Titus must also exhort Christian slaves to be controlled by the Holy Spirit (vv. 1-2; the fruits of the Spirit are evident in these verses, showing one to be controlled by the Spirit). The basis—again—for such living is the grace of God. The same grace that saves is the basis, reason, and means for Christ-like living (vv. 3-7). In order for the church at Crete to be properly ordered Titus must continually teach and insist on Christian living (v. 8).
Having told Titus what he must continually teach, Paul then tells Titus what he must not give any time to whatsoever (v. 9). If there are any in the church who insist on teaching what is wrong and useless, they must be warned twice and then put out from the church if they refuse to repent (v. 10), having proven by their non-repentance and commitment to sin that they are unbelievers (v. 11).
Truths to Nail Down and Meditate On
- Salvation is entirely of the Lord, from start to finish (vv. 3-7). Consider Christian what you were like before you were saved (v. 3); did you deserve God’s kindness and mercy? What did you deserve from him? And yet what did the Lord do? Why? How? To what end?
- Christian living is Christian doctrine. Merely “believing” Christian truths without such bringing about a real and evident change in life is not true faith. Examine your life: how does it compare with Jesus’ truth about how you should live? Is your life “out of order?”
- Those whom Christ saves are justified and have the certainty of eternal life (v. 7). Despite many groups that teach salvation is by grace and works, or teach that Christians could lose their salvation, such beliefs are rooted sinners’ earning salvation, not what God has done in Christ Jesus.