TITUS 3:1-72008 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Titus 3:1-7

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2008. Here in the book of Titus, Paul has been writing to Titus some very practical things for the people that were involved in the church there or the churches there in Crete. We saw in chapter 2 a couple weeks ago when we looked at the beginning, Paul encouraged Titus,

that he needed to teach them sound doctrine. He needed to teach the churches doctrine. Now, when we think of doctrine, we often think of salvation, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, those kind of things, the truths about God that we need to know. And that is definitely a part of doctrine. But what Paul was emphasizing as he was writing to Titus there in chapter 2, was that he was to teach them how to live.

Part of sound doctrine is what it means to be a Christian and the way that we are to live, to act and conduct ourselves. The attitudes that we are to have, the way that we are to apply God's word to our lives. And so,

Paul was writing to Titus to encourage the church to live out their faith, that a real relationship with God is demonstrated by the way that we live. And so he told Titus how the men are to be that they would be godly men, and how the women are to be that they would be godly women, that they would be the husbands and wives that God desires for them to be.

He also addressed employees and how employees are to be so that they would be godly employees. And now as we begin in chapter 3, the first few verses here, he's encouraging Titus and continuing that train of thought that he would teach the people how to be godly citizens and neighbors.

to be the people that God has called them to be with respect to the people around them and the government that has authority over them. And we find this, we pick this up in verse 1, where Paul says, So he says, remind them, first of all. This word remind is not something difficult or technical, but it is important because it's

Well, much of what we hear in Bible studies, much of what you learn here within the church, much of what you learn within a conversation with other believers, the things that you hear are not things that you've never heard before, for the most part. They're not things that are really new, that are so astounding and amazing that you've never heard anything like that before.

No, most of the things that you hear, you have already heard before. Most of the things that you hear, you've been taught. You've learned them. You've applied them. You've lived them to one extent or to some extent. Yet throughout the scripture, we see a lot of repetition. The Bible, when it's speaking about something important, doesn't just have one reference to it in the scriptures.

There's not just one reference to salvation by grace. There's not just one reference to what Christ did for us upon the cross. When we see the important subjects of the Scripture, we find them all throughout the Scripture. They're repeated over and over again because we need that repetition.

We need to be reminded of what God has already told us. A lot of these things that we're studying in Titus, we've seen in 1 and 2 Timothy. But we need to be reminded. We need to remember what God has taught us. Sometimes we forget what God has taught us. We forget what we have learned and we start living contrary to what God has said. Sometimes...

We don't even know that there is a problem. Sometimes we don't even know that we're not living in accordance with what God has said and even the things that we've already learned. Sometimes there's repetition because God wants to show us something that we have not seen before. He wants to show us the same truth in a fresh way.

Maybe in a fresh way it applies to us because of the situation that we're in or the things that we've experienced. And so God gives us a little bit more depth and understanding to the same thing. And so he repeats it often for us.

Sometimes God wants to take us deeper in our obedience. And so there's repetition. That we would not just obey at the same level that we have been obeying, but sometimes there's more to be surrendered to the Lord and some other areas that He wants to work with. And so He repeats Himself. He repeats those things that are important and essential so that we would be more and more submissive to Him, more and more conformed to His image.

And so we need to be reminded. We need to remember. And so Paul tells Titus to remind them, remind the church. And so may I remind you this morning that if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are a Titus. Like Titus, you've been called into the ministry. You've been called to make disciples.

God has placed people in your life that are there for the specific reason that you would minister to them, that you would help them grow in their relationship with God, that you would help them walk deeper in their relationship with Him, that they would learn to be obedient to Him and learn how to apply the things that He has said. May I remind you, these things that we're studying today need to be applied to your life,

That's first and foremost. You need to take these things and allow God to speak to you in those areas that he wants to speak to you. But don't just leave it at that. May I remind you that you are to turn around and share these same things with the people around you. Remind them, those that God has called you to disciple, to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work. He says we're to be subject to rulers and authorities. This word subject is

Could also be translated obedient or submissive. It means literally to place in an orderly fashion under something.

