Ready for Good Work

How is God who is the gospel glorified by his church? How does the church beautify the God who is the gospel? God can not be made more glorious by his church. The church cannot add beauty or glory to God. He is infinitely glorious in the fullness of triune nature. But the church can in knowing and enjoying the glory of God revealed in the gospel show forth that glory in what she wears by her life.

In Titus 3:1b-2 Paul tells the young pastor what should adorn the church as she lives in the beauty of God in the gospel. She should be ready for every good work. The good work that the church is re-created in the image of Jesus for are works that are prepared beforehand (Eph.2:10) that she must be ready concerning. Good work is not avoided. In the church there can be no giving of the eyes to much sleep or folding of the hands for to much rest (Pr.6:4,10). This kind of life will bring the church to poverty not adorning the glorious God of the gospel. The church beautifies the God of the gospel when she is like her Lord who found it his food to be doing the will of the Father who sent him by accomplishing his work (Jn.4:34). That work may be at home, toward his church, or in the community toward her neighbors but it is work we are not seeking to avoid but are ready concerning. And that work is good because God has prepared it for us and in doing it for his glory by depending on his grace and being obedient to his will, it adorns his glory. Good work is not defined culturally but Biblically and providentially. Be ready.

In this text Paul tells us what some of the good work that adorns the gospel of God is as it is exercised toward those around us. First of all he says to speak evil of no one. We are not to blaspheme or slander someone with our words. We are not to speak to others in a false way about someone so as to injure their name or reputation. Therefore the good work is to speak of someone in a manner that upholds their name and reputation truthfully. The church should speak about others not seeking to injure but to have compassion on their person and their life. Secondly, he says to avoid quarrelling. We are not to fight but rather strive for peace with everyone (Heb.12:14). The church should avoid looking for a fight, or being contentious. There are those who will seek to get into foolish arguments with those in the church and the church must be careful not to think that God is glorified by besting someone into the kingdom through a well fought argument. The third work the church must be ready for is to be gentle. It is gentleness that is the beauty of God’s glory in Christ (Mt.11:29), and that gentle forbearing life of Christ through the church is the good work that adorns his beauty. Gentleness is born out of strength. Paul tells Timothy that he has not received a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind (2Tim.1:7). It is through the strength of God in the gospel that we have received power in the Holy Spirit and the same power that raised Christ from the dead is toward us (Eph.1:19), but that power is for the fruit of gentleness (Gal.5:23). Gentleness is necessary where there is so much brokenness. The last work mentioned that the church must be ready for is to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Courtesy is often translated meekness. It is used to describe a quality of life toward others in the midst of difficult circumstances. In this text Paul follows these instructions in verse 3 reminding us of the difficult circumstances we lived in because of sin before we shared in the gospel of God through his mercies, For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another (3:3). Therefore he is telling us that this is the difficult circumstances we should see people living in because of sin and we should be ready to be patient, meek, courteous and mild toward them as we await God’s mercy to reach them. A child will say something they should not say and perfect courtesy will not reprimand them publicly but with meekness and gentleness take them aside and show them God’s mercy through truth toward their sin. In this way the mother adorns the gospel of God.

Therefore the church beautifies the God of the gospel when she is ready for and living in the good works that are prepared for her in Christ and lived through the Spirit. But what does God provide to fuel the faith for these good works? Paul gives us this answer in the explanation of the beautiful God of the gospel and its resulting hope, 4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he 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, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Tit.3:4-7). Be ready for every good work as you hope in the knowledge and enjoyment of the glorious God of the gospel as he is offered you in life forevermore through Christ Jesus.