12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
In verse 12 grace teaches something negative and something positive. It teaches two negative things and three positive things.
First let us look at what grace teaches us negatively.
12 teaching us
Grace teaches something. It not only saves our soul but it undertakes our training in time. “Teaching” means instruct, educate, carrying the idea of nurture. We get our word pedagogy from this Greek word. Grace is our tutor; it nurtures our Christian lives.
that,
The result of teaching by discipline or nurture is that we will do something negative and something positive. A battery needs both a negative and a positive pole; otherwise, it will not start a car. We need both negative and positive in the Christian life. Some people never get beyond the negative in their Christian life.
denying [renounce] ungodliness
The Greek for “denying” indicates that we are to deny decisively. Deny means to repudiate. The Christian must willfully reject anything that is not godly.
Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness. Ungodliness is the lack of respect or reverence for God. This person lives as if God does not exist.
and [the] worldly lusts,
Grace teaches us to deny worldly lusts. We are to refuse all worldly lusts—the “the” indicates that we leave out everything that relates to worldly lusts. A “worldly” lust relates to Satan’s cosmic system of belief. It is any belief opposed to God. It is a world order run by the prince of the world alienated from God (Eph 2:2). The entire system is alien to God (1 Jn 2:15-19).
PRINCIPLE:
The grace of God teaches us to say “no” to some things.
APPLICATION:
There is a renunciation aspect to Christianity. Lusts come from the source of the satanic world system. They originate from pride, status, power, and greed. These lusts are inordinate longing for material possessions, vanity, pleasure, and power.
Refusal to take part in the pleasure of sin must be clear cut. We repudiate the delight temptations offer. We tear them up by the root from our soul. Otherwise, they will put a pock on our spirit; Satan will put his stamp and trademark on us. Christians march to a different drumbeat than this world system. We are different for having been washed by the blood of Christ.
In the last verse that we looked at, Titus
The grace of God teaches us about salvation. The grace of God teaches us that we are sinners who need salvation. The grace of God points us to Christ so that we can believe on Him and be saved. And the grace of God also teaches us what God’s will for us is after salvation. Notice first of all that God is concerned more about “what” you are than “where” you are. You are on the earth: you are “in this present world.” Because of the grace of God, the day will come when you will be in heaven; but until that day comes, there is a certain way that God wants you to live. He wants you to turn away from something, and then to turn towards something else. That is repentance: a turning from something and a turning to something else.
Believers are to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts.” Of course, ungodliness has to do with anything that is not godly. It is the opposite of being godly. Just think of everything that a good Christian should not do or say and those are the things that you should “deny.” It is interesting that we are told to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. To deny means that we are to repudiate and to say “no” to these things. In other words the battle starts by having the right attitude toward certain activities of the unbelievers. There are certain behaviors and certain ideas that a Christian will not accept for his own or for her own. A Christian says “no” to them from the very start. A Christian denies these things. In case someone is not clear on just exactly what we are talking about, the next phrase helps to make it clearer.
Followers of Christ should deny “worldly lusts.” The word “worldly” tells us that this verse is talking about life on this earth. The word “lusts” means literally “strong desires.” Most of the desires that human beings have are normal desires. They are the normal desires of human life: the desire for food, the desire for love, the desire to succeed at one’s endeavors, etc. These things are normal and good, but only in the proper context and to the proper degree. When a normal desire is allowed to motivate a person improperly, then that person has lusted. For example, sex in marriage is God’s will. Sex is a strong physical desire. The fulfillment of that desire is good and proper in marriage. But those who allow the desire for sex to motivate them to do things outside of marriage have been carried away by worldly lusts. Too many in the human race have accepted the improper fulfillment of the desire for power or the desire for success or the desire for sex or something else to be a part of their view of life. But a Christian does not accept such strong desires as being acceptable. A Christian is taught by the grace of God to “deny” world lusts. Sin is called sin, and is never justified.
Instead of ungodliness and worldly lusts a Christian is taught by the grace of God to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” The fact that the “grace” of God teaches us this; means that: we will benefit greatly the more that we are able to live such lives. There are always negative consequences to living according to “worldly lusts.” There are positive consequences to living “soberly, righteously, and godly.” Jesus said, “I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.”
Titus 2:11, 12 and 13 are great verses for describing the past, the present, and the future for each believer. Titus
Titus
In the phrase “the glorious appearing”, the word “appearing” comes from the same word that is translated “appeared” in Titus 2:12 that says “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” In a very similar way in which Jesus Christ appeared on the earth the first time, He will appear again. He will be manifested. He will be seen by the eyes of men. Faith will turn into sight. Of course, there will be some very big differences in what Jesus does when His second appearing takes place compared to His first appearing. The itinerant preacher of the first coming will be manifested in the second coming as the “great God” just as Titus
Titus
Titus
The Bible says in Titus 2:15, “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” First believe and become a child of God through faith in Christ, then learn to be a doer of God’s commandments. Finally, do the three things that the Bible speaks of here: speak, exhort, and rebuke. It is important what we say. No one will learn anything, if those who know say nothing. Sometimes when we do speak we need to exhort, and sometimes we need to rebuke. To exhort means to comfort or to console. Some people are in great sorrow or distress, and they need comforting words of God’s promises. Other people have made some bad choices and are in a dark place spiritually speaking. Such people may need to be rebuked by showing them the error of their ways. To rebuke means to convince them of their error.
When Paul told Titus, “Let no man despise thee,” perhaps Paul was telling Titus exactly what can easily happen once one has decided to speak forth God’s Word. This phrase might have the meaning: “Keep men from despising thee.” Once you become a speaker of God’s Word, people will watch you much more closely. You must have the best of behavior so that at least no one will be justified in despising you. One of the terrible things that has happened in these last days is that there are men who have set themselves up as preachers who are despicable people. Only the best of Christians should be preachers. Only individuals who have truly taken this commandment to heart should be preachers: “Let no man despise thee.”
Titus chapter three gives some details on exactly what the content of Titus’ preaching should be. The Bible says in Titus 3:1, “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.” The word that is translated “to be subject to” has already been used two other times in the book of Titus where it was translated “obedient” in Titus 2:5 and Titus 2:9. The word is also translated often in the New Testament as “submit.” For example, Romans 10:3 says, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submittedthemselves unto the righteousness of God.” To be subject to is to obey. A Christian should always obey the law. To be subject to is to submit. To submit is to willingly put oneself under the authority of another. The opposite of this is to be in rebellion. Rebellion is sin. To submit refers to being willing to do what another person wants.