Now we talked about this word two weeks ago when we looked at the first part of chapter 2 of the book of Titus. And it was in the context of marriage and women, wives, being subject or obedient to their husbands. Now anytime we talk about that type of thing within marriage, many of the guys usually get very excited.

Submission. Oh, that's great. That's a wonderful topic. Preach it, Jerry. But let me ask you guys. The same word is used here. Are you guys willing to be as submissive to the government as you desire your wives to be as submissive to you? Are you as submitted to the government as your wife is submitted to you? What you would desire or require from your wife, do you require that of yourself in relation to the authority that God has placed over you in the government?

Or parents, the obedience, the submission that you desire from your children, are you willing to have that same submission be in place in regards to you and your relationship with authority, with the government that God has given in your life?

Paul tells us we need to be reminded to be subject to rulers and authorities. Now again, it's not a statement of value or importance, but it's a statement of order. We are to be obedient because that is the order that God has given. And whether we think it's best or know what's really going to help or think we know what's really right in a certain situation,

We need to be subject to the authorities that God has placed over us. The rulers and authorities here that Paul mentions really describes all types of authority. We have lots of different authority. We have authority in our workplace. We have authority in the local government. We have authority in the national government. There's authority that is all around us and we're to be subject to, we're to be submitted to authority.

that type of authority, specifically here, civil authority. But it covers all kinds. So if it's talking about the president, if we're talking about Congress, if we're talking about a governor or a mayor or a police officer, those who have authority, those who have been entrusted with authority to accomplish the work of the government, we are to be submitted to and in subjection to.

Now sometimes as Christians, we can try to justify the reasons why we are not submitted and are not subject. And we have these objections that we have and so we decide not to be obedient. But can I remind you that you are to be subject to rulers and authorities. Consider the context of this command. Paul is writing this to Titus, both of them under the authority of the Roman Empire.

Now, the Roman government, as Paul is writing this, is not even close. There's not even a hint of Christianity in this government. It's not a Christian nation. It's completely pagan, completely worshipping false gods based on things that God has not said, not built on God's principles. At this time, Caesar Nero is the ruler. So Rome and the Roman Empire was not a godly nation.

And yet, this command applied. Soon after this command actually, Caesar Nero was the one who began great persecution against the church. Horrendous persecution like we cannot imagine. Torturing Christians. But the command for us is still the same. Just as it was there in the Roman Empire. If we were in the midst of Russia or the former Soviet Union. If we're there in the midst of China.

We're to be subject to the rulers and authorities that are over us. Whether it's a democracy or a monarchy, whether there's freedom or tyranny, we're to be subject to the rulers and authorities that are over us. Now, of course, there's an exception to this. And the exception, the limit of this command, is when the authorities, the rulers...

Forbid what God has commanded or command what God has forbidden. When they come in disagreement or in contrast to what God has already said, what God has revealed in His Word, then we must obey God rather than man. But especially for us here in our culture,

Those times are not very often. They might become more prevalent as time goes on and we continue to slip away from what we were founded upon as a nation. But for now, for the most part, very rarely are we commanded to do something that God commands.

has forbidden us to do. Very rarely are we forbidden to do what God has commanded us to do. But if at some point the government says, you cannot worship God, well, of course, that is a command we must disobey. The government says, hey, you cannot any longer share the gospel message. Of course, that is a command that we must disobey. We need to be obedient to the Lord first. But again, that is not the norm for us.

And so, in general, for us, as Americans, under this government and this society, we are to be subject to rulers and authorities. If there's areas that are out of line in your life, if you're not subject to rulers and authorities, you need to set it straight. You need to get it corrected. You need to get it taken care of. Sometimes as Christians, we're not subject to rulers and authorities.

