The following is a sermon transcript from our Sunday Service at The Rock Church in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Each week, we gather to worship, learn from God’s Word, and grow together. This transcript is provided as a free resource to encourage and equip you in your walk with Christ. While you’re welcome to read and share this content for personal use, we kindly ask that it not be redistributed or published elsewhere without prior written consent from The Rock Church.
Introduction: Understanding Free Will
What is free will? Well, of course, it’s being able to make the decisions that you want to make that seems best to you at any given time. It implies no coercion. You can’t be forced if it is free will.
Now, in that sense, we are all free to make our own choices. If I want to wear a purple shirt and yellow pants… I’m going to do it. Now, people might look at me funny. They might make some judgment calls. “What’s wrong with that guy? What a weirdo.” But I’m free nonetheless to make a fool of myself.
You see, we make choices based upon what is best to us in any given moment. We consider what’s before us and think about the effect that it will have not only on our lives, but the lives of others.
In fact, the Baptist Confession asserts in chapter 9, paragraph 1, that God has endowed human will with natural liberties and powers to act on choices so that it’s neither forced nor inherently bound by nature to do good or evil.
Do We Truly Have Free Will?
Now, let me ask you a question. Do you have free will? Let me ask it to you this way: Are you free to make choices that are completely independent from any outside influence?
“Well, no, I’m not sovereign.” Well, of course you’re not. We’re constantly being influenced by the culture, the world, and the value system within us. It all shapes how we think and what we do. So, in that sense, we are not wholly free. We’re not free.
Think about this: When most people think about personal freedom, it’s doing whatever they want whenever they want it. But is that true freedom? Once again, it’s not, because it’s an attempt by the human heart to compete for the position of autonomy that is reserved only for the Lord.
There’s only one who is sovereign. There’s only one who is completely free from outside control or influence. And that, of course, is God.
Are We Free to Choose God?
And now, let’s go a little bit further with that discussion. Am I tracking with you? Are you free to choose God?
“Well, of course, pastor. Anyone is free to choose God. I can offer the good news of Christ, and it’s their decision to receive it or reject it.”
But if God is sovereign… well, that would mean that he is dependent upon no one and nothing to accomplish his purposes and plans.
Wait a minute. Did you just say that God is dependent upon man to choose to know and follow Christ? How can that be true? No.
Well, the answer is that it’s certainly not. If man is sovereign, then God is not. But if God is truly sovereign, then man is not.
God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility
And to confuse matters even further—Pastor, you’re just at the intro. I don’t know if I can make it all the way through. Just to confuse matters even further—God’s sovereignty, unaffected, uncoerced, and man’s responsibility, what he has to do, what is on him and is responsible for, these two things do not conflict with one another.
In other words, if you reject Christ, man, that’s on you. But if you choose Christ, that’s on God.
“Wait a minute, pastor, you’re saying that God is going to reject someone who comes to him sincerely and he’s going to do so because that person wasn’t chosen?”
No, no, no, no. That’s a mischaracterization of the Lord.
There’s never been and never will be a case of someone broken in their sin, knows their need for a savior, comes to Christ, and he just says, “Sorry, you’re not one of the elect. I’m rejecting you.” That’s an obvious, ridiculous argument.
There’s no one in hell that’s saying, “I’m so mad at God. I wanted to be saved, but he just wouldn’t let me in. He just wouldn’t let me choose him. He wouldn’t let me come to him.”
The Human Condition
We have to return to what we know about the human condition. Are we born in sin or not? Are we born dead in sin or not? Are we naturally good people that can be bad? Or are we bad people, all of us, who by God’s grace can be transformed into the image of Christ?
R.C. Sproul writes a book, Chosen by God. He says, “If God’s sovereignty is restricted by man’s freedom, then God is not sovereign. Man is sovereign.”
So I think we can all agree that God and man cannot be sovereign both at the same time. It’s an either or. And we can take much comfort from the sovereignty of God—sovereign to choose us before the foundations of the world.
Salvation Is of the Lord
Last week I made this statement from Scripture: “Salvation is of the Lord.” It’s not of man. It’s not of his decisions or his free will. It’s totally and fully dependent upon God and his gracious choice to save a people for his own possession.
Well, I’ve upset some and I’ve encouraged others. But what is my aim? To be faithful to the word of God. This is the goal when we come to God’s word.
