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When to Open Your Door (CCD)

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INTRODUCTION

In the short space of this letter, John gives us a vital tutorial in the contrast between friends & enemies of the Gospel. Many modern Christians have no category for what Jesus meant when He commanded us to love our enemies. Broadly speaking, we have no clue we have enemies, we fail to recognize those enemies, and we have no clue that loving them requires us to confront their errors (Cf. Eph. 5:11, 2 Jn. 11).

THE TEXT

1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7 Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth. 9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. 12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true. 13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: 14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

3 John

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

John’s greeting tells us that this is a personal letter to a beloved saint, Gaius (v1). This well loved friend was, from what is hinted in this letter, a wealthy man; he was able to host the gathering of the saints in his home. Gaius was robustly healthy spiritually, but much of the hospitality burden had fallen to him (due to the inhospitable actions of others). Accordingly, John wishes earthly prosperity & health to him, that he might continue to generously care for the traveling missionaries & saints (v2). This letter is a response to news which John received regarding how Gaius took to heart John’s earlier epistle; steadfast faith in the Gospel, and obedience to the commandments is a true source of joy for Christian leaders (vv3-4). 

Gaius had been a joyful & generous host to an earlier delegation; likely the missionaries who had brought John’s earlier epistles (v5). Down to our own day, this charity is a witness of the godly generosity & hospitality of Gaius (v6). John requests that Gaius once more provide for these missionaries, who were tasked with delivering the current letter (v6b); this delegation were undertaking their ministry for “the name’s sake,” so they were not seeking financial/material support from the Gentiles to whom they were sent to evangelize (v7). John underscores a striking glory of Christian hospitality: by welcoming such saints with the sort of overflowing hospitality which Gaius had shown, we partake of their evangelistic ministry (v8).

The same could not be said of Diotrephes. He had shut his doors to John’s messengers, out of personal arrogance as well as affinity for Cerinthius’ teaching (v9). John assures the faithful saints that he will, if given the opportunity, come and confront Diotrophes for all his sins. These included his hostility to the truth which the Apostles taught, the inhospitable attitude he showed towards faithful ministers, and his power-play to forbid others to show hospitality under threat of expulsion from the church (v10). This, John explains, is evil and not good; and so sternly reminds Gaius and all who would read this letter, that our actions of good or evil are evidence of whether  or not we have seen God (v11). In other words, you will know them by their fruit.

By contrast, Demetrius (presumably, the leader of the delegation John is sending) is commended for maintaining a good report of all men, and most importantly, Demetrius’ testimony holds up when measured against the truth. John adds his own amen to this testimony of Demitrius’ faithfulness, commending him to Gaius as a trustworthy ally (v12). The farewell once more indicates that while distance learning is better than nothing, it is inferior to face to face fellowship and teaching (vv13-14). After all, we are the ecclesia, the gathered. Where Diotrephes was stirring up contention, John blesses Gaius with an exclamation of Gospel peace. Friendships, old & new, are fostered and fortified. And, it might be observed, John reminds us that we should try to remember people’s names (v14). 

HOSPITALITY & HOSTILITY

There’s a curious contrast between 2 John & 3 John. In 2 John, we find John commanding the Elect Lady to not show hospitality to false teachers, while in this letter he sternly rebukes Diotrephes for not showing hospitality, but commends Gaius for being a wonderful example of hospitality. Put this all together and you have a matrix for how to understand the duty of hospitality. Christians must not welcome false teachers into their homes/churches, but they ought to show hospitality to faithful saints. Those who maliciously close their doors to faithful Christians  in need, while getting cozy with false teachers, are in need of sharp–even public–rebuke. 

So then, it becomes evident that hospitality needs a backbone. It needs to be able to refuse hospitality to evil-doers & false teachers. Charity must not be blackmailed by manipulators. Hospitality isn’t an unqualified “yes” to anyone who comes knocking. Even in the OT we have this duty of welcoming the stranger, orphan, and widow, while giving no quarter to idolaters. 

Gaius had manfully shouldered the burden of caring for faithful missionaries, while enduring Diotrephes’ mocking, manipulation, arrogance, and compromise. His doors were open to those who were living “for the Name’s sake”. While Diotrephes closed his doors, because he was concerned for his own name. This becomes a helpful litmus test for measuring someone’s character. Whose name is being exalted?   

