“In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.”
Titus 1:2
Prove it.
The last time I distinctly remember someone saying this to me was when I was joking around with a friend who is a very avid gym-goer. I jokingly claimed that I could probably lift more than them, and they said “Prove it.”
Now, for those of you who have never met me or seen me in person before, I am a petite, 5’5” woman with not a lot of muscle at all. I probably couldn’t out-lift most people my size, much less a taller, more-familiar-with-the-gym friend. So no, I couldn’t prove it.
But one thing I do hope to be able to prove in my life is the gospel and how it has changed me. This is what Paul is challenging Titus to do in this letter to Titus. He links faith to practice, the gospel to godliness. He’s basically saying to Titus, “Prove it.”
So Paul opens his letter to Titus by reminding Titus of the gospel, which leads to godliness in the lives of believers, with our hope placed in the promise of eternal life that God has so graciously offered to us.
Paul most likely wrote this letter in between his first and second imprisonment. But what he focuses on isn’t how scared he is, or how much he wants God to save him. Instead, his eyes are fixed on God and his hope is in the promise of God.
In this letter, Paul urges Titus to live out his faith. He teaches Titus what Christian living and a healthy church should look like. He implores Titus to live a true Christian life because that is what will draw other people to the gospel. He wants Titus to prove that the gospel is powerful and transformative and true with his life.
So if you’re like me, you probably can’t prove much in terms of strength. But I hope that you can prove that the gospel is true by the way that you live your life. I hope that people can see how much Jesus loves them through the way you love others. I hope that people can see how good God is through your goodness towards others. And I hope that your hope is placed so firmly in Jesus, even in the worst of circumstances (even if you’re imprisoned multiple times), that other people in their own circumstances can learn to have hope too.
PRAYER: God, thank You for all that You’ve done for me. Thank You for the gift of eternal life. Make me more like You so other people can see the gospel through me. Help me to prove that You are good, holy, and loving. Amen.
