Titus 1:1-4

Passage

Paul, a slave of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of the chosen ones of God and the full knowledge of truth according to the devotion of godliness.  Upon the hope of eternal life, which the truthful God promised before the time of the ages.  And He made His Word plain to see in His own time in preaching, with which I was being entrusted according to the command of God our Savior.  To Titus, a true child according to a common faith.  Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Once more we hear Paul begin his letter with a self-description.  He is Paul, a slave of God.  I can’t help but think that this is the key to what made Paul so great with respect to discipleship and evangelism.  He is a slave.  He owns that title.  He doesn’t use it disparagingly, He embraces it!  He is a slave of God.  He is here to go where God’s grace goes before Him.  He is here to follow God’s leading.  This is an incredible claim of submission to God.

I wonder how many of us could, much less would, embrace the title “slave of God?”  Would you?  What holds us back from embracing that title?

Second Thought:

Paul masterfully combines his Judaism and his Christianity as he opens this letter.  He is both a student of the faithfulness of the chosen ones (Hebrew lineage) as well as a participant in the truth and godliness (disciple of Christ).  For Paul, this is the proper context for life.  Faithful obedience with respect to God’s ways leads to an understanding of sin.  Understanding our sinfulness leads us to Christ and the grace which comes through Him.  Understanding grace leads us back into faithful obedience of God’s ways.  This leads us into a greater understand of our sinfulness, a greater appreciation of God’s grace, etc.  It is what I consider to be the perfect circle.

Why is it difficult to be obedient to God?  Why is it difficult to understand our own sinfulness?  Why are these things necessary to truly appreciate the grace that God has so freely offered? 

Third Thought:

Paul then turns to Titus.  He calls him a true child according to a common faith.  What an incredible statement!  Titus is certainly not a biological child.  However, such a loving bond has been developed between Paul and Titus that Paul considers him as he would consider a child.  The faith that binds them together – a binding that was formed as Paul mentored Titus in the faith – is like that of a parent to a child.  This is discipleship at its finest.

Who are your spiritual parents?  Do you have any spiritual children?  Is there any comfort is thinking about faith in these terms?  If so, what is the comfort?

Passage for Tomorrow: Titus 1:5-6