Please turn with me to Titus, chapter 3. Our sermon text will, sermon passage will focus in on verses 1 through 11. I'm going to go ahead and read the entire chapter. Also, if you'd be ready to take a look with me at Belgic Article 34, which deals with the sacrament of baptism, it's on page 190 in your Prayers and Forms book. Page 190, Belgic Article 34. Titus, chapter 3, starting in verse 1. This is the Word of God:
"Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people, but avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. When I send Artemis or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenos the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful. All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all."
Well, thus far the reading of God's Word. May He bless it to us.
And now, concerning what we believe and confess from Belgic Article 34:
"We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, in whom the law is fulfilled, has by his shed blood put an end to every other shedding of blood which anyone might do or wish to do in order to atone or satisfy for sins. Having abolished circumcision, which was done with blood, he established in its place the sacrament of baptism. By it, we are received into God's church and set apart from all other people and alien religions, that we may be dedicated entirely to him, bearing his mark and sign. It also witnesses to us that he will be our God forever, since He is our gracious Father. Therefore, He has commanded that all those who belong to Him be baptized with pure water, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In this way, He signifies to us that just as water washes away the dirt of the body when it is poured on us, and also is seen on the body of the baptized when it is sprinkled on him, so too the blood of Christ does the same thing internally in the soul by the Holy Spirit. It washes and cleans it from its sins and transforms us from being the children of wrath into the children of God. This does not happen by physical water, but by the sprinkling of the precious blood of the Son of God, who is our Red Sea, through which we must pass to escape the tyranny of Pharaoh who is the devil and to enter the spiritual land of Canaan.
"So ministers, as far as their work is concerned, give us the sacrament and what is visible. But our Lord gives what the sacrament signifies, namely the invisible gifts and graces, washing, purifying, and cleansing our souls of all filth and unrighteousness, renewing our hearts and filling them with all comforts, giving us true assurance of His fatherly goodness, and clothing us with the new man and stripping off the old with all its works. For this reason, we believe that anyone who aspires to reach eternal life or to be baptized only once, without ever repeating it. For we cannot be born twice. Yet this baptism is profitable not only when the water is on us and when we receive it, but throughout our entire lives.
"For that reason, we detest the error of Anabaptists, who are not content with a single baptism once received and also condemn the baptism of the children of believers. We believe our children ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign of the covenant as little children were circumcised in Israel, on the basis of the same promises made to our children. And truly, Christ has shed His blood no less for washing the little children of believers than He did for adults. Therefore, they ought to receive the sign and sacrament of what Christ has done for them, just as the Lord commanded in the law, that by offering a lamb for them, the sacraments of the suffering and death of Christ would be granted them shortly after their birth. This was the sacraments of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, baptism does for our children what circumcision did for the Jewish people. That is why Paul calls baptism the circumcision of Christ."
Well, I know it's always at least awkward for the preacher when you jump into the last chapter of a book. You really want to bring the congregation that hasn't heard the first two chapters up to speed. And I'm not going to be guilty this evening of a long-winded introduction. I think there's enough in our passage to orient you toward what has come before. But by way of a few comments, I think this is a very appropriate portion of Scripture in light of what, by God's grace, we are trying to do in Southern Africa, and that is planting new, confessional, Reformed churches.
The city that I'm from is not unlike the island of Crete, not unlike many cities in Southern California: very progressive, hedonistic, not easy places to plant churches. But the power of God active through, as Paul puts it in Titus, chapter 1, verse 3, The power of God that is manifested in this word through the preaching." Paul, speaking to Titus, "with which I have entrusted, been entrusted by the command of God our Savior." This same preaching is going out across the globe. Earlier today in South Africa, again this evening in this local congregation, God continues to build His church through the gospel order that Paul admonishes Titus to put in place in these various churches on the island of Crete.
So in chapter 1, there are, and you're probably familiar with the qualifications for eldership? Well, he sets them forth there, but he also warns the congregation there about false teachers, and that will come up in our passage as well. Paul is defending his apostleship. Ministers today are not to shrink away from proclaiming and ministering the word with authority, not because there's something special about them subjectively, but there is power attached to the office, and there is power attached to the means: preaching, the Lord's Supper, and baptism.
