Titus 3:3-7

Titus 3:3-7, “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 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; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

The Apostle Paul in Titus 3:5 is addressing salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit to change a life. To understand Titus 3:5 it is important to include verses 3 and 4. Paul said that before we were saved we lived in woeful sin, but he says in verse 5 that we were born again (the washing of regeneration), and then the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit began to renovate (renewing of the Holy Spirit) our life.

Titus 3:5 speaks of both justification and sanctification. Having said that, it is critically important that we keep them separate. Lordship Salvation makes the gross theological error of combining sanctification (service) with justification (salvation). The truth is that one things has nothing to do with the other.

I love what Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan (1628-1688) said:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without, and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.”

Philippians 2:12

Philippians 2:12, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

At best, Christians today are very frustrated. I sure am. But thankfully, God is still in control. Psalms 47:8, "God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness." God reigns over the heathen. Proverbs 21:1, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” God can change the ruler's heart in response to our prayers (1st Timothy 2:1-5). Very few believers today pray for God to direct our leader's hearts.

We need not fear Satan or the world, because our God is still on His throne in Heaven. All we can do is live life one day at a time. I think that is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said to "work out your own salvation" in our text verse. Philippians 2:12, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” It doesn't say to work out God's salvation. Everything that is hard or difficult about salvation is God's part. Our part is only to BELIEVE the Gospel (i.e., the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and bodily risen the third day).

The moment that we trust Christ, God's gift of salvation was forever settled. ...

There was a time, I know,
When in the book of Heaven,
An old account was standing
For sins yet unforgiven;
My name was at the top
And many things below,
I went unto the Keeper,
And settled long ago.

Refrain:
Long ago, long ago,
Yes, the old account was settled long ago;
And the record’s clear today,
For He washed my sins away,
When the old account was settled long ago.

Life with all its complexities is not easy for anyone. It seems that no matter what choices I make in life, none of them are ideal. No matter where I choose to live, something is lacking to complete my happiness. I once heard a man say that no matter where we choose to live as humans, it still will never be paradise, because we'll still be there! I think he is correct.

Albeit, nowhere does the inspired Holy Bible teach that God's purpose for our life is to be happy. Revelation 4:11 says that all things were created to please God. 1st Corinthians 6:20 teaches that we as saints were bought with a price. That price is the precious blood of Jesus. Therefore we should glorify God in our body and spirit, which are God's.