Believers in Christ should be subject to principalities and powers, and they should obey magistrates. The word that is translated “obey magistrates” means literally “to be persuaded by those in authority.” It is once again an emphasis on the fact that God has established authorities in your life, and God wants you to obey in such a way that you receive and accept the goals that your authorities make for you. Once a decision has been made, you are to conform to that decision. God wants you to be persuaded that what has been decided by those in authority is a good thing and should be honored by you. There is far too much disrespect, there is far too much rebellion, and there is far too much resistance to those in authority. If you want to be a follower of Christ, then live in submission to the authorities that have been placed over you.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age (Titus 2:11-12)
There is hardly a more wonderful theme in the Bible than the grace of God. The truth that God freely gives His favor and approval in Jesus Christ to the believer, and He does this without measuring whether or not that believer deserves such blessing – this is a profound truth, one that sets many free with its power and glory.
I think that it is impossible to take grace too far. The Bible teaches us that there are two principles upon which we can relate to God: the principle of law and the principle of grace. We don’t need to “balance” law and grace; God deals with the believer on the basis of grace, and we must respond back to Him the same way.
If it is impossible to take grace too far, it is possible to take grace wrongly. One wrong way to teach grace is to ignore what Titus 2:11-12 says about grace.
Said plainly, grace teaches us to live godly lives. Those who seem to abuse grace don’t take grace too far; they refuse to listen to what grace teaches. According to one commentator, the idea in this passage is that grace is presented as a person, someone who teaches the believer how to live the Christian life, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.
Grace puts ungodliness and worldly lusts in our past. Now grace teaches us to renounce those things, not only to avoid them. One may say that in a world where we are tempted to say “Yes” to every desire and feeling, that the reality of our faith can be demonstrated by what we say no to, by what we are willing to deny.
Grace also teaches us how to live in the present age. We must live soberly (self-controlled) in regard to ourselves. We must live righteously in regard to the people around us. And we must live godly (“to take God seriously”) in regard to our God.
Taken together, we see that the fear of the legalist – that preaching grace produces Christians who don’t care about obedience – is unfounded. Grace teaches us obedience.
We need more of God’s grace, not less. You can’t take grace too far, but you can take it wrongly. God’s grace is teaching. Are you listening?
Paul to the church on the island of Crete. He was instructed that he must teach God’s people to live a godly life, to live a life that was consistent with the salvation that they had received in Christ. Paul puts it this way in verse 1 of the second chapter: “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.”
Sound doctrine is not simply orthodox doctrine, but it is, literally, wholesome or healthy doctrine. When the truth of God is only vaguely in our heads but not governing our life, we are dead. But when the living truth has taken the heart captive through faith, governing the feeling and the willing, then we have healthy doctrine.
The believers on Crete needed that sound or healthy doctrine because they, as we, lived in an especially evil time and an evil place. Paul refers to this in the first chapter, verses 12ff., where he says that the society could be characterized as being filled with evil beasts. Men were given over to sin, so they were like beasts. And they were idle gluttons. Then, in verse 15, he says that their minds and their consciences were defiled and they were abominable and unto every good work disobedient. The church in Cretelived among gross and horrible things, where the moral nerves of the society had been cut, that men were past feeling. In such a world did Jesus say to His people: “You live to Me.”
In chapter 2 Paul goes on to give the specifics of how Titus is to teach men and women in the church, and young men and young women, and the employees — all of them — how they are to live. He says in verse 10, “that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” That is really the point! He says, “You must teach the people of God to adorn the doctrine of God.” That is, that their life in every point is to show the beauty of God and the reality of His salvation in their life. Then, to fortify that, to give a compelling reason why they must live in a way whereby the truth of God is constantly being adorned, he says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” The point is this: God’s saving grace teaches us to live a godly life right now.
Saved by grace. That is the one glorious truth of the Scriptures. That is the one doctrine above all other doctrines — salvation is all of God’s grace. Do you know that? Do you know that in your heart? Then you will also know how to live a godly life. To live an ungodly life, to live indifferently, to live apathetically, to live using the “F” word, to live without prayer, to live without repentance — and then for you to say, “I’m saved by grace,” that is blasphemy. The worst blasphemy is not committed out in the world someplace. It is committed by those who outwardly say they are saved by grace but who live an ungodly life. That is the worst blasphemy before God. That means that you do not know in your heart what you are talking about when you say that you are saved by grace. When you have been saved by saving grace, real grace, then you have the motivation, in that grace, for a godly life.
It is the grace of God that has saved us. We read, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” The word “grace” means, as you might know, undeserved favor. God’s grace is, first, that He does not give us what we deserve — that is, damnation. But He gives us what we do not deserve and can never earn — salvation. It means that there is nothing in you or in me or in any other child of God that has worth of ourselves. There is no value in us. We have value in Christ, by grace. But of ourselves we are vile sinners, devoid of any good thing whatsoever.
But we are saved. Why? Because God in His own heart would be gracious and merciful and abundant in mercy. He willed to save us. He had a favor to do so. To be saved by grace means that the decision for salvation is God’s decision — not the sinner’s. God, out of mere grace, from eternity, elected and chose those whom He would save because He would do so.
We read in II Timothy 1:9 that it is God who has “saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose (now note the words) and grace.” God has saved us according to His own grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. It was an eternal grace. God chose to give us this grace before the world began, before we had even any being, before we had done good or evil. We are, then, saved by an eternal, particular, wondrous, and amazing grace of God. Those who are saved are no better in themselves than those who go to hell. Those who are saved are no better than those who are hardened before God in their unbelief and are left in the vileness of their sins. But when we are saved, it is because God has been gracious to us. And in that grace, He has brought us to salvation. Let us keep that straight. We are not saved because we are more worthy, because we are made of better stuff, because we made the right choice, because we stood a bit better than the next guy. No! No flesh may ever glory in the presence of God. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (I Cor. 1). We are saved by grace.
