Matthew 7:16-20 - "You will
know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs
from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree
bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce
good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits."
Near the end of His sermon on the mount, the Lord Jesus made this statement concerning fruit. Trees are identified by their fruit, and so are we. This is something that the apostle Paul picks up on, and over and over again in his letter to Titus he talks about all men being identified by their fruit, and namely by their deeds. In Titus chapter one Paul is warning Titus about those who enter the church and begin to stir up strife for the sake of sordid gain. Men who are deceitful and empty talkers. And he says this in verse 16 - "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." They talk one way, but their actions communicate something entirely different. This is what the Lord Jesus was talking about when He said "you will know them by their fruits." Paul says two things about these men concerning their deeds. First, they deny Him by their deeds, and secondly, because they do not really know Him they are worthless for any good deed. Does this mean that an unsaved person cannot engage in good deeds? These men were denying God by their deeds, but is it possible to do good deeds apart from God? This verse says that they are "worthless for any good deed." Not that they cannot do "good deeds." But then again, apart from God there is no good. We may look at the works of unbelievers, whether it's giving to charity or holding doors open for people, helping an elderly neighbor with their yard work or so on, and we may classify these things as good works, but apart from God even our "good works" are corrupted. We're told in Isaiah 64:6 - "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment." Once we're saved God can accomplish His good work through us, but prior to salvation all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags, and that's why those who do not yet know Him are worthless for any good deed.
Throughout chapters two and three the focus changes from those who deny God by their deeds to those who have been saved for good deeds. In these chapters we see the responsibility of believers as it pertains to good deeds. In Titus 2:7-8 we read - "in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us." There are so many believers who don't do anything. We'll show up at church on Sunday mornings, but we're just too busy to engage in good deeds. But we're told here that we're supposed to show ourselves to be examples of good deeds. Christians should be characterized by their works, after all, we are known by our fruit. What do your deeds say about you? Are you an example of good deeds to those around you? This is one way that Christ shines His light through us. the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Paul goes on to say in Titus 2:14, concerning the Lord Jesus Christ - "who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." This is the reason that Christ died in our place. He died for us in order to redeem us from every lawless deed, in order that we might bear good fruit. He saved us for Himself and we should show ourselves to be examples of good deeds by being zealous for good deeds. Zeal is a consuming passion. To be zealous for good deeds is to be completely consumed by them. This is the example that the Lord Jesus set for us. Everywhere He went and in everything He did, His life was characterized by good works, and the driving force was His all consuming love for the Father and His desire to please Him. Even when the Lord Jesus cast the moneychangers out of the temple in John chapter 2 it was a good deed. He did it in order to please God and glorify Him, and we even read - "His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.”" Jesus was zealous for good deeds, and we should be as well. Everything we do should be motivated by a consuming love for God and a desire to please and glorify Him, not to draw attention to ourselves.
He goes on in Titus 3:1 to say - "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed." Not only should we be examples of good deeds, and zealous for good deeds, we also need to be ever ready to engage in good deeds. Even when we don't feel like it, or when no one else is, we still need to be ready. In season and out of season. This is what the Lord Jesus was talking about in Luke chapter 10 in the story of the good Samaritan. You know the story, how a man was traveling and fell among thieves who took all that he had. Two religious people passed by, two people who knew about God, knew about the sacrifices, and were involved in the work of temple passed by and saw this man lying half dead, stripped of his clothing and yet they just walked by. I'm sure they were busy, they had a schedule to keep. They had to get to the temple and go about Gods work. ("by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.") The Samaritan man, on the other hand, stopped and had compassion on the man. He put a stop to his own plans and focused fully on caring for this stranger. He bandaged up his wounds, he put him on his own beast, he took him to somewhere where he would be cared for and he thought about the future for this man that he didn't even know by paying for his care. I'm sure this man had plans, he wasn't looking around for someone to help. He was going from somewhere to somewhere, but he decided to put a stop to his own plans, to say no to himself, and to do what he knew was right. That is a great example of being ready for every good deed. Even when we're not expecting it, even when it interrupts our plans, even when it costs us something, even if it's helping someone we don't even know, we need to be ever ready to engage in good deeds.
After all this talk about good deeds, Paul reminds us in Titus 3:5 - "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." We are not saved by our works, and our salvation does not depend on our performance. Ephesians 2:8-9 says - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." But verse 10 goes on to say - "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Though we are not saved by our works, a life of salvation is identified and characterized by good works. Faith accompanied by works is a big theme of the book of James. He says in chapter 2 verse 26 - "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." And in verses 14-17 we read - "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." Salvation results in works, not the other way around. Works do not save us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.
Titus 3:8 - "This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men." There is a danger of becoming so focused on deeds that we forget the God who saved us. This was the issue with the Ephesian church in Revelation chapter 2. They were a busy about serving he Lord, but He had to say about them, "I have this against you, that you have left your first love." There is also a danger of doing works with the wrong motive, in order to draw attention to ourselves rather than to glorify God. That's why Paul gives the warning here to be careful to engage in good deeds. At the end of this letter to Titus we read in Titus 3:14 - "And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful." I started by quoting from Matthew chapter 7, where the Lord Jesus was talking about being known by our fruit. This verse in Titus says that we need to learn to engage in good deeds that we may not be unfruitful.
So in a nutshell, the message of the book of Titus is: Show yourself to be an example of good deeds, zealous for good deeds, ready for every good deed. Be careful to engage in good deeds and let us learn to engage in good deeds to meet the pressing need, that we may not be unfruitful.