As Martin Luther said, “My conscience is being held captive by the word of God.” That was his goal. That is our goal.
Big Idea: God Chose the Church for an Eternal Purpose
And with that in mind, consider the idea for today, which is this: God chose the church for an eternal purpose planned by God.
And we’re going to see those purposes fulfilled here in Scripture, verses 1 to 4.
- The truth that comes from Christ is going to do something in the life of a believer. The result is going to be godliness forming Christ.
- Truth that comes from Christ shapes a life that reflects Christ.
- That’s the promise of God from all eternity.
- The sure promises of Christ lead to a sure confidence in Christ.
- The shared faith of the saints displays the shared bond of peace among the saints.
1. Truth from Christ Produces Godliness
Let’s look at that first one, verse 1. We’ve already read it:
“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness.”
So we begin this letter from the Apostle Paul to his partner and his fellow worker in the faith, Titus.
What do we know about this guy? Well, he was a man of the business. He was your guy to get her done. How so? Well, he was dependable, he was trustworthy, he was dedicated, he was faithful, all the while had a deep affection for the church of the living God.
Titus: A Man of the Business
You’ll see a mention in 2 Corinthians 8. He has the same earnest care for the church that Paul had. Titus was a Gentile believer. He was standing as an example to the church that circumcision—guys, Judaizers, legalists, come on, stop adding to the gospel.
Here’s Titus, Gentile believer, no circumcision. The Lord used them to stand as that steering away the church from the dangers of legalism, adding to the gospel. No works, declaration of God in the person and work of Christ according to the scriptures.
We have been saved by grace through faith. We know this. Ephesians—”not by works, lest anyone should boast.”
Paul’s Instruction to Titus in Crete
And so now we see that Paul has this important message to Titus. It’s to further the work that Paul had started on this little island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Oh, the Cretans—you may have heard the phrase. Yeah, these people, a little rough around the edges. Namely, verse 12, you’ll see, they were lying, lazy, evil people.
And who better to straighten it out than the man of the business, Titus? He was tasked to strengthen the church and to raise up leaders from within the church.
But this was not an easy thing to do.
Do Not Underestimate God’s Power to Transform
Titus might have been thinking, “Man, how am I going to get leaders out of this bunch of brutes? Man, they’re wicked. They’re corrupt. They’re liars. They’re cheaters. Lord, I don’t have a lot of resources here. I don’t have any spiritual consultants that I can bring in. I don’t have any elders from other churches that I can borrow.”
What did Titus have then? He had the truth of Christ.
And the lesson is to not trust in worldly means to accomplish God’s eternal purpose. Most importantly, don’t underestimate God’s ability to form Christ in the most wicked and corrupt people that you’d ever meet.
God Will Build His Church
God is faithful to build his church. He’s going to take his word, apply that to the heart of his people by the power of his Holy Spirit.
That’s not easy. That’s the work of the Lord. But if it’s God’s work, then he is going to be faithful to accomplish it.
We can’t judge people by how they look today. “Oh man, that guy—it’s always cursing. I can’t believe he goes to church. What’s the deal with him?” Or that other guy, “Man, I can’t believe that he’s so wicked and corrupt. When is he going to get it together?”
It’s very easy to judge people by their appearances, by their behavior—to condemn them, to judge them, to beat them down.
Instead of that, we got to trust that God has a plan that’s far greater than anything we can think or imagine.
God Sees the End Product
You got to remember the Lord Jesus sees the end product—your heart, your soul. He sees what he’s doing in you. He knows what he’s doing.
And a lot of times, it’s very surprising how God raises up the most unlikely people.
Paul’s Role as a Bondservant
Now, as Paul writes to Titus, he’s reminding him of some very important things. First, he says that he’s a bondservant of God. Just like every believer in the church of the living God, that means that we have given ourselves over—our desires, our plans. It’s no longer my will, but God’s will.
It’s no longer my freedom to do and live however I see fit. No, no. Instead, our service is unto Christ. Our service is unto Christ to promote the cause of Christ among all people.
No Picking Favorites
It’s not a cause that we get to choose which people we’d like to work with. “Pastor, I’m thinking of this kind of church. It’s this kind of person. It’s that kind of personality. And if we could just arrange that, that would be great.”
No, no, no, no.
We don’t get to play favorites or preferences. God is calling us to advance his kingdom among all nations, all peoples, all tribes, all tongues.
