God our Saviour (Titus)

Devotional

18 Oct

Repetition.

I’ll say it again: repetition.

At our Monday night first semester EQUIP meetings we taught our student leaders a bunch of ‘tools’ for reading the Bible for themselves and to teach to others. And one of the tools relates to looking out for repeated words or themes.

We start a reading program through the book of Titus today (links and details below). And if you read the book in total, and if you kept an eye out for repeated words or themes, what would you find?

Some words and ideas pop up very easily because of their repetition. For instance, godliness, sound teaching, and good works. These are generously scattered throughout the book. But I would like to point out another layered set, before show the importance.

God our Saviour

As you read Titus, God is repeatedly referred to as our Saviour.

Although the chapter and verse labels came later (just so we could references more easily), you’ll find this wording in each of the three chapters of Titus. Have a look:

1:3 In his own time he has revealed his word in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Saviour:
2:9 Slaves are to submit to their masters in everything, and to be well-pleasing, not talking back 10 or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Saviour in everything.
3:4 But when the kindness of God our Saviour and his love for mankind appeared, 5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Titus clearly teaches God as our Saviour.

What did he save us from?
How did he save us?
For what did he save us?

Titus answers those questions – but I’ll let you search them out yourselves.

But let me now add a layer, because here is one more linked repetition to note.

Jesus Christ our Saviour (and God)

Check this out! You remember the three references, one from each chapter, to God our Saviour?

Well, soon after every single one of those references, we are then told about Jesus Christ being our Saviour. Have a look:

1:4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation[b] for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
3:6 He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

So, is God our Saviour, or Jesus?

The answer?

God is our Saviour. But he does it through Jesus Christ.

Of course, more must be said, because not only does God save through Jesus, and him alone, but also, Jesus is God. Did you notice 2:13? Jesus is described as our great God and Saviour!

He isn’t God the Father, but he is God the Son. So, Paul can say: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour (1:4). It’s grace and peace from the Father, and the Son – united, and yet distinct

And then don’t forget: while salvation is given in Jesus, it is applied by the very Spirit of God (3:6).

So, there is how God works. God the Father, through God the Son and by God the Spirit saves all who come to trust in Jesus. And that’s all contained in a small book like Titus – it packs a theological punch!

Why is this important?

A few weeks ago we looked at the place of good works in the Christian life (link here to the talk on our YouTube page). And we highlighted a crucial difference between following religions versus following Jesus.

The religions of the world will encourage us to godliness, sound teaching, and good works (remember, some of the repeated words in Titus). But, and here comes the difference, they will encourage it as a MEANS to salvation. In other words, especially when it comes to good works or right living, these create the WAY to gain or secure your salvation or rightness in front of God. God is not ultimately your Saviour, you are!

The good news of Jesus shouts a different message and way of salvation!

Instead of being the MEANS of salvation, for the follower of Jesus, things like good works or right living are a RESULT of salvation. The way of salvation is God, the Triune God. God is our Saviour, not us. The Father in the Son by the Spirit is the one who both secures and applies our salvation. We are saved by Jesus’ work, not our own. We are saved by God’s grace, his undeserved favour to us, not by what we do.

But once saved by God the Saviour, we are saved to a new kind of life. One where we will want to stick to sound teaching (about Jesus), and where we will want to, by his grace, pursue godliness and good works.

I hope you see the uniqueness of the good news of Jesus. Any right living and good works we pursue is only because we have ALREADY been saved by God. And what God has done, is secure and firm! And I hope you are able to see how repetitions like ‘God our Saviour’, ‘Jesus Christ our Saviour’, ‘godliness’, ‘sound teaching’, and ‘good works’ drive this home.