DWELLING WITH GOD, HIS SPIRIT INDWELLING WITH YOU

One of the central melodies of John’s writings is how Jesus the Son made it possible for you to dwell with God the Father, because God the Spirit dwells in You. Put simply, abiding in the doctrine of Christ (2 Jn. 9) assures the believer of their union with the Father. If Jesus was not the Son of God come in the flesh, then you don’t have union with the Father. God the Father gave us His Son, and in giving us His Son (who was fully God and fully man) He gives us Himself, and He gives us a new covenant head of humanity. This is the Divine Hospitality. If you trust in the Incarnate Christ, God draws you in. But if you deny the Son, you will face the Divine Hostility. Once more, John confronts us with a fork in the road: what of Jesus?

Now, this doctrine of fellowship with God is born out in our actions. Do we walk in paths of wickedness, or paths of righteousness? John brackets the evil deeds of Diotrephes with the virtuous example of Gaius & Demitrius. Dwelling in God, and God indwelling you, is only possible by Christ. Evildoers will be found railing against Christ, attempting to thwart others from obeying Christ, and welcoming those who reject Christ. This is the central evil of evil. Enmity to God and His Christ, and thus blaspheming His Spirit. But faithful saints, like the Elect Lady, Gaius, and Demitrius demonstrate what it is to abide in Christ and bear the good fruit of hospitality to what is good, and hostility to that which is evil.

HAVE YOU SEEN GOD?

Here, as in all of Scripture, we have the glory of the Gospel. It isn’t our good works that reward us with a sight of God. Rather, if you’ve seen God you will bear good fruit. So, that raises the question, how does one see God? First, God must open your eyes and show Himself to you. He did this by giving us His Son. Jesus asserted this Himself when he told Philip, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father (Jn. 14:9)” Faith looks to Jesus. If you look to Jesus what do you see? There is all your righteousness. There is the one who suffered in your stead. There is glory. There is your eternal joy. There is your only way to the Father.

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Stay the Course (CCD)

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INTRODUCTION

This brief letter from John shouldn’t be perceived as a loose page of Apostolic records which got stapled into the back of the Bible. It is no afterthought. Rather, the sense which this book of the Bible gives is that of a well loved uncle slipping silver dollars to his nieces & nephews. It is both personal and pastoral in its tone, while its content is simple, succinct, and robust.

THE TEXT

The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
2 John

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

John, the aged Apostle, writes to the Elect Lady & her children (v1). This seems to be a personal letter, although a case could be made that he is writing to a specific church and personifies it as a Mother & her children (Cf. Rev. 21:2, 9; Is. 45:1-7, Is. 62:2-5). More likely is that this is a particular woman, who perhaps hosted a church in her home. John greets these saints, expressing his love for them, this love is shared by all who’ve known the truth (v1). The Christian love expressed by John is to be a jewel in the crown of this indwelling and enduring truth (v2). The encouragements and warnings which will follow are set in the context of the Spirit’s work to give to us the grace, mercy, and peace which God sent His Son to procure for us (v3).

John is delighted to encourage this faithful Lady that he has recently met some of her children, and that they were walking in the truth according to the Father’s commandment (v4). This “well done” is followed by a “keep it up.” It is quite clear that John is reminding her of the content of His Gospel & earlier epistle; there’s no new doctrine here, loving one another has been the ethic of God’s people from the beginning (v5). The love which God commands is a love that is loyal to His eternal truth (v6).

Now we come to some warnings. The early church faced no shortage of deceivers, not unlike our own time. While there is a surplus of deceivers, they all have the same boring doctrine in common: Jesus Christ hasn’t come in the flesh (v7). This requires believers to vigilantly “look to yourselves”, in order to not lose the great reward which awaits the faithful (v8). The dividing line in the world is between those who try to hurdle Jesus, and those who abide in Him. Those who abide in Christ’s doctrine have the Father & Son (v9). John’s lengthier first letter stresses how faith in Christ is our certainty of fellowship with the triune God.

This Christian hostess is exhorted to not show hospitality nor even a word of blessing to any such deceivers who seek entry to the body of saints who gathered in her house (vv10-11; Cf. 2 Tim. 3:6,  1 Tim. 5:13). John’s farewell notes that there’s a lot more to be said, but that “face to face” is better (here is a good prooftext for why live-streamed church is less than ideal). Covenant joy between the covenant family is a true glory & joy (vv12-13).

