Hope that can be experienced now through godliness

“Paul, Titus, and Our Savior”

(Titus 1:1-4)

[1:1] Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,

Paul. We know him. But he does not say everything about himself as he begins this brief letter to Titus concerning the connection between what Christians have experienced of the grace of God and how they live out their lives. We want to pay close attention to what he says about himself so that we will be best prepared to receive the point of this epistle. This Paul is a servant of God and an apostle, an ambassador, of Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul is not his own man. He serves another. His Lord sends him, and he obeys.

for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,

The apostle is not a servant who is unaware of his master's purposes. He knows that Jesus Christ has sent him out into the world to bring a trustworthy message for the chosen people of God, His elect. They are to grow in the knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ. This true spiritual knowledge brings forth the fruit of obedient living which is referred to here as “godliness.” I wonder why we don't seem to talk about godliness very much in our day? It certainly seems like it was very important to Paul and to Paul's master.

[2] in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began [3] and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;Godliness is of necessity lived out in the moment. If you refer to the godliness of a person in the past or what you hope will be the godliness of that same person at a later date, you are only talking about godliness. To actually do godliness must always be a present engagement. Yet Paul says that the present exercise of obedience to Jesus Christ has a very powerful future orientation, which is called in the Bible “hope.”

Hope is believing steadfastly in the future promises of God. God prepared us for a life of hope by the messages that He gave through Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament. But hope became visible in the coming of Jesus in person. Jesus, especially in His resurrection appearances, was the future incarnate, a proof to those who would be witnesses of the truth of the promise of a resurrection age to come already reserved for us in the heavens and alive in the hearts of all who believe. The message of hope was entrusted to people like Paul. They were commanded to preach it to people like you and I. Jesus is God our Savior. He gave Paul this message. That is a historical fact well worth considering in light of verse 3. This future hope that was present in the person of the Son of God is also present in us now.

[4] To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.Men like Titus are supposed to be like Paul. They are not apostles in the technical sense of those few that were foundational ambassadors for the Lord. But they serve in that more general ambassadorial role that all ministers and all Christians have. Through the preaching and believing of the Word the future glory of God is made present for you now. This is grace and peace for all who will hear and believe. It is from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior, not only as some far away gift, but as a present way of life.