Paul understood that role very, very clearly among all the Gentiles, and he is pleased to entrust Titus, who would serve the Cretans.
That’s right—the lazy, lying, licentious beasts. “Happy to meet you. Thanks for coming.”
Our Orders from King Jesus
Just like Paul had orders from King Jesus, so did Titus and so do we. Our orders are to proclaim this great and glorious gospel and trust that it is not according to human will or effort. It’s according to the foreordained plan of God before time began.
And with that in mind, Paul knew that God was going to save a people for his own possession. It wasn’t up to Paul or Titus to convince people to believe the gospel.
Our Work for the Sake of God’s Elect
We know that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. And our work is for the sake of God’s elect.
Now, is it for us to know who will be saved and who will not? Of course not. It’s our job to proclaim and the Lord’s job to save.
Let me be very clear: The church exists to strengthen the church, not the unbelievers. We are not a church for the unchurched—hear me on this—to make unbelievers feel comfortable in their sin. No, no.
We exist to promote the glory of Christ and his gospel among all peoples.
We Desire to See the Lost Saved — Without Changing the Message
And we want every lost soul that comes through here to hear and respond to the gospel of Christ to eternal life.
But if we start changing the message, making it more palatable for the people, we will lose the message and we will no longer be a church.
Paul says it very clear in verse 1:
“…for the sake of the faith of God’s elect.”
It’s not for the sake of the potential faith of the unbeliever, although that’s something we desire. We desire to see that unbeliever come to Christ. But here he understands the sake of the faith of God’s elect.
The Church Exists to Grow Believers
The church exists to help people, help believers grow in their faith, to have full assurance in their faith, to grow believers into maturing disciples who make disciples.
And the best vehicle to that end is none other than the word of God.
We trust that as God’s word goes out, as we grow in the knowledge of Christ, we will grow in our rest and assurance.
You see, God chose the church for an eternal purpose planned by God. That means we’re not always going to understand it. There will be times when it seems like, man, there’s little fruit. People aren’t getting it. There’s struggles. There’s disagreements. There’s destructive sin that comes into the church.
Trust God’s Eternal Purposes
But nonetheless, the Lord is building his church and he’s asking us to trust in his eternal purposes, not human wisdom or understanding.
Election is God’s plan for God’s people to obtain salvation through Christ alone.
You see, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to save every soul of the entire world to whomever would ever exist—but certainly efficient to save his very own.
Election Comes Before Faith
As one commentator put it:
“You do not become elect because of your faith, but perceive the faith and so become believers because you are elect. The electing is first, the believing is second.”
We see tons of scripture for this—before the foundations of the world, given here, given in Ephesians, given in so many places. God’s plan from eternity past.
We know that effectual saving faith is a gift of God, even though there may be temporary believers, like we talked about last week—Charles Templeton—who appear to have saving faith, but in the end never had that faith to begin with.
Judge Not the Heart — Trust God’s Plan
It’s not our job to qualify who is and who is not saved.
What do you think Titus was doing with this people in Crete? “Oh, those Cretans, such liars, so lazy, so great in their wickedness. Lord, how could you save these wicked people?” But God had a plan to save some.
Remember this: our faith is in God, of whom Jesus Christ is the author. He’s the author and the finisher of our faith.
And God’s elect are not some result of human will and effort. We know that salvation is of the Lord. It is the eternal purpose of God—well, before the foundations of the world—to adopt a people to do good works as they’re constantly being conformed into the image of Christ to the glory of God.
Truth Applied Produces Godliness
And we have to remember one thing: as the truth of Christ properly applied to the church of Christ provides, produces lives that reflect the character of Christ.
See, error and false teaching produce bad fruit in keeping with ungodliness, worldliness, and this license to sin.
But the precise—and what Paul’s talking about, this word for knowledge—he’s talking about a precise and correct knowledge of Christ is going to have a specific result. It’s going to be godliness. In other words, God-centeredness.
Is the Teaching Man-Centered or God-Centered?
And that is the question that we always have to ask ourselves: Is this teaching emphasizing man or God?
False teachers will always tell you it’s all about what you must do. “Yeah, if you give, you’re going to get. If you try harder, God will see your heart and he’ll give you every good thing you want.”
The truth is always going to produce godliness. This kind of truth from Christ—it’s going to produce in us a desire for Christ.
That he would be the thing that we treasure and behold and exalt and desire above every other thing. That’s what true godliness is.