TRUTH & LOVE

Look back at this first section, and see how often we find “truth & love” walking hand in hand. One thing that is made plain is that the love of God is not at odds with the truth of God, and vice versa. Rather, walking in the truth is how we love one another. Living by lies is the quickest way to breed hate & contempt.

Truth is the framing, the love is the furniture. Truth is the bowl, the love is the warm meal it contains. Truth is the skeleton, love is the lifeblood. As Paul teaches, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13:10).” Everything contained in God’s revelation leads us to two duties: loving God & loving our neighbor. But this love is not defined by mere pleasant sensations, but by truth. This is where the modern mantra, “Love is love” becomes a devouring blackhole.

The flip side is also needful. Discernment bloggers may have their five points of Calvinism ironed out, but how do they speak to their wife, how do they give their money to the poor, are their children well loved? Christ came as the incarnation of God’s love for us (1 Jn. 4:9-10), and yet the central glory of His coming was the revelation of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14).

RIVAL CHRISTS

The background of John’s warning is principally the false teaching of Cerinthus. That rascal asserted that “the Christ/divinity” came upon Jesus the man at his baptism, deserting him upon the cross. This falsehood, if embraced, would leave you with an impotent Savior. Jesus would be reduced merely to a good example, not our representative & substitute.

There’s another insidious reality of this sort of false doctrine which we ought not overlook. Denial of Christ’s incarnation is never just a flat denial; rather, it always smuggles in a “Rival Christ”. If a mere man died on a tree, you have no fellowship with God. This leaves you to seek after some other pathway to the divine. Our Lord God, however, has called His church into fellowship with Himself through Christ alone. The Elect Lady has been betrothed to Christ. John wants the early church to cling to this identity as the New Israel of God, and not be seduced by any Rival Christs.

PROGRESSING PAST JESUS

The temptation which John is guarding us against is the temptation to embrace the false doctrine of “Jesus +”. This was clearly a problem in the early church with the various false teachers who were presenting Christ is a good “starting point” but insisting that there was greater illumination & knowledge to be had. Jesus was merely a step along the way, not the central point of it all.

This is still an allure for many professing Christians. They come to Jesus for some reason, but then begin insisting that true flourishing is found beyond Jesus. It’s in this diet. It’s in understanding this secret conspiracy which the world elite have hidden from you. It’s in sexual liberation. It’s in lifting weights, avoiding seed oils, being pronoun inclusive, checking your privilege, and on and on. 

But Jesus is not a static reference point. You can’t treat Him as if he were merely the “you are here” dot on a mall map. He is far too great to be used as a starting point. He will not be confined. He will not be ignored. All attempts to go around Christ the Savior will inevitably still come face to face with Christ the King. 

JESUS ONLY, EVER, ALWAYS

This is what it means to walk in the truth. God lavished His love upon You, in sending us His Son. Thus, Jesus is everything to you. Jesus in your waking and sleeping. Jesus in your work and rest. Jesus, ever, only, always. Don’t let this slip past you, John tells us what awaits those who diligently keep the faith: a full reward. Jesus died in your stead. Rose again by the power of God. By faith, clinging to Him alone, all your days, you receive a full reward. The reward is Christ, and the way to the reward is Christ. 

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The Blessed Life (CCD)

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Introduction

Most folks seek their happiness through subjective whims. “Do what makes you happy” is the motto of man without Christ. But true happiness, true blessedness, isn’t found in the utilitarian’s hedonism. The first Psalm sets the blessed life before us, inviting us out of our own maze of searching for joy, into the straight path of righteousness leading to eternal blessedness.

The Text

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Psalms 1:1-6

Summary of the Text

In this Psalm which forms the preface for the entire Psalter we have set before us a fork in the road, with one path leading to covenantal blessedness the other leading to covenantal misery & curses. This Psalm has two mountains in it, on one side is the Mount of Blessedness (vv1-3) and on the other the Mount of Judgement (vv4-6).

The blessed man is identified by what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t slow down to match pace with the aimless wanderings of ungodly counselors (v1); he doesn’t station himself where he knows he will brush shoulders with sinners; he doesn’t nestle down into the couch of scoffers (v1). Rather, he delights in Yahweh’s Law, and makes it his muse evening & morning (v2). This sort of man can be likened to a tall & flourishing tree which has been planted–by Another’s hand–in an Edenic garden (Cf. Gen. 2:8-10); this tree of the Lord’s planting will be fruitful, it will flourish, and it will be faithful (v3).

