Sunday School: The Washing of Regeneration

Good morning!
We're so glad you decided to join us today!

When we meet together, we take time to share our weeks, and any joys and concerns we have. If you have a prayer request, please add it to the comments on this post. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started. 

Dear Lord God,
We come before You today with humble hearts. Prepare us to study Your Word.
Show us how to be teachable. Help us to lay aside areas where we are stubborn and where we cling to our own sins. Let Your Word change us!
May we faithfully and accurately interpret Your Word today.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Today's lesson is on Titus 3:3-11. 

Lesson Context
Paul's letter to Titus is a Pastoral Epistle, written to a specific person. It was written after Paul had been released from his imprisonment in Rome, and visited the island of Crete. Titus was a gentile believer who accompanied Paul on Crete. 

Titus stayed on Crete to correct a chaotic situation in the Cretan churches. The church there was troubled by people who professed to know God, but lived demonsterably different lives. Such people had deceived others, disrupted the community, and brought needless controversy to the church. 

Gospel Reminder ​(verses 3 - 8)
​This passage opens with Paul's reminder that everyone has sinned. We are disobedient by rebelling against the standards of God. This can lead to a person's self-deception of what is right and wrong. It can also affect a person's relationships with others -- causing envy, anger, and hate.

However, God provided a way to free us from sin and evil. This arises from God's character, particularly his kindness and mercy. The ultimate example of his kindness has come through God's sending of his Son, Christ Jesus, to pay sin's price through the sacrifice of himself on the cross. This display of kindness would lead humanity to repentance. 

No matter what good acts we may do, we cannot ever earn salvation. Our merciful God has provided a way for salvation that does not require righteousness. Instead, he has initiated our salvation through his gift of grace. By his mercy and grace, we are justified by faith. Therefore we are saved. 

Our book says that the washing of rebirth could refer to baptism, or it could refer generally to the spiritual cleansing from sin that results from our salvation. In this new life, we are dead to the ways of sin. The Holy Spirit transforms us into new people devoted to following God and obeying his commands. We become the heirs of God and benefactors of God's promises regarding glory. 

Paul says that we have the hope of eternal life. Here, hope is not wishful thinking. It is a certainty, a confidence that the promises made by God to his heirs will come true. 

Paul directs Titus to stress the things that have been taught up to this point in the letter. This includes: the human condition; the kindness and love of God; salvation through grace; purification by the Spirit, and; the hope of eternal life. These points of doctrine are the core of the gospel message. By teaching these things, the believers would hear, obey and trust. They would be devoted to obeying God.

By obeying God and having faith, believers will do good works. This is a result of the presence of God in that person's life. Good works are the result of salvation, not the source of it. 

Gospel Behavior (verses 9 - 11)
After discussing "profitable' behavior in light of salvation, Paul describes the unprofitable behaviors for believers pursuing godliness. This includes things like useless debate, arguments, genealogies, and quarrels over the law. Our book says that this may mean some of the false teachings had to do with aspects of the law of Moses and human ancestry. 

A divisive person creates discord and disruption. Paul's directive for discipline has a certain amount of patience. Divisive people could receive two warnings. After the second warning, the church should outright reject the person. This would give the troublesome part ample opportunity to repent and change. By following the directive, Titus would no longer give attention to those who brought distraction and division to the church. 

Conclusion
When churches emphasize the gospel, the spiritual health of its members improves. Instead of being focused on distractions that lead to division, believers can become devoted to doing good works that result from godliness. 

Paul retells the gospel message that begins with the kindness and love of God that results in our salvation and culminates with being made new through God's Spirit. In response to Paul's directives to Titus, we should reflect on his teachings and the practices of our churches. Ask yourself if your church focuses on the gospel and living out its teachings. Then, ask yourself the same question. Do you focus on the gospel and living out its teachings? Have distractions threatened your spiritual livelihood?

Prayer
Kind and loving God, we thank you for your mercy and grace by which you have saved us. Help us be more attentive to the Spirit's leading into renewal and rebirth so that we might do good works in your name. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Questions for Discussion

• ​What steps do you take to ensure that you do not harbor feelings of envy and malice towards others? 
• How would you explain God's love and kindness to someone who does not think of God as such?
• How do you pay attention to the leading of God's Spirit to guide your habits and mindset?
• How do you discern what things are profitable for your spiritual maturity and what things are "unprofitable"?

Benediction

Next week, we will be starting the fall quarter.