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November 27, 2022
The Calmness Of God’s Goodness And Loving Kindness
Titus 3:1-7

• Titus 3:1 we see 2 commas that break the verses up into three parts therefore ideas.
• Commas can have an impact on interpretation.
• There is no punctuation in first century Greek. No paragraph breaks, commas, periods, etc.; there were not even spaces between words.
• See our website for website pages that host the most wonderful examples of the best (oldest) copies of the NT.

Title

Intro: We as Christians are constantly hoping to immerse ourselves in the world of the first century of the New Testament to better identify and accurately interpret the Scriptures. ¶ But when one compares the 1st century to the 21st century what would be similar? If we were transported back in time to Jerusalem in the time of Christ for a month, we would be able to write a book telling the things we learned and experienced. ¶ While this is true, in many ways we also closely connect with the early Church; their humanness is our humanness. They struggled with submission to one another and to authorities; they struggled with self-righteousness and legalism and understanding God’s grace. They struggled to focus on what was important in life, and to live at peace with one another. When problems arose they often missing the calmness of God’s sovereignty available to them. They often failed to see that they were living lives in God’s goodness and loving kindness despite persecution and misfortune. ¶ So today, in unity with their life experiences, we are going to see how they were instructed (now we are instructed) to embrace the calmness that comes from the contentment of God’s wisdom found in His word. We are going to see what things should be like in our own lives today.

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities,

• they already know
• How many truths do we forget? COMMENT
• Remind, repent, work, forget, sin, remind …
• Rewind them >> we see submission here again = place under or arrange under, assign, post in the shelter of, draw up behind (LSJ)
• to rulers = archē = chiefs, first magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule. (Strong)
• and authorities = exousia = delegated influence and authority in a jurisdiction. (Strong)
• Their heavenly citizenship did not free them from their responsibilities as citizens of the countries of earth. (Wiersbe, 793 f.)
• Remember, they were to obey leaders in Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus’s government. He reined from 54–68 A.D. This is when most of the NT was written.
• What does that mean for us? We submit to the point we are commanded by God.
• Romans 13:1, Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

to be ready for every good work,

• Obedience to authorities is required for good works. How?
• We are not ready for EVERY good work when you and I are in a posture of disobedience to authorities.

ILLUSTRATION

• He has given us supreme examples of how to be devout with a Babylonian government in charge.
• Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
• They had their religious lines that could not be crossed.
• But let us remember what Daniel said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." (Daniel 2:20-21a)

APPLICATION

• God’s people need constant reminding. We drift.
• The flesh shows disdain for authority–therefore the authority of God.
• The reason we can be calm in God’s goodness and loving kindness is because God has orchestrated all government on earth.
• We are to focus on devoutness where we have influence >> personal, family, community, and beyond where possible.
• Obey in every aspect of life that does not violate what God has said in the Scriptures.

TRANSITION

• We can remain calm because we know that God has allowed various people to rule to accomplish His purposes. We have seen how we are supposed to submit to the authorities therefore His purposes; let’s look now at how Paul commanded Titus and the Cretan churches to act towards one another.

2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

• 2 to speak evil of no one, = to blaspheme to one
• Jude 1:9-10a, But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand.
• No one >> politicians, co-workers, the lost—of anyone. Speak no evil.
• to avoid quarreling, = without battle: hence >> with whom no one fights.
• to be gentle, = epieikēs = reasonable, fair, impartial (Thayer, LSJ, et al.) COMMENT
• and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. = mildness of disposition (OBU)
• The Literal Aramaic Bible, the Peshitta, has, “but they should be humble and show their sweetness in all things to all people” (Peshitta)

Why are we to do these things? Verse 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

• Here it should be a reminder of what God has saved us from. This is who we were apart from God.
• We too are in the immoral soup of humanity. Acting as the unbelievers we see today.
• Look at how God sees us >> Look again at verse 3, >>
• we were foolish,
• disobedient,
• led astray, >> by the evil spiritual forces and by evil leaders perhaps.
• slaves to various passions and pleasures, = base natures, animistic natures, dog-eat-dog mentalities.
• passing our days in malice and envy,
• malice: a disposition to injure others without cause, from mere personal gratification or from a spirit of revenge; unprovoked spite. (Webster)
• hated by others and hating one another.

ILLUSTRATION

• A newspaper editorial once asked, “What’s wrong with the world?” G. K. Chesterton wrote in reply, “I am.” ¹
• We are our part of what is wrong in the world apart from God.

