And for those on the tapes and
the CDs, Titus chapter 1 and 1 through 4 are subject again,
the hope of eternal life. Paul, a servant of God and apostle
of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and
the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness. in hope of eternal life, which
God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began, but hath
in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed
unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior, to Titus,
mine own son, after the common faith. grace, mercy, peace from
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. Now look again at the second
verse. In hope of eternal life which
God that cannot lie promised before the world began. This
is one of those subjects that I am persuaded that we could
fill all of our usual time of worship and preaching just in
reading those texts of scripture that speak of the various aspects
of the hope that we have in Christ. Now, that's the same thing as
saying that the Bible has a lot to say about this matter of our
hope. It is mentioned frequently by
the speakers and by the writers in the Holy Scripture. In fact,
this hope is mentioned in the New Testament. and we find at
least or close to 50 mentions of this blessed hope that we
have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this morning, during our
time, we will study or attempt to consider these four things
that I just mentioned in passing. Number one, there is the grace
of hope. Now there is hope and there's
the doctrine of hope, but there is the grace of hope. And by that I mean that hope
belongs to that cluster of Christian graces that God works in us like
faith and and trust, confidence, and assurance, and such like.
Secondly, the foundation of hope, its origin. How does it arise? What does it come from? How does
hope come to arise and abide in a believer? And the third
thing is the object of hope. What is the object of our hope? as we have hope in Christ. Well,
our hope is Christ. Our hope is the Father. Our hope
is in the gospel. Our hope is in the promise of
God. Because these strengthen our
hope, and they are the foundation and the object. And then the
fourth thing that we look at today is the thing that is hope
for. What do we hope for? What did Abraham hope for? What
do we hope for as we live out in this life? For Paul says we
are saved by or in hope. And that hope this morning is
that glory. It is final salvation. It is
to be in the presence of the Lord forever and forever. Now, before we get to these things,
let's survey the opening text from Paul here in these four
verses of Titus. Paul takes his usual message,
method, as he does in most of his epistle, and that's after
this order. He always identifies himself. Paul, he said. Pi-Paul. Paul. And this is his Christian
name, for you remember he had been Saul before his conversion. Then he usually speaks of his
commission and of his office. And here it is this, a servant,
literally a slave of God and an apostle of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul was not an ordinary minister
like I and so many others down through time. Paul was a minister,
but a high apostle of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His apostleship was by the will
of God, 2 Timothy 1 and verse 1, and especially toward the
Gentiles. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles
to bring them the gospel and admit them into the covenant
of grace and into the Christian church. Paul's apostleship was
by the commandment of God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It was by the will of God, Colossians
1, 1, Ephesians 1, 2 Corinthians 1, and 1. called to be an apostle separated
unto the gospel of God, Romans chapter 1 and verse 1. So let's particularly notice
that last statement in Romans 1 and 1, separated unto the gospel
of God. Now let's take in that statement
in every word. separated unto the gospel of
God. Paul was a chosen vessel of Christ. What for? To bear my name before
the Gentiles, the kings, and the children of Israel, Acts
9 and 15. And not only was he chosen in
the Lord Jesus Christ and that from his mother's womb, Galatians
115, but he was separated by God. He was set apart. He was
sanctified. He was a separatist, if we might
use that word, The tense is this, having been separated unto the
gospel of God. He did not separate himself as
when he was a Pharisee and proud to be a separatist. Well, that's
kind of what the word Pharisee had its meaning. His whole calling,
all of his ministry, his life, and all of its ambition was toward
the promulgation of the gospel, the defense and the declaration
of the gospel of Christ. and not just a public preaching
of it, which of course he did, but also to keep the purity of
the message of the gospel. He opposed any corruption that
tried to enter into the gospel, his great ambition and his determination
in life. Yea, his very calling, that the
truth of the gospel might continue with you. Galatians chapter 1
and verse 5. So Paul gave and devoted his
