose of Christians demonstrating to the world a reverence to God that the world could understand who they were by simply observing their behavior.

Titus was being instructed to teach those things that if his listeners did, they would draw attention to God. The purpose of Titus� teaching was not to bring glory to himself or to cause the listener to become proud and conceited in this knowledge, but instead was to be practical lessons to help the listeners understand what was pleasing in the sight of God. Titus was to teach his listeners how to live their lives. How to outwardly demonstrate their faith so that others might look at them and understand that they were different.

Paul�s instruction to Titus of what he was to teach was not meant only for Titus, it is also meant for you. You are instructed that when you have an opportunity to instruct others, your lessons do not have to be deep in knowledge. Instead, when you teach, help your listeners understand what they can do to change the way that they live so that their lives please the Lord.

You as a Christian are to be set apart. The world should look at you and understand that there is something different about you. The world should not have to second guess whether or not you are a Christian but your actions should demonstrate that you are different. You do not do things that others do simply because everyone is doing them, but instead, you do what is right in the sight of God.

It is important that you do not only take on the title of Christian but that you allow your life to change so that the world sees that you are in fact a Christian. You have great faith, but what good does it do you if you have no self-control. You have self-control but you have no patience. You have patience but you have no love. You have love but you are not honest. The Christian life is not only about one thing, but instead, it should affect every aspect of your life. Yes, you must have faith, but you also must demonstrate to the world not just one quality of a Christian but your entire life must be a demonstration that you are holy and set apart for the glory of God. God must be magnified through your life.

Titus 1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

Paul left Titus in Crete. He left Titus there for the purpose of establishing elders to the church in every city. One of the problems in Crete was that the Cretians were known to be liars, own ferocious beasts, and to be gluttons. The Cretians also liked to teach things for the sake of money. Titus was to look for elders who held fast to the faithful word of God, the elders where to not to be lovers of money, and not given to wine. Titus was to establish elders who were faithful to their wife and who had raised faithful children.

Thus, it was clear that the elders of the church have already proved to everyone around them that they were different and that they were not yielding to the things of the world. The elders were in the world but not of the world. These individuals were clearly individuals who had proven that they were different and that over time they had proven that they deserved to be in a position of authority in the church.

In this verse, Titus is being commanded by Paul to rebuke the inhabitants of Crete sharply for their wickedness. Paul understood that until individuals realized that they were sinners and corrupt, they would not in a position where they could hear the truth of the gospel of Christ and be established in the faith. Paul understood the sins that the Cretians were quick to yield to and he desired that Titus attack the problem head on. Titus was not to beat around the bush but to inform the people of their cancer. By dealing with the disease, Titus then would be in the position to teach the people the cure.

Mankind is naturally sinful. However, you are to be an example to the world as an individual who is set apart from the world, an individual who is different. You desire the world to know that you are different and also, you need to live your life so that even those in the church understand that you have gone the extra step and have put away from your life those sins that so easily beset those of the world. You are to be different; you are to live your life for HIM. You are to allow HIM to direct your life so that HE is glorified and so that HE is magnified through you.

Because you have demonstrated victory over sin, you are now in the position that you are able to confront sin. Why would the world listen to you as you confront them in your sin if they can see that you also are entangled with the things of this world? If the world sees that you commit even what you consider a small sin, they wonder - if it is obvious to them that you are committing such a trivial sin - what other sins are you hiding. Your life must be lived in such a way as to demonstrate to the world that they can listen to you because you are different; your life is the example that they do not have to live the way they do. They do not have to be slaves to sin but that they can be servants of God.

Your walk talks, and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder then your talk talks. Ensure that your life demonstrates to the world that you are different. If you life tells others that you are different, then they will be more receptive to your confronting their sins and be more wiling to receive Christ into their lives. If you are no different then them, what hope do you have to offer them. Instead, allow God to make a difference in your life so that the world will know that you are an individual of faith.

Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Paul and Titus had something in common, their faith. By faith, they both believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. By faith, they were willing to do God�s will for their life. By faith, they were able to perform miracles so that others might be drawn to the power of God. Paul calls Titus his son because of the relationship that they had. It appears that Paul was the one who led Titus to the Lord. Paul discipled Titus and encouraged him to serve the Lord. It was this common faith that bound Paul and Titus.