Now that grace, says the apostle Paul, has appeared. Literally, it has broken through the gloom of our sins. It has appeared in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has come, by God’s grace, into the world, to die and to arise again and to ascend before His Father. Really the text is speaking, first, of the appearance of God’s grace and the appearance of Christ to bring us salvation. Then, second, when Christ comes again to bring us glory. Verse 13 tells us that God’s grace is going to appear again in the coming of the Son of God when He returns again in glory. We read that we look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
So, the grace of God came to us. It came first when Christ bore our sins in His own body on a tree to obtain our pardon. Then grace also comes when Christ returns at the end of the world and brings us in complete salvation to Himself. So grace, grace that has appeared, speaks. It speaks to our hearts. It tells us how to live a godly life. Grace is not a cheap ticket to heaven on a bed of lust and drunkenness and cursing and evil. But grace has taught our hearts to sing, has taught our feet to walk obediently to God, has taught our hands to work the things of God, has taught our eyes to love the things of God, has taught us how to live. God’s grace changes our life. It produces a holy life. Where there is grace, there will be Christian living, there will be Christ-like desires, there will be repentance.
That is because God’s grace is God’s power working in our souls, overpowering our dead will of sin and inclining our desires unto new and holy things.
Paul says in I Corinthians 15:10, “By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paul is talking there of a power, a power to free him, a power to bring salvation; of an irresistible power that broke down a stubborn heart and now subdued him and worked powerfully in him unto a new and holy life.
That power of God’s grace is worked, of course, through means. We call them the “means of grace.” God works the power of His grace through His Word, through the preaching of His Word, through prayer, and through friends. God’s grace is a power that is felt. It actually energizes you that believe. It gives you an ear to hear and an eye to see and a heart to believe.
God’s grace has come to you, says the apostle. It hath appeared to all men, that is to all kinds of men — to all ages, young and old, to servants, to married and unmarried, to husbands and wives, to business men in the world, to the housewife at home, a college student, young people, little children. It has appeared to you. It is actually present now. You can say, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” God’s grace has appeared. And it has appeared to teach us how to live.
We read: “It teaches us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” The appearance of God’s mighty grace to our souls has an effect. It instructs our hearts. It teaches our feet. It moves our soul to a godly life. Does the appearance of God’s grace have that effect upon you?
There are some who say that if you teach that salvation is all of grace, you will produce careless Christians — that men will remain indifferent in their sins, that you are giving people a permission to engage in ungodliness. No, says the Word of God. No, says God. The very opposite is true. The truth of God is clean contrary to that perversion of this truth, to that lie, to that slander. It is grace, and it is only grace, that is the compelling reason to live a holy, Christian life. Not works. If you look at the Christian life as an attainment that you have accomplished by your decision, then you are not going to live soberly, righteously, and godly. But you will become cold and sterile and you will become self-righteous. But when you see God’s grace to one who is so despicable as yourself, so deserving of eternal destruction, and when that wonderful grace of God shines in upon your heart, it will teach you how to live.
That word “teach” means lead step by step. The teaching of grace does not throw you into confusion. It does not simply move you along as the spirits of the demons. But it leads you step by step in an intelligent, principled, heart-felt, Christian life. It is a good teacher.
It teaches us, first of all, what we must avoid. God’s grace teaches us that we must deny ungodliness and worldly lust. Ungodliness refers to a life without regard for what God says. It arises out of inward contempt for God. Ungodliness is to say, “I’ll go my own way. I’ll do what suits me. I will give myself to what I please.” That ungodliness, then, shows itself in many forms: fornication and envy and murder and backbiting, slander and being cruel and disobedient. That is our nature. By nature we are ungodly. Now the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness, to hate even the thought that I would live without regard for God. The grace of God teaches us that we must deny worldly lust. Worldly lusts are sinful passions that are found in the world and that are found in our flesh — all the things that modern entertainment seeks to glamorize and promote: sexual lusts and drunkenness and greed and pride and on and on would go the list. God’s grace in Christ is teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts.
That word “deny” is a strong word. It means to renounce. It means to repudiate. It is the word that was used concerning Peter when he “denied” the Lord. When Peter denied Jesus, that was strong. That was emphatic! So also grace teaches us to be strong, to be emphatic, to repudiate ungodliness and worldly lusts. Do you see in your life things that are displeasing to God? God says, “Grace has now appeared.” What does grace say to you? Grace works within you the desire, the inmost desire, to repudiate your own lusts and your ungodliness.
And then, as a good teacher, it teaches us what to do — that we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world. That, of course, means that grace produces a great change. The Christian is not someone who is under cover in this present world, hoping that no one will notice him, being secretly ashamed of being identified with Christ. No, no. A Christian is not a dead fish floating belly-up downstream with the world of filth — evil-speaking and swearing and drinking, just like everybody else, only he has religion on Sunday. That is not a Christian. That one is not saved.
But a Christian is alive. He is living and he is swimming upstream, against the stream of the world — in sobriety, righteousness, and godliness. We are to live soberly, not drunk — not physically drunk, but not drunk either with the things of this world, not saturated with the things of this world, not living for the things of this world. What do youlive for? What is your deepest enjoyment? Are you drunk with sports? Are you drunk with yourself? Are you drunk with looks? Do you stand in front of the mirror? Are you drunk with fashion? Are you drunk with popularity? The Word of God says that grace will teach us to live soberly, to think right, to think about Christ.
Then we are to live righteously. That means upright, faithful lives to each other, faithful lives in marriage, faithful lives to our friends.
And we are to live godly. That is, we live for God’s eye. We live for His smile. We live in such a way that He does not frown upon us.
Grace produces a change. This change does not rub off. This change has a lasting effect.
First of all, grace teaches us to do all of this — to live a godly life — in this present world. So it does not rub off when you go out into the world, not the grace of God! God’s grace will not simply be something we talk about on Sunday. It will be the present power driving our life in this world. You see, you and I, as children of God, are not saved simply for God’s glory in heaven. We are saved for God’s glory on earth, right now, in this present world — in the dating that we do, in the friends that we have, in the recreation that we pursue, in the life that we live, in our devotion to the church. We are to adorn the doctrine of God in all things. We are to show how beautiful is that grace. So we want that grace in our home. We want it in our work. We want it in our school. We do not want that grace hid. We do not want to wear camouflage in this world — the camouflage of indifference and shame. Grace is something that is seen.