It reminds us that God chose the church for an eternal purpose—chosen and planned by God.
We Don’t Choose Who Fits the Church
We don’t get to choose which who we think again will be part of the church. We don’t get to make judgment calls about who would be best for our church.
It’s up to the sovereign plan and election of Almighty God to save a people for his own possession.
And certainly the Lord cares deeply about how we live our lives, that there’s a reflection from us of reverence and awe for our great God and Savior.
We Are Not in Control of Sanctification
It doesn’t mean that we are in a unique position to be in control of God’s program for sanctification.
Consider this. We might think if we do more—more Bible studies, more prayer time, more serving—if I do all these things, “God, you’re going to speed up my sanctification program, aren’t you? Aren’t you going to make me more like Christ? If I just plug in my punch cards, aren’t you going to push out some real growth in my life?”
Yes, to be clear. It’s very good to desire these things. It’s very good that we want to do these things. But if we think that these things are to accomplish something for us rather than the glory of God and his program for sanctification, we have it somewhat wrong.
Sanctification Is God’s Work
You see, the sanctification process—the growing in the likeness of Christ—that’s up to him to produce it, to order it, to do it in a way that honors and glorifies him, to do it according to the plan that he has purposed.
There are going to be seasons in your life when you feel like, “Man, I’m growing. I’m growing in my faith. Things are going great. I feel more peace and more joy, more love. Man, my relationships are going well. Job’s going well.”
And Seasons of Decline
But then there’s other seasons when you feel like you’re in spiritual decline. Your attitude’s off. Things don’t seem to be going that well. You don’t sense the Lord’s power in your life.
Was that because you didn’t pray enough? Is that because you didn’t study the Bible enough? Is that because you don’t serve enough?
Grace, Not Bargaining
You see, this is what we do. We think if we do these things for God, he’s obligated to return the favor. That’s not how it works.
Our faith will grow in strength, and in other times it’ll seem to weaken.
But we can be sure of this: What did Paul say to the church in Philippi?
He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Not before.
We’re Not in Charge of the Timeline
I know you want to get into the Word. It’s great. That’s a wonderful thing.
But we are not in control of his program for sanctification.
You see, most of the time, we’re not going to be able to see what the Lord is doing in our lives until we look back at him.
You’ve said it before. I’ve heard many of you say it. “Man, I was in it, but it was terrible, and I was down and out. And then when I got out of that season, I looked back and said, Lord, you did a work in me.”
God Is Faithful
Right now, it might not seem like you’re having a lot of spiritual growth. You’re not on this spiritual high that you were when you first got saved.
But God is faithful to complete the work that he started in you.
Celebrating God’s Work in the Church
Man, I look back at these last five years since we started this church. Woo, buddy, that has been some real intense and wonderful and strengthening and challenging thing for me and for the life of the church.
I’ve got to tell you, over this past year even—considering 13 baptisms, one more next Sunday, new members, 19 new members, seven in a couple weeks that we’ll vote on—these are good things.
These are good things to talk about.
Measuring True Church Growth
We should celebrate that God is not only saving people through not just this church but the local church—the church of the living God. And he’s also growing them in their faith.
To be clear, we don’t look at church growth as filling up the building.
The better marker is: “Man, who is taking the next step to become a member? Who’s taking the next step to be committed to the local church in the ministry?”
The Common Pattern of Church Hopping
I’ll tell you, it’s certainly common in America for believers to go from church to church. Yeah, they’ll stay at one church only until it gets hard.
“As long as everything is exactly the way I like it, I’m going to stay, Lord. These people, my chair, that parking spot, everything is wonderful. But if someone dares to sin against me—that’s not supposed to happen in the church. These are believers. They’re not supposed to sin against each other. You know what, pastor? I’m taking a break. I’m retreating. I’m retreating from the local church.”
Scripture Warns Against Isolation
Let me remind you of Proverbs 18, verse 1. It says:
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire. He breaks out against all sound wisdom.
Another translation is—
Stepping back from the local church is not only unwise, I would submit to you that it’s destructive.
Isolation Leads to Self-Focus
Why? As you isolate, you seek your own desires. And as you’re seeking your own desires, you’re not considering those in the church. And while not considering the desires of those in the church, you are raging against all sound wisdom.
God’s word, not mine.
The Secret to Growth in Godliness
You want to know the secret to your growth in godliness? Your maturity in the faith?