Think about it, your faith is the same faith as the apostle Paul had. There is nothing different about your faith in that both Paul and you had to acknowledge that you were a sinner and bound for hell. Both Paul and you have a common faith, a faith that is shared by all who put their trust in HIM. From the apostles of Jesus Christ, to the great Christians that you have studied, they all have something in common with you, the same faith that God is the Creator, and that you have a sinful nature.

It does not matter if you are a missionary, a pastor, a schoolteacher, a doctor, a business owner, or any other profession, if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, then you share a common faith. When you were born, where you were born, what the financial stability of your family is has no relationship to the fact that if you believe, you share a common faith with other believers.

However, while you have a common faith, it does not mean that you utilize your faith to the maximum potential. Think of it this way, even if you had enough concrete, wire and steel, you probably could not build on your own another Golden Gate Bridge. The materials used to build the bridge are common supplies that anyone can pick up. Nonetheless, because several men knew how to use those materials, they were able to take common materials and turn them into something spectacular.

God has given you the common faith that you can use to do great things for HIM. However, if you do not use the common faith, your life is not very valuable. You can go to almost any junkyard and see concrete, wire and steel. Absolute junk because no one desires to use it anymore. The material is common, but because it is not used it was thrown away and considered of no value.

Men like Paul took the common faith and did great good for the kingdom of God. Judas on the other hand took the common faith and wasted it upon himself; as a result, he allowed his corrupt heart to destroy him. The choice is yours what you are going to do with the common faith that God has given you. You can use the faith to do great things for God, or you can use the faith to ultimately destroy yourself.

God has given you the ability to do great things for HIM. However, in order to do great things for HIM, you must be willing to hear HIS still small voice and be willing to follow HIS will for your life. God desires to take you and use you in a way that the world will see that you are HIS and that God is alive today. Are you willing to take the common faith and to do great things for God? Are you willing to be stretched by God today?

Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God�s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

Paul is acknowledging his status with God that is a result of his faith. Paul understands that because of the gift of salvation, that he is called of God and he now has a duty to serve the Lord and to do those things that are pleasing in God�s sight. Paul�s faith has resulted in him becoming a servant of God. However, before you think that this is a demotion, remember that the other option is to be a slave to sin.

You have a choice, either you can be a slave to sin or a servant of the most High God. The difference between a slave to sin and a servant of God comes from your faith. When you are a slave to sin, you may think that you have freedom to make the decisions that you desire to make. However, in truth, you do not have freedom because you are bound by your own lusts and are driven by sin�s insatiable appetite for more debauchery. Sin is never satisfied. In fact, the more you feed your lusts, the hungrier they become. As a slave to sin, sin will always be trying to make you take the next step.

Absent the fear of God in your life, once you are on the slippery slope of sin, you cannot stop. However, by putting your faith in God and your willingness to put HIM first in your life, you can claim victory over your sin. Paul had an insatiable appetite for the blood of Christians. He could not get enough. While at first he stood by and watched, he soon started seeking out Christians to destroy. When he found out the Christians were fleeing, he started to pursue the Christians where they were fleeing. Saul was a slave to sin, but by the mercies of God, Saul became Paul and Paul became a servant of God desiring to do those things that are pleasing to HIM.

What is the difference between a slave and a servant? Webster 1828 dictionary defines slave as �A person who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who has no will of his own, but whose person and services are wholly under the control of another.� Webster 1828 dictionary in the definition of servant defines the difference between a slave and a servant, �servant differs from slave, as the servant�s subjection to a master is voluntary, a slave�s is not.�

By faith Paul choose to forsake being a slave to sin and instead be a servant of God. Paul was not forced to be a servant of God; this was a choice that he made after experiencing the power of God in his life. Paul saw who God was and realized that it would be better to serve the one true God then to be a slave to his own sin. By faith, Paul accepted God�s gift of salvation and by faith Paul pursued God�s will for his life. Paul voluntarily put himself in a position that it was no longer his will that he was seeking but that instead it was the will of God that he desired to accomplish.

Are you a profitable servant of God? Are you seeking to serve God with all your heart? Serving God is a voluntary choice that you make. Once you make that decision, you need to fully dedicate yourself to the cause of Christ. You do not want to be an unprofitable servant. Instead, once you have committed to be freed from sin, then you must be like Paul and totally dedicate your life to the Lord, seek HIS will and seek to do those things that HE desires you to accomplish for HIM. By faith you are no longer a slave to sin.