A Study Of The Book Of Titus.
Lesson 2 Chapter 1:2
By Pastor Randy Johnson
- Verse 2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”
- “In hope of eternal life…”
a. The word “hope” here means - to anticipate, usually with pleasure; expectation or to have confidence”
b. Notice what Paul said about hope in Romans 8:24-25 "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? (25.) But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."
c. Verse 2 is not a sentence; in fact verses 1 – 4 is one single sentence therefore it carries the same thought and conclusion. Back in verse 1 it says “…according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth…” This is Jesus Christ; we are saved by His faith and faith in Him, and the “acknowledging of the truth” is the acknowledging of Him because He is truth. John 14:6
d. Peter summed it us in 1 Peter 1:21 "Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God."
e. So this should read “Jesus Christ our expectation or confidence” of eternal life.
f. Our hope goes beyond eternal life; it also involves everything we had in Christ. Romans 5:2 “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
- “…which God, that cannot lie…”
a. A Christian may not realize it but this is the greatest blessing from God, that He is truth and in Him is no lies. That is our hope because if God said it then it is fact.
b. The writer of Hebrews said it this way Hebrews 6:13 "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,"
c. The fact that God cannot lie; that it is his nature always to speak the truth.
d. Paul said to the Church at Rome; Romans 3:4 "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."
e. Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
f. God is the only source we can have complete confidence in. remember the word “hope” it means expectation or confidence this is how we can have that expectation or confidence because God cannot lie.
- “…promised…”
a. This word means - to assert something respecting oneself – The hope is promised because promised it and swore it by Himself; Beloved we have salvation then hope because God elected it before the world began and swore it to us in that election; He will not change His mind nor can He.
b. 2 Timothy 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"
c. Romans 4:21 "And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."
d. Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)" the last part of this verse is a deeper explanation of the first part and details why we can “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering”
- “…before the world began;” The eternal life we have was promised to the Son before the world began ( known as the eternal covenant) and the faith we have in it is that God cannot lie.
a. Matthew 25:34 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”
b. Acts 15:18 “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” If salvation is a work of God then it must have been completed before the world was created.
c. This is what makes the Christian strong in faith; that we can trust God. A. W. Tozer once said: "The Christian is strong or weak depending on how closely he has cultivated the knowledge of God."
d. Romans 16:25 "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,"
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