And so I want to focus in on this doctrine, this sacrament of baptism, in our passage. We could say that Paul has been building up to this point. He mentions preaching in chapter 1. And if the whole counsel of God is being proclaimed, well, you're going to cover portions of Scripture that deal with baptism. Well, baptism points us to our Lord Jesus Christ in His passion.
And so in chapter 2, verse 11, Paul writes: "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."
This is a declaration of Christ's work on the stage of human history, but it's not something that is kept at arm's length. And this is where I think chapter 3 brings Christ's circumcision, baptism, His crucifixion, which gives us new life on the other side of His resurrection. It's worked out here intimately insofar as we, by faith, share in communion with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. But this is made palpable, this is formally worked out through the sign and seal of baptism.
And so, very simply put, I want you to remember your baptism this evening. Most of you, I suspect, were baptized as infants. But we shouldn't just be remembering our baptism when you see another baptism, whether it's an infant or adult baptism. No, we are to, as it is commonplace, I think, within our tradition, to improve upon our baptism. Because our baptism works!
We heard this morning very powerfully how Jesus Christ has secured our justification before the Father by satisfying the righteous and holy justice of God, how He has shed His blood to wash away our sins. And this is our baptism. Through baptism, we come into union with this Jesus Christ. It's not only a sign; it is also a seal, as we believe and confess.
And I'm not going to get into the intricacies of exegeting and defending baptism as I believe it's found in verses 4 through 7. What I would like to do is to tie in baptism with this admonition, repeatedly throughout Titus 1 through 3, to pursue good works. If we get that foreign work of Christ, that work done for us, outside, beyond our very best efforts and performance, if we're trusting in Jesus, then we will produce good works. But it's not without a fight. And that's where I want to focus the remaining minutes together with you: on Paul's call, and I will refer back to the previous chapters, the call to persevere in good works.
And so now we're talking about sanctification. So yes, we are not justified by works done by us in righteousness. Verse 5. I hope that that is crystal clear, was declared with power and authority this morning. But I want to encourage you to be zealous for good works because you've been baptized. You're The power of God at your disposal lives in you.
Galatians 2:20: "I've been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who died for me."
So we've been born from above. We've been regenerated. We've been renewed. We've been justified. But if you're anything like me, when these commands come in, the admonition to pursue good works, and Paul doesn't leave many stones unturned in the previous two chapters. He begins chapter 3 with: "Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work."
That's intimidating if you're looking to your own resources! "To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle and show perfect courtesy toward all people." Maybe you're feeling particularly confident in Christ after the morning service, but I know that you're going to have your moments this coming week. It's a special week. You get to congregate again on Friday. If I'm not mistaken, you may meet on Thursday as well. And the focus will be on Christ's baptism, his death, followed by Resurrection Sunday.
But you will have your doubts. Your conscience will accuse you. You will struggle with guilt and shame because you're still a sinner. What's Paul saying in verse 3 anticipating this: "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another."
Now, for some of us, it's like a 180 degree turn. We were literally doing these things last week, and then we were converted. At Humboldt State University of Nevada, Reno, one of the colleges, universities here in Southern California, That could be true for some of you. But whether or not that is, we all have fallen in Adam. And this is still the propensity of the old man. And so we need to remember our baptism.
Because if we don't, you know what happens? You know what happened on the island of Crete? You are in danger of being deceived. Chapter 1, verse 10: "For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers, and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party."
There were legalists on this cluster of islands. They were of the Judaizing stripe. They're like the scribes and the Pharisees. And Paul, in no uncertain words, says: "They must be silenced, for they are upsetting whole families, teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach."
So they were working hard to impress God and their neighbor, and in the process, cultivate their own kingdom. And the thing is, if our conscience is not informed by the gospel, if we're not going back to our baptism, we will be in danger by those. Remember, they're deceptive, so they won't necessarily show up and holding a banner like "I'm dangerous. I'm a wolf in sheep's clothes, a sheep, a wolf in sheep's clothing." No, they're cunning.
