Titus: Transformed by Grace

Paul, who was a Christ-appointed leader, and who had every reason to list his spiritual credentials, instead identifies first and foremost as a servant.

Paul begins his letter to Titus in a way that, if we let it, can set the tone for our entire approach to ecclesial life and leadership. His first words aren’t a self-congratulatory resume or a claim to personal brilliance. No. They are words of identity: “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ.” (Titus 1:1).¹

That is not a throwaway line. That’s a deep, defining description of who Paul is and what he is about. He is not boasting. He is not even primarily claiming authority. He is putting himself in a long line of people who were simply servants of God. Think of Moses, Joshua, and the prophets. Now, Paul, who once called himself a Pharisee of Pharisees, calls himself a servant.

Let that sink in: Paul, who was a Christ-appointed leader, and who had every reason to list his spiritual credentials, instead identifies first and foremost as a servant. And not just any servant. A servant of God and one who has been sent by Jesus Christ.

This isn’t some casual self-description. It’s the foundation for everything he’s about to say. He is speaking from a place of submission and service. He is a man under orders. The one who has sent him is none other than the risen Christ. The idea that apostleship is not self-appointed but God-commissioned has enormous implications for how we think about leadership in ecclesias. Authority in the ecclesia flows not from power or personality, but from faithfulness to Christ and his message.

And then Paul tells us why. He tells us his purpose. His whole life’s work, his mission, the driving force behind his labor.

Paul sees his whole apostleship, his calling, work, preaching and writing as being for the sake of others. He doesn’t promote himself. He doesn’t build a platform. He doesn’t stir controversy or showcase his intellect or polish. He does this for the sake of the faith of God’s people, for their growth in knowledge, and the transformation of their lives. If what Paul was doing didn’t change lives, it wasn’t fulfilling its purpose.

That’s the kind of leadership we need. That’s the kind of leadership Titus was asked to carry forward in Crete. It was servant-hearted, Scripture-shaped, and utterly oriented to the building up of others. In a place like Crete, known for deception, lawlessness, and self-indulgence, this kind of gospel-centered leadership was revolutionary. It remains so.

It reminds us that faithful leadership never begins with a platform. It begins with a posture of humility, service, and obedience to Christ. It isn’t about recognition, but responsibility. Paul’s words challenge all of us who have any role in ecclesial life, formal or informal, to ask whether we see ourselves first as servants of God.

God’s Elect: A Purpose That Humbles and Motivates

There is a phrase in verse 1 we might skip over too quickly: “God’s elect.” Paul is writing, laboring, and teaching for the sake of God’s elect. That is, for those whom God has called and chosen. This can be a confusing idea, especially when the subject has been wrapped in centuries of theological argument. But Paul doesn’t treat it as a point of division. He treats it as a point of confidence—a foundation. If God is the one who saves us, if God is the one who calls us, transforms us, and redeems us, then we can be certain that the work we do in His name is not in vain.

The doctrine of election is not something to argue about. It is something to marvel at. It is not something to make us proud. It is something to make us grateful.

Because God didn’t wait until we were good enough. He didn’t wait until we cleaned ourselves up, memorized the Statement of Faith, or sorted out our ecclesial politics. He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be “holy and blameless in his sight.” (Ephesians 1:4 NIV). Not that we were impressive or deserving, but that His mercy was extended to us. That’s why Paul says in Titus 3:5, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

It’s hard to overstate how transformative this concept is. So often, we fall into the trap of thinking we are accepted by God because of our performance. We subtly start to believe that our attendance, our family name, our conservative values, our speaking schedule, or Bible knowledge, gives us credit with God. But the gospel of grace dismantles that. Paul’s whole mission is rooted in helping the elect grow in faith and deepen their knowledge of the truth. This leads away from pride and to godliness.

This means our preaching and teaching must aim for more than agreement or knowledge. It must be first for growth. A true shepherd doesn’t just want people to tick doctrinal boxes. He wants them to flourish in Christ. The gospel is not just a set of ideas to believe, but a power to be changed by.

So why is Paul preaching? Why is he writing this letter to Titus? Because the elect need to grow. Because the grace that saves also teaches. It teaches us to “say no to ungodliness, to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives, and to wait for the blessed hope.” (Titus 2:12-13). Paul preaches because election does not negate effort. It inspires it. It motivates it. It fuels godliness.

Truth That Leads to Godliness

There’s another little phrase in verse 1 we must not miss. Paul says he labors for “the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness.” Read that again: “truth that leads to godliness.” On the “flip side,” there is such a thing as truth that leads to pride. There is truth that leads to quarrels. There is truth that becomes an end in itself, and that does not lead to life. That’s not the kind of truth Paul is talking about.