Well, here it is:
Stay at the same church for as long as you can.
“Pastor, that sounds a bit selfish, I have to tell you. I hear what you’re saying. You want us all to stay here. You don’t want anybody to go. Please don’t go. Please stay. So I can feel a little bit better and sleep better at night.”
No, no, no, no. You’re missing the point.
Faithfulness Over Preference
I would say the same thing to anyone else that attends a faithful Bible-believing church. Stay faithful. Stay consistent. Serve and support the leaders of the local church. Selfishly. Avoid causing division. Hope the best in others. Don’t assume the worst.
Protect the unity of the church. Fight for the unity of the church.
Conflict Will Happen — Stay and Work Through It
But please, please, don’t just run away when you disagree on a secondary point of doctrine or when someone does something you don’t like.
Here’s what I got to tell you: I’m going to do something you don’t like. I’m going to offend you somehow, in some way, at some time. I’m just telling you. It’s going to happen.
How are you going to deal with it? Just be nice. Don’t yell at me. Tell me my sin. I will confess it. I want to make it right. No.
Protect the unity. Don’t run away.
The Two Daughters of the Leech
Worse yet, don’t identify yourself with the two daughters of the leech.
“Excuse me, what was that?”
Yeah, you know, Proverbs 30, verse 15—just making sure you’re still awake.
There’s this leech. You know what a leech is? Okay, I’m not going any further. It has two daughters: give and give.
Beware Spiritual Greed
Now, while that’s certainly a reference to greed that comes into the heart of man, it also finds it in the way that it comes into the believer’s heart in the local church.
Give, give. Give, give. “Give me programs. Give me more Bible studies. Give me more conferences. All I want to do is feast. I want to eat. I want to eat.”
And you become real fat, real bloated, real spiritually lazy.
Speaking Truth in Love
“Pastor, you’re being really harsh right now. I just don’t like your tone at all.”
Well, I’m sorry. I do love you. And I have to speak the truth in love. And I would agree—my conscience is held captive by the word of God.
And if I was trying to please man, if I was trying to grow a church, I would not be a servant of Christ. That’s the reality.
Summary of Point One
You get the point. The truth that comes from Christ shapes a life that reflects Christ.
2. The Sure Promises of Christ Lead to a Sure Confidence in Christ
Verses 2 to 3—we’ll read together.
So this is Paul. He’s saying he exists to serve Jesus for the sake of the faith of God’s elects or for the church. And there’s two components to that growth. There’s the knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness.
God Never Lies
So verse 2:
“In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began, and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior.”
Now, isn’t it obvious that God never lies? Of course it is. There are—in fact, we could say, some have said—three things God cannot do. He cannot lie. He cannot die. He cannot sin.
Why Titus Needed This Reminder
And this issue of lying obviously was an important one to remind Pastor Titus why the Cretans were liars. It’s almost like Titus was called to the island of the politicians. That’s right.
Try to trust a politician and you’re sure to be disappointed. It’s pretty obvious.
Imagine Someone Who Never Lies
Now, imagine for a moment that you met someone who never lied. Well, that would be impossible. Let’s just pretend for a second.
That would surely be the most incredible thing to have in a friend. Why? Because they have a proven track record of always telling the truth. That means that you would trust everything they say.
And yet we know this about our God: He does not lie. He does not and cannot lie because that goes against who he is.
Why Do We Struggle to Trust God?
But still, for some reason, we have a hard time trusting and believing in God’s promises. Why is that?
Let’s consider the source here. The word of God is the very voice of God spoken to the people of God.
Scripture Is God’s Voice to His People
All scripture we read in 2 Timothy is breathed out by God. It’s profitable for us. It’s profitable to be taught, to be corrected in it, to be trained in it with one end goal in mind—that the man of God would be equipped, that we, the people of God, would be equipped and ready for every good work.
The Church’s Problems Always Trace Back to Scripture
And yet, as we consider the challenges of the church over the centuries, it always comes back to what they did with the Word of God.
The liberals question the miracles. The skeptics question its authenticity. And even some Christians doubt its power.
Crowding Out God’s Voice
There is no other way to explain why many so-called churches resort to other methods. They resort to the power of the program, to the nice stories, to the fancy illustrations. But there’s little room left for God to speak.
It’s been crowded out by the wisdom of man, by the pride of man.