But emphatically, it is not so with the ungodly (v4). They are like the useless chaff which is fanned into the fire (v4). At the day of judgement, these ungodly ones will not stand, nor can they masquerade any longer in the congregation of the righteous (v5). While the Lord continually knows the way of the righteous, all the ways in which the ungodly have charted for themselves will come to a fearful end (v6).

Slow-Burn Apostasy

God’s people, both corporately and individually, are continually presented with the temptation to a slow-burn apostasy. Each day you are faced with choices to either grow & flourish in righteousness, or to slowly but surely deteriorate into the lifelessness of sin. This life of the blessed man is set forth as a refusal to go along, slow down, or capitulate to the counsel, habits, or scorn of the ungodly. Think of Solomon’s simple admonition: “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not (Pro. 1:10).”

In our current moment, many who have grown up in the church have demonstrated that they’ve kept their ear open to the whisperings of the ungodly counsel. They’ve kept looking out of the corner of their eye to make sure they don’t stand out as unfashionable in their manner of life or their way of thinking. The word “deconstruction” has been used to put a respectable sheen on a trajectory of apostasy. Rather than delighting in the law of the Lord, many Christians have sought to rework the fundamentals of their faith––trimming here, nipping there––in order that it might not stand out so much from the pattern of the world.

Notice how someone who “deconstructs” tends to end up with a worldview that is not offensive at all to the worldly way of thinking, living, or doing. This is what Paul warns us of in 2 Corinthians 6:14, there is no fellowship between blessings & curses. All too frequently, saints listen to the counsel of the ungodly which leads them to partially participating in the ways of sinners, which eventually (without repentance) lands them in the gutter of mocking God’s Word.

Delighting in the Word

Notice that the thing that delineates the blessed from the ungodly is their posture towards Yahweh’s Law. The blessed man is marked out by his delight in the Lord’s Law. Whenever God has been pleased to send a revival, it always is marked by a great delight in searching out the Scriptures (2 Ki. 22, Acts 17:11, ad fontes, Nadere Reformatie). This is why you must read and sing and study and muse upon the Word of God daily.

Think of a time when you’ve been outwitted by someone who you perceived to be more knowledgeable than you on the topic. If you’ve contented yourself with settling for ignorance, snake-oil salesmen will easily dupe you. But if you delight in the Word and obey the Word, you will never be moved (Cf. Ps 15). 

False doctrine (i.e. ungodly counsel) always leads to false living (i.e. the scorner’s seat). But it should be noted that the scoffing from the scorners is done in order to cover up the shame of their guilt. Anything but an apocalypse. The Word cuts us open, the Word is light for the path, the Word is bread from heaven, the Word is a sword to battle error, a fire to purge the gold of dross.

If you are diligent to hear & heed the Word, you will not be left shamefaced at the judgement. And this Word declares to you that there is none Righteous. The Word declares that this blessing comes to you not by your doing, but as a gracious gift of God’s covenant mercies

The Tree of the Lord

It shouldn’t escape our notice that in this Psalm God plants a tree of life in a fertile, well-watered garden. This is the inner sap of the life of blessing. God has planted a tree. This tree is Christ.

You will be thwarted in your efforts to live a holy life and avoid the ways of the ungodly if you do not first see that it is only by being grafted into the vine of Christ whereby you may bear this fruit. It is by covenantal union with Christ that you are planted in the damp forest of God’s blessing. But the fearful warning is that by refusing to hear God’s Word that salvation is by Christ alone, you will come, in the end, to find yourself as nothing by chaff. Nothing but fuel for the fire. Nothing but a dry branch that must be pruned.

The Psalter begins with this Psalm which sets before us blessings and curses, life and death, Christ or chaos. There are only two paths: a desert wasteland of endless searching for fleeting pleasures or the fruitful tree of the Lord watered by Living Waters (Is. 44:1-6).

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Take Over the World (Pentecost 2023)

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INTRODUCTION

Paul’s vision for the church of Crete was not narrow in scope. He was’t just trying to get them to have more polite manners at the dinner table. This letter is an instruction manual for a culture war. Titus is tasked with laying the groundwork for conquering the globe with the Gospel. Crete may be a mess, but if the wind of God blows, the dry bones will live and move once more.