Secondly, the grace of God will have this effect, it will control our aspirations. It will control what we want. That is always the effect of a good teacher, you know. Some of the best teachers have a way of creating in others the desire to be like them. Good teaching produces a yearning, a desire to be that. So also grace. Grace teaches us to look ahead for the glorious and blessed hope, says the apostle, of the appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Grace produces in us an eager waiting, a waiting for Christ to come, a waiting for Him not as a prisoner on death row is waiting for his sentence of death, but the waiting of a school-boy for summer vacation! He can hardly wait for it to start! Do you eagerly wait for Jesus to come? That is what grace is teaching you to do. It directs you to heaven. That is the gauge by which you can measure your faith today.
Do you want Christ to come? Then grace has taught you the magnificence of Christ. Grace has given you a right view of this earthly life. It is vanity. It has nothing to offer. Your life is above in Christ. Then you will live. You will know how to live. You will live a godly life filled with hope for His return. You will do that because you are saved by grace.
Let us pray.
Father, we thank Thee for Thy Word. We pray that the instruction of Thy Word may enter into our hearts and change us day by day in true repentance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, Titus 2:12
Paul now takes the exhortations of the previous verses, and he explains the reason for them. The last thing he relayed was that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Jesus is that grace of God which is offered. In response, we are to act in a manner which is appropriate to the grace we have received. This then is what is intended. It is “teaching us.” The word signifies discipline, even punishment. It is the kind of chastening that is intended to train up a child. Charles Ellicott states the intent. He says it is “educating us by life’s sad experiences. God’s grace is in truth a stern discipline of self-denial and training for higher things.”
Understanding the context, Paul says this process is “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts” is for a specific purpose. In our lives, we are to refuse to affirm any actions which would be ungodly. That includes a life of irreverence, wickedness, and refusing to give honor to God. We are also to refuse to participate in any worldly lusts. This speaks of inordinate desires, passions, and urges. We are to deny such things which are contrary to lives of holiness, and we are to “live soberly.”
Here Paul uses the adverbial form of another word that is found in the pastoral epistles. It signifies acting sensibly and with a sound mind. Thus it speaks of living moderately and in a manner which is true to our calling.
He then says we are to live “righteously.” This speaks of being judicially approved. It was first used in comparison to Jesus on the cross in Luke 23 –
Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
In other words, just as Jesus had done nothing unjust and yet was sentenced, the criminals had received their punishment justly. So we are to walk in a manner like that of Christ Jesus.
Paul then continues with, “and godly.” It is an adverb found only here and in 2 Timothy 3:12. It signifies living piously. Our inward actions are to be exhibited in godly outward conduct.
Finally, Paul says that all of these are to be continued in us “in the present age.” This signifies during our entire time in this earthly walk. We have a time ahead where there will be a different order of things. But now, we are stuck in these fallen bodies and in a fallen world. We are to rise above these things though, and we are to conduct our lives in a manner which is appropriate to our calling based on the grace of God found in Christ Jesus.
Life application: There can be no doubt that the words of this verse are difficult to apply to our lives at times. We face many stresses such as hunger, lack of sleep, noisy neighbors, or whatever. They can cause us to get unhinged and off track. But Paul exhorts us to do our utmost to live in a manner worthy of our calling at all times. This is what is good and honorable, and so let us pursue this to the greatest extent possible.
Lord God, we can sure face our limitations at any given time. We get hungry, we tire from a lack of sleep, or we might stub our toe and lose our cool. Help us to continue on in a manner which is right and proper in such times. Help us to think on Your word, and to be ready to keep from failing to act in a way which is right, godly, and proper. Amen.
But there is something else which is equally important as being sound in doctrine, namely, that we adorn it by our conduct. The sounder I am in doctrine, the more loudly I advertise my orthodox views, the more do I bring that doctrine into reproach—if my life is worldly, and my walk carnal. How earnestly we need to pray for Divine enablement that we may "adorn the doctrine in all things." We need the doctrine of Scripture written upon our hearts, molding our character, regulating our ways, influencing our conduct. We "adorn" the doctrine when we "walk in newness of life," when we live each hour as those who must appear before the final judgment. And we are to "adorn the doctrine in all things"—in every sphere we occupy, every relation we sustain, every circle which God's providence brings us into.
The Apostle now enforces what he said in Titus 2:10 by reminding us that "the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." This is in blessed contrast from the Law, which brings nothing but "condemnation." But the grace of God brings salvation, and that in a twofold way—by what Christ has done for His people, and by what He works in them. "He shall save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21)—save from the guilt and penalty of sin, and from the love or power of sin. This grace of God "has appeared"—it has broken forth like the light of the morning after a dark night. It has "appeared" both objectively and subjectively—in the Gospel and in our hearts, "when it pleased God . . . . to reveal His Son in me" (Gal. 1:15, 16); "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts" (2 Cor. 4:6).
Be Reconciled to God
According to the Bible, your first step in overcoming temptation is to turn to Him in repentance and faith. Acknowledge that only Jesus the Christ can make you right before God. He died in your place to satisfy the just wrath of God against your sin, and He rose from the dead to prove the debt was paid.
Your first step in overcoming temptation is to turn to Him in repentance and faith.
You see, apart from Christ, all people are enslaved to sin. We obey sin’s desires and attempt to live apart from God’s righteous commandments. But “thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17–18).
As a believer in Jesus, give thanks that “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation” (2 Peter 2:9). How do you find that rescue? Turn away from sin and turn to God. Remember that “we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15–16).
Confess your faults to Him and commit to repentance each day. As a slave of righteousness, seek to please God in everything you think, say, and do. Pray for His protection and strength to endure the temptations you face daily.
Meditate on God’s Word
The unsaved world around you entices and even pressures you to follow along with its wickedness. The Apostle Paul highlights the essence of the battle and its solution: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
Sin is deceptive: it promises what it does not give and gives what it never promised.
How can you “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”? By filling your mind with the word of God, the Bible. The psalmist said, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). Remember how the Lord Jesus fought the temptations of Satan by repeatedly quoting the Scripture He had hidden in His heart (Matthew 4:1–11).
