I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      Consider what it means when we say that someone or something is trustworthy.

                                                             1.      This means that we can have confidence that a person or thing is reliable.  We can comfortably depend on those persons and things that are trustworthy.

                                                             2.      In the Greek language, the word pistos has the meaning of trustworthy, faithful, and reliable.  This word is used in the New Testament 67 times and is most often translated as "faithful.”

B.      In his letters to Timothy and Titus, the apostle Paul described five statements as trustworthy (pistos).

                                                             1.      In the KJV and ASV, each of these is called a faithful saying, which has the same meaning as a trustworthy statement in the NASB.  The point is that these are sayings that we can trust as true and good.

                                                             2.      These five trustworthy statements are the subject of our lesson.

II.      FIVE TRUSTWORTHY STATEMENTS

A.      1Timothy 1:15 – "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

                                                             1.      We can trust in both the purpose and the success of Christ’s entrance into the world.

a.       Jesus stated the purpose of His coming many times.

i.         "…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28)

ii.        "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

iii.      "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12:47)

b.       The Lord accomplished His purpose with His resurrection and succeeded in providing the way of salvation to all sinners (Rom. 1:16; 6:23; Eph. 1:18-23; 2:11-22; 3:11).

                                                             2.      Paul displayed himself as the proof of this statement, for he was the foremost of sinners, yet Christ saved even him.

a.       Before his conversion to the Lord, Paul was "a persecutor and a violent aggressor” (1Tim. 1:13).  Even so, "the grace of our Lord was more than abundant” (1Tim. 1:14) for Paul’s salvation.

b.       Therefore, all sinners can trust that Christ can save them for eternal life (1Tim. 1:16).

B.      1Timothy 3:1 – "It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

                                                             1.      This statement reflects on both the men who aspire to be overseers and the work of oversight in the church.

a.       The men who aspire to serve as overseers (elders, bishops, pastors, presbyters) must themselves be trustworthy and faithful, for they will be entrusted with the household of God (1Tim. 3:2-7).

b.       All Christians should understand and respect the goodness of the work of elders in the church.

i.         The office of overseer is not a place of exaltation or self indulgence.  It is a place of work, responsibility, accountability, and burden (1Pet. 5:1-4).

ii.        Therefore, Christians should be thankful, submissive, and helpful to their elders.  Notice Hebrews 13:17 – "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.  Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

                                                             2.      Because of this statement, the men of the church should aspire to serve as elders.

a.       Many churches suffer because of a lack of men to serve as overseers.  In these cases, the "fine work” of oversight goes undone or is attempted in a way that God did not intend.

b.       Young men should be encouraged to aspire to become elders so that they will prepare themselves and become qualified.  The qualifications of 1Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 cannot be obtained overnight.

C.      1Timothy 4:7-9 – "But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.”

                                                             1.      We can trust that godliness and godly practices will always profit us in every situation.

a.       Godly behavior "holds promise for the present life” in that it garners favor and good will from men, whereas ungodliness causes difficulty, problems, and strife.

b.       Obviously, godliness holds promise for the life to come because it garners favor from God.  It is His will for us that we should be sanctified, holy, and godly in our behavior.

                                                             2.      Notice how godliness makes the practice of bodily discipline much more profitable.

a.       Many people in this world practice bodily discipline for physical health or even for personal vanity.  Bodily discipline for these motivations has only a temporary reward without godliness.

b.       However, Christians who practice bodily discipline for the purpose of godliness reap not only temporal rewards but eternal rewards as well.

D.      2Timothy 2:10-13 – "For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.  It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”

                                                             1.      As Paul wrote this trustworthy statement, he was truly trusting in it with his life.

a.       Paul wrote this letter from a Roman prison where he expected to die for Christ.  Tradition holds that he did indeed die there at the hands of the Romans.

b.       To Paul, it was worth the cost for him to endure all of his sufferings for "the sake of those who are chosen.”  He was willing to die in order to reach others with the gospel.

                                                             2.      Notice the four parts of verses 12-13.

a.       If we died a spiritual death with Christ, then we will have spiritual life (Rom. 6:3-11).

b.       If we endure trials in this life, then we will reign with Christ in the afterlife (Rev. 2:10).

c.        If we deny Christ before men, then He will deny us before the Father (Matt. 10:33).

d.       Our unfaithful failures will not affect the Lord, for He does not depend on us.  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8)

E.       Titus 3:4-8 – "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 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, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.”

                                                             1.      The trustworthy statement is found in verse 7, but verses 4-6 explain the statement’s meaning.

a.       We are justified by God’s grace and not by our own deeds.  His grace is described in terms of His kindness, love, and mercy.  In other words, our salvation is fully accredited to God and not to ourselves (see Eph. 2:8-9).

b.       The outcome of God’s grace is that we may become heirs of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

                                                             2.      Notice that Paul wanted Titus to repeat this trustworthy statement as motivation for believers to practice good deeds.

a.       Although we are saved by grace, His grace instructs us "to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Tit. 2:11-12).

b.       So then, we are not saved by good works, but we cannot be saved without them, for to reject good works is to reject the saving grace of God.

c.        Also, when the doctrine of justification by grace is preached, it should motivate us engage in good deeds.  "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

III.   CONCLUSION

A.      These five statements are sayings that we can trust.  When we live according to these good words, we can be confident of a good outcome.

B.      Therefore, these statements are deserving of full acceptance by us and by all who hear them.  Let us hear them, live by them, and preach them to others.