We're not subject to rulers and authorities and it's why we need to be reminded. Because there's some things that we don't really care for. Rules and regulations, laws that, well, we just don't think applies to us all that much. Sometimes we consider that of traffic laws, don't we? Ah, you know, they're more like suggestions. One of the former pastors of Calvary Chapel Living Water used to tell me that. You know, on private property there's a stop sign. Eh, it's just kind of a suggestion. We're to be subject to

To tax laws. Subject to employment laws. Subject to the law of the land. We're to be obedient and subject to the authority that God has placed in our lives. Why? Well, as we've been discussing, we looked at in chapter 2 again,

Paul was talking about how godly men are to be, how godly women are to be, younger and older and employees, how they're called to be, tying it all together with the whole point of this is that the world around us would see your witness, that you would make the gospel of God, the doctrine of God, attractive to the world around you. And this matter of submission, this matter of how we're to conduct ourselves is no different.

were to do these things that the world would know Christ through us, that they would see Jesus Christ through our lives by the way that we are submitted to the authorities around us in the same way that Jesus was submitted to the authorities of his day. In 1 Peter chapter 2, Peter tells us, "...submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake."

Whether it's the king as supreme or to governors or to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. Whether it's the king as supreme, whether it's governors or whether it's those sent by those authorities, you're to submit yourself to every ordinance of man, Peter says. Why? For the Lord's sake.

It's for God's sake. It's for His name. It's for His work. It's for His glory. It's to exalt Him that you and I are to be subject to rulers and authorities in order for us to be a good witness, to not blaspheme the name of Christ by the way that we live, by the way that we rebel against authority that God has placed over us. There's a great need for us. Can I remind you to be subject to

to rulers and authority. He also says to obey, to be obedient to the authority that God has placed over you. And then he goes on, he finishes verse 1 saying, to be ready for every good work. We need to be reminded to be ready for every good work. Notice the context here, to be ready for every good work. He's talking about being subject to rulers and authorities, being obedient to them, and being ready for every good work.

The context here suggests that he's not just talking about church activity, but for every good work within the community, within the society. When there is a good work that needs to be done, Christians need to be ready to do that work. We need to be obedient to authorities, but we also, here in our community, in our society, we have an obligation as believers in Jesus Christ to

to be ready to meet needs and do the work that needs to be done. He's not just talking about Christian things or church activities, he's not just talking about, you know, helping out in different ways within the church, but within the community as God lays opportunities before you, you are to be prepared to do those good works, whatever opportunity God gives you. We're not called to do everything, we cannot do everything,

But we should be ready to do anything. Every good work, the idea here is not that we would have to do everything, but that we would be ready. Whatever the need is. I'm not so high, I'm not so exalted, I'm not so full of myself that I can't participate in certain activities or I can't help out in certain ways, but that I am willing, that I'm humble, and that I'm able to serve the Lord in whatever opportunity is brought before me.

In Ephesians 2, verse 10, we're told that we are God's workmanship. We're His work of art. And it goes on to say we're created in Christ Jesus for good works.

We were created in Christ Jesus for good works, that we might do good works. And it goes on to say, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So God has prepared before you good works. You were created for those good works to perform and to do those things that God has laid before you. And so be prepared and be ready as Christians to do good works.

Maybe God would lay upon your heart to volunteer at a hospital or convalescent home. It's a good work, an opportunity to be a good witness. Maybe God has laid before you or put before you the opportunity to be a big brother or big sister, participate in something of that nature. Maybe it's participating in foster care or meeting the needs of the homeless.

Whatever God has set before you, be prepared and be ready to do those good works. Be ready to come to action when there's good works to be done. They're brought to you by God. You were created for those good works. Can I remind you to be ready? Don't just live life all about yourself and full of yourself and what you're going to do and how you're going to accomplish your goals. Look around you.

Are there neighbors, are there friends, are there family? Are there areas in the community that really need attention, that you're able to help in? Maybe it's as simple as moving a refrigerator for someone who is unable, or fixing their computer, or taking in some groceries, or mowing a lawn. Maybe it's as simple as listening.

or spending time with someone. Whatever the need is, be ready. Be prepared. It doesn't have to be related to a church activity. God has created you for good works that you might be a witness to the world around you in the society, in the community in which He has placed you. And so Paul tells Titus, we need to be reminded

to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient to them, and to be ready to do the good works that exist around us. Going on to verse 2, he says, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

Still under the heading of the things that we need to be reminded of, he says, first of all, we need to be reminded to speak evil of no one. Remember, can I remind you? You are not to be speaking evil of anyone. It's a shame that we need to be reminded of this, and yet we do need to be reminded. Without even digging into definitions or technicalities in this phrase,

Just consider it at face value. Do you fulfill this command? Do you speak evil of anyone? Do you speak evil of anyone? Can I remind you Ephesians chapter 4, 29? It says, Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. The scripture says, the scripture teaches, that the words that come out of your mouth

Ought to be good for edification, that it may build up, that it may impart grace to those who hear. So the person that you're speaking to should be built up. They should be given grace by what you say. When you're talking to them about them or to someone else about them, the hearers should be built up. They should be receiving grace by the words that you speak.

