Titus chapter two, in this portion
of scripture, Paul is writing to Titus about works. What he calls good works. If you look at the end of chapter
one, verse 16 says, they profess that they know God. And who doesn't? They profess that they know God,
but in works, they deny him, being abominable and disobedient,
and under every good work, reprobate. He said they're doing works,
and you know, two weeks ago, I was gone last weekend, and
two weeks ago, you probably don't remember, and it's okay. But
I was really stressing this is so important. What I have is
so important, it's just so critical. And this is a continuation of
that. And I'm praying, like I did two
weeks ago, that the Lord will help me get this across. It is
so important. I really, you're gonna see two
sides of what we're about to talk about. And I want to stress
both sides. But I want us to understand both
sides, okay? Paul is saying they're doing
works. They're doing works, but they're
not good works. All right? They're doing works,
but they're not good works. They're abominable, disobedient,
Christ-denying works. What were they doing? Paul said
there in chapter one, they were preaching things that they shouldn't
be preaching. Jewish fables and commandments
of men. Their works were man-made, man-approved
of works. But just because man approves
of them, and here's what, let me see if I can get this across.
I'm about to read chapter two to us, and you're gonna approve
of it. Okay. And there are plenty of things
that are being taught that men approve of. Man says, yes, I
approve of that. That's good. That's right. But
just because man approves of his own works, it doesn't mean
that he is producing good works. Does that make sense? All right, let's look at what
Paul has to say here in chapter two. Verse one, he said, but
speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. Sound means whole,
complete, correct, true, firm. Doctrine means teaching. What
is sound doctrine? What is sound doctrine? There
is only one. There is only one sound doctrine. Turn with me to 2 John 1. Just before Revelation. 2 John. Verse 9, it says, Whosoever transgresseth
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of Christ. You know, every time the word
doctrine in the scripture is plural, doctrines, it's always
talking about a false doctrine. The doctrines of men, the Jews'
doctrine. There's only one true doctrine,
the doctrine of Christ. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. If a man doesn't
believe Christ and look to Christ and hope in Christ and cast his
all on Christ, and if Christ is not all, is the man saved?
No. But he's doing good works, works
that are in agreement with the Bible. Verse 9, 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 Godspeed. For he that biddeth him Godspeed
is partaker of his evil deeds. There's only one sound doctrine,
one sound teaching from Scripture, and it's the teaching of Christ.
The person, the work, the salvation, the righteousness, the acceptance,
the finished accomplishment of Jesus Christ. He is the sound
doctrine of Scripture. We preach Christ. We preach Christ. What in the world are you all
preaching? Y'all are so different. What are you preaching? Christ. We're preaching Christ. In all
of the scripture, we are determined to know nothing for salvation
and teach nothing for salvation and our acceptance with God,
save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. All right, so go with me back
to Titus chapter two. Verse 1 says, But speak thou
the things which become sound doctrine, that the aged men be
sober. That means vigilant. Be vigilant. Grave. That means reverent and
honorable. You know, that's important. Let's
be reverent in our worship. Let's not be casual. Let's not
be flippant. Let's be reverent and honorable
in our worship. Let's be respectful in our worship, respectful to
our Lord, honorable toward our Lord. Verse two goes on to say
temperate. That means self-controlled. We
don't need to be wild. Sound in faith. Sound means whole,
well, correct, true, firm. In faith. You know, I've said
so many times, if you really want to understand faith, substitute that word with the
word Christ. If you really want to get a hold
of what the scripture is talking about when it talks about faith,
Substitute that word with Christ. Faith is of Christ, by Christ,
through Christ, to Christ, Christ. Faith says Christ. Faith says
Christ, Jesus Christ. It's solely concerning Christ. Verse two, that the aged men
be sober, grave, temperate, sound in Christ. To be sound in faith
is to be sound in Christ. Goes on to say in charity, that
means love, that's Christ, God is love. In patience, that means
steadfastness, cheerful endurance, cheerful continuing. Verse three,
the aged women likewise that they be in behavior as becometh
holiness. I don't know at what age you
all consider yourself to be an aged woman. I'm gonna let y'all
decide that. But y'all are supposed to be
in behavior as becometh holiness. That means set apart to God.