Paul is not interested in clever teaching that doesn’t change anyone. He’s not excited by new theories, novel insights, or speculative timelines. He wants people to know the truth “that leads to godliness.”

We have to be honest about this. There is a kind of Bible teaching that can be spiritually dangerous. Not because it’s completely false, but because it’s disconnected from living. It fills the mind but leaves the heart cold. It wows with technical knowledge and intriguing insights, but fails to move anyone to love, repent, or serve. Paul would have no time for that. He says if your teaching isn’t producing transformation, you’ve missed the point.

That’s what the ecclesias in Crete needed. That’s what our ecclesias need too. We don’t need more opinions. We don’t need louder voices. We need a more profound truth. Truth that changes how we think and feel, and live. Truth that turns sinners into saints, critics into encouragers, and spectators into servants.

We need teaching that does more than fill our notebooks or complete our workbooks. We need teaching that fills our hearts, shapes our lives, and transforms how we treat our families, co-workers, and ecclesial members.

In Paul’s thinking, godliness is never merely about the outward appearance. It is the lived reality of a life gripped by grace and shaped by the gospel. This is why the method matters just as much as the message. If truth is delivered in a way that is harsh, domineering, or self-promoting, it undermines the very transformation it claims to promote.

That’s why Paul will be so strong on rebuking false teachers later in this letter. Not because he enjoys controversy, but because he knows what’s at stake. If people teach things that are not true, or teach in a way that doesn’t lead to godliness, they are doing damage. They are disqualifying themselves from doing good (Titus 1:16). They must be silenced, Paul says, because they are upsetting whole households.

But when the truth is taught faithfully and received humbly, it leads to lovely lives. That’s what this series of articles is about. That’s what Paul wanted for Titus. That’s what God wants for us.

Hope That Is Certain

Paul says he works “in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” (Titus 1:2).

He is not hoping in the sense of crossing his fingers. He is living in a sure hope anchored in a promise—not just any promise, but a promise made by “God, who never lies.” That is a breathtaking contrast to the Cretan culture, which Paul will later describe as full of liars, beasts, and lazy gluttons.

So here is the foundation: God has promised eternal life. God has spoken. God does not lie. That is the hope Paul lives in. That is the hope he holds out to Titus and the believers in Crete. That is the hope we hold out to each other. In a world filled with broken promises, this is radical. Leaders break promises. Friends betray trust. Families become fractured. But God does not lie. He is faithful. He is true. His promises are not like ours; they are anchored in eternity.

This hope isn’t abstract; it isn’t “pie in the sky.” It is tangible. It is seen in changed lives. It is shown in lives full of good works (Titus 3:8), which is evidence of people living for another world. Hope is not passive. It’s active, energized and sustained. It strengthens us to live well now because we believe something better is coming.

Titus: A True Son in the Faith

Then Paul named Titus: “To Titus, my true child in a common faith.” This line is full of warmth, spiritual parenthood, shared conviction, and unity. Paul and Titus were not just missionary colleagues; they were family in Christ, bound together by a common faith.

Isn’t that what we want? Not just committees, teams, or rosters, but true spiritual partnerships. Genuine affection. Deep love. Real investment in one another’s lives. Paul had mentored Titus, modeled ministry to him, and trusted him. Now, he sends him to Crete to do hard things, not because he is disposable, but because he is dependable.

Titus was tasked with a demanding job, but he didn’t do it alone. Paul was with him, and God was with him. That’s true of us, too. When we step into the responsibilities God has placed in front of us, whether teaching a Bible class, supporting a brother or sister, raising children, or leading in the ecclesia, we do not do it alone. We are not left to our own strength. We serve in the strength that God supplies.

Conclusion: Beginning with the Right Foundation

So here is where we begin this journey through Titus:

• A servant, sent by Christ.
• A purpose: to build up the faith of God’s people.
• A truth that leads to godliness.
• A hope that is promised by a God who cannot lie.
• A partnership, born of a common faith.

Let’s begin here, too. Let’s recommit ourselves to being servants of God. Let’s seek to build up faith. Let’s treasure the truth that transforms. Let’s cling to hope that is certain. Let’s walk together in this common faith.

May this word dwell in us richly, and may our lives be a lovely witness to the grace of God that has appeared, bringing salvation for all. May we, like Paul and Titus, be found faithful to the task entrusted to us, until the day our hope is fully realized and we are welcomed into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Andrew Weller,
Cumberland Ecclesia, NSW