Titus "Good Works"

Jesus came to us, died for us and rose again to offer  us the gift of eternal salvation with Him forever.

God loves us so!!

We do not gain salvation by our good works but it is an outward sign of an inward change. Deeds of kindness show our love and gratitude for God who so loves the world that He gives us Jesus.

Titus

God wants His people to devote themselves to doing good works. Older men, older women, young women, young men, should “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things”. In his letter, Paul exhorts the believers at Crete to display the testimony of good works to outsiders. While good works are a Christian duty, they are also a gift from God. Through justification in Christ, God declares us righteous. We must have this legal standing in order to qualify before God to do good works. Redemption removes us from the jurisdiction of Satan by paying the debt incurred by our sins. At the same time, it places us in the family of God so that we might be “His own special people, zealous for good works”.

2:11-14 for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

2:2-5 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

3:1-8 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.

3:14 And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.

Paul reminds the believers in Crete of the price and purpose of God’s redemption. The Greek word used here, lytroō, for to redeem means “to release” or “set free,” especially from slavery. Good deeds are not a means to salvation; rather, they are the appropriate response to God’s redemptive work in Christ. The Greek word used here, blasphēmeō, describes speaking against someone with the purpose of harming his or her reputation. Believers will ruin their own reputation if they seek to ruin the reputation of others. Paul asserts that believers must show kindness to all people, not only to one another. Those now saved must not forget the means of their salvation: the mercy of God. God appeared to rescue humanity from its dire situation.

God’s kindness and love appeared in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In His saving work, Christ models the kindness and love that believers must show all people.

Regeneration refers to the transformation of the corrupt human nature by the Holy Spirit. Jesus described salvation in similar terms, emphasizing God’s radical work within a person. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, believers experience a rebirth from a state of spiritual death. The presence of the Spirit enables them to live in a manner that pleases God. The washing here denotes an inner, spiritual cleansing it probably does not refer to baptism. 

We are declared righteous  in God’s sight—not by human merit, but by His grace. 

Justification represents God’s pardoning and acceptance of sinners who express faith in Jesus Christ (and God’s faithfulness shown through Him). Christ’s death and resurrection are central to justification because they demonstrate God’s justice and mercy. God did not ignore sin and forsake His justice; rather, He condemned sin and satisfied the demands of His justice through the death of Christ. Likewise, God did not ignore the sinner and abandon His mercy; instead, He granted sinners righteousness and life through the resurrection of Christ—both of which the law could not provide. 

After being justified by Christ, believers do good works as evidence of their salvation. Faithlife Bible.

Twice in this context Paul speaks of Christ’s appearance in history. The first time Christ came in grace to save men from their sins; the second time He will come in glory to reign.

The appearance of the grace of God is to produce two results in the lives of believers: First, we are to resist the evil temptations of this world, living godly lives in this present age. Second, we are to look for Christ’s return. Paul reminded Timothy that there is a special crown awaiting “all who have loved His appearing.”. Great God and Savior Jesus Christ is one of the strongest statements of the deity of Christ in the NT. With His death on the Cross, Christ paid the price to release us from the bondage of sin to which every unbeliever is a slave. 

God’s purpose in redeeming us is not only to save us from hell; He also wants to free us from sin so that we can produce good works that glorify Him. NKJ Bible.

Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Ezekiel 37:23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Galatians 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,