APPLICATION

• When we really start to think about where we were before Christ it should give us a heart of empathy for the lost. He does not look at the lost with “contempt.” (Barclay)
• For God so loved the world that He …
• Self righteousness awaits those that will not recall who they would be save Jesus coming to their rescue.
• CAUTION: saved at a young age?
• To throw stones at heathen is to throw stones at the person we are.
• It’s a form of self-righteousness therefore > self-condemnation.

TRANSITION

We can be calm with our fellow man due to our remembrance of our condition in our fallen nature. We are no different from the unbeliever in our natures. But God did not leave us in these conditions, look at verse 4.

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

• Goodness = chrēstotēs =moral goodness, integrity, soft-heartedness (LSJ) but the word is richer in meaning. Barclay wrote, It means that spirit which is so kind that it is always eager to give whatever gift may be necessary. Chrestotes is an all-embracing kindliness, which issues not only in warm feeling but also in generous action at all times." (cf. LSJ)
• loving kindness = philanthropia = compound word combining words of > friend and love for humans²
• loving kindness = fondness of mankind, i.e. benevolence … love towards man. (Strong). The Greeks used the word often and thought much of it. “They used it for a man’s kindliness to his equals, for a good king’s graciousness to his subjects, for a generous man’s active pity for those in any kind of distress, and especially for the compassion which made a man ransom a fellow-man when he had fallen into captivity.” (Barclay)
• These are the attributes Jesus had in hand for us: goodness and loving kindness.
• 5b not because of works done by us in righteousness Our human righteousness does not gain us right standing before God

Look at the end of verse 5, we see God’s motivation > 5 but according to his own mercy,

• Mercy = leniency, benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves. (Webster)
• the how is next >> by the washing of regeneration
  • washing = loutron = bathing (LSJ, et al.)
  • It reminds me of a helpless infant …
  • He washed us with no baby soap but in regeneration = new birth, reproduction, renewal, recreation, regeneration >> The word often used to denote the restoration of a thing to its pristine state, its renovation. (OSB)
  • God is repairing the broken image in us.
• and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
• renewal >> or complete change for the better (Thayer)
• Provided by God, The Holy Spirit Himself.
• The Scriptures are focused on what God has done and will do versus what we are doing. Amen
• 2 Corinthians 4:16, So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
• 6 whom he [God] poured out on us [the Holy Spirit] richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
• vv. 4-6 we see the work of the Godhead. Father > Son > Holy Spirit.
• By the will of Father, through Jesus, by the indwelling of the Spirit.
  • poured out himself to make us an offering for God.
  • poured Himself out on us “richly”—He din’t hold back!
  • through Jesus Christ our Savior,
  • He appeared not to bring us justice but love which will never let us go. (Barclay)
• the gospel

Now we see the purpose: verse 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

• being justified = declare righteous by God
• by His grace
• Romans 8:33, Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
• Case dismissed with prejudice (When a court dismisses a claim and the plaintiff is barred from bringing that claim in another court.³)
• “we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Tense = aorist; voice = passive [objects]
• NASB is better here: “so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
• Or the The Literal Aramaic Bible, “That we would be made right by his grace and we would be heirs by the hope in eternal life.”
• Our heirship is what Slater said, has “come to be.”
• God wants to give us stuff!
• The Holy Spirit is the down payment. There is an eternity of heirship to come!
• And look! v 7: it is measured by hope of eternal life.

ILLUSTRATION

• Once a man complained “gloomily” to Augustine about his sins. Augustine replied, “Man, look away from your sins and look to God.” (Barclay) COMMENT
• We must be in a posture of repentance during this life for sure. But constant self-loathing is not appropriate for the Christian. God is renewing us and will complete the work!
• We need to make sure to marvel at the mercy and grace and work of Almighty God.

APPLICATION

• We stand in the goodness and loving kindness of God.
• Our Savior appeared on this earth to save sinners just like you and me.
• He saved us, not because we deserved it, but because of His grace and mercy.
• God, The Spirit, indwells us forever. He will never leave or forsake us.
• We are guaranteed to be heirs of the kingdom as we live in eternal life. That ought to bring peace and calmness to our lives as we continue our walks with God.
• So let us live and stand in The Calmness of God’s Goodness And Loving Kindness.

Notes:

¹ “Quote.” https://bible.org/node/14794.
² The Greek philos for “friend” and from the verb philo for “I like, I love”. -anthropy comes from the noun ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos, “man; human”)
³ “Dismissal With Prejudice.” Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School.

Bibliography and Works Cited

NOTE: Please click here to access the web-page for all of the works cited—save those above in “Note(s)” (if any) and those below under the “Other Works Cited” (if any). Most of the works cited on the web-page, correspond to the verses they are outlined with. In the case of background information and other general reference citations, one will find cited material with the Bible books the citations are associated with.

Scripture quotations [unless otherwise noted] are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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