The Apostle Paul gives two parallel commands about spiritual growth: “be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) and “let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Colossians 3:16). That is, as you fill your heart with God’s word, the Holy Spirit enables you to obey God’s commands. So, when you “walk by the Spirit … you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
Sin is deceptive: it promises what it does not give and gives what it never promised. Conquer deceit with the truth of God’s word. If you have a specific temptation that you frequently face, be sure to memorize scripture that confronts that sin directly. Also, rest in the knowledge that satisfaction and joy come from God Himself: “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11).
Deny Ungodliness and Cultivate Godliness
This side of eternity, you will always be subject to temptation in some respect, for they are “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Watch yourself! Temptation succeeds when your heart is unprepared for it. So, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Romans 13:14). Take control of your lusts (or desires)—do not let them control you.
It is not enough only to deny ungodly desires; you must also find your godly desires fulfilled in the Lord.
It is not enough only to deny ungodly desires; you must also find your godly desires fulfilled in the Lord. Instead of looking for pleasure apart from God, “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Draw near to Him and give Him thanks for the many good gifts He showers upon His people (James 1:17).
Be ready at all times to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12). Strive against sin in your life and seek to “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Colossians 3:17).
Avoid Tempting Situations
The Lord Jesus taught His disciples to ask God, “do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). If you ask God to help you avoid temptation, then you should also be vigilant to stay away from tempting situations. Avoid the perilous path of the careless man who unsurprisingly walked into sin with an adulterous woman (Proverbs 7:6–10).
If you do find yourself in danger of sin, get out of there quickly!
Stay away from those who try to influence you to do evil. The psalmist David says, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!” (Psalm 1:1). David’s son Solomon reiterated this warning: “Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; turn away from it and pass on” (Proverbs 4:14–15).
If you do find yourself in danger of sin, get out of there quickly! As a Christian, you are to “flee immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18) and to “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22). Be like Joseph, who ran out from the adulterous advances of his master’s wife (Genesis 39:12). Escape from tempting situations, locations, and people. Do not yield to your ungodly desires and make every effort to subdue them for righteousness’ sake (Matthew 5:29–30).
You might need to abandon friendships with those who tempt you toward evil. Your relationships are serious. The Bible warns you, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). While you might be pointing these unsaved friends to God, take care that they do not lead you away from “seek[ing] first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
Be Transparent to God and Others
Recognize that your sin is fundamentally directed against God. When his master’s wife attempted to seduce him, Joseph rightly protested, “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).
Agree with God that sin is wicked and deserves His punishment. After David’s compound sins of adultery and murder, he lamented before God, “I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge” (Psalm 51:3–4).
“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”
Tell God about your sin and the temptations that you have faced.Rejoice in His promise that when “we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Ask Him to help you succeed next time you face a similar situation.
Also, consider this blessing and warning: “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Proverbs 28:13). Confess your sin to God, but you might also need to confess your sin to others that you have offended. If you have repented of your sin, ask for forgiveness so you can be reconciled with one another.
You can also benefit from the encouragement of others who are seeking to honor God with their lives (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12). As you “flee from youthful lusts” you must also “pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). Seek accountability with trusted partners and invite them to help you in your spiritual growth.
Keep an Eternal Perspective
You are accountable to God. While you might be able to hide your sin from other people, know that “the eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).
Would you feel comfortable quenching your ungodly desire if Christ were with you at the time? And He is present with you through His Spirit. So, avoid sin and “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption,” when Christ returns (Ephesians 4:30).
The preacher of Ecclesiastes exhorts you to shun a short-sighted “under the sun” mentality and instead to remember what happens in God’s eternity. He says, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).
Choose eternal rewards over temporal pleasure that is contrary to God’s plan for you. The long-term rewards of excellence and integrity are more than worth the effort!
Originally published on June 3, 2019
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Our subject for today, the grace of God and how it works in our lives, is arguably the most important concept for you to understand and live by in the battle to be godly. Because it is so important, the enemy of our souls has created much confusion and controversy on this topic. But if you can fight your way clear in understanding and applying God’s grace, you will experience a close relationship with God and consistent victory over sin (Rom. 6:14).
God’s grace permeated Paul’s thinking. One scholar writes, “Paul could not think of Christian truth and conduct apart from God’s grace” (D. Edmond Hiebert, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. by Frank Gaebelein [Zondervan], 11:439). Another writes, “The expression, the grace of God, may fairly be said to be the key word of Paul’s theology…. He cannot think of Christian salvation apart from the grace of God…” (Donald Guthrie, The Pastoral Epistles, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries [Eerdmans], p. 198, italics his).
The classic definition is the best: God’s grace is His unmerited favor. Grace means that God showered favor and blessing on those who did not in any way deserve or earn it. They deserved His judgment and wrath. But He showed them favor.
God’s pure grace gets polluted from two sides. On the one side, grace runs counter to the way the world works, so it’s difficult for us to grasp it and get used to it. The world works on the merit system. If you do well in school, you get good grades and win awards. If you do well in sports, you make the team and get a lot of applause. If you get into college, the merit system continues to reward excellence. This carries over into the business world after college. Exceptional performance earns promotions and raises. Sloppy performance will get you fired.
In the spiritual realm, all of the world’s religions, except for biblical Christianity, work on the merit system. Even the major branches of Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, teach a system of merit-salvation, where you have to add your works to what Christ did on the cross in order to go to heaven. Most believers who die go to purgatory, where after suffering for a while, eventually you will have enough of your sins purged away and enough merit to qualify for heaven. This merit system of salvation permeates the public mind. Ask anyone on the street his opinion of how a person gets into heaven and you will hear something about being a good person. It was at the heart of pharisaic, legalistic religion in the times of Jesus and Paul.
But God’s grace also gets distorted from another side, which mistakes the grace of God for licentiousness (Jude 4). Many professing Christians wrongly think that God’s grace means that He gives out free passes that allow us to sin, with no consequences for disobedience. If you emphasize the need to obey God’s commandments or do good works, they call you a legalist. If you warn them that their sloppy view of sin will result in God’s discipline, they don’t want to hear it. Their mantra is, “I’m not into your rules kind of religion. I’m under grace, not law.” For them, grace means permission for sloppy living.
Our text corrects both of these serious misconceptions of God’s grace. Paul shows that…
God’s grace first saves and then trains His people
for godliness and good deeds.
