THE SPIRITUAL MAINTENANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
Titus 3:8

There are many things in which a regular maintenance program is important. It is important to keep the product operating properly and efficiently. For example, it is important to keep the oil changed in your car on a regular basis. Most manufacturers recommend you changing the oil every 3,000 miles or every three months. Changing the oil in your car is part of maintaining a car. It is essential in the life and longevity of your engine.

Now in some cases, you may need more than maintenance. I read about a wife that said to her husband one day, “Honey, there’s trouble with the car. It has water in the carburetor.” The husband, knowing that his wife knew nothing about cars said, “Water in the carburetor? That ridiculous.”  His wife replied, “I’m telling you the car has water in the carburetor.” The husband said, “Honey, you don’t even know what a carburetor is, but I will check it out. Where’s the car?” The wife answered, “It’s in the pool.”

What is true for our cars and other products is also true for the Christian life. The Christian life needs maintenance if it is to stay healthy and effective. I want us to look at Titus 3:8 and view it from the perspective of spiritual maintenance.

As we have looked at chapter 3 we have been reminded of certain things that we are to remember. The chapter begins with the words, “Put them in mind” (3:1). The chapter highlights certain things that we are to keep in mind, or to say it another way, there are certain things we are to remember and of which we should always be mindful.

In verses 1-2 we saw that we are to be mindful of the life we show for Christ. As we live in this world, our behavior is to be such that we bear witness for Christ. We must ever be mindful that we are God’s billboards in this world and that the Christian is the only Bible some people will ever read.

Then in verses 3-7 we are to be mindful of the life we share in Christ. We are to remember what we used to be and the change God brought in our life and the cause of that change. We are to never loose sight of our salvation and never forget the grace of God that made it all possible.

In verse 8 Paul sums up all he has said about the things we are to keep in mind. Twice in verse 8 he speaks of “these things.” The things that he is referring to are the things he has instructed us to keep in mind in verses 1-7. Verse 8 tells us how to view these things and our response to them. I like to think of it as giving us a spiritual maintenance program for the Christian life.

First, we see in this spiritual maintenance the:

1. THINGS WE ARE TO CONSIDER CONSTANTLY

Paul says, “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly.” Once again Paul speaks of how these things need to be “put in mind” or remembered constantly.

In these words we see:

A) A Pastoral Reminder

Paul’s charge to Titus the young pastor was that the things he had spoken of he was to “affirm constantly” or remind the people of them on a regular basis. As a pastor and preacher he was to constantly be reminding the people of their spiritual responsibilities and their spiritual relationship.

As a preacher Paul instruction to Titus speaks to me of a need in preaching. When I think of preaching I think of how there is a need for truth (doctrine) to be presented clearly.

I think about a plumber that wrote a government agency to ask about using hydrochloric acid to clean out some water pipes. He received a letter that said, “The efficacy of hydrochloric acid is indisputable, but the corrosive residue is incompatible with metallic permanence.” The plumber wrote back that he hoped that the government agency agreed that it was useful to use hydrochloric acid, but he wasn’t quite sure that was what they meant since he didn’t understand exactly what they were saying. He then received a letter that said, “Don’t use hydrochloric acid to clean pipes. It eats the devil out of pipes.”

Now, that’s being clear. Now, I have heard some preachers who when they were through I had to get a dictionary out to interpret what they said. When it comes to preaching, people ought to be able to understand what a preacher is saying. Keeping it simple and clear ought to be the aim of all preaching.

I also believe there is a need for truth (doctrine) to be presented completely. The whole counsel of God should be preached. The whole Bible should be believed and the whole Bible should be preached. Every word in the Bible is inspired of God, therefore it is the Word. Since it is the Word of God, it should be preached in its entirety.

Furthermore, there is a need for truth (doctrine) to be presented continually. I have studied preaching and preachers and I have found that all great preachers had certain subjects that were predominant in their preaching. These subjects were not all they preached, but these subjects were a constant theme in their preaching.

That’s what Paul was saying to Titus. He was telling him to remind people all the time of their walk and witness as Christian in the world in which they live. He was telling him to remind believers what they were in the past and who they are in the present.

As a preacher of the gospel and a pastor, I believe that I have a responsibility of preaching to you God’s Word clearly and completely. Likewise, I also am to keep you and put you in mind of your responsibilities and a Christian and of your relationship to Christ. These are themes that should be constantly interwoven in all my preaching.

Also notice that in these words are a:

B) A Personal Remembrance

Titus was to remind the people and the people were to remember. Titus was to put in mind and the people were to keep in mind. The things Paul addressed in verses 1-7 are things that we should keep before us at all times.

However I have found that we Christians are very forgetful. We are sometimes three older ladies who were discussing the travails of getting older. One said, "Sometimes I catch myself with a jar of mayonnaise in my hand in front of the refrigerator and can't remember whether I need to put it away, or start making a sandwich."

The second lady chimed in, "Yes, sometimes I find myself on the landing of the stairs and can't remember whether I was on my way up or on my way down."

The third one responded, "Well, I'm glad I don't have that problem- knock on wood." As she rapped her knuckles on the table and then said, "That must be the door, I'll get it."

We live in a world that needs to see Christ in our life. As we once were they are now. How we live as Christians is very important in what kind of witness we are to the world. This is something we should be conscious of at all times.

There was an hour when we came face to face with God’s saving grace. By God’s grace we have been saved. We experienced a wonderful transformation of life. By that grace we have been brought into many wonderful blessings. As believers, we should never loose sight of what God has done for us, but dwell in these glorious truths. Throughout the day, yea; all through our life, we should always be mindful of what God has done for us in and by grace.