God Does Not Change His Mind
Numbers 23 verse 19 says:
“God is not man that he should lie, or a son of man that he should change his mind. Has he said and will he not do it? Or has he spoken and will he not fulfill it?”
But Lord, the Cretans are wicked, lazy liars. I just don’t see how Titus is going to be able to raise up qualified elders in this church.
If God Promised It, He Will Do It
And yet God has promised it. Surely he will do it. He doesn’t change his mind. He doesn’t redirect his resources to a people that he thinks is a better fit.
Surely Jonah would have wished he could preach to anybody but the Ninevites. Surely we wish we could preach the gospel to a nicer people. “I mean, couldn’t you just send us down south? This is the northeast. These guys are rough. You hear how they talk? They don’t want to hear about Jesus.”
God Promised Salvation Before Time Began
This is what the Lord has promised before time existed. He has promised to save a people for his own possession. He has promised to secure eternal life for his elect.
Hope of Eternal Life Is Sure
And this hope and eternal life that he talks about here in verse 2 is not some wishful thinking. It’s not a hopefulness that everything is just going to be fine.
No, we’re talking about a hope of full assurance all the way until the end.
We’re talking about the real spiritual life. This isn’t the real life. This is just hope—the ready life. We’re just moving on. We’re moving out of this life.
But there is a better life, a real spiritual life, where we have a more perfect body—an immortal life that never ends.
The Gospel Secures Us for God’s Kingdom
The gospel is more than just a promise to save us from the wrath of God. It is a full assurance that he saved us also for his kingdom.
That’s what true faith is according to Hebrews 11, verse 1. It’s the assurance of things hoped for. It’s the conviction of things not yet seen.
Believers Have Conviction — Whether Weak or Strong
Every believer has this conviction. For some, it’s weak. For others, it’s stronger. But it’s a conviction nonetheless based on the promises of God who never lies.
Anyone wants to challenge you on this point—you can lovingly and confidently say to them from Romans 3, verse 4:
Let God be true and every man be a liar.
God’s Promises Are Not Conditional
God’s promises are not revocable. They don’t have a conditional cause. They don’t say, “Man, if you mess up, I’m taking deals off, taking away the promises.”
God Has Secured Us in Christ
This is the great wonder of God in Christ—that he has secured us in Christ and will keep us all the way until the end.
The Lord doesn’t want us living our lives in constant doubt and worry. “Am I really a Christian? Did God really say? Is it really true?”
If God Said It, We Must Believe It
No. If God has said it, guess what the response is? “Let me think about it. I’m not sure.”
We must believe it. There’s no option to question God’s authority.
Now, that doesn’t mean that we can have questions about doctrine, questions about the Bible. Yes, as long as that is always leading us to the truth of Christ.
Our Hearts and Satan Attack Our Assurance
The reality is that there’s far too much error, far too much deception, and it comes from within our hearts that are prone to sin and prone to leave the God we love.
And the accuser of the brethren, Satan himself, constantly throwing these fiery darts at us, making accusations day and night, wants to take away our assurance. He wants to weaken our faith. He wants us to be lulled by our own desires, isolating ourselves and raging against all sound wisdom.
The Mystery Revealed at the Proper Time
But the good news is that that which has been hidden, this mystery of old, has been revealed in Christ. And it was at just the right time.
See that? Just the right time that God sent his only Son. He sent Christ to take on flesh, to humble himself, to live a perfect life, fulfilled all righteousness, suffer a terrible death.
Christ Rose, Ascended, and Intercedes
But of course, it’s not the end of the story. He rose from the grave. He is in triumph over sin and death.
And now he sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us. He’s going to come back. He’s going to punish all wickedness, establish his kingdom.
God Entrusted Us with the Gospel
But here’s the deal: If you’re a believer, he’s entrusted you with something special.
He says it here—this treasure of the gospel.
Romans 10:14 says:
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they’ve never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
God Chooses to Use Us
“Wait a minute, Pastor, you said before that God is not dependent on man in any way to accomplish his plans and purposes.”
That’s right, he’s not dependent.
But the difference is he chooses to use us to accomplish his ends.
He chooses to use us to bring him glory.
Why Does God Use Weak People?
Now, why does he do that? Why doesn’t he just make a declaration? Send his Holy Spirit, apply salvation to all of his church—just do it in a moment.
Well, that would be too easy.