Speak evil of no one, the Bible teaches. This is what you and I are called to do. It becomes very difficult when people come against us and they speak evil of us and they do evil things to us. And yet the command for you and I is to speak evil of no one. Just as Jesus there, he was on the cross and he says, Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing. You and I are to be the same way. We're to have the nature and character of Christ, not to retaliate speaking evil of

but to speak evil of no one, following the example of Jesus Christ. He also says to be peaceable. We need to be reminded to be peaceable. Again, it's a shame that we have to be reminded of this, and yet we do. We need to be reminded to be peaceable, which means to abstain from fighting, to abstain from contention. Are you involved in fights?

Are you involved in contention? Are you involved in stirring up issues and arguments? Is your life a battle? Are there battles everywhere you go? Disputes and arguments and contention that flares up. Christians are to be the type of people that others would get frustrated trying to get them to fight. That it would be difficult to pull us into contention or an argument.

We're not to be involved in those things. Instead, we're to be peaceable, to abstain from fighting. I would ask you to consider our best example, Jesus Christ. How many times did Jesus fight? Just think about that for a second as you run through the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. How many times did Jesus fight? The strongest words that he had to say were towards the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the scribes, those who

were extremely hypocritical and binding burdens upon others that they could not carry in order for them to try to come to God. And yet, he didn't fight. He was beaten, although he had done nothing wrong. He didn't fight. Do you ever do that? You're beaten even though you've done nothing wrong and you don't fight? He was falsely accused and he didn't fight back.

It doesn't mean that he just said, okay, you're right, and he took the beating because he didn't want to fight. No, he stood up for what was right. He told the truth. He recognized and professed that he had done nothing wrong, but he didn't fight. He was peaceable. You and I as Christians are to be the same. Be peaceable. Can I remind you of Proverbs 20, verse 3? It says, "...it is honorable for a man to stop striving..."

Since any fool can start a quarrel. Any fool can start a fight. Any fool can stir up the pot. Any fool can bring contention. In fact, I would even take it a step further to suggest to you that it's the fools who start the fight. But it's honorable for man to stop striving. Here's the honorable, here's the wise thing for you to do. What God calls us to do.

as His followers, we're to be peaceable, to stop fighting, to stop striving, to abstain from it, to pull ourselves out of it. People should be confused why we don't fight back, wondering how come they don't strike back in the things that they say or perhaps physically if it comes to that. Why don't they come against me the way that I come against them? Why are they so peaceable? How come it's so easy to get along with them and so hard to fight with them?

This is the nature and character we're to have as Christians. Remember to be peaceable. He goes on to say to be gentle. We're to be reminded to be gentle. The word gentle can also be translated mild. You're to be mild or gentle. Now, my mind, it's always in a similar train of thoughts. I read mild and you know what I think of? Salsa. Salsa.

It's the first thing that came to my mind. And it relates somewhat. Bear with me for just a second here. The other day, I think it was here, I could be mistaken, but I was eating something and it had salsa on it. And the salsa was applied by someone else. And when I took a bite, I could feel on my tongue every place that that salsa touched.

I mean, there was like, you know, I think it was blackened and burned on all the individual drops, wherever they hit, I could feel those individual places on my tongue. I'm not a huge fan of...

Spicy foods or crazy hot salsa. But some people are. For me, I mean, it burns, it tears up my mouth, it's not enjoyable, it makes my eyes water. I mean, it's just, it's like torture. I don't understand why people like to eat that stuff. But some people like it. I think it's a few, a minority, but they're there. But mild salsa. Now this is awesome. Maybe even a little bit medium. I'm good with medium.

