Insist on these Things
Titus 3:1-11
Titus chapter three is a beautiful explanation of the relationship between good works and salvation. Evangelicals tend to flinch when they hear “good works” because they know we are not saved by our good works. We are saved by grace through faith. Since the human default belief is we become or are right with God based on some sort of divine merit system, we rightly are cautious that we don’t leave the impression that we agree with that. Paul makes that point in this chapter as well:
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…
Notice, though, that Paul immediately follows this wonderful gospel explanation by saying:
Those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works…
In between, he tells Titus, “I want you to insist on these things…”
We do need to jealously guard the gospel. But that insistence on the gospel of grace is not meant to create a divorce from a clear-eyed vision of the important place good works plays in genuine Christian living. The gospel received leads to a life devoted to good works.