What brings God more glory? Him doing all the work? Or him doing the work through broken and weak people?
Two Truths Running Together
You see what I mean? That’s why God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility—they run on these train tracks.
You ever look down the end of a train track? Man, it looks like those are going to at some point connect, but they never do.
So we don’t have to understand how it all works. We just have to believe it. We just have to know that it’s true.
God is sovereign and man is not.
Our Mission Is Clear
And if this is what our Savior, Jesus Christ, has commanded us to do—he’s commanded us to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I’ve commanded—
Jesus is with us.
He’s asking us, commanding us, to take this gospel.
Sovereignty Does Not Excuse Us from Mission
We don’t just retreat into, “It’s God’s sovereign. He’s going to save who he’s going to save.”
No.
We go forward in the mission that he’s called us to do with the confidence that he’s going to save because he’s sovereign over salvation.
God Provides Grace for the Mission
You see, God’s not requiring us to do something without providing the grace that’s necessary to accomplish the task.
He is a faithful God, a trustworthy God, a God who never changes. The same yesterday, today, and forevermore.
That’s why we can trust him. That’s why we can take him at his word.
Summary of Point Two
That’s why his sure promises lead us to a sure confidence in Christ.
This is one of the eternal purposes that God has planned for his church.
3. Shared Faith Displays Shared Peace
Lastly, we see in verse 4 that the shared faith of the saints—this is the common faith he’s talking about—this displays the shared peace among the saints.
Verse 4
“To Titus, my true child in a common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”
We Are Part of Something Bigger
Something I want you to consider as we gather on this Lord’s Day: consider that you are part of something bigger than this church. You are part of something bigger than the church in America.
Something bigger than the church meeting in the whole wide world.
We are part of the communion of saints.
The Universal Church
All believers who have ever lived, are living, and will live.
We’re part of the Catholic Church—not the Catholic Church—the catholic Church. Thank you, Duncan.
Universal Church.
Fellowship with One Another and with Christ
We are not only communing with one another in fellowship, but with the whole church.
And we’re not only in fellowship with each other—we’re most importantly in fellowship with Christ.
That’s what we believe: that Christ is spiritually present with us today by his Spirit.
One of God’s Eternal Purposes
That has to be one of the most wonderful purposes of God for all eternity—that he not only saves us from our sin and the coming wrath, but he also saves us to be part of his family, to have fellowship with each other and also with Christ.
That’s this common faith that Paul refers to in verse 4. It’s not only shared, but it is also more true than the air that we breathe.
Greater than Any Earthly Bond
It is of greater significance than any club or team that you can be part of. It is a true family that’s even greater than our natural families.
And just like Titus was Paul’s true child of the faith, we as Christians are true children of God.
Abba, Father
And as children of God, we can cry out, “Abba, Father.”
“Abba, help us. Abba, strengthen us. Abba, grant us the grace that we need to endure.”
Growing in Faith Is Growing in Dependence
I’ve said it before, but growing in your faith is growing in childlike dependence upon the Lord.
It’s not growing in independence like we love as Americans, but sincere dependence on Christ for all things.
Saved by the Spirit, Not Free Will
We are products of the Spirit, not of the free will.
How many of you here today cannot even believe that you’re a Christian? Yeah. How did that happen?
Remember Who You Used to Be
You remember what you used to be like. People probably called you a Cretan. You were far from God. You didn’t know Christ. In fact, you only viewed him as this judge, this removed father, this distant relative.
But now you are a true child in the faith. And because of that, you have peace with God.
Peace Beyond Understanding
That’s not some emotional peace or absence of hardship. It’s this peace that transcends understanding.
It’s the reminder from Ephesians 4:3 that tells us that we should be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Unity Wrought by the Spirit
This is a bond among believers that cannot be broken because it is wrought by the Spirit of God.
Let’s make every effort then to preserve that unity, to keep that peace.
Hope the Best in Others
In other words, hope the best for others. Don’t impugn their motives. Don’t think that they’re in it for some personal glory or vanity.
We come together in the communion of the saints for the glory of God so that we can grow up together into the head who is Christ.
Peace Means Assurance
And this peace says that we are assured of that salvation through Christ.
This peace says that we have nothing to fear and we can be content in whatever lot of life the Lord has given us.
Our Savior
We have a Father in heaven for whom we no longer dread death. Instead, we honor. Instead, we revere.
Why? Because he has reconciled us by the blood of his cross.