You can taste it. It's got incredible flavor. It's not boring and bland. I mean, it's got zest. It's really good. And you can eat a lot of it and enjoy it for a whole long time. It still has flavor, still has spice. It's awesome. Now, pulling this over into the spiritual realm, in the same way, we're to be mild. Are you crazy hot? In the sense that people can feel all the times that you've come in contact with them.

Are you hot in the sense that, man, when you're around, it burns? It makes my eyes water? Totally unenjoyable? Or are you mild? Everybody can enjoy mild, but only a small few can enjoy the crazy hot. Is it only a few people that can be around you and not be offended by the things that you say, by the jokes that you tell? Or can anybody come and be around you

And enjoy the conversation. Enjoy the discussion. Enjoy the activity. Is it only a few that can be around you without being hurt? Or can anybody come around you? We're to be mild. Just as Jesus was mild and gentle. That anybody could come. It doesn't mean that you have to be boring. It doesn't mean that there's no flavor. It just means that you're accessible. It means that you're pleasant. It means that...

Well, people can enjoy spending time with you. Are you mild and gentle or are you rough around the edges? You kind of poke people the wrong way, get under their skin, irritate them. Hey, God wants to work on that. Can I remind you to be mild, to be gentle? He finishes verse 2 saying that we should be showing all humility to all men. We're to show all humility to all men. Not exalting ourself above all men,

Often times we can do that, can't we? Exalting ourselves, promoting ourselves, looking at others do something and express how we could do it better. You know, maybe you'll go home a little bit later, ah, if I was teaching Titus chapter 3, I sure would have done it differently. I wouldn't have brought up salsa, that's weird stuff. We can look on at others, we can look on at society, at the government and think, man, if only they would listen to me.

If only they would hear my ideas, everything would be great. It would all run smoothly. You know why we think that? Because we exalt ourselves above all men. But we're to show humility to all men. Not thinking ourselves more than others, but considering others more than ourselves. Not counting ourselves as better than the people around us, but humbling ourselves to serve the people around us. We have Jesus again as the example of this in Philippians chapter 2.

He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but he humbled himself and came in the form of a servant. The servant. Jesus said, if you want to be great in the kingdom of God, learn to be the servant of all. And I think that's the perfect definition of how to show all humility to all men. Be the servant of all. Humble yourself and serve the people around you. Help them accomplish their goals. Meet their needs. Help them do the things right.

that they desire to do. As much as it may pain us, help your co-worker get the promotion. Serve them. Be humble. Help them accomplish their goals. Help your neighbor in the things that they've been talking to you about and the areas that they want to work and the areas that they want to accomplish. Help them out in those things.

Your friends and your family, the people around you. Serve them. Minister to their needs. Meet their needs. And help them accomplish the things that God has set before them. Don't consider yourself as better than them. Your goals and your priorities and your life is more important. No. Serve them. Show all humility to all men. Verse 3.

He starts out verse 3 with the word for. As we discussed last week, it's an important word, but we often overlook it.

Here he's telling us the reason. Why ought we to be subject to rulers and authorities? Why should we be prepared for every good work and not speaking evil of man and being peaceable and gentle and serving the people around us? Why ought we to do all these things? Paul says, because we also, at one time, we were just like them. We were foolish just like them.

The point is we should have an incredible amount of patience and understanding because we were once without the truth just like they are. And sometimes we forget what we were like before Christ has changed us. Sometimes we even forget what we're like right now because God's still doing the work. And so we grumble and we fight and we speak evil of others and we're not peaceful but we ruffle feathers because we have forgotten Christ.

that we are at one time like them. How can I speak evil of someone when I've been there in that same spot? How could I not be peaceful and gentle when I understand how miserable people are without Christ? You know, sometimes we, in dealing with different people in our lives, there might be certain kids that you have to relate to. And sometimes, you know, kids can be very unruly and difficult.

And we can get very frustrated with those kids who, well, they don't listen and they're rebellious and they cause all kinds of trouble and we think, man, what in the world is wrong with you? But then if we go on and we get to know them a little bit better and we learn that during, you know, well, at their home, their home life is not so good and perhaps their parents are in the middle of a divorce and there's all these difficulties and things that they've experienced and suddenly the whole thing changes for us.