It means reverent toward God. It goes on to say not false accusers,
someone who slanders others, lies on others in order to slander
them. Not given too much wine, that
means excessive drunkenness. Teachers of good things, that
means right things, specifically concerning God and man. Verse
four, that they may teach the young women to be sober, that
means wise. To love their husbands, to love
their children, that means exactly what it sounds like. Verse five. To be discreet, that means self-controlled. Temperate, it means moderate.
Chaste, that means pure, clean, innocent. Keepers at home, that
means a good housekeeper. That's a sore subject these days
anymore, isn't it? You gotta teach them to be a
good housekeeper. Verse, goes on to say, verse five, good,
that means pleasant, acceptable, joyful, happy, upright, honorable. Obedient to their own husbands. That is a voluntary attitude
of subjection. Not to anybody else's husband,
but to their own. that the word of God be not blasphemed. That means reproached. You know,
you talk about bringing a reproach on the gospel. I've said that all my life, and
honestly, I don't know if I've ever known what the word reproach
means, but I looked it up right here. It means evil spoken of,
that you won't give anyone the occasion to speak evil of this
gospel we pray. So that's the gospel you believe.
Look at how you live. That's what you hold, I don't
want anything to do with that. Verse six, young men likewise
exhort to be sober minded. That means discreet, moderate. It means careful in one's speech
or actions in order to avoid causing offense. I want to encourage
everybody here to do that. Be careful in your speech and
your actions in order to avoid causing offense. That's a good
thing. Verse 7, in all things showing
thyself a pattern of good works. That means beautiful, valuable,
virtuous deeds, good works. It goes on to say in doctrine,
that means in teaching, showing uncorruptness. That means incorruptibility. You need to show purity, young
men. Gravity, that means honorable
character, serious reverence and devotion. Sincerity, that
means genuineness, without hypocrisy, without acting. Don't put on
a show for anybody, just be you, just be sincere. Verse 8, sound speech, that means
speak the truth so clearly from God's word your opposers won't
have any choice but to shut their mouths. Verse 8, sound speech
that cannot be condemned that he that is of the contrary part
may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you. Speak it
so clearly nobody can say anything. Verse 9. Exhort servants to be
obedient unto their own masters. Exhort servants, or we call them
employees these days, to have a voluntary attitude of subjection,
not to anyone else's master or boss, but to their own. Verse 9, exhort servants to be
obedient unto their own masters and to please them well in all
things, not answering again. Not talking back. Don't talk
back. Verse 10, not purloining, that means embezzling, stealing,
but showing all good fidelity. That means a good moral conviction. Show a good moral conviction.
That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. That they may adorn. That means
embellish with honor. When you adorn something, you
embellish with honor. The doctrine of Christ. God our Savior in all things. Verse 11 he says, for because
he said all that because of the gospel. That's what he's going
to declare right here. Verse 11 for the grace of God that
bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. This thing was not
done in a corner. The grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly in this present world. looking for that blessed hope
and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior,
Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us
from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people
zealous of good works. These things speak and exhort
and rebuke with all authority, let no man despise thee. Okay, now. I'm for all of that. Okay, I
am for all of these works. This is God's word. Okay, this
is God's word. And I am for all of these works,
as long as we realize that they are still dead works. Okay, that's what the scripture
calls the works that we produce with our flesh. It literally
calls them dead works. I am for striving for these things. As long as we realize these are
still dead works. And what that means is they cannot
give life to us. They cannot save us. They cannot do anything for us. I am for every bit of that. As
long as we realize that cannot do anything for us. That cannot do anything for us. I am all for these works as long
as we don't make an idol out of them and start looking to
the works. I am pro good works. And I'm gonna put the good in
quote marks. There's none good but God. There's
none that doeth good. No, not one. I'm all for striving
for these things as long as we realize they can't do anything
for us. These are still dead works. I
want to make this so clear. You know, out of 30 minutes,
if you get anything, if anybody gets anything, if 70 years from
now, anybody gets anything from this, get this one part. People live like this, or they
try to, okay? They try to live like this all
the time who are not saved. Believe me, I'm for it. But there
are millions and millions of people who try to, they're not
doing it. They're not doing it. I just
read the definitions I just gave to you and these commandments
that God has given to us is we are to be self-controlled. Self-controlled. I can't even
control my mind, much less my actions. Nobody, there's only one person
who's self-controlled. That's God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
All right, this said that we had to be pure. You're supposed
to be pure. You're not. And I'm not either. And we can try to pretend like
we are, but we're not. And I'd rather you pretend like
you are. Just don't go self-righteous
on me because then I'd rather you pretend like you're not. Holy. We're not. You aged women are supposed to
be holy. You're not. You only have one
holiness. Christ. Good. We've already covered that. Unblameable. Young men. You young men, y'all are supposed
to be unblameable. You're not. You're not. You're
never gonna be. But people try to live like this
and they try to put on this show. People do this everywhere in
all kinds of religions, in all kinds of denominations, and they're
not saved. And they're not saved. And they're
going to go into hell. They're going to go into an eternal
condemnation in hell, bringing all of these desirable, open,
moral, good characteristics with them. And that doesn't save us, that
cannot save us. Works are not the evidence of
salvation. Well, he's got to be saved, she's
got to be saved. I mean, look at how good the
person is. Look at how moderate, look at
how well the person dresses. Look at, got to be saved. No, they don't got to be saved.