And so if we don't get the distinction between grace and works, law and gospel, well, you might find quite titillating the YouTube feed that a friend puts you on onto. But these are Jewish myths. The commands are people who turn away from the truth. Their consciences are defiled.
But you know what the test is? I think this comes through sort of indirectly in this entire book. The test comes when you are suffering. When you remember this admonition to good works, but you, whether it's your own conscience that is very disturbed by your sins, or whether it is a difficult marriage, a wayward child, whether it's a difficult boss, that's when the rubber meets the road.
Titus 2, verse 2, at the end there, Paul admonishes older men to be sober-minded, and then at the bottom: steadfast. Why? It's difficult to be steadfast, to persevere. But that's why we look to our baptism. Because our baptism draws the attention of faith to the cross and the cross-shaped nature of the Christian life.
Because the obedience here, the good works that are set forth here, are not impressive. Really, they're very mundane. Again, very briefly: older women are not to be slanderers or slaves to much wine. Well, if you're having a difficult time in your Christian pilgrimage, it's tempting to speak ill of someone else because it's a rush to do that. You feel superior. Or how about numbing the constant, knowing sense of anxiety or sadness with wine or some other mind-altering substance?
Well, how about being submissive to your husband? That's not easy. And that's not something that you really put on display so much as it's something done in private. Same with bond servants where they're called to employees and called to be submissive to their masters, to their bosses. And I know there's no shortage of difficulty, emotionally, existentially, in doing that!
Or how about being submissive to rulers and authorities? Christianity just doesn't have the kind of cash value, the kind of currency and power that some of the other religions, world religions, have. So it's understated. But these are good works.
This coming week, you'll have opportunity to be hospitable to family members, maybe to a stranger, to an unbelieving neighbor, or to a believer who is broken down and out. Again, this is this is not pomp and ceremony something you do in the privacy of your homes. This is a working out of your baptism. You may not even want to love in that way. You don't have any reserves to do it.
But you know what is so beautiful about the Christian life and how upside down it is? Is that these kind of good works issue forth from the depths. They issue forth from the valley. They issue forth from your own garden of Gethsemane moments. It strips away ego, pride, peacocking, posturing. You forget about trying to impress God and your neighbor.
Again, that's what the false teachers in Crete and Corinth, that's what they're all about. They were so insecure before God because they did not know how to deal with their searing sense of shame and guilt before a holy God, and they were super self-conscious among their neighbors.
But how wonderful is it? And I've experienced it. I've experienced it among you. I've experienced it in Southern Africa: the sweetness of fellowship among the saints who have been brought low. And there's like an aroma of authenticity, an aroma of meekness and humility. It's otherworldly. It is a working out of our union with Christ in His circumcision, crucifixion, signed and sealed to us in our baptism, and it's made palpable and real every day, actually.
Think with me about your vocations, and they're spread out there chapter 2, beginning of chapter 3, because you're going to hit the road again tomorrow. And you can have a late night tonight fellowshipping, possibly. You know, you've got your burdens. Maybe tossing and turning tonight into the early mornings, and then you've got to go to work. Or you're just staying home and you're taking care of your children. You're taking care of an ailing spouse. You have to face the realities of your own body wasting away.
Have you thought about how God is making your baptism real in your vocation, your various callings? Again, understated. It's the veiled nature of the Christian life, just like the veiled nature of Christ's life, his passion, the kingdom coming through weakness, suffering, and death. Well, good works are being produced in you, and oftentimes you don't even know it, because we're so focused on the pain. But it's in those moments.
This is also true for the pastors, the elders, the deacons, in what can be very difficult work. It's in those moments that we are taken back to our baptism. And then, by God's grace, we're less surprised by the cross-bearing that's happening right there. When you're changing diapers or when you're sitting in the boardroom and you're being unfairly evaluated, it's that internal mortification of the old man so that Christ might live more freely through you and manifest Himself, appear in you.
Verse 4: "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us."
