What is the role of good works in Christianity? For example, you write a check and give it to support a missionary, or you help a widow by shoveling her driveway, or you teach Sunday school at church. What does that have to do with faith & truth & eternal life? How are those good deeds related to the salvation of your soul? The text of Titus 1:1-4 can be explained in terms of four equations that will help us understand the role virtuous deeds play in becoming a Christian and in being a Christian.

Have you ever had these thoughts about yourself, “I have done some bad deeds. I have some rebellious thoughts & wicked desires. I have said some vulgar words. Not just before I became a Christian, but afterwards. Am I really a Christian or do I deny Christ by these bad works?” Has that ever come to your mind? It may surprise you to know that many Christians have struggled with those thoughts at one time or another in their life.  It’s common. Titus 1:10-16 contains four important instructions for us on this topic, to make sure we are fit for good works.

In the 1990’s, everybody wanted to be like Michael Jordan. Gatorade even had a TV ad campaign called “Be Like Mike.” And while Michael was a basketball inspiration to people all over the world, it was really hard to be like him, because he was the best. Many people feel a similar way about Jesus. As a Christian, you want to be like him, but that seems totally out of reach, “He’s perfectly good. I’m a sinner. How can I be like him? That feels harder than me trying to be like MJ on a basketball court.” The good news is, God understands your challenge and has provided seven very practical examples for us to follow in Titus 1:5-9 and 2:1-10.

A pot of water at a rolling boil is a great picture for what God wants in our life. Like a pot of boiling water, the Lord wants us to be so on fire for Jesus that we boil over with the Holy Spirit, and then do the kinds of virtuous acts that Jesus did. He doesn’t want any of his people to be spiritually lazy, but rather to be zealous to do good works. How can we be those kinds of people, especially when we are tired, tempted to give up, or conflicted in our soul? Titus 2:11-15 has four ways the message of Jesus fires us up to be zealous for good works.

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released in 2015, fans took note of how Kylo Ren being Han Solo’s son reminded them of the iconic plot twist in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. It ushered many movie goers back to the moment when Luke Skywalker told Darth Vader that he killed his father and Darth Vader said, “No, I am your father.” Talk about an astounding plot twist! In Titus 3:1-15, there’s an even more astounding plot twist in the story of God and humanity, and it serves as a catalyst for us to prioritize four specific good works.