The spiritual maintenance of our Christian life involves things that we should consider constantly. Furthermore, we see that the spiritual maintenance of the Christian life involves:

2. THINGS WE ARE TO CONSIDER CAREFULLY

In verse 8 Paul adds “that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.” The word “careful” is only used this once in the Bible and it speaks of giving careful and serious thought to a matter. It comes from a root word that is translated “understanding” in other places in the Bible. This root word literally means “to rein in.” There are certain things you are rein in, that is, give careful thought to until there is an understanding of these things.

In Paul’s words we find two things that a Christian should consider carefully. First, there is:

A) God’s Word

He speaks of those who have “believed in God.” To believe in God refers to more than just someone who believes in God for salvation. This is someone who takes God at His Word. They have believed in God, demonstrate faith in God, and trust what God says in His Word.

In Romans 4:3 the Bible says, “Abraham believed God.” He took God at His word.

If you are to keep a spiritually healthy life God’s Word must be taken seriously. Take the matter of reading the Bible for example. In a survey taken by the Barna Research Group, it was found that in 2005 only 45% read the Bible during a typical week. Women (50%) are more likely to read the Bible than men (39%). Blacks (64%) are the ethnic group most likely to have read the Bible in the past week, followed by Hispanics (38%), whites (44%) and Asians (25%). By region, it was found that adults who read their Bible, Northeast (34%), South (52%), Midwest (42%), West (47%). The poll reveals that Bible reading is not a huge priority to many.

Paul’s statement involves more than reading the Bible. It includes reading the Bible, but involves a Christian acting on what the Bible says. That is what is meant by believing God. The poor Bible reading habits of the average Christian is but reflected in the lack of faith that is so often demonstrated.

God’s Word is to be considered carefully. The Bible is God’s Word. First, settle that in your heart. Nail that down in your life. THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD!

Secondly, therefore, what the Bible says is true. Recently I was reading the sermon of Theodore Parker entitled “The Transient and Permanent in Christianity.” Parker was a pastor in Boston in the mid-1800’s. He did not believe in the supernaturalism of the Bible and Christianity. For example, in his sermon he said of the account of God commanding Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice:

“Matters have come to such a pass that even now he is deemed an infidel, if not by implication an atheist, whose reverence for the Most High forbids him to believe that God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son,--a thought at which the flesh creeps with horror; to believe it solely on the authority of an Oriental story, written down nobody knows when or by whom, for what purpose; which may be a poem, but cannot be the record of a fact, unless God is the author of confusion and a lie.”

My response to Mr. Parker is that I am among the crowd that would consider him, and those like him, to be an infidel. A preacher who doubts, decries, and even denies what the Bible says is in my opinion an infidel. And I would add that the story of Abraham and Isaac is a record of fact and not some poem written down by someone nobody knows or why. It is God’s record of events, a record that is absolutely and totally true.

Because the Bible is true, you can believe it. You should believe it. You should take God at His Word, believe His Word, and act upon His Word. As Jesus said, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).

Believing God is something you should consider carefully. The Bible says in Hebews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please” God. The Bible also says in Romans 14:23 that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Faith, or believing God, is important. If the lack of faith is sin and if we cannot please God without faith, it is very important. Believing God and taking Him at His Word is something we should consider carefully and come to an understanding of its importance in our life.

Furthermore, we should consider carefully:

B) God’s Work

Paul speaks of maintaining “good works.” The words “good works” come from a Greek word that literally means “to stand in front of.” It was a word used for a shopkeeper standing in front of his shop seeking to entice people to come into his shop and buy his wares.

I have been to Cozumel, Mexico on three different occasions. I love the area but hate walking through the town. At every store there is someone hollering at you and trying to get you to come in any look around. You can’t enjoy just walking down the street and enjoying the town for people hollering at you. Once I walked past a jewelry store and a man said to me, “Come in and buy something pretty for your wife. Show her that you love her.” I nodded my head no and as we walked down the street my wife looked at me, smiled, and said, “Don’t you love me?”

As Christians we are to be seeking to get others to come to Christ. That is the work God has given every Christian. This is a work that we are to consider carefully. It is not something we should take lightly, but one that we should think about and come to the understanding that it is a work God has given us to do.

We don’t have something to sell, but we do have something to tell. That is our work. Rather, I should say, that is God’s work, a work that God wants to do through us. It is a work that we should consider carefully and understand that is a work that every Christian should be doing.

In closing let me say just a word about the:

3. THINGS WE ARE TO CONSIDER CIVICALLY

Paul ends verse 8 by saying, “These things are good and profitable unto men.” Once again our witness and walk in the world is on Paul’s mind. He is thinking about the people around us and our impact on them.

Having spoken of the things we should put in mind in verses 1-7 he now speaks of them as:

A) Things That Are Honorable

He speaks of the as “good.” The word “good” speaks of that which is honest or honorable. Living a consecrated life is spiritually honest and honorable. Keeping a heart full of praise and gratitude for all God has done for us is likewise honorable.

It is good for both the Christian and the world. It is good for the Christian in that it honors God. It is good for the world in that it will ultimately bring honor to God through the saving of souls.

He also speaks of these things as:

B) Things That Are Helpful

He not only describes them as “good” but also “profitable to men.” The word “profitable” speaks of that which is helpful. God’s great desire is to see all men saved. The cry of the heart of God is for sinners to come to Him and be saved. The sending of Jesus to be our Savior is the great expression of His heart and love.

As Christians put in mind the things Paul has described, and as they become a part of our daily behavior, they are helpful and profitable in God’s great desire being accomplished.

We that have been saved by God’s grace live in a world that needs what we have experienced. Therefore, there are things that should be considered constantly, carefully, and civically.

By putting in mind these things we develop a spiritual maintenance program of the Christian life. We keep our Christian lives effective and meaningful.