life unto the gospel of Christ. Yea, for that purpose. was he
separated and called by God. Now here in Titus chapter 1,
he declares his apostleship to be, notice, quote, according
to the faith of God's elect. Again, there's a great thing
for us to notice and to enter into our memory bank. My apostleship
is accordant. It is in accordant. It is with
connection unto the faith of God's elect. But not only that,
and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness. And in verse three there, he
speaks of the word of preaching, which is committed unto me according
to the commandment of God our Savior. Now when we put the two
things together, for the faith of God's elect, and the word
which is committed unto me, an apostle according to the faith
of God's elect." Now, does Paul refer to the faith of God's elect
only in regard unto himself, that he had been brought to have
the faith of God's elect? Or does he include the elected
and the chosen ones of God? I agree. I think it fits better
that it is the latter. And that because of what followed,
the faith of God's elect and the full knowledge of the truth,
which is after God in it, in hope of eternal life, which God
promised before the world, before time eternal. Now Paul's apostleship
and gospel ministry was, and I want to go back and emphasize
the point, it was with one great purpose. His apostleship had
one great goal and purpose and aim, and that was the calling
and the conversion of the elect of God. to bring them to a knowledge
of Christ and of salvation. By the way, just as Christ's
work and ministry as a shepherd was to find and rescue and save
the sheep, as he said in John chapter 10. So Paul's ministry
had as its aim the call and the conversion of the elect. not just of the Jew, but also
of the Gentile. Now I want you to hear something
that I think is relevant under this matter, according to the
faith of God's elect. If you flip back to 2 Timothy
2 and verse 10, Paul writes this to Timothy, Therefore I endure
all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. I endure all that I endure for
the sake of the elect. Let's pursue that. Let's expand
upon that for a minute. In 2 Corinthians 12, verse 15,
he tells the Corinthians, I will gladly spend and be spent for
you. I'm going back to 1 Corinthians.
I want to read a passage there. It's in chapter 9. And it begins
with verse 19. 1 Corinthians 9, verse 19, and
we'll carry it down to verse 23 if you follow along. Paul
writes to them, For though I be free from all, yet have I made
myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And under the Jew I became as
a Jew, that I might gain the Jew. To them that are under the
law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the
law. To them that are without law,
as without law, being not without law to God, but under the law
to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak,
that I might gain the wheat. I made all things to all men,
that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's
sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you." Paul would
at times forego his due Christian liberty. The liberty that he
had in Christ he would put in check for the sake of those others
that he might minister to. He did that for the sake of the
weak. And two examples of him foregoing
his Christian liberty are in the matter of eating and drinking. If meat make my brother to offend,
I will eat no meat. long as the world stands. 1st Corinthians 9 verse 4 and
5. But that's not all. Paul had
a right to be supported by the churches and by the people that
he ministered among in As the Bible tells us, the minister
does. But he worked as a tent maker,
Acts 18 and verse 3. When there was no support, and
to keep from being a burden, he fell back upon his livelihood,
the making of tent. that he would not be a burden
unto the church. 1 Thessalonians 2 and 9, 2 Thessalonians
3, 7 through 9. And as he explains in 2 Corinthians
3 and verse 9, not because he lacked the right. He had a right
to take support of the people of God. For thou shalt not muzzle
the ox that treadeth out the corn. but he did it as an act
of Christian charity and as an example unto them of his devotion
unto their welfare and to the gospel. So Paul's emphasis is
that he had a right to do those things, but that he did forego
them. He had a right to take a wife,
like other apostles had taken. And the fact that some people
teach that Peter was the first pope and never married is an
utter heresy because Peter had a wife in the scripture. So Paul
emphasizes this. He received his apostleship that
he might exercise it in bringing the elect to faith in Christ
to a full knowledge of the gospel and that produces godliness in
those that hear it. In other words, as Fairbain wrote
in his commentator, that God's purpose concerning that might
reach its end, unquote. From this we conclude three things,
from this text here in Titus chapter 1 that we have read for
our text today. Number one, there are some that
the scriptures call elect. Not all, but some who are chosen,