THE TEXT

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost […] Titus 3:1ff

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul’s movement of thought has gone from elders & their households specifically (1:6-9), to Christian households in general (2:1-10). He now broadens the circle a third time to encompass all Christians’ duties as citizens (3:1-3). Crete was the home of many mercenaries, as well as many busy harbors, which brought in all manner of riff-raff; the population of Crete was notorious for villainy. Christians were to live in stark contrast. They should live in mindful submission to the magistrate, eager in good works (v1), refusing to join the course banter & brawling of the unbelieving, and instead should be marked by gentleness coupled with harnessed strength (v2).

The dissolute life they (and Paul) once lived (v3), has been washed away by the kindness of God appearing (v4, Cf. 2:11-14). This salvation is “not by works” but by mercy, the two-fold mercy of regenerative washing & the renewing work of the Holy Ghost (v5). This mercy comes to us, in abundance, through Jesus Christ our Savior (v6). All the exhortations to good works throughout this epistle should be couched in this high-octane Gospel: justified by His grace (v7a). But this justification makes us heirs of God the Father & the eternal life which is found in His Son Jesus Christ (v7b, Cf. 1 Jn. 5:12, Heb. 7:16). The glory of the Gospel should cause those who believe it to maintain good works (vv8, 14); this point is clearly important because Paul repeats it once more in verse 14: “maintain good works, do not be unfruitful.” Believing in God, and being careful to maintain good works, is good and profitable unto mankind. This is how the church will subvert the ungodly world (v8b).

Paul then gives instructions as to what to do about the false teachers and division specialists who were bothering the church. Were he writing to us, he might says something like: “Don’t spend much, if any, time arguing in YouTube comment threads.” All these squabbles ––about Zeus’ birthplace (and if perhaps you were descended from him), or what specific angels did, or how thin you could slice the plain law of Moses––are all unprofitable (v9). Verse 10-11 gives us the only reference in the NT to a “heretick” and what to do about him: rebuke him a time or two, and then let him fall headlong into his self-deception (vv10-11).

Paul closes his letters with some final practical details, and final blessings of true Christian love and prayers for grace (vv12-15). One detail in this closing we shouldn’t overlook is that Paul expects Titus to get all this in place in enough time to be able to join him in Nicopolis by winter. Other men will take over what Titus’ began. An encouraging thought is found here, a true reformation doesn’t need a long time to get started, even while it will take generational faithfulness to sustain it.

ZEUS’ BIRTHPLACE

Some Greek mythology is actually at play in the background of this epistle. As the legend went, a cave on Crete was believed to be the place where Zeus’ mother hid him from his father, Cronus. Cronus had devoured all his previous children. But Zeus had been hid away on Crete, to be raised in secret. Once Zeus was strong enough, he overthrew his father, delivered his siblings from his father’s stomach, and then, by casting lots, the rule of Mt. Olympus was given over to Zeus.

Many on Crete believed that they were possible descendants of this Titan. Thus, the fables of lineage captured the social imagination. But along comes a rival story, a rival myth, and one that just so happened to be true. God the Father sent His Son. The Christ died in our stead, washed us with covenantal waters, and renews us by His indwelling Spirit. All of this means that those who trusted in Christ were made true heirs of the eternal life of God.

The divine life is yours; not by fables, but by faith. This Gospel is a potent story which upends dominant cultural narrative of their day. This divine life is yours because you have received a new paternity. In regeneration, God becomes Your Father. This takes place when you are washed in Christ & renewed by His Spirit. None of this is by your doing. It isn’t obtained your striving to get it from your Father. Rather, it comes to you by His grace & favor alone. Your Father is not a devourer like Cronus. Your Father gives you Himself, by giving you His Son (Cf. 2:14).

GRACE IN THE HARBORS

We might ask, why did Paul single out this island of scoundrels and scallawags as worth devoting some his best resources? The harbors of Crete were one of the main crossroads of the Mediterranean. Paul identified correctly that if these “lymph nodes” of commerce were conquered, it would have a disproportionate impact on the Gospel effort to take over the world.