We have a savior. Look, look what it says: our savior. Our savior. Not just the savior, but our savior.
He’s the savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
And because of that, we’ve been united to Christ—and to one another.
No Ghosting in the Church
I got something to tell you. There’s no ghosting in the church of the living God. You don’t get to do it. You don’t get to just peace out, no response, and go.
It’s just not healthy. It’s not good.
We Share the Same Faith
We share the same faith that was once delivered to all the saints, both old and new.
It’s a living faith that binds us together.
Receive Grace and Keep Hearts Soft
So let’s receive this grace today. Let’s harden not our hearts.
Let’s know the loving kindness of our God and our great Savior. Know that he’s your helper, know that he’s your keeper.
What do we have to fear? Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.
It’s been poured out into our hearts by the Spirit.
Summary: God Chose the Church for an Eternal Purpose
God chose the church for an eternal purpose planned by God. You got to trust that purpose.
I hope that you will not waver in your assurance that God is going to save sinners of whom we were the worst.
Former Cretans, Now Justified and Sanctified
We were once Cretins and liars and lazy gluttons and evil beasts, but we’ve been washed and we’ve been justified and we’ve been sanctified by the Lord Jesus.
So go from this place in the grace of the Lord and the peace of Christ.
The Three Pillars
Trust:
- the truth that comes from Christ
- the sure promises of Christ
- the shared faith of all the saints
Encouragement: God Chose You
So as we close, I want you to be encouraged that God has chosen you if you’re in Christ.
It’s not a matter of guessing games and judgment calls. You believed because you were elected before the foundations of the world. Your believing did not result in your election. It was because of it.
God’s Purpose Before Time Began
God’s elect were chosen by God—not according to human will. It was before time began that you would obtain this so great of salvation through Christ.
Why? So that you could be adopted into his family. So that you could do all these good works. So that you would be conformed into the image of Christ.
And all of that wonderful thing is to the glory of Christ.
It’s his work. It’s his spirit. It’s his fruit. It’s his sanctification.
Reject the Lies
All the lies are enemies of God by their very nature. Don’t believe the lies. Don’t allow the accuser of the brethren to sow doubt into your soul.
Be strengthened by the grace of God in the person and work of Christ.
He has brought you into this common faith in which you are a true child of God.
And there’s nothing that can take that away.
God’s Eternal Purpose
That’s God’s eternal purpose for you:
- to allow the truth of Christ to shape your life—a life that reflects Christ
- to be sure of the promises of Christ so that you can have sure confidence in Christ
Preparation for the Lord’s Table
Let’s be grateful that God chose the church for an eternal purpose, much bigger than we could ever imagine.
So what we’re going to do now before we come to the table of the Lord, to the Lord’s table—we’re going to go to Christ and we just have our time where we confess our sin.
We say, “Lord, I’ve not trusted your promises. I don’t believe this whole election thing. You’ve offended me, pastor. I’m not coming back. It’s okay. I’m sorry, but I’m just trying to be Bible here.”
Confession and Prayer
But we come to the Lord. We come to him. We take our rest from him and we hold on to God’s eternal purpose.
So let’s do that now. And then I will pray as we prepare before we come to the table. We’ll have a song before we come to the table.
So let’s take a moment now.
Prayer
Lord, we humble ourselves before you. That’s the only place that we can go. And Lord, we’re grateful when you do that, when we humble ourselves and when you humble us, because it reminds us that we have no strength of our own. We have no power of our own. It has to be you.
Jesus, you are the one who’s come to seek and save, the one that was lost, the one that was far from you. But it was by your grace, by your loving kindness, that led us to repentance. It transformed our lives. It opened our eyes to the knowledge of the truth that Christ Jesus came to save us—save sinners, Cretins, and liars, and murderers, and adulterers, and every other sin.
And we are so grateful that that promise is secure. There’s nothing that can take that away. God, we want to rest in that.
And I want to pray for anyone here that does not know the saving knowledge of Christ. I want to pray, Lord, that you would save them today. Yes, Lord. Would you do that work? Draw the lost to you. They would come to the knowledge of the truth, be transformed by the renewing of their minds.
We thank you for your work that only you are able to do. We bow before you. We confess our sin, our pride, our self-dependence, our lack of trust in your word. We thank you that you hear us and you’re continually shaping and forming Christ in us for your glory and your kingdom.
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