Near the end of His sermon on the mount, the Lord Jesus made this statement concerning fruit. Trees are identified by their fruit, and so are we. This is something that the apostle Paul picks up on, and over and over again in his letter to Titus he talks about all men being identified by their fruit, and namely by their deeds. In Titus chapter one Paul is warning Titus about those who enter the church and begin to stir up strife for the sake of sordid gain. Men who are deceitful and empty talkers. And he says this in verse 16 - "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." They talk one way, but their actions communicate something entirely different. This is what the Lord Jesus was talking about when He said "you will know them by their fruits." Paul says two things about these men concerning their deeds. First, they deny Him by their deeds, and secondly, because they do not really know Him they are worthless for any good deed. Does this mean that an unsaved person cannot engage in good deeds? These men were denying God by their deeds, but is it possible to do good deeds apart from God? This verse says that they are "worthless for any good deed." Not that they cannot do "good deeds." But then again, apart from God there is no good. We may look at the works of unbelievers, whether it's giving to charity or holding doors open for people, helping an elderly neighbor with their yard work or so on, and we may classify these things as good works, but apart from God even our "good works" are corrupted. We're told in Isaiah 64:6 - "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment." Once we're saved God can accomplish His good work through us, but prior to salvation all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags, and that's why those who do not yet know Him are worthless for any good deed.
Throughout chapters two and three the focus changes from those who deny God by their deeds to those who have been saved for good deeds. In these chapters we see the responsibility of believers as it pertains to good deeds. In Titus 2:7-8 we read - "in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us." There are so many believers who don't do anything. We'll show up at church on Sunday mornings, but we're just too busy to engage in good deeds. But we're told here that we're supposed to show ourselves to be examples of good deeds. Christians should be characterized by their works, after all, we are known by our fruit. What do your deeds say about you? Are you an example of good deeds to those around you? This is one way that Christ shines His light through us. the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Paul goes on to say in Titus 2:14, concerning the Lord Jesus Christ - "who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." This is the reason that Christ died in our place. He died for us in order to redeem us from every lawless deed, in order that we might bear good fruit. He saved us for Himself and we should show ourselves to be examples of good deeds by being zealous for good deeds. Zeal is a consuming passion. To be zealous for good deeds is to be completely consumed by them. This is the example that the Lord Jesus set for us. Everywhere He went and in everything He did, His life was characterized by good works, and the driving force was His all consuming love for the Father and His desire to please Him. Even when the Lord Jesus cast the moneychangers out of the temple in John chapter 2 it was a good deed. He did it in order to please God and glorify Him, and we even read - "His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.”" Jesus was zealous for good deeds, and we should be as well. Everything we do should be motivated by a consuming love for God and a desire to please and glorify Him, not to draw attention to ourselves.
He goes on in Titus 3:1 to say - "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed." Not only should we be examples of good deeds, and zealous for good deeds, we also need to be ever ready to engage in good deeds. Even when we don't feel like it, or when no one else is, we still need to be ready. In season and out of season. This is what the Lord Jesus was talking about in Luke chapter 10 in the story of the good Samaritan. You know the story, how a man was traveling and fell among thieves who took all that he had. Two religious people passed by, two people who knew about God, knew about the sacrifices, and were involved in the work of temple passed by and saw this man lying half dead, stripped of his clothing and yet they just walked by. I'm sure they were busy, they had a schedule to keep. They had to get to the temple and go about Gods work. ("by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.") The Samaritan man, on the other hand, stopped and had compassion on the man. He put a stop to his own plans and focused fully on caring for this stranger. He bandaged up his wounds, he put him on his own beast, he took him to somewhere where he would be cared for and he thought about the future for this man that he didn't even know by paying for his care. I'm sure this man had plans, he wasn't looking around for someone to help. He was going from somewhere to somewhere, but he decided to put a stop to his own plans, to say no to himself, and to do what he knew was right. That is a great example of being ready for every good deed. Even when we're not expecting it, even when it interrupts our plans, even when it costs us something, even if it's helping someone we don't even know, we need to be ever ready to engage in good deeds.
After all this talk about good deeds, Paul reminds us in Titus 3:5 - "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." We are not saved by our works, and our salvation does not depend on our performance. Ephesians 2:8-9 says - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." But verse 10 goes on to say - "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Though we are not saved by our works, a life of salvation is identified and characterized by good works. Faith accompanied by works is a big theme of the book of James. He says in chapter 2 verse 26 - "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." And in verses 14-17 we read - "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." Salvation results in works, not the other way around. Works do not save us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.
Titus 3:8 - "This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men." There is a danger of becoming so focused on deeds that we forget the God who saved us. This was the issue with the Ephesian church in Revelation chapter 2. They were a busy about serving he Lord, but He had to say about them, "I have this against you, that you have left your first love." There is also a danger of doing works with the wrong motive, in order to draw attention to ourselves rather than to glorify God. That's why Paul gives the warning here to be careful to engage in good deeds. At the end of this letter to Titus we read in Titus 3:14 - "And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful." I started by quoting from Matthew chapter 7, where the Lord Jesus was talking about being known by our fruit. This verse in Titus says that we need to learn to engage in good deeds that we may not be unfruitful.
So in a nutshell, the message of the book of Titus is: Show yourself to be an example of good deeds, zealous for good deeds, ready for every good deed. Be careful to engage in good deeds and let us learn to engage in good deeds to meet the pressing need, that we may not be unfruitful.
No comments:
Post a Comment