and they are chosen in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they are called
the elect of God. Now the second thing that we
notice, these elect are brought to a special and unique faith,
being called, as it is, the faith of God's elect. As we look there
in that passage, according to the faith of God's elect. The elect are given a peculiar,
a unique, and a particular faith. And then see, this faith of God's
elect, this full knowledge of the truth, is aided by the hearing
of the word of God, that he might preach the word of truth among
them. Now, in the second verse, the
main focus of this faith, the faithful exercise of the ministry,
is also to beget in the elect the hope of eternal life, that
they might have that joy and that hope. Faith does not abide
alone. That is a truth of the scripture. You do not have faith and nothing
else. You do not have faith and stop
and go no further. Faith does not abide alone. Having the faith of God's elect,
which is a gift of God, and a work of grace, but faith never abides
alone. May I call it a mother grace. Faith is a mother grace. and it gives rise to other things
in the life of the Christian. Good works and love and hope. You remember what the Hebrew
writer chapter 11 and verse 1 said? Faith is the substance of things
hoped for. So they go together in the scripture. Things hoped for are in hope,
or the margin has it, for the hope of eternal life. We've recently seen, last Sunday
in fact, that the word hope does not refer at all to wishful thinking
as some people might think of it. Not just something that may
or may not happen. It's not something that you say,
I wish this would occur, or I wish that would happen, or the other. This hope may be described and
defined as a confident expectation based upon the word of God, the
gospel, and the promises of God. How wonderfully is hope described
in Hebrews chapter 11. And if you'd like to turn there,
we'll be reading a bit from Hebrews chapter 6. I'm sorry, I said
11, but it is chapter 6. that we want to read from. In
Hebrews chapter 6, first of all, verse 11, we desire that every
one of you to show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope
unto the end. Now, if you drop down to verse
18 of Hebrews chapter 6, that by two immutable things, in which
it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation
who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before
us. which hope we have as an anchor
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that
within the veil, whither the forerunner of us is entered,
even Jesus, made a high priest forever. Now, notice that he
calls hope there an anchor of the soul and sure and steadfast
and entered into the veil. We have our hope in Christ who
has entered into the heavenly, that is, into the veil, into
the holy of holy, into the very presence of God. So, our hope
rest upon a solid foundation. And we might illustrate that
by God's faithfulness to Abraham, to whom he made a promise, Romans
4 and verse 18. But then we see the object of
our hope. The end of our hope is eternal
life. having the hope of eternal life. Not only are they given faith,
and they become believers, and they acknowledge the truth as
it is in Jesus Christ, but they are also led by the truth preached
to hope for life eternal and everlasting. Now, this hope was
not in Paul. It was not in his ministry, per
se, but it was in the word of truth that he preached from God. God is the author of every single
grace, so that Paul and ministers are the instruments of God to
preach the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul reckoned or
likened himself to an ambassador of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5 and
verse 20. I am an ambassador of Christ. That's one appointed and sent
in the name and the authority one in whose name you speak or
act the faith of God's elect his ministry was in accordance
with that in fact he said to me to us is committed the word
of reconciliation 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 19 and here
in Titus 1 and 3 the word of preaching is committed unto me
according to the commandment of God our Savior now let's look
at it in hope own hope for hope, for hope, own hope, in hope. In hope, the saints anticipate
the good things to come on the credit of the work and the promise
of God and the word of truth. And this hope can climb no higher
and it finds its highest point in everlasting life. It cannot go or hope for anything
beyond that. Such hope does not apply, and
it does not reach only to this Christian life in this present
world, to an earthly life, or to being in church, or hearing
about going to heaven. But with hope as its basis, it
rests upon the promises of God and the truth of God declared
in the preaching, which, as one wrote, and I'm quoting, stretches
from eternity to eternity, having God's primeval promise as its
origin and participation in everlasting life for its end." Having said
that, there is a question that some might have and a matter