The activity is the same. The kid is still the same brat he always was. But now we have more compassion and patience because we understand what's causing all of this and where they're coming from and what's the... This is the result of all of these things that have happened in their life.

and we can have more compassion toward a child in that way. In the same way, as we look around at those people, man, they come against us so hard or they do these things and man, they blow it in this area and they're so like this and we need to take a minute and remember where they're at so that we can have compassion because we were once there as well.

That's what he says. For we ourselves were also once. You and I, we were there. We were just like those who are without God now. There is a place in your life. And so you can relate because you've been there. You can understand what it's like and how miserable it is to be without God. But it's past tense. So,

As Christians, we are not still foolish. The word foolish means to be without understanding. We have understanding. God has given us insight. He's brought us to the light. We have understanding. We're not to live like we used to live without the understanding that we now have. We're not to live in disobedience. We're not deceived any longer. We're in Christ. But let's not forget what it was like. Do you remember that time? Do you remember those days before Christ? The emptiness. The emptiness.

How miserable you were. We also were once foolish. We also were once disobedient.

At one time we were deceived. We thought we knew everything. We thought we had it all together. At one time we were enslaved to our lusts and to the desires of our flesh. At one time we were full of malice, which is the desire to injure or wishing ill will upon someone. Yeah, we had that. We know what it's like to wish ill upon others. And sometimes we're so confused, we get so blown away.

How could they do this to me? Why do they want to hurt me? Why do they want to accomplish this? And how come they can't see the truth? And how come they don't understand these things? Remember, don't forget, we were once like that. That's what it's like without Christ. We should not expect a lot from those who do not walk in relationship with God. Don't expect a lot. What do we like without Christ? We're foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving lusts,

And malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. This is life without Christ. It's not good. It's not joyful. It's not blessed. It should not be a shock when the world treats us the way that it does. It should not be a shock when they come against us in that way. It should not be a shock when they disregard us in that way. It should be expected. Now, sometimes we're blown away because, well, the person who's doing these things against us, the person who is

caused so much hurt in our lives, claims to be a Christian. And we're blown away. How could this happen? They claim to be a Christian. Hey, let me point you back to Titus chapter 1 verse 16. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Don't be surprised, even if someone who claims to be a Christian claims

It's foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice, envy, hateful, and hating one another. There are those who profess to know God, but their life shows where they really stand with God. In works they deny Him. It doesn't matter, I know, oh, but they go to this church, and they were raised in this, and... Those who follow God, those who have a relationship with God, are in the process of being transformed into His image.

taking on his character, his nature, his characteristics. Don't be shocked when the world comes against you. Don't even be shocked when those who profess to be Christians, to know God, come against you. Remember, you also have been there. You've been that way. You've stood in their shoes. You know what it's like to be without God. So have compassion on the people around you. Even the worst ones, be peaceable and gentle with them.

Serve them. Because God's desire should be our desire, which is that they would come to the saving knowledge of Him. Our desire shouldn't be, I want to get them back and make them pay for what they did. That's not what Jesus did. Again, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing. The same way we should have compassion. Lord, they don't know what they're doing. Forgive them. Help me to serve them and minister to them that they would see the truth. Let's go on to verse 4. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward men appeared...

So here we have the contrast. We once were like this. We once were this way. But then something happened. What happened? The kindness and love of God, our Savior, appeared. The kindness and love of God appeared. Now how did the kindness and love of God appear? Well, it appeared there on the cross 2,000 years ago.

Romans chapter 5 verse 8 tells us that God demonstrates His love towards us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The demonstration, the proof of God's love is that He died for us. That's when the kindness and love of God appeared. But for you and I, salvation occurs when you and I

recognize when we receive, when the love of God appears to us and that we realize that Jesus Christ died upon the cross for me specifically. When we recognize, when we receive His work upon the cross for us, that's when salvation happens. When God's love appears to us and we realize He didn't just do this for the world in general, but He did this for me, that I might be saved.

