The Gospel's Public Relations Text: Titus 3:1-8
Introduction: A Transformed Citizenry
The Christian faith is not a private hobby. It is not a quiet, sentimental feeling we cultivate in the cloisters of our own hearts. It is a public truth, a declaration of cosmic allegiance to a new King, and it is therefore meant to have profound public consequences. Our modern world, drunk on the thin wine of secularism, wants to shove Christianity into the closet, to make it a matter of personal preference, like a taste for a certain kind of music. But the gospel refuses to be domesticated. It claims all of life, every square inch, and that includes the town square, the halls of government, and the workplace.
In this passage, Paul is giving Titus pastoral instruction for the churches on Crete. And the Cretans had a reputation. They were, to put it mildly, a rough bunch, notorious liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons, as Paul quoted earlier. They were not exactly model citizens. And it is into this chaotic, rebellious, and cynical culture that the gospel has been planted. The question, then, is what kind of people will this gospel produce? Will they be just as rebellious, just as slanderous, just as hateful as their pagan neighbors, only with a thin veneer of religious piety slapped on top? Or will the gospel create an entirely new kind of citizen?
Paul's answer is that true doctrine, robust theology, the deep truths of our salvation, are the only possible foundation for a transformed public life. He is going to connect the highest doctrines of God's sovereign grace to the most mundane duties of civic life. He will show us that what we believe about regeneration by the Holy Spirit has a direct impact on how we treat the local magistrate and the difficult person next door. This is because the gospel does not just give us a ticket to heaven; it remakes us from the inside out. It takes rebels and makes them loyal subjects. It takes slanderers and makes them peaceable. It takes hateful people and fills them with the kindness of God. What we have here is the gospel's public relations strategy. Christians are to be the best citizens, not because we are naturally compliant, but because we remember what we once were, and we know the astonishing grace that saved us.
The Text
Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, demonstrating all gentleness to all men. For we ourselves also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. But when the kindness and affection of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be intent to lead in good works. These things are good and profitable for men.
(Titus 3:1-8 LSB)
Heavenly-Minded and Earthly-Good (vv. 1-2)
Paul begins with a series of commands that outline the Christian's public posture.
"Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, demonstrating all gentleness to all men." (Titus 3:1-2)
Notice the first word: "Remind." This is not new information. This is basic Christian discipleship. But we are forgetful creatures, and we need to be constantly reminded of our fundamental duties. The first duty is civic. Christians are to be subject to rulers and authorities. This does not mean blind, unquestioning obedience to tyranny. The Scriptures are full of examples of godly civil disobedience when the state commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands. But the default posture of the Christian is one of submission. We are not anarchists. We recognize that all authority is delegated by God (Romans 13:1), and we are to honor the office, even when we cannot honor the man in the office. Our submission is not because the government is always right, but because God is always sovereign.
This submission is then fleshed out. We are to be obedient. We are to be law-abiding citizens. And we are to be "ready for every good work." This is a proactive posture. We are not just passively avoiding trouble; we are actively looking for opportunities to do good in our communities. This could mean anything from helping a neighbor fix his fence to running for city council. Christians should be the most engaged, helpful, and constructive people in any society.
Then Paul moves from our civic duties to our social graces. We are to "slander no one." The word is literally "blaspheme." When we slander another person, we are attacking an image-bearer of God. Our political discourse is drowning in slander, and Christians must refuse to participate. We are to be "peaceable," not quarrelsome, not looking for a fight. We are to be "considerate" and demonstrate "all gentleness to all men." This gentleness is not weakness; it is power under control. It is the demeanor of one who knows he is secure in Christ and therefore does not need to be defensive, abrasive, or thin-skinned. And notice the scope: "to all men." Not just to the people who agree with us. Not just to the people who are nice to us. All men. This is a radical call to a Christ-like demeanor in a world that thrives on division and outrage.
The Rearview Mirror of Grace (v. 3)
Now, why should we behave this way? The natural man finds this kind of behavior contemptible. It seems weak. Paul grounds these commands not in a pragmatic strategy for getting along, but in a profound theological remembrance.