that might arise in our mind that cries out or begs for an
answer. Which is this? Well, we're having
or living in hope of eternal life. Do we have eternal life
even now? Can it be said that we are in
or have eternal life? commencing it does in regeneration,
it is brought forth in calling and in faith and in conversion. John 3.16, whosoever believes
on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. As believing,
which is a fruit of regeneration, the bondage and dominion of sin
is ended, sanctification is begun, and the bringing forth of fruit
unto righteousness also commenceth. We walk by faith, not by sight. But salvation or Christianity
is not confined to this life that we live, not confined under
this life at all. And Paul writes in 1 Corinthians
chapter 15 and 19, If there is no resurrection,
then Christ is not risen, then faith is vain, you are yet in
your sin, the gospel is a lie, and they which are fallen asleep
in Christ are perished. And then verse 19, if in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most miserable. If in this life only we have that hope, then we are
of all most miserable. Now this is tied to the supposition
that Christ is raised from the dead. Christ has won the victory
over death and hell and the grave. Then if he were not raised, he
would still be in the grave. And it is impossible for the
grave to hold him. Psalm 16 and 10, Acts chapter
2 and verse 24. It is not possible that he be
holding up death and see corruption. But Paul says in 1 Corinthians
15, verse 20 now is Christ risen from the dead the first fruits
of them having fallen asleep that is of them that have died
and he arose Christ did not to continue his earthly life Christ
did not come out of the grave that he might just simply pick
up on the earthly life continue living in the world but his humanity
was carried to heaven and was glorified and he entered into
his glory Luke 24 and verse 26 which he had with a father before
the world began John 17 and verse 5, having finished the work given
unto him to do. John chapter 17 and verse 4. So the eternal life given to
those in this life and in this world will have a glorious consummation
in the time to come. They will be with Christ where
he is as per his request. in John 17 and verse 24. He said that they whom you have
given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory
which thou has given me. And where will Christ be? Well,
in heaven. in the throne of God, at the
right hand of God, in unspeakable glory, there he is. Something else about this eternal
life which we live in hope of as an anchor of the soul. Notice what Paul said in our
book in Titus, the first chapter. He said that It is an anchor
of the soul, but also which God promised before the world began. Now God planned it, God purposed
it, God foreordained it, and He also promised it. And that
before the world began. Has you ever read that before?
Before the world began. Now, let's try to open this up
for our edification as much as the Spirit grants us. Now, we
see a relative pronoun here, and that is the word which, eternal
life, which. And the dictionary defines it
as a word introduced a relative clause or to modify a noun even
to be substituted in the place of a noun that it would modify. So, Is the noun there truth or
is it life in verse 2? Now, some expositors do favor
the first and some the second. And by the way, you have this
again in verse 3. manifested his word, which was
entrusted or committed unto me. So I favor the second in verse
2, life. Life, which was promised before
the world. The hope of life, which was promised
before time. And again, expositors are divided
as to whether the last phrase of verse 2 should be understood
of as absolute eternity, or in the early and ancient ages of
time gone by. But what if Paul is referring
to the eternal nature of the purpose of God to bestow eternal
and everlasting life? Now, If you want to, flip back
one book, 2 Timothy chapter 1, and I take you to verse 9 through
verse 11, and let's read it. 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 9
through 11. Who has saved us and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our work, but according to
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began, but now is made manifest by the appearing
of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher
of the Gentile." Now, notice what a likeness there is between
that and our text in Titus. First of all, there is the decree
to save some that is eternal. Secondly, it is fully manifest
under the gospel. It is brought to manifestation.
And number three, such is committed under the apostle Paul. Now,
concerning the promise of eternal life, we read again in 2 Timothy
chapter 1 and verse 1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by
the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is
in Christ Jesus. So the question in 2 Timothy
1.1, which is in Christ Jesus? Is it the promise? Is it the
life? Or is it both of them as we look
at it? It definitely refers to life.