When we receive that gift is when we are saved. We were once this way, but God revealed Himself. He revealed to us what He did for us upon the cross. He demonstrated and proved His love for us at the cross. Verse 5, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. How did this kindness and love appear to us? Well, He says that it was not by works of righteousness which we have done.

God did not reveal Himself to us, His love and His kindness, because we're so good. He didn't reveal Himself to us because we've done so many good deeds and so many great works. God does not offer kindness to us based upon our works, based upon our work of righteousness. Salvation is not because we are good. Well, what is it because then? Going on in verse 5, But according to His mercy, He saved us.

If it was by my good works, then I would be responsible for saving me. And instead of saying, hey, I got saved last week, we would say, hey, I saved myself last week. I did it. I accomplished it because I did this and this and this.

But that's not the way that God, His plan of salvation works. He saved us. He saved me. He pulled me out of the pit. He did the work. And not because I'm good, not because of my works of righteousness, but why? He says, according to His mercy. According to His mercy.

It was His mercy, His kindness, His love. It's all about Him and what He has done. And I praise God for that because I blow it and you blow it. We all fall short of the glory of God. It's only by Him and His mercy, His love and His kindness that we can be saved. And isn't it amazing that salvation is according to God's mercy because Lamentations chapter 3 tells us that His mercies are new every morning. You can never run out of God's mercy.

So you can never run out of salvation. Every morning they're new. He has a fresh batch of mercy every morning for you. You're saved by His mercy. You're saved by His love, His kindness, His grace. You will never know the limits of God's grace and His mercy. You won't know the limits of His kindness and love. You can't be separated from God's love. He saved you. He did the work because He loves you according to His mercy.

But He doesn't just save us. He goes on in verse 5 to say, through the washing of regeneration. The washing. The filth that we were once in is cleansed from us. We're washed. How? By regeneration. Regeneration simply means rebirth. Or as we would say, to be born again. In God's mercy to us, He gives us the opportunity for a fresh start. He washes us by making us born again.

In John chapter 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that this is required in order to enter the kingdom of God. He says, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Salvation is a work of God, a rebirth of the Spirit. It's a spiritual birth. Without God's intervention, we are spiritually dead and we cannot be born again on our own and with our own strength. Just like a corpse...

cannot do enough good works to come back to life. No, they're dead. In the same way, spiritually, without God, we're dead. Ephesians 2 tells us that. We were once dead in our transgressions and sins. There's no amount of works or good things that we can do to revive ourselves. Only by the mercy of God, because of His love, because of His kindness,

By receiving what He did for us upon the cross, can we be born again, brought to spiritual life. And as He brings us spiritual life, 2 Corinthians 5.17 tells us, God does a fresh new work in us and gives us spiritual life by His mercy and grace.

The last part of verse 5, he says, and renewing of the Holy Spirit. He doesn't just wash us, make us born again, and leave us there dripping wet. He continues the work. The renewing of the Holy Spirit. To renew it means to renovate or to completely change for the better. And although we're born again, we've started a new spiritual life in Christ, we're not yet perfect. And the process of sanctification, setting us apart, making us perfect,

holy before God, transforming us into His image, that begins when we are born again. It's a process that will be going on as we continue to walk with Him. The Holy Spirit is working in our life to transform us, to completely change us into the image of God.

It's the Holy Spirit doing the work. And verse 6 says, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. It's the Holy Spirit who's doing this renewing work within us and the Holy Spirit has been poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ. He's been poured out. Now this is not the idea if you have a pitcher of lemonade in a glass and you pour some lemonade into the glass so you can have a drink. That's not the poured out that is used in this passage. Instead, this word means to

If you have the glass, you have the pitcher, completely turn it over. Let it all come out just to overflow the glass, go all in it, around it, everywhere. That's the idea. Abundantly, he's been poured out through Jesus Christ, our Savior. The point is, Jesus does not give us the Holy Spirit in a little bit of a trickle. But he said in John chapter 7, verse 37, 38, if

If you thirst, come to me and drink. Torrents of living water will flow forth. More than you can handle. More than you can contain. This is the way that the Spirit is poured out upon those who are born again. Now sometimes all we receive is a trickle because that's all we allow God to do in our lives. But if we will open ourselves up, if we will surrender to Him, if we will allow Him to do the work that He wants to do, there's an abundant pouring out of God's Spirit that He wants to do upon us.

