Titus 3:1-15
Ephesians 2:8-10
These verses comprise Paul’s closing instructions to Titus, the pastor and overseer of the Christian churches on the island of Crete. They focus on the kind of life the believers lived before the kindness of God appeared, and the kind of lives they should live after their salvation. The repeated theme, in verses 8 and 14 is to be devoted to ‘good works.’ Many times Christians today are reluctant to associate good works with their salvation in Christ, and for good reason: both Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9 agree that our salvation does not come on the basis of our good works. That is, we cannot earn our salvation through our good deeds. However, Titus 3:8 and Ephesians 2:10 state that God’s purpose in saving us was to create a people who are zealous for the good works that God ‘prepared in advance for us to do.’ What do you think of when you think of ‘good works’? How do you connect your salvation in Christ with the good works that God has prepared in advance for you to do? How might the whole Bible serve as a basis for understanding God’s desire for you to do good works?