“Excellent and Profitable”
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. –Titus 3:8
Gratitude for what God has done for us manifests itself in service to others. We devote ourselves to good works because Jesus gave his life for our salvation. Paul tells Titus to preach the Gospel as stated in verses 4-7. Titus is to “insist” on that message. And the consequence of that message will be the Church at Crete giving themselves to the service of each other and those around them.
All that Paul has taught about Jesus is certain, therefore Titus can preach boldly, even though what he is commanded to preach goes against the actions and attitudes of those he is leading. Truth cannot be successfully assailed. A preacher might be weak, but so long as he is faithful to God’s Word his message will be strong. Titus is to be insistent on the instructions he has received because they are strong of themselves. If he is faithful to them, their inherent weight as the Word of God will have an effect.
What Paul is exhorting Titus to teach is the only thing that can change selfish men into servants of God. We have seen throughout the book what we are to be. And in these last verses we see the only way the teaching can be fulfilled. The Gospel fills our hearts with love for Jesus. If we genuinely believe on him we will do what he has told us. He laid down his life for the redemption of this world. And, the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, which we saw yesterday has been poured out upon us by the Father, connects us to the power of his resurrection. In that power we are transformed and made to participate in his work of redemption. Where we once devoted ourselves to the destruction of this world, we have been enabled to do good, and seek the benefit of our fellow men, even those who are our enemies.
Our desire to serve each other is indicative of how well we know Christ. This is why all good works must be preceded by the Gospel. We do not always want to do good, especially when it does not directly benefit us, but in him we have the hope that our selfish attitudes can be put to death. And, with a fuller understanding of what he has done for us, we have the desire and expectation that we can do for him what is “excellent and profitable for people.”