because works are not the evidence of salvation. Good works, in
quotes, have never been the evidence of salvation and they're never
going to be the evidence of salvation. They are not the final result
in the flesh of salvation. They don't cause salvation. They don't show salvation. You
can produce that right there openly before other men and women and never know Christ. You can
do every bit of that. You can be so proud of yourself
and never know Christ. You can completely miss Christ
for all of your good deeds. Works are not the evidence of
salvation. Works are not what God requires
of us. Well, now God requires you to
produce good works. No, he doesn't. That's why he
sent Jesus Christ. That's the whole reason he sent
Jesus Christ. Are we insinuating that God deceived
himself into thinking that totally depraved sinners could actually
produce a good work? You need to progress in sanctification. Do you really think God deceived
himself in thinking that rotten, sinful, dead flesh could progress
in holiness and purity. I was going to have you, I'm
not going to have you turn, but John 6, 28 and 29, they came
to the Lord and said, what must we do that we might work the
works of God? And he said, Here is the work
of God, not obey the Ten Commandments, not obey all the other commandments,
not obey what the apostles are about to write in these epistles.
He said, this is the work of God, that you believe on Him
whom He sent. That's the work of God, believe
on Him. In John 9, verse 4, our Lord said, I must work Just listen,
let me read it to you, I don't want to quote it wrong. John
9 verse 4, he said, I must work the works of him that sent me
while it is day. The night cometh when no man
can work. If I don't do it, it's not going
to be done. That's what he's saying. Philippians
3.3 says, we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit,
rejoicing Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. None whatsoever. After Paul told
Titus, I'm really off my notes. Are y'all in Titus 2? Are you
still there? Okay, after Paul told Titus everything that we
just read right there in chapter two, look what he said in chapter
three. Look at chapter three, verse four. It says, but after
that, the loving kindness and love of God, our savior toward
man appear after his grace and his kindness and his favor, the
love of God, our savior toward man appear. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, You know, I mean, we just read everything
Paul wrote in chapter two. He said, buddy, it was 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. Verse 3, he said, look up at
verse 3, he said, we ourselves also were sometimes foolish,
we were disobedient, we were deceived, we were serving divers'
lust and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and
hating one another. That was us. God saving us was not according
to, it was not dependent on our obedience to His commandments. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done. We were not saved. We are not
accepted based on our good works of the law. Again, we don't have
any. We just don't have any. None
good but God, never have. So here's what I want us to truly
understand from this, okay? I am not against, and it doesn't
matter, I don't matter. God's people are not against,
obviously the Apostle Paul was not against God's law. This is, I told you if you leave
here, get only that, get this too, get two things out of this,
okay? This is God's law. And I really
do believe that if the Lord would open our understanding to this,
this will help you. Because I feel like the Lord
has really helped me to understand something in all of these studies
we've had. This is God's holy law, okay? This is the character of God. This is how God is. And God's
people are not against the law. All right, you got law and grace,
you know, that's just law. God's people are not against
the law. God's people establish the law. God's people are the only ones
who actually do establish the law. God's people love God's law in
all of its glory, in all of its holiness, in all of its strictness. God's people love it to the fullest
degree. All of God's true people will
say with David, I love thy law to the point, and here's what
I want you to get, to the point that according to this law, based
on what I read in this law, I condemn myself by it. Based on what God has written,
I'll be the judge of me. Let me judge myself. Let me examine
myself and judge myself. Condemned. That's how much God's
people love God's law. I condemn myself by it. I see
what it requires of me. I acknowledge I'll never be able
to keep it. I acknowledge I cannot fully
keep one of these laws because I am sin. And I acknowledge that
my only hope before God is that Christ kept this for me. He said in Matthew 5, I did not