"For we ourselves also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another." (Titus 3:3 LSB)
The word "For" is the hinge. The reason we can be gentle with unbelievers is that we remember we used to be them. Paul includes himself: "we ourselves." There is no room for spiritual snobbery. This is a portrait of humanity apart from the grace of God, and it is not pretty. We were "foolish," lacking spiritual sense. We were "disobedient," rebels against God's law. We were "deceived," believing the lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. We were "enslaved." The great lie of sin is that it offers freedom, but it always delivers bondage. We were slaves to our lusts and pleasures.
And this internal corruption inevitably spilled out into our relationships. We spent our lives in "malice and envy." We were "despicable," or hateful, and we were "hating one another." This is the default state of fallen humanity. It is a war of all against all. When we look at the chaos and the bitterness of the world, we should not react with shock and self-righteousness. We should react with a humble recognition: "But for the grace of God, there go I." This memory is the antidote to pride. It is what fuels our patience and gentleness toward those who are still trapped in that darkness.
The Great Reversal (vv. 4-7)
From the darkness of verse 3, Paul pivots to the brilliant light of God's saving intervention. This is one of the most glorious and condensed summaries of the gospel in all of Scripture.
"But when the kindness and affection of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7 LSB)
"But when..." This is the great turning point of history and of our lives. The "kindness and affection" of God appeared. The word for affection is philanthropia, from which we get our word philanthropy. God is the ultimate philanthropist, the lover of mankind. This love appeared concretely in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. And when it appeared, "He saved us."
Paul immediately clarifies the basis of this salvation. It was "not by works which we did in righteousness." Our salvation has nothing to do with our performance. We had no righteousness to offer. We were foolish, disobedient slaves. The basis was entirely outside of us: it was "according to His mercy." Mercy is God not giving us the condemnation we deserve. Grace is God giving us the salvation we do not deserve.
How did He apply this salvation to us? Through two powerful means. First, "the washing of regeneration." Regeneration is the new birth. It is a sovereign, miraculous work of God in which He imparts spiritual life to a dead heart. It is a washing, a cleansing from the filth of sin. This is not a reference to water baptism, though baptism is the sign and seal of this inner reality. This is the spiritual reality itself, the inner circumcision of the heart. Second, the "renewing by the Holy Spirit." The Spirit not only gives us new life, but He begins a process of renovation, making us new from the inside out.
This Spirit was not given to us sparingly. He was "poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior." This is Pentecost language. The ascended Christ has poured out His Spirit on His church, drenching us in His life and power. And what is the ultimate goal of all this? It is "so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs." Justification is the legal declaration from God that because of the work of Christ, we are righteous in His sight. It is a gift of grace. And because we are justified, our legal status has changed. We are no longer slaves to sin, but sons of God. We are "heirs according to the hope of eternal life." We have a secure, guaranteed inheritance waiting for us, and this hope is our anchor in the present.
Doctrine that Works (v. 8)
Paul concludes this section by tying this glorious theology directly back to the practical commands he began with.
"This is a trustworthy saying. And concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be intent to lead in good works. These things are good and profitable for men." (Titus 3:8 LSB)
The summary of the gospel in verses 4-7 is a "trustworthy saying." It is solid ground. It is the bedrock of reality. And Titus is commanded to "speak confidently" about these things. We are not to be timid or apologetic about the doctrines of grace. We are to proclaim them with boldness.
And what is the intended result of this confident preaching of grace-alone salvation? It is "so that those who have believed God will be intent to lead in good works." This is absolutely crucial. The gospel of free grace does not lead to lazy licentiousness. It is the only thing that can produce true, heartfelt good works. Works done to earn salvation are not good works; they are dead works, rooted in pride and self-interest. But works that flow from a heart that has been overwhelmed by the mercy of God are truly good. They are the fruit of salvation, not the root of it.
When a Christian truly understands that he was a hateful, enslaved wretch, and that God, out of sheer, unmerited kindness, washed him, renewed him, justified him, and made him an heir of everything, the only possible response is a life of grateful obedience. He is now "intent" on good works. He is eager to do them. This is why Paul can say that "these things," both the doctrine and the works that flow from it, "are good and profitable for men." The gospel is not just good for our eternal souls; it is good for society. A community filled with people who have been transformed by this grace will be a community characterized by peace, gentleness, and a readiness for every good work. The gospel is the only real hope for social renewal.