This is the 13th lesson in a series of lessons on the book of Titus. In this lesson we'll look at Titus 1:1 and talk about truth. Our society is focused on emotions. Many decisions are made based on what feels good. However, Christianity and salvation are based on truth.
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Transcript:
Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. This is the 13th lesson in a series of lessons on the book of Titus. In this lesson we're going to look at the first verse and talk about knowledge of the truth.
Let’s read verse one.
Titus 1:1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of the elect of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to Godliness,
When we look at a diagram of the first verse, we see that this book was written by Paul. He identified himself two ways: as a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Then we see the word for. After the word for, Paul listed two reasons why he was a slave and an apostle. The first reason was to build up the faith of the elect of God. The second was to build up the knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness. In this lesson, I want to focus on the second one, the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness.
As you may realize, we live in a society that is focused on emotions. We are immersed in entertainment, and the effectiveness of entertainment is determined by how well it affects your emotions.
In contrast, Christianity is based on truth. Christianity is based on the truth that there is a God, Jesus is God, and Jesus rose from the dead. Christianity is based on the truth that at the end of time, every human will either go to heaven or hell. There is a way to get to heaven, but if you don't take the way to get to heaven, then you're going to spend eternity in hell, a lake of fire.
Let's go through some verses in the New Testament and see some statements about the importance of truth in Christianity. Let’s start at 1 Timothy 2:3.
1Tim. 2:3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I think many Christians are very familiar with the first part of verse four, the part about God desiring all men to be saved. Unfortunately, many people stop there. However, the verse goes on to say, “and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God doesn't simply desire all men to be saved. God also desires all men to come to the knowledge of the truth. Knowledge of the truth is very important. It's right up there with salvation. There's a reason for that. People have to know truth in order to be saved.
We see something similar in 2 Timothy 2, starting at verse 24.
2Tim. 2:24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
This passage is a description of what the Lord's bondservant must be and must not be. Don’t be quarrelsome. Be kind. Be able to teach, etcetera. Then the passage says, “perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth”. Notice that repentance leads to knowledge of the truth. Then verse 26 tells us knowledge of the truth is an integral part of escaping the snare of the devil.
Let's go to 2 Timothy 3. In this chapter Paul warned that in the last days there will be difficult times. Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, etcetera. Paul gave a command to avoid such men as these. Then he wrote the following.
2Tim. 3:6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Notice that part of this warning Paul gave about the last days is the difficulty of coming to the knowledge of the truth. Why is that a problem? It’s a problem because people have to know truth in order to be saved. If it's difficult to come to the knowledge of the truth, or if people are always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, then it will be very difficult to become saved. We see here the importance of the knowledge of truth.
Now let's go back to Titus 1:1.
Titus 1:1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of the elect of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to Godliness,
Paul was a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ in order to build up the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness. Knowledge of the truth is essential in order to be saved. Part of the reason Paul was a slave and an apostle was to preach and increase the knowledge of the truth.
It’s important for us to understand this in our culture, because we live in a culture that is very focused on emotions. Many decisions are based on what feels good. Focusing on emotions leads people to downplay the value of truth. This is a problem because the bible is based on truth. Salvation is based on truth. If we downplay truth, we undermine Christianity.
Furthermore, truth does not always feel good. If we base decisions on our emotions and reject things that don’t feel good, we will reject some truths, which is a problem in light of the fact that Christianity and salvation are based on truth.
In order to be saved, we must understand, accept, and submit to the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is God. We have to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Those are facts. Those are truths we need to know and accept in order to be saved. Emotions will not save us. Truth will.
Paul was a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to preach truth and lead people to the knowledge of the truth so that they can be saved.
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Scripture quotations from Titus taken from a translation by Bible Mountain.
“All other Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)