Titus 2: Are You Saved?
Verse of the Day: (V11) “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”
1. The Word Of God (V1-8)
V5 “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
How do you know a person truly believes and receives Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour? It is only when he hungers and thirsts for God’s Word, and trusts and obeys Him. This was why Apostle Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit kept reminding his spiritual son, Titus, to diligently study and accurately interpret God’s Word before he taught and preached to others. The church is not a church because it has excellent worship, program, etc., but the church is a church when the pastor accurately preaches God’s Word without favour or fear, and every member truly lives and practices the principles of God’s Word!
V7 “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,”
2. The Doctrine Of God (V9-10)
V9 “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;”
A rose is called a rose, not just because of its name, but that it has certain unique characteristics different from other flowers, and therefore it is called a rose. Indeed, a Christian is not a Christian just because he says he is one and is saved by God’s grace, but he is a Christian when he truly lives and practices the principles of God’s Word.
V10 “Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
3. The Grace Of God (V11-15)
V13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
Paul reminded Titus to thank God for His grace that saves whoever repents of his sins, and believes and receives Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord. Indeed, it is God’s grace that even when we are in the midst of our greatest suffering and deepest trial, we have that blessed hope of the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us therefore demonstrate our faith in God through our good works done for His glory!
V14 “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I am saved by Your grace through faith in Jesus.
Titus 1: How Is Your Bishop?
Verse of the Day: (V7) “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;”
1. Wife (V1-8)
V4 “To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”
Apostle Paul instructed his spiritual son, Titus, as to how he as a bishop or elder or pastor should organise the church which they had started at Crete. Paul would be leaving Crete, and he ordained Titus to be the pastor of the church. Paul taught Titus the requirements of a pastor, that he must be blameless, selfless, patient, hospitable, and have only one wife as well as faithful children. Indeed, behind a faithful pastor is a faithful wife and family!
V6 “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.”
2. Word (V9-14)
V9 “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”
The pastor must in particular be well equipped with God’s Word, and be ready to pray, preach and even perish for Christ’s sake. Indeed, the pastor must be deeply rooted and grounded in God’s Word as there are false pastors, even during Paul’s time, who claim to love God and people, but sadly, they are only seeking for themselves fame and fortune.
V11 “Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.”
3. Works (V15-16)
V15 “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
Paul revealed to Titus that the ways to detect false and deceitful churches and pastors were that they not only did not preach the whole counsel of God’s Word, but they disobeyed God, and they did not even help the poor and needy. Let us pray for all churches and pastors that they must not only fulfil the Great Commission of winning souls and discipleship, but also the Great Commandment of loving one another and even their enemies, and to demonstrate their love by their works in helping the poor and needy.
V16 “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help my bishop to preach the Word as well as do the works.
2 Timothy 4: Will You Preach The Word?
Verse of the Day: (V2) “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
1. Word (V1-4)
V1 “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;”
Apostle Paul commanded his successor, Timothy, to preach all the time, even times when he did not feel like preaching God’s holy Word. Indeed, the Christian life is all about God and God alone, and nothing about us. Let us always focus on God, and continue to love and share God’s Word, even at times when we are discouraged, and even disappointed with life. Paul also warned Timothy never to please man when preaching God’s Word, but to reprove and rebuke sins that man shall repent of their sins and turn to the holy God.
V3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”
2. Work (V5-7)
V5 “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
Paul encouraged Timothy to continue to do the work of preaching God’s Word despite the persecution from the unbelieving Romans who were in control of the regions at that time. In fact, 2 Timothy was the last letter and the last words of Paul before he was beheaded by the Romans for preaching God’s Word. This was why Paul could boldly declared that he had fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith in Christ.
V7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”
3. World (V8-22)
V8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
While many, like Demas, had left the faith because of persecution from the Romans as well as the pleasures of this world, Paul kept his faith to the very end. Let us be like Paul that we keep our faith to the very end, and thereby receive God’s reward - the crown of righteousness - when we eventually meet our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ face to face!
V10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to share Your holy Word in good as well as bad times.
2 Timothy 3: Are You Perfect?
Verse of the Day: (V17) “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
1. Power (V1-9)
V1 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”
Paul warned Timothy that in the last days, and even during their time, many shall call themselves Christians, and had a form or outward appearance of godliness, but inwardly they were ungodly and did not possess God’s power and holiness. Many were selfish, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unforgiving, troublemakers, false accusers, violent, fierce, traitors and evil. Today there are many professing Christians who are also without God’s power and holiness because they have never truly believe and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord.
V5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
2. Persecution (V10-13)
V11 “Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.”
What great joy to know that despite Paul’s sufferings and persecutions wherever and whenever he went because of his faith in God, yet God delivered him from not just some, but all his persecutions! Let us therefore take heart to keep enduring all our persecutions for our faith in God, because we know that not only all who live and love God shall suffer persecutions, but that one day, God shall delivered us from all our persecutions!
V12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
3. Perfect (V14-17)
V15 “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Paul’s last words inspired by God, to Timothy and all Christians, were that God’s Word or the Bible was the best instructions for man to be perfect before the perfect God. Indeed, the acronym of BIBLE is Best Instruction Before Leaving Earth, and let us keep studying and applying the principles of the Bible to our lives as we strive to be perfect before the perfect God, until He calls us home to be with Him in His perfect home in pearly heaven!
V16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be perfect by studying and applying Your Word.