come to destroy the law. I came to fulfill it. My hope
is in the fact that he fulfilled it for me. My hope is that he
took care of Titus 2 for me. In the same way that when we
looked at Titus chapter 1 on the qualifications of a preacher
and we said only Christ fits that description. That's the
same thing that must be said about everything we read in Titus
2. Everything. No one can satisfy God's demands
to the degree that God is requiring. If we think we can, we're not
upholders of the law. Only Christ can do that. For
me to think that I can do it is, number one, I'm deceiving
myself. Number two, I'm looking to my
ability, I'm looking to my flesh, and I'm not looking to Christ. And number three, I'm insulting
and I'm degrading and I'm blaspheming the holy standard of God. I'm
bringing his standard down. Paul made it very clear that
he did not exhort these things to make us acceptable to God. Christ made us acceptable to
God. In Ephesians 1, Paul said, we're
accepted in the beloved. only in the beloved. And as long
as that's understood, the Apostle Paul and every other believer
is for trying to do these things, for
striving for these things. If we end up viewing these things
as being a necessary component of our salvation, just one way
or the other, the Apostle Paul who penned all of this and every
other true Child of God is against that. Against it. If it's going to
steal the glory away from Christ, then we're against it. You know,
Paul had Timothy circumcised because it was a token, it was
a picture of grace. But then when those Pharisees
said, Titus couldn't be saved unless he was circumcised, Paul
said, we're not doing it. We're not doing it. Under one
circumstance, he was for it, and under another circumstance,
he was against it. And, all right, if you only get
three things out of this message, get that first thing, get that
second thing, and get this. Really, really get this. I'm not against God's law, I'm
for it. I'm for it, as long as we don't
take our eyes off of Christ, obeying and fulfilling that law
for us, and turn our eyes to the flesh, obeying and fulfilling
that law for ourselves. As long as we don't turn the
glory away from Christ. As long as we don't turn our
assurance and our hope away from Christ, the blood of Christ,
the obedience, the satisfaction of Jesus Christ, the moment we
start looking for assurance and hope of our, you know, standing
before God and our own ability, I'm not for this anymore. I'm
not for it anymore. If the title wasn't so long,
I would title this message, I'm for it until I'm against it.
And I'm against it until I'm for it. But it's just too long
for sermon audio. That's what I'm saying. I'm for
it until I'm against it. And I'm against it until I'm
for it. If you want to talk about baptism, If you want to talk
about the Lord's table, should I take it? Not take it. Should
I be baptized? Not be baptized. Or if you want
to talk about disobedience in what some would call discipleship
or followers of Christ or being a believer, I'm for these things
until we start looking for assurance of salvation in these things.
I'm for them. until we start looking for evidence
of salvation in these things. The moment we see this as the
final component of our standing before God and our acceptance
with him, it's time to get rid of it. If we want to be baptized so we can be saved, we're not
doing it. If we want to take the Lord's
table, so we can be saved. We're not even going to have
it. Like, we'll just skip it. If we want to obey these commandments
so we can be saved, we're better off not even reading them. Now if we want to confess the
Lord Jesus Christ in baptism for who He is and what He did
to eternally save us from our sins, I'm all for that. Let's go. If we want to remember him in
his table for what he accomplished by his broken body and his shed
blood, I'm all for that. I love that. And if we love him,
if we love him, If our love for him constrains us and creates
a heart desire of thankfulness in us, a heart of obedience to
him for love's sake. You know, our Lord said, if you
love me, keep my commandments. He didn't say, if you want to
be saved, keep my commandments. He said, if you love me. Heed these things. If you love
me, strive for these things for his sake. I'm all for that. If
it's all about him, if it's all under him, then men, this is
how we ought to be. Ladies, this is how we ought
to be. Employees, children, whoever we are, whatever we are, this
is how we ought to be. Do we believe that believers
ought to act like believers? Yep. Do we believe God's people
ought to straighten up and fly right? Yep. As long as we don't
take our eyes off of Christ. Does that make sense? I hope
it does. All right. Amen. You're dismissed.