Remember The Mission

“This is a faithful saying…”

– Titus 3:8

Above the many great instructions given to Titus, this verse is considered the most critical. Many agree this is the pivotal verse in this entire book. It emphasizes the central theme and tethers everything said before and after. Everything Paul has been writing is “faithful.” It is reliable and trustworthy. In other words, it can be believed!

The word faithful is the same word used for those who trust in God’s promises. It is the word Jesus used when speaking to “doubting” Thomas (John 20:27). It is the word used to describe Abraham’s faith (Galatians 3:5-9) and those of us convinced that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the author of salvation, raised from the dead, and Jesus is God incarnate. It is coming to trust that what has been said is reliable and trustworthy. Paul is stressing to Titus that just as much as he has had faith in Christ as Savior, he can trust the instructions in this letter. Believing in God’s Word is vital confidence all Christians need to show faithfulness in discharging official duties!  

Titus was being exhorted to remember his mission and not veer off into areas of distraction. He was to search for qualified elders and instruct them on their responsibilities in the church (Titus 1:5-9; Titus 1:10-14). Titus was to train on qualities of a sound church that would produce humility and Christlikeness (Titus 2:1-10; Titus 2:11-3:7). This is to build a sound church and a pattern of good works. So that others might come to know Christ. Should this not be the same mission for the church today?

You may have been experiencing distractions in your life recently—things vying for your attention. You may have even been chasing them down a road leading you farther from the Lord. Are you drifting unaware? Take heart; God’s Word will bring you back on track and set you in the right direction. It is time to awake and revive that spirit of old! It is time to remember our mission as believers! To love the Lord and reach the lost! Will you remember your mission today?

“Believing the leveling truths of the gospel creates a community where malice, envy, and infighting disappear along with the need to measure our righteousness against one another. In humility lies the key to living out our obligations to rulers, to one another, and to God…”

– R. Kent Hughes