The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Titus 3:1-5, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,

2 to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit…”

When I’m reading a passage of Scripture, I like to outline it. Outlining is like seeing the bones without the flesh. Often it helps in understanding the passage as a whole. This passage outlines like this:

1. Instruction given (vv. 1-2)

2. Confession made (v. 3)

3. Transformation occurs (vv 4-5).

It’s always best to commence with the positives. Keep your atttitude positive. Show respect to those who are in authority. I once an author overseas. A friend kindly introduced us; but I had to add that I had read his book, but didn’t find anything with which I could agree. STOP!!! Not the right thing to say. While it was the truth, it flew in the face of Paul’s positive instructions.

Then, in verse 3, Paul cites things he had done that he ought not to have done. (This is where my comment on the man’s book should be found –if it needed to be referenced at all.) Paul’s mention of negatives in his past life has the purpose of drawing a picture of what he once was in variance to what he is at the time of writing. In other words, he was saying, “I know what you are and what you’ve done because that’s how I was and lived before I met Jesus Christ.”

*Notice that Paul says less about what he was then, than he does about what he is now because of Christ.

The ultimate emphasis is on what Christ Jesus did to and for him and that it is all Christ’s doing, not his own!

Thus, the glory all goes to the LORD! We who know Him have been saved, spiritually washed, forgiven of our past indulgences and made spiritually new and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. It is He who will keep us on the right path and keep our attitudes soft, but positive regarding what the LORD can and will do!

Please don’t ever give up! Even as a saved person, you won’t live totally outside of sin. But, that will require you to seek continual forgiveness. When you’re hungry, you keep going back for food. When you sin, you keep asking the LORD for forgiveness. Each time, however, He will give you added strength until you conquer that transgression! This happens to me on a daily basis! And I’ve been a Christian for 77 years! Surprised? Stay in the Word (Bible) daily! Pray specifically and often! The LORD wants to know that you are serious about being a true Christian.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”