| “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). |
| “For bodily exercise profiteth for a little (for a little time): but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation” (1 Timothy 4:8-9). |
| “It is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him” (2 Timothy 2:11). |
| “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8). |
| Here we have four verses, all written to individuals (Timothy and Titus), telling them some things that are “faithful sayings.” The word “faithful” means something that is firm and definite, and a faithful saying is something that does not change. |
| The first verse concerns our salvation, for we were all sinners, and needed to be saved. Paul adds, “Of whom I am chief.” Why would he say that? We get the answer in a previous verse — “I … was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious” (1 Timothy 1:13). As a young man, Paul (then Saul) had persecuted the Christians, and for this reason he considered himself to be the worst sinner. If he could be saved, anyone could! |
| The second verse concerns how we spend our time. Do we put a lot of effort into bodily exercise, or do we spend our time on godliness? Yes, it is good to get some exercise, and as Paul says, it does profit for a little time. But if we exercise ourselves unto godliness, it will last not only for this life, but also for all eternity. Many people today spend a lot of time keeping their bodies in good shape — jogging, lifting weights, sometimes running marathons, etc., but perhaps do not think much about godliness. But you and I, as Christians, should not only keep our bodies in shape, but should also spend even more time on godliness. The benefit from this will last forever! |
| The third verse concerns our being dead with Christ. What does this mean? According to Romans chapter 6, we are dead and risen with Christ. This means that we have died to sin, and are to let our new life in Christ show itself in the way we live down here. We do not take part in the sinful activities of this world, but rather live for the Lord’s glory. |
| Finally, in our fourth verse, we are told to keep on doing good works. The expression “good works” occurs four times in the book of Titus. This was because the people in Crete, to whom Titus was being sent, were naturally lazy, and were used to doing bad things. Then when they became Christians, they still had that tendency. They needed to remember that now that they were saved, they should do good works, not bad ones. We need this reminder. |