But like the hymn puts it: not with swords loud clashing, or roll of stirring drums, but with deeds of love and mercy, the heavenly kingdom comes. This overthrow will come by the Christian church being vibrantly alive. The gracious gift of the Gospel is followed by the good works of the Spirit. As A.A. Hodge put it, “Grace in the heart cannot exist without good works
as their consequent.” We should also lay stress upon the fact that Paul’s vision is not an escapist mentality. He insists that these good works are to be done publicly, in the civil sphere, with an aim to bring about the total reformation of the culture of Crete.

God’s favor has been described & depicted in some wonderful terms throughout this letter: the kindness & love of God (3:4), the blessed hope (2:13), the hope of eternal life manifested in the preaching of Christ (1:2-3). Once this grace takes root in the harbors, it will overthrow empires. Paul’s strategy works at every level, from the individual to the empire. Where is the mess? That’s where God’s grace will appear, not to leave the mess as it is. Through Christ, abundance of grace is shed upon you. The Holy Spirit brings renewal. To use one example, the dead frost of winter gives way to the fresh life of spring.

WASHED & RENEWED

Dead men have dead works. The wicked men were subverting others’ households (1:11) because they themselves were subverted (3:11). Sin is self-delusion. Paul includes himself, “For we ourselves were once” this way. Every time you sin, you, in effect are the fool saying in his heart, “There is no God.” Jesus told the Pharisees that by rejecting him as Messiah (the anointed Prince), they were showing that their father was the devil. Sin is unfruitful. Sin is dead works. Sin is the result of being a descendant of Adam, and his capitulation to Satan. The Spirit comes, and brings life. He brings a second generation. A new paternity. Pentecost wasn’t followed by the idleness of corpses, but with the activity of New Birth.

Your baptism tells you two things. First, you once were dead in Adam; and so none of your righteousness will suffice. Secondly, it tells you that God is your Father. You are an heir. Regeneration is not a matter of subjective feelings, but of the objective work of the Spirit, which renews you. Christ washes you, the Spirit renews you, and the Father calls you child. You are washed in wave after wave of the free grace of God through Christ, and then the Spirit renews you day by day, week by week, to bear the fruit of God’s life in you. Baptized in Christ you can know that God is your Father. Renewed by the Spirit, you are told to get to work taking over the world with Christ’s abundant life.

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Gospel & Good Works (CCD)

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INTRODUCTION

We don’t often think of strict rules as comfortable. But the sound doctrine of the Gospel, rigid & inflexible with its truth that salvation is in Christ alone, and the summons to obedience to our respective duties is anything but confining. It is, in fact, a comfort. This is what we were made for, to glorify God & enjoy Him forever.

THE TEXT

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded… (Titus 2).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Throughout this short letter, Paul repeatedly exhorts believers to good works, as well as avoiding foolish questions & ungodly indulgence. He’s affirmed their own prophet’s assessment when he called the Cretans lazy, lying slugs. The point is, some people get sucked into “foolish questions” out of laziness, not because they’re striving after good works.

In contrast to these unruly babblers who were besetting the Cretan church, Titus is to instruct the saints how to live in accordance with sound doctrine (v1). Paul will outline the substance of sound doctrine in the second half of this chapter, but he now spells out the behavior which should be expected from teaching this sound doctrine (vv2-11). The false teachers were subverting households through their tall tales. They were serving up a diet of deep fried theology. So Paul’s remedy for this ailment is healthy doctrine.

Old men are not only to be dignified, but full of the sort of faith, charity, and patience which is alive & healthy (v2). Older women are to cultivate a holy bearing, avoid loose tongues, refuse to numb themselves to life’s trials through wine or other similar “dulling” treatments, and teach good things (v3). Older women are given young women as their pupils, and virtuous home-keeping is their curriculum. Of all the duties given in this passage, the instructions to young women are the most extensive. It consists of seven things: sobriety, husband-loving, children-loving, the twin virtues of discretion & chastity, home-keeping, goodness, obedience to their own husbands; these duties are accompanied with the rationale. This manner of life is one of the potent ways to stop the blasphemous mouths of the false teachers (vv4-5; Cf. 1:11). Young men are told, very briefly to be sober-minded (v6); that encompasses a whole world.

