Scripture: Titus 3: 1-15

Our Christian Behavior

Paul is trying to teach Christian behavior through St. Titus. First, who was Titus? He was a disciple of Paul. Titus was left on the island of Crete to organize the growing church – and Paul wrote these verses (kind of like an instruction manual) to help Titus while he was there. Titus was one of the first non-Jewish people who converted to Christianity.

Paul is trying to get through to non-believers by emphasizing God’s kindness and love and the possibility to change. With this change (as we know) human life enters into a “new age of rescue” − life with Christ! He is also telling them to stay away from the messages of false teachers.

What made this Christian life a possibility was an event in history in which the grace of God was manifested. God’s fatherly love for all of us is manifested in Jesus’ incarnation. Jesus, the Son of God, took on human flesh. Jesus’ appearance meant God was giving the fullest expression of his grace and love to us! Hallelujah, brothers and sisters! Jesus is the Savior of mankind! He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit. (3:5) Paul is telling us we must be converted and baptized. We are thus cleansed, reborn, renewed, and incorporated into the community of faith. As we know, those of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ must repent our sins and ask God for forgiveness. We are baptized “into Christ,” regenerated, and have new hearts. God’s goal for us is eternal life, a goal which we all share equally and which remains our object of hope.

To experience this reality, we believers must actively decide to step forward – the reality of the Christian life is not experienced through the reciting of a creed or oath, but by living it in faith.

Read these interesting verses in Titus – and make sure you have taken the important steps of reaching for this eternal life. Paul is telling us to share the contents of these verses with all believers. God bless you, and may he renew your hearts, brothers and sisters.