The word “for” that opens verse 11 links these verses to what he has just said. In 2:1-10, Paul has shown that various groups of believers should beautify their lives with godliness and good deeds so as to attract others to the Savior. Paul’s mention of “God our Savior” (2:10) causes him to elaborate on the theological basis for our salvation and how understanding that inevitably leads to a life of godliness and good deeds. At the heart of everything is this crucial concept of God’s grace.
1. God’s grace brings salvation to all people (2:11).
When Paul writes, “For the grace of God has appeared,” he is referring to the embodiment of grace in the person of Jesus Christ, who was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). It is not that God’s grace is missing from the Old Testament. No one was saved in the Old Testament apart from God’s grace. But as John 1:17 states the contrast, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” God rightly could have sent His Son to condemn us and judge us. But instead (John 3:17), “For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
Zecharias uses the verb appear to refer to the coming of Messiah, whom he calls the Sunrise from on high, who will “shine [appear] upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79). The coming of Jesus Christ was the light of the grace of God’s salvation dawning upon this sin-darkened world.
Paul says that the appearance of God’s grace brought “salvation to all men.” The KJV and the NIV err by translating that God’s grace has appeared to all men. That never has been true, in that there have always been many that have never heard of God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
Rather, Paul means that God’s grace that appeared in the person of Christ offers salvation to all that hear of it. In the context, Paul has just spoken of various groups: older men, older women, younger women, younger men, and slaves. So when he goes on to say that God’s grace brings salvation to allmen, he means, “to all types of people, including those whom the world despises, even to slaves.” No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace.
This does not mean that all people are saved or will be saved. The Bible is uniformly clear that there are two separate, final destinations for all people. Those who by God’s grace believe in Jesus Christ as Savior will go to heaven. Those who do not believe in Christ will pay the penalty of eternal separation from God in hell.
But the good news of God’s grace is that no sinner is beyond the reach of God’s grace. The apostle Paul was a persecutor of the church. He called himself the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:13, 15). But he experienced God’s grace through the cross. If the chief of sinners found mercy, so can you!
But, there is a major hindrance that will keep you from experiencing God’s grace in salvation, namely, your propensity to self-righteousness. Paul says that God’s grace brings salvationto all people. You don’t need salvation unless you are lost and you know that you’re lost. If you think that you’re doing just fine on your own or that you’re going to be able to make it on your own with a little more effort, you won’t cry out for a Savior to deliver you. As Jesus said (Luke 5:32), “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” By “the righteous,” Jesus meant, “the self-righteous.” The self-righteous Pharisees did not see their need for a Savior. Those who knew that they were sinners did.
Suppose that you were standing in a long line at the bank, waiting to deposit your paycheck. Suddenly, I grab you by the arm, jerk you out of line, and forcibly drag you out of the building. You probably wouldn’t be very happy with me. You’d say, “What do you think you’re doing? You hurt my arm, you tore my shirt, you made me lose my place in line, and you made me look like a fool in front of everyone in the bank!”
But, one simple fact would change your attitude to one of complete gratitude for the rest of your life: the bank had just been taken over by terrorists that threatened to kill everyone inside. In the first scenario, you didn’t yet know the danger that you were in. In the second scenario, you had become aware of the danger and you knew that you were doomed unless someone rescued you.
Before you can appreciate God’s grace, you need to know that you are justly under His wrath and condemnation. You are headed for eternal judgment unless someone intervenes. To use Spurgeon’s phrase, you know that the rope is around your neck. God’s grace cuts the rope, even though you are guilty as charged and deserve to die. Have you experienced God’s grace that brings salvation? If so, you are a changed person. How?
2. God’s grace trains us who are saved in godliness (2:12-14a).
The word “instructing” means, “child-training.” It includes teaching, but also, correcting and disciplining. It is a process that begins at salvation and continues until we stand before the Lord. But, note that grace does not mean, “hang loose and live as sloppily as you please.” Rather, grace trains, disciplines, and instructs us in godly living. Paul mentions three ways that grace trains us:
A. Grace trains us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires (2:12a).
When you experience God’s unmerited favor in Jesus Christ, it motivates you to want to please Him in everything that you do. As you read God’s Word, you begin to realize that there is much in your life that displeases the Lord, who gave Himself on the cross to save you from God’s judgment. So, you begin walking on the path that Jesus described as denying yourself daily, taking up your cross, and following Him (Luke 9:23).
This includes saying no to ungodliness. This refers to a person who does not reverence God and thus lives by ignoring God. It obviously refers to the person who is openly immoral or evil, but it also includes the outwardly nice person who simply has no place for God in his life. His everyday life is organized, motivated, and run by self, with no place for God. The person who has tasted God’s grace will say no to such godless living.
Also, you must say no to worldly desires. This refers to desires that are characteristic of this world system that is opposed to God. John describes them as “the lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16). They include selfishness, pride, seeking after status and power, greed, lust, and living for sinful pleasure rather than finding pleasure in God above all else. Grace trains you to say no to these things, because God and His grace are far sweeter than anything the world can offer.
B. Grace trains us to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age (2:12b).
It is not enough to say no to ungodliness and worldly desires. You must also say yes to sensible, righteous, godly living. In the present age emphasizes that we do not need to isolate ourselves from this evil world in monasteries or Christian communes. Rather, in the midst of this present evil age, we are to live sensible, righteous, godly lives, so that those in the world will be drawn to our Savior. Many commentators have pointed out that sensibly refers to how you are to control yourself; righteously has reference to your relationships with others; and, godly refers to your relationship toward God.
(1). Grace trains us to live sensibly.
This is the word that we have repeatedly encountered in Titus (1:8; 2:2, 4, 5, 6), which means, living in a self-controlled manner, not yielding to various passions and impulses. It is synonymous with the last of the fruits of the Spirit, which is self control.
(2). Grace trains us to live righteously.
This refers to a life of integrity and uprightness in your dealings with others. It means conforming to God’s standards of conduct, as revealed in the commandments of His Word.
(3). Grace trains us to live godly.