Titus is told to set the example of bold teaching coupled with a holy example of good works, so that those contrary to him would be unable to say anything bad about you (vv7-8). Household servants are exhorted to live in such a way that will overthrow the wickedness innate to their servitude. Treat their master’s property (themselves included) with shocking respect. Obey their commands, don’t take what belongs to them, and be trustworthy. In so doing, a servant puts the Gospel on display, as if it was a precious jewel in a glorious display case (vv9-10)

Paul then sums up the sound doctrine which obligates us to these various duties. The Good Works commanded come out of the Good News proclaimed. God’s favor, which brought salvation, has appeared to all men (v11). This good news teaches us, and what it teaches is that we must turn from our sin and turn to godliness (v12). God’s grace has appeared to save us, but it is looking forward to the blessed hope of Christ’s second appearing which enables godly living. He gave Himself for our redemption, that we might be a priestly people, zealous for good works (vv13-14, Cf. Ps. 130:7-8, Ez. 37:23). Titus is to impart all of this with all authority; this firm insistence on sound doctrine & sound living might ruffle some feathers, so Titus should live as to give no room for being despised (v15).

HOME-WRECKERS & HOME-KEEPERS

It is striking that one of the features of the false teachers was that they were subverting whole households. Given the indulgence of Cretan culture, it would seem that Paul’s more extensive remarks to older and younger women were of particular concern. We learn more in the next chapter what exactly was so fascinating in the false teacher’s doctrines, but one thing is plain, women were particularly vulnerable to these serpents.

Elsewhere, Paul has warned of false teachers who creep into houses to lead silly women laden with sin and enticed with diverse lusts (2 Tim. 3:6). He’s also warned of the temptation for women to give way to being a busy-body which flits from house to house (1 Tim. 5:13). Here, Titus is to instruct older women not to give in to “wine-mom” culture. Rather, that ought to be sober-minded in order to pass on to young women the wisdom of how to love their husbands and children, by being home-ward. The enticement for young women is to nurture the whole world, while neglecting to make their own nest a place of warm and lawful indulgence.

Feminism teaches young women to spend all their time in the house of the corporate world, scrolling (often with envy) the homes of all the Instagram influencers, eating up all the latest celebrity Gossip, adopting all the fashionable opinions. Paul, however, wants Titus to teach these young women to make their home a garden for this Gospel life to flourish and be passed along. False teachers from the Jews of Crete, down to modern CRT Marxists, all aim to subvert the home. Godly women will see to it that they don’t listen to the serpent. A young women, living this out, is a blockade to God’s Word being blasphemed.

ORDER & ARDOR

The Apostle’s instruction here should make one thing abundantly clear. Good works are the expected outcome of the Gospel. Paul’s instruction for the various classes of Christians is summed up in his euphoric description of the Gospel. We’re told how we should live: abundant in the various good works described. But we’re also told why we should do so: because Christ appeared, and will appear again.

Some want the Gospel to liberate us into an antinomian lawlessness. But Paul insists that we’ve been redeemed from such lawlessness. Your salvation is from your lawless works to lawful ones. Order & ardor are not at odds. The Gospel frees us from our sin. These are indeed, glad tidings of great joy. But that joy is not feral joy. It isn’t tumorous joy. This is joy which lives in the wide borders of God’s will.

Sound doctrine brings the joy of life lived to God’s glory by God’s power, while false doctrine brings the misery of living to according to your own laws of self-indulgence. This Gospel of Grace brings us out of the barren wasteland and into fertile fields. You are free from your sin, in order to be free to be godly, by the new life He’s revealed in Christ.

THE GLORIOUS APPEARING

It’s providential that there’s no need to shoe-horn Christ’s Ascension into this message. It arises quite naturally, and nicely. Christ’s appearing is assured because of His ascension. He is reigning, and must reign until all enemies are subdued. He has tasked us with living in His Kingdom, and under His Lordship, in a certain manner.

Our obedience is an adornment on the Gospel. Of course, our obedience is not what procures our justification, but it is what should confirm to the world the potency of the Gospel. You believe that God raised that good teacher from Nazareth, what proof do you give? The Christian’s life ought to be a large part of the answer. Our sober-minded, joyful faithfulness in our God-assigned duties is the apologetic which Paul says will leave our opponents red-faced with embarrassment.

Salvation has appeared. You were dead, but now you are alive, and you are raised up with Christ. You are seated in Christ. And He shall appear again. All that should spark zeal for good works. This blessed hope, of the great God & Savior Jesus appearing again, is how you fight sin and live righteously. This is your only comfort, in life & in death.

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