The life is promise and the life is in Christ Jesus. And of course, The life meant
is not be restricted to natural life, physical life, but to that
life eternal and everlasting. This only is in Christ Jesus
and in none other. You have read John 17 and verse
3 out of our Lord's Prayer. And it says this, and this is
eternal life. that they might know Thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." What is
eternal life? It is to know Jesus Christ. To know Jesus Christ is life
eternal. We note in the second verse,
He spoke of giving eternal life to as many as the Father had
given unto Him. He had that authority and He
had it from God the Father, to give eternal life to as many
as the Father had given unto Him. If you'd like to turn, 1
John, not the Gospel, but 1 John and chapter 5, and I'd like to
read a passage from his pen as well. 1 John chapter 5 and 11,
through 13. And this is the record that God
has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son has
not life. These things have I written unto
you, that ye might believe on the name of the Son of God, that
ye might know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe
on the name of the Son of God. Now, to be in Christ, who revealed
God, This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5 and 20. Such as have not the Son, have
not life. 1 John 5 and 12. To be Christless
is to be lost, and all religions without Christ are void of the
hope of eternal life. Christianity is the only one
that provides a means of eternal life. Now, let's go back to Paul's
claim for a minute, which he often stated, that the outworking
of salvation in the world, of salvation, is grounded on the
eternal purpose of God framed before the foundation of the
world. And Paul views his apostleship
as a link between the promise and the realization of it in
the saving of sinners. And that brings us to consider
a short phrase in our opening text in verse 2. God, quote,
that cannot lie. Three words. That cannot lie. Now the reference is to God.
God that cannot lie. Promise. This is added for implicit. But we have been in context of
it if we read all of it. In hope of eternal life, which
God that cannot lie promised before the foundation of the
world. It is an utter impossibility
for God to lie. Hebrews 6 and verse 18. People lie, preachers lie, politicians
lie, and the whole world is built upon a lie. Even Balaam, that
crooked prophet, said in Numbers 23, 19, God is not a man that
he should lie, therefore I cannot go against him. He cannot deny
himself, 2 Timothy 2 and 13, what he promised he will most
certainly do. Now, before we shut down this
study, let's give preaching, preaching of the word of God
and the gospel its due place in all of this and its purpose. Titus 1.3 God in due time manifested
his word through preaching. 2 Timothy 1 and 10 that we read
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
1 Corinthians 1 and 21. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save those that believe. John came preaching,
Matthew 3 and verse 1. God still calls and still sends
preachers. The message is still the same. It's the gospel of Christ, the
word of God, the scripture. John Gill wrote, the public ministry
of the word is an ordinance of Christ, unquote. More prominent
in the gospel dispensation and to continue unending. and is influential in the converting
of the elect of God. The purpose of preaching is to
declare the gospel of Christ, to magnify and to glorify him,
to make known the riches of his grace, to proclaim the good news. Christ has died, was buried,
and is risen. He has borne the sins of his
people. He has destroyed the works of
the devil. He has brought in everlasting
righteousness. He is exalted to the right hand
of God. He's made Lord and Christ. Acts chapter 2. You know, people
today shun preaching more and more all of the time. and are content with cheap imitation,
entertainment, humor, funny, clowns, and that kind of stuff. Singing they rather have than
preaching. And celebrities and politicians
are brought in to spread their bull around. but the preaching
of the word of God is the commission of the church. And the gospel
dispensation was ushered in with preaching. First came John, then
came the Lord, then the apostle, especially Paul, to whom we very
much as we study him in the scripture and then pastor and teachers
as we have in the churches in our day. Now close with this. Eternal life is by the wise design
of God. It is given by free grace, it
is established in Jesus Christ, and the objects of eternal life
are, Acts 13, 48, you ought to read this, as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. having, being given, being brought
to the faith of God's elect. And eternal life commences in
this life and this world when we are saved, regenerated, converted,
called, and elected. But it will culminate in unspeakable
and unfading glory. We're saved in the hope of eternal
life. receiving the end of your faith,
even the salvation of your soul, in 1 Peter chapter 1. So thank
God we have eternal life, believing and being in union with Christ. But it shall reach its glorious
consummation in that life that is to come.