Pastor Greg Laurie in his book on discipleship says, Every one of us is as filled with the Spirit as we choose to be. You have as much of God's Spirit working in you as you choose. None of us can say, Well, I really want to do this work and reach out in this way, but I just don't have enough of the Holy Spirit to do that. Because available to us, poured out upon us, is the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

None of us can say, well, I really want to overcome this issue in my life, but I just don't have the power of the Spirit. I don't have enough of the Holy Spirit. No, every one of us has as much of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives as we choose. Jesus pours out His Spirit completely upon us, abundantly. It's up to us to receive His work and what He desires to do. Finally, verse 7, that having been justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We've been justified by His grace. That means that we're just as if we had never sinned. God treats us, God relates to us as if we had never blown it and as if we had never messed up. As if we had never sinned. By His grace. Not because of our goodness, not because of our works, but by His grace, His mercy, His kindness, His love. And we've become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. We have this amazing inheritance by the grace of God.

This hope, this confident expectation of eternal life that God has given to us. An amazing God, what He has done for us, what He has given to us. And it's the perfect opportunity as we reflect on these things to partake of communion together.

So the worship team is going to come up and the guys are going to get ready. And I want to encourage you to prepare your heart as we partake of communion. Jesus said, as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me. Paul says, remind them of these things. Jesus said, remember me. Remember what I've done for you. Remember that salvation is all about me. Remember the work of Jesus Christ. Now, communion is something that we do that represents that we have received something.

the work of God. We have received the gift of God. We've received the salvation that God offers to us. Communion itself does not save us. In the cups are juice. It's just normal, plain old juice from the grocery store. On the plates is bread or crackers. And they're just normal, plain old crackers from the grocery store. There's no mystical sense. These are special crackers or special juice.

It's all symbolic. It's representative. It's you and I when we partake saying, I remember what Jesus did for me and I receive it. I want the fullness of what He has for me. I want to live for Him. Lord, continue to transform me. Continue to change me, to renew me by Your Holy Spirit. Communion is not necessary for salvation. I would put it this way. If you go to the airport to get on a plane, you have to have your ticket.

If you have your ticket, you're able to get on and reach your destination. If you don't have your ticket, you can't get on. You won't be able to fly. You won't be able to reach your destination. The gift of Jesus Christ upon the cross for us, receiving that gift by faith, is our ticket. That's how we have the hope of eternal life. That's how we have the inheritance, the promise of the life to come. Now, if you go to the airport with your ticket, but also with your luggage, it says something. It says that you have...

purposefully prepared yourself. You've acknowledged that you're going. You've prepared for it. You've accepted and you're ready to go. In the same way, communion, it's not our ticket. It's not what gets us to heaven. That's salvation by faith in Jesus Christ based upon what He did for us upon the cross. But partaking of communion, we're saying, look, I have my luggage. I've accepted what God has done for me.

And I'm ready to go. I'm ready to reach that destination. I'm ready for Him to do the work in me that He desires to do. It's us receiving what He has done for us and receiving what He desires to do for us. And so I want to encourage you as they lead us in worship to be spending time with the Lord, to be preparing your heart to examine yourself, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, to prepare yourself to receive.

That it's not just a ritual, that it's not just another thing. No, remember the Lord Jesus. Remember what He has done and continue to seek Him for what He desires to do. Allow Him to do the work in you that He wants to do. If you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, now's a great opportunity to do it. You can, as a lead us in worship, just cry out to the Lord. Ask Him to come in to make you born again. Receive what He did for you upon the cross and then partake with us.

It's a wonderful way, a wonderful opportunity for you to receive what God has done for you. So they're going to pass out the bread and the cup. During the song, at any time, you're free to partake as you have both portions. Partake as the Lord is ministering to you. If not at the end, I'll give you an opportunity to partake then as well. But let's worship the Lord together. Reflect on what Jesus has done for us.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.