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I have read that if a maternity ward in a large city hospital kept records that were 99.9 percent accurate, they would still give several newborn babies to the wrong parents every day. If pharmacies were correct only 99.9 percent of the time, they would incorrectly fill 21,000 prescriptions every year. I don’t think we would be happy with less than 100 percent accuracy in those cases.

And can you imagine a groom at the wedding altar saying to his bride, “I will be faithful to you 99.9 percent of the time”? I wonder how many Christians live in such a way that they are telling God, “Look, Lord, you can have 99.9 percent of my life. I will give you Sunday through Friday, but Saturday night is mine.”

Being devoted to the Lord means you are devoted to integrity and excellence and honesty 100 percent of the time. You might fail, but your goal never changes.

As we set sail one last time into this little letter from Paul to Titus, the apostle closes this book by challenging the believer to be devoted to good works—devoted to excellence and integrity. And that is not a 99.9 percent commitment but a commitment for all of life. This is the kind of testimony that says, “Everything about me belongs entirely to the Lord.”

In Titus 2 Paul has addressed the testimony and conduct of Christians within the church. But here in chapter 3, he focuses on our testimony and conduct out there in the world.

The first two verses address how we treat others. Paul begins with our relationship to governing authorities, telling Titus, “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.”

Paul said the same thing in Romans 13; and in 1 Timothy 2:2, he called on Christians to pray for “kings and all those who are in high positions.” It is clearly the duty of Christians to show respect for those in authority over them, and obey them, whether it is a policeman or a councilman—unless, of course, they demand that you violate some clear command from God.

But our obligation goes beyond obedience. Paul says in verse 2 that we are to “be ready for every good work.” We are to be eager to go out of our way to serve our leaders and community with “every good work.” Beloved, the Chrisitan should be an asset in the community.[1] Frankly, Christians should be the best citizens of their country and a blessing to their community.

Verse 2 makes it clear that our “good work” is to be extended to “all people.” Paul writes that we are “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling.”

Speaking evil means to slander or speak disrespectfully of other people. We are also to “avoid quarreling,” which reflects such a bad attitude that it will drive people away from Christianity.

On the positive side, Paul writes that we are “to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” There is a concept that has disappeared from culture today—perfect courtesy! Well, how do you treat your neighbors—especially that unkind neighbor? How do you respond to someone who needs to pull into your lane on the interstate? How do you treat that waitress at the restaurant? How do you act toward someone who speaks unkindly to you? Treating others with perfect courtesy will make your testimony incredibly unique—and attractive—for Christ.  

It is actually a reflection of how Jesus treats us. Why would He treat us with compassion and kindness and courtesy? Paul writes how amazing that is, in light of who we were:

We ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us. (verses 3-5)

I Iove the way Paul puts this: We were foolish, disobedient, slaves to passions and pleasures—but! That little conjunction changes everything—“But . . . he saved us!”

Jesus saved us from the power and grip of sin and from the consequences of sin. He forgave us and gave us eternal life. And, as Paul has said so often in his letters, he says again here in verse 5: our salvation was not on the basis “works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.” It was not based on our merit; it was based on His mercy.

Mercy is God’s kindness to those in misery, as he stated in Ephesians 2:

God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. (verses 4-5)

We are saved by God’s mercy and grace. And with it comes “the washing of regeneration” (verse 5). This is an internal, spiritual cleansing that brings about spiritual life—regeneration, the new birth. We are born again as new people, raised from spiritual death and brought to new life.

Paul then mentions two results of salvation in verse 7. First, we are “justified by his grace”—that is, we are declared righteous by God, the Judge. He declares that our crimes have been erased. Second, Paul writes, we “become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” The verb tense indicates the inheritance is already our possession, but we will one day experience eternal life in its fullness, in the presence of the Lord.

Now—all that said—what God has done to transform us should transform the way we treat others.

Paul puts it plainly to Titus:

I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (verse 8)

God’s gracious salvation should produce in us good works. It ought to lead us to give to God and to others, not 99.9 percent of what is good and profitable and excellent, but 100 percent of everything we do.

Be careful, though; do not allow the wrong things to get in your way. Paul describes those things in verse 9 as “foolish [or worthless] controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law.”

The apostle adds another warning in verse 10: do not allow the wrong person to get in your way—especially one “who stirs up division.” Paul explains exactly how to deal with such a person: “After warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.” A divisive person gets two warnings, and then, Paul writes, he is “self-condemned.” This refers to church discipline. This person is to be removed from the church, lest his divisive spirit spreads inside the church.

Notice that there are not two witnesses called here, as in Matthew 18. No formal steps to follow are outlined. This is simple and straightforward, more than likely because divisive people must not be given a platform inside the church. That is what they want. They want to move quickly to create coalitions of disgruntlement. So, Paul says, you need to move just as quickly to remove them from the assembly.

As Paul closes this letter to Titus, he comes back around to this idea of total devotion to the Lord and to others. He writes in verse 14, “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works.”

Let us show the world that God, who gave Himself for us 100 percent, has saved us, transformed us, and empowered us so we can give everything we are, 100 percent, to Christ, to others, and to the world around us, that they might see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.

May that be our testimony—100 percent of the time.