This refers to holiness and devotion to God, beginning on the heart level. It means to live a God-ward life, knowing that He examines your heart. You confess sinful thoughts to Him and live in the love and fear of God. As Paul expressed his concern (2 Cor. 11:3), “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”
If you live in the way that Paul describes in our text, denying ungodliness and worldly desires and living sensibly, righteously, and godly in the midst of this corrupt age, other Christians will call you a legalist. Many in the world will think that you’re weird because you don’t strive for the same things that they seek. But you will experience the joy of close fellowship with the God who rescued you from sin and judgment. His grace motivates you to live differently than the world, and differently than those who profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him (Titus 1:16). But there’s a third way that grace trains us:
C. Grace trains us to live in godliness by looking ahead and behind (2:13-14a).
The forward look is toward the second coming of Jesus Christ. The backward look is toward the cross and its implications on our lives.
(1). Look ahead to the blessed hope of Christ’s second coming (2:13).
God’s grace instructs us to look “for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” (Some Greek manuscripts read, “Jesus Christ.”) Christ’s first appearing was in grace, bringing salvation. During His first coming, His glory was mostly veiled. But His second appearing will be in glory, bringing salvation to His people, but terrifying judgment to those who have not believed in Him. His second coming is a “blessed hope” for those who know Him, because then we will fully experience all of the blessings of His salvation.
If your focus is set on the hope of Christ’s return, you will purify your life from every known sin (1 John 3:2-3). During his time in the White House, President Carter did something that no other President (that I know of) has done: on several occasions, he stayed in the homes of common Americans. I don’t know how he picked them, but he wanted to convey that he was in tune with the needs of average Americans.
If you got a call this week from the White House, announcing that the President would like to stay in your home sometime next month (meaning that your living room and kitchen would be on national television), I predict that you would do some housecleaning! Your home would sparkle because you knew that the President was coming.
Someone far greater than the President is coming! Paul calls Him, “our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” Scholars debate whether this refers to both the Father and the Son (as in the KJV), or to the Son alone (NASB). Either view affirms Jesus’ deity, in that He could not reveal the greatness of God’s glory if He were not God. But the Greek grammar, has one article governing both God and Savior, which is best understood to refer to one person, not to two. Also, every other time the New Testament refers to “the appearing,” it refers to Christ, not to God the Father. The adjective “great” is often applied to God in the Old Testament, but it is reserved for the Son in the New Testament (Luke 1:32; Heb. 10:21; 13:20). So this verse is a strong statement of Christ’s deity.
“Looking for” implies eager anticipation. Just as a young bride whose husband is away in the military eagerly looks forward to his return, so believers who have tasted God’s grace look forward to the coming of our Bridegroom. That hope motivates us to clean house on any sins in our lives.
(2). Look back to the supreme demonstration of His love, which redeemed us from sin and made us His own possession (2:14a).
“Who” refers back to “our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” None other than He “gave Himself for us”! If that thought doesn’t grip your heart, you’re in deep spiritual trouble. Paul shows that this past grace that was shown to us produces godliness in us.
First, Christ “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed” (2:14a). The word redeem would have gotten the attention of any slaves. It was the word used of buying a slave out of the market so as to give him his freedom. Before we met Christ, we all were slaves of sin. He paid the redemption price in His own blood to free us from bondage to sin. How, then, can a believer go back into slavery to sin?
Second, Christ gave Himself for us that He might “purify for Himself a people for His own possession.” Verse 12 focused on our need to purify ourselves, but verse 14 focuses on Christ’s purifying us through His blood. He bought us from the slave market of sin and washed off our filth. Now we belong to Him as His personal possession. He prizes us more than anyone prizes a valuable treasure, because He paid for us with His blood. Again, what a motivation to live to please Him!
One reason that we partake often of the Lord’s Supper is that it reminds us of these precious truths. Before we partake, we are to examine ourselves and confess any known sins. As we think on the great sacrifice that our God and Savior made by giving Himself for us, it will draw our hearts toward Him in love and devotion. It will make us long for the day of His appearing in glory, when we will be caught up to be with Him forever.
Thus God’s grace in Christ brings salvation to us. Then it trains us to live in godliness. Finally,
3. God’s grace trains us who are saved to be zealous for good deeds (2:14b).
“Good deeds” refer to deeds that are done out of sincere love for God and others in obedience to His Word. “Zealous” is a word that Paul used to describe his fanatical zeal for Judaism prior to his conversion (Gal. 1:14). It was also used to describe the fanatical Jewish sect that was devoted to ridding Israel of Roman domination. The Zealots were totally devoted to their cause, even to the point of risking their own lives to achieve their goals. You would not call them lukewarm!
Could you rightly describe yourself as a fanatic for good deeds? It seems to me that the vast majority of Christians dabble at good deeds when it is convenient, when they don’t have anything else that they’d rather do. But if we have been bought out of the slave market of sin by the blood of our great God and Savior, we should be fanatics for good deeds. We ought to be totally devoted to serving our new Master.
Conclusion
A book that has often convicted me of my own lack of love for the Lord and zeal for His work is Elisabeth Elliot’s, Shadow of the Almighty [Zondervan], subtitled, “The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot.” My copy is falling apart because I have thumbed back through it so many times. Elisabeth’s husband, Jim, was only 28 when he and four other young men were speared to death in their attempt to take the gospel to the fierce Auca Indians of Ecuador.
Here are some quotes from his diary that show how he exemplified our text. God’s grace motivated him. At age 22, he wrote (p. 110), “I see clearly now that anything, whatever it is, if it be not on the principle of grace, it is not of God.” Regarding living in light of the second coming, at age 20 he wrote to his 15-year-old sister (p. 53), “Fix your eyes on the rising Morning Star…. Live every day as if the Son of Man were at the door, and gear your thinking to the fleeting moment…. Walk as if the next step would carry you across the threshold of Heaven.”
Or, again at 22 (p. 115), “How poorly will appear anything but a consuming operative faith in the person of Christ when He comes. How lost, alas, a life lived in any other light!” His entire life portrayed intense zeal for the Lord and His work. He wrote (Through Gates of Splendor [Spire Books], pp. 19-20), “Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”
That’s how God’s grace works. It saves us and then it trains and motivates us to be godly people in this present age, zealous for good deeds, as we look for the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us.