Well, He's appearing in and through you daily, but it's not how the world would expect Christ to show up. And so that's why so often the world turns away in mockery, disgusted.
But one of the humiliating ways in which we are called to good works is to stand firm against false teaching. And so in verse 8, this is a good text to remind us that we are confessional Christians. "The saying is trustworthy. It's referring not only to the gospel, but to the call to good works.
But one of the ways in which we work out our baptism, and now we're looking more at the institutional church, but it, I mean, this has an impact on all of you because your ministers and the consistory are to be very careful to protect the orthodoxy, the confession of this congregation. So there are times when church discipline is necessary, but it's not just the special office bearers who are to look out. We're all to be Bereans. And so when there is someone who's stirring up division because they want to establish a righteousness of their own, we undertake what is a painful and humbling good work of church discipline.
But I want you, before I close on a note of hospitality, think about our mortification, our putting to death of the old man, which is part of improving upon our baptism, that process of sanctification. Would you think about avoiding that false teacher, that deceiver, that betrayer in you? It's uncomfortable to think that by nature we're capable of what these false teachers did on the island of Crete. But again, paradoxically, the more honest we are about what resides in the blackness of our hearts, the more readily we are able, to by faith, live out our union with Jesus Christ as sinner saints.
So can you condemn the divisive person in you? Can you condemn that part of you that likes to quarrel about the law or even justify yourself before God by the law? It's part of what it means to be zealous for good works.
Verse 12 and following this note of hospitality it's so important. God has been hospitable to us today. He's opened up a banquet, invited us, and we have supped. We have been nourished. Can you be hospitable toward yourself individually by looking to your baptism so that you would step away from being a taskmaster? "You're never good enough. God does not love you because of what you did. Your neighbors, particularly your Christian neighbors, do not approve of you."
Can you be hospitable because you've been baptized, because you are in Christ? And then can you turn to your neighbors within the church? And this is an admonition to everyone: look out for the needy in your midst. Invite them into your homes. Have an ear, have a discerning heart for those who are struggling to improve upon their baptism, struggling with, in God's providence, the kind of baptism that they are working out, the kind of cross that they are called to bear.
There is such comfort as we are Christ's hands and feet and mouth to one another.
Verse 14: "And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not to be unfruitful. All who are with me send greetings to you."
Again, very I think, appropriate me bringing greetings to you from another part of the world, and I can take greetings back there. I don't want to I want to underscore how very important the URCNA, especially Class of Southwest, has been to us, to me, as I've come year after year, and I've received words of encouragement. I hope that you're encouraged by your your support of us in prayer in in through your ministers in
And through your broader classes and your denomination in outworking of the book of titus and so grace be with you all.
May you, by God's grace and you may still be grappling with "What did I just hear? It seems so abstract but you've been baptized. I want you to remember this word. And I think you're going to be pressed to remember it when you are struggling to persevere, struggling to be self-controlled, struggling to be submissive, struggling to say the hard words when you need to, toward yourself and others, when the gospel is being overturned. Remember Christ's circumcision, baptism, and your participation in that pattern: suffering first, then glory.
But if Christ has overcome sin, death, and hell, your weakness, your unbelief, then you can be assured, you can have confidence that no matter what happens to you and your family and this church, you will make it, and you will continue to produce good works, even with zeal, in that upside down way. Understated. God will continue to work. Baptism works.
Let us pray.
Our Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are such a good God and that You promised to see us through as sojourners and exiles through this present evil age. O Lord, be with every saint in this congregation. You know where they are at. You know the struggles and the joys. You know the temptations and trials. Be with Your children. Be with the covenant children, those who have received the sacraments of baptism.
O Lord, keep them in Your fold. Bring them to public profession. And for the wayward, prodigal children, woo them back. O Lord, would You be exalted? May You be magnified in our lives, not only as we gather for public worship, but as we bring glory to Your name through our various vocations Monday through Saturday of every week as living sacrifices. We take up our cross and follow You, working out our baptism as You work in us.
We pray in Christ's name. Amen.
Thank you.