God. Never. Lies.

“in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” (v2)

A friend of mine likes to say that you can tell when a politician is lying because his lips are moving. Let’s be honest, politicians haven’t cornered the market on lies. It seems like our world is full of fiction, fabrication, and falsehood. Truth tellers are few and far between. There is One you and I can always count on to shoot us straight. God. He never lies. Here in his letter to Titus, Paul reminds his buddy that God always tells the truth. God never misleads. He never fibs. He never exaggerates. He’s the greatest non-fiction Author of all-time. The apostle lets us know that’s especially true when it comes to life everlasting. When it comes to eternal life, Jesus isn’t joking around. And since God always tells the truth, He always comes through.

God. Never. Lies.

What if everything you and I believe about God is a lie? What if it’s all smoke and mirrors? What if it’s just the slickest con ever pulled off? Well, we would be in a world of hurt if that’s the case. But over thousands of years, God has gone out of His way to reassure us that He can be trusted. This was obvious even to Balaam the profitable prophet who said, “God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?” (Num 23:19). God personally told Habakkuk that when He gives someone a vision, “it will not lie…it will surely come” (Hab 2:3). Our man Paul told believers in Rome that God can be trusted even when His messengers mess things up. “Let God be true though every one were a liar” (Rom 3:4). Jesus went so far as to say if we want to know what the truth is, just take one look His way. “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn 14:6).

God. Never. Lies.

Paul wants us to be sure of one thing. There’s no bait and switch with Jesus. And that includes eternal life. Since God never, ever lies, His promise of life everlasting is a stone cold, lead pipe lock. Here the apostle writes of the “hope of eternal life” (v2). This isn’t some pie-in-the-sky, sweet-bye-and-bye. The Greek word for hope is elpis. It describes a confident expectation of something awesome. We don’t just cross our fingers and hope for the best when it comes to everlasting life. We can take it to the bank, my friend. It’s going to happen. We can just as well understand this as the “certainty of eternal life.” It’s a sure thing. It’s a done deal. One Jesus rescues us, He comes to live in us. That’s why we can be sure of “Christ in you, the hope (Gr. elpis) of glory” (Col 1:27). Despite anything this fallen world throws our way, “we rejoice in hope (Gr. elpis) of the glory of God” (Rom 5:2).

God. Never. Lies.

With all this talk about our never-lying God, it might be easy to miss another huge point Paul is trying to make. He tells Titus that the Godhead has been promising eternal life “before the ages began” (v2). Chew on that for a moment. I don’t know about you, but that kinda makes my head hurt. Before God created time, He booked His calendar to spend it with us. Hit the rewind button and see for yourself. Before the cross. Before the manger. Before the Exodus. Before the fall. Before the garden. Before creation. “BEFORE THE AGES BEGAN!” (v2 emphasis mine). I can’t say that I ever even considered that God promised eternal life before time began. Watching an episode of Star Trek where the crew deals with the Time-Space Continuum makes my brain swim. But before He created time, God created His plan for my eternal life. 

Paul made this point when he wrote to his Ephesian friends. “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will” (Eph 1:4-5). That’s right, this whole deal has been in the works before He created the world. Just before his own death, the man from Tarsus told his boy Tim that our eternal relationship with God was all part of His plan before He started the clock. God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2Tim 1:9). 

Let’s live our lives with both of these facts in full view. First, God never lies. He’s the ultimate Truth Teller. If He says, it’s a done deal. Count on it. Expect it. Second, our eternal life with Him has been part of His plan since before time began. Go back to the very first words of Genesis for a moment. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). God created something before that. His plan for for eternal life with His people. When it comes to eternal life, Jesus isn’t joking around. And since God always tells the truth, He always comes through.

God. Never. Lies.