INTRODUCTION
1. The doctrine of grace is a wonderful concept...
a. Grace means "goodwill, loving-kindness, favor" (Thayer)
b. A popular definition is "unmerited favor"
2. The Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace...
a. We are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption in
Christ - Ro 3:24
b. God's gift is salvation by grace through faith, not of works - Ep
2:8-9; cf. Tit 3:4-7
3. Yet some misunderstand and abuse the concept of grace...
a. Believing that grace allows one to sin without consequence
b. Which Paul and Jude sought to counter in their writings - cf. Ro
6:1-2; Jude 3-4
[In Tit 2:11-15, we read about "The Grace Of God That Brings Salvation",
and how it certainly does not permit license (freedom to sin). As we
consider our text more closely, note first that God's grace...]
I. HAS APPEARED TO ALL MEN
A. ONCE IT WAS A HIDDEN MYSTERY...
1. Kept secret since the world began - Ro 16:25
2. Which had been hidden from ages and from generations - Col 1:
26-27
3. God's plan for redeeming man had been a mystery, even to angels
- cf. 1Pe 1:10-12
B. BUT HAS NOW BEEN REVEALED...
1. Starting with the teaching of Christ Himself - Mt 13:10-11,
34-35
2. Continued with the preaching of the apostles - Ep 3:3-5
3. Now made known to all nations - Ep 3:8-9; Ro 16:25-26
[The grace of God that brings salvation, unlike Gnosticism which shrouds
itself in privileged secrecy, is good news that God intends for every
one to hear. Not just to hear, but also to heed...]
II. TEACHES US HOW TO LIVE
A. DENYING UNGODLINESS AND WORLDLY LUSTS...
1. Teaching us to say "No!" to ungodliness (asebeia)
a. Impiety toward God, ungodliness, lack of reverence - TCWD
b. Wickedness in general, neglect or violation of duty toward
God, our neighbor or ourselves, joined with and springing
from impiety toward God - ibid.
2. Teaching us to deny worldly lusts (kosmikos epithumia)
a. Improper desires pertaining to this life - the desire of
wealth, pleasure, honor, sensual indulgence - Barnes
b. Such passions as the people of this world are prone to
- ibid.
3. For one cannot love the Father if they love such things in the
world - 1Jn 2:15-17
a. Grace is certainly not license to sin!
b. It calls us to love the Father, which should affect the way
we live
B. LIVING SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, AND GODLY...
1. To live soberly (sophronos)
a. With sound mind, soberly, temperately, discreetly - Thayer
b. As conduct becoming older men (temperate), young women
(sober), young men (sober minded) - Tit 2:2,4,6
2. To live righteously (dikaios)
a. Justly, conformable to justice; honestly, without injuring
anyone - TCWD
b. This refers to the proper performance of our duties to our
fellow-men - Barnes
c. Perhaps best summed up in the "Golden Rule" - Mt 7:12
3. To live godly (eusebos)
a. Piously, godly - Thayer
b. In a godly manner, according to the Word of God, and
agreeably to the will of God; and in all godly exercises,
both public and private, and to the glory of God - Gill
4. Notice how these three virtues point inward, outward and
upward:
a. "Soberly," that is, with self-restraint, in relation to
one's self
b. "Righteously" or justly, in relation to our neighbor
c. "Godly" or piously, in relation to God (not merely amiably
and justly, but something higher, godly, with love and
reverence toward God) - Jamieson, Fausset and Brown
C. IN THIS PRESENT AGE...
1. An evil age, from which Christ died to save us - Ga 1:4
2. In which we now live - in the world, but not of the world - cf.
Jn 17:14-16
D. LOOKING FOR THE BLESSED HOPE AND GLORIOUS APPEARING...
1. Awaiting with anticipation the return of Jesus Christ! - cf.
1Co 1:7; Php 3:20-21
2. Described here as "our great God and Savior" (asserting the
deity of Christ) - Tit 2:13
[Thus the grace of God teaches us how to live in this world, all the
while preparing and looking for the world to come! Of course, this
wonderful grace of God that has appeared to all men...]
III. INVOLVES JESUS' GIFT OF HIMSELF
A. TO REDEEM US FROM EVERY LAWLESS DEED...
1. Redeem (lutroo) - to redeem, liberate by payment of ransom
- Thayer
2. From every lawless deed (anomia) - the condition of without
law, because ignorant of it or because of violating it;
contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness - Thayer
3. Jesus died to liberate us from the guilt of lawlessness, by
offering His precious blood as compensation - 1Pe 1:18-19
B. TO PURIFY US FOR EVERY GOOD WORK...
1. Purify (katharizo) - to make clean, to purify from wickedness
- Thayer
2. For every good work (kalos) - works that are "beautiful,
handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious,
useful, suitable, commendable, admirable" - Thayer
3. This He accomplishes through the washing of regeneration and
renewal of the Holy Spirit (an allusion to baptism) - Tit 3:4-5;
cf. Jn 3:3-5
C. TO BE HIS SPECIAL PEOPLE, FULL OF ZEAL...
1. Special (periousios) - It refers to God's chosen people in
whom He has a special interest, one which exceeds His common
concern for mankind in general. Thus the phrase should better
be translated, 'His treasured people' - TCWD
2. Zealous (zelotes) - A zealot, one zealous for or eagerly
desirous of something - TCWD
3. In particular, as stressed in this epistle, zealous for good
works! - Tit 2:14; cf. 3:1,8,14
4. Though when all is said and done, our works have not saved us
by their own merit - cf. Lk 17:10
CONCLUSION
1. Concerning such things Titus was to speak to his brethren - Tit 2:15
a. Exhorting and rebuking with all authority
b. Letting no one to despise him
c. Certainly such should be equally emphasized in our preaching today
2. What then is the proper response to God's grace...?
a. It does not preclude obedience - cf. He 5:9
b. It does not include works of merit - cf. Tit 3:5
3. It begins with faith, repentance, and baptism...
a. Faith in Jesus who gave Himself for us - Ro 3:24-26
b. Repentance for sin, which God commands of all - Ac 17:30-31
c. Baptism into Christ, in which we experience a renewal - Ro 6:1-4;
cf. Tit 3:4-8
4. But then God's grace teaches us to...
a. Deny ungodliness and worldly lusts
b. Live soberly, righteously, and godly
c. Be zealous for every good work
What has been our response to the grace of God? To excuse continuing in
a life of sin, or a serious effort to live a life of holiness to the
Lord...?
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