The Goal of Our Salvation

Six times in Titus the phrase, "good works" shows up.  Six times!  It's the most of any book in the New Testament and Titus only has 3 chapters.  And each time it's mentioned, it's in reference to what we are to do because of what Christ has done.

But what kind of good works?  Are we to sit in church and pray a lot?  Are we to teach sunday school and greet people at the door?  Sure.  But I think there's more to it than that.

First, Paul makes the most clear presentation of salvation in the entire New Testament.
Titus 3:4–7 (ESV) But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 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, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

He did this.  It was His goodness and kindness.  He had mercy.  He washed and renewed us.  His grace justifies us.  And we become heirs...

But there's a purpose to all this.  Paul makes clear the product of our salvation.  

No more arguing.
No more hating.
No more quarreling.
God saved us to get back to our creative mandate as image bearers of the One true God.  We are to produce with our hands, step back and be able to say, "It is good."  Look at the next verse:

Titus 3:8 (ESV) The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

He says we need to be careful to devote ourselves to good works.  They are profitable for people.  God is for human flourishing.  God is for goodness in our world.  Christians are known too much for what we are not for.  Let us show the world what we are for.  We are for producing that which is good and profitable. We are for the creation being cultivated in creativity and design.

The word "devote" is the Greek proïstēmi and can have a technical sense ‘to practise a profession’.  It's not just doing side items in church once a week.  It's applying your hands to that which is honorable, good and profitable for people.  Nurses, school teachers, plumbers, and janitors all fit this bill here.

I look at our world.  Such wonderful advances in technology, medicine and science.  These are good!  They are profitable for people.  I look at the Church, the hospitals, charities, missions works and beyond that bring goodness to our world.  This is what we are saved to do.

Too much of the church's time is spent living as if salvation never happened - i.e. quarreling about words and doctrine.  

May God help us to be careful, and be devoted to good works, just as He is.

PRAYER:

Father, that is my prayer.  So much of our time as the church is focused on social issues we cannot convince people to change by arguing and fighting.  We are to do good.  We are created to to good and saved to do good and we forget it constantly.  Help me to devote myself to good works.