Audio Access Available Above
"From
Grace To Grace" • 10.16.16 • Calvary
Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Titus is sitting upon the largest of the 30
Greek islands, reading this letter from the Apostle Paul, who is addressing the
needs of a freshly planted group of believers.
- He is to set things in order, beginning with
the ordination and establishment of godly elders who will set the tone
spiritually for the church.
- In the second chapter, the Apostle marks out
the characteristics that should identify the Cretan believers, most of which
will not have been celebrated or even demonstrated on Crete!
- As a first century group of new believers
living on an island known for it's immorality, I wonder if they wondered why
they should live this way or how it would even be a possibility?
- Perhaps there are some in your life that
would have the same question. Unchurched. No healthy example. Living in a land
of reality television and an ever spiraling morality.
- Why live such a radically different life from
the world and how is it possible? The section before us provides us with the
answer to those questions. Join me again in verse 11.
Text
•
Titus 2:11,12 : "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," : The word "for" denotes purpose. - In other epistles, most notably Romans and Ephesians, Paul begins with the doctrine of the faith and then
moves on to the duty of the faithful. He reverses that trend here.
-
Paul says, "Act as I have told you in the first 10 verses because of the
truths that I am about to disclose in these next few verses." He tells us,
do this because of the grace of God!
-
The grace of God is God's unilateral decision to act favorably toward those who
believe in His Son Jesus Christ.
-
A particular favorite definition of mine remains from my Bible college days:
"Grace is God's favor to the infinitely ill deserving!" (Kudos to Dr.
Larry Taylor)
-
Notice what Paul teaches us about the grace of God. First, note it's
"Immense Power." God's grace brings, effects, salvation.
-
There are many things on this planet which are responsible for changing the
course of a life, but none produce a new life! Salvation is process by which a
human life is transformed.
-
A person who had been something wicked and evil, bent upon selfish ambition,
becomes something entirely other. That comes from God's grace.
-
There is that initiating burst of grace which brings salvation, regeneration,
to a spiritually dead soul. Apart from that work, no person can know salvation.
This is something that God cannot abide!
-
This brings us to Paul's second point. Note it's inclusive nature. His grace
has appeared to all men! The word "appeared" in the Greek language
provides us with our English word "epiphany."
-
It's defined as a moment of sudden and striking discovery. This grace of God
has been an epiphany, a sudden discovery to all men!
-
Of course, Paul cannot mean that every man has experienced salvation. That would
be Universalism and you cannot accuse the Apostle of adhering to that false
doctrine.
-
Rather, all men that are saved are so because they have seen the light of God's
grace shining upon and through Jesus Christ!
-
Paul and Titus are living in a time when the entire world was learning of this
truth!
-
The book of Acts records accounts of Roman soldiers, magistrates, business
women, prison guards and men with ties to the occult, all saved from lives of
hopelessness!
-
There was not a type of person that was excluded then and nor is there a type
of person that is exempt from that gracious activity now!
-
All that would respond to the gracious invitation of God to believe in Christ
Jesus would stand in reception of salvation! That is the immense and inclusive
power of grace!
-
Grace initiates God's saving work in a person's heart, converting them from
being dedicated sinners to devoted saints. But then what? His grace continues it's
work.
-
It is immensely powerful in providing salvation, it is inclusive, as it
pertains to all sorts of men and it is instructive, as it teaches us!
-
The idea behind this word reflects the work of a Pedagogue, a tutor or
specialist in education, who would be trusted by large families to train a
child in the manner befitting a particular household.
-
In the ancient world, this was more than a classroom associate. This person
acted as a present proxy for parental desires. He was a constant companion
providing on site instruction.
-
That is what grace does for us as we walk with the Lord. God's grace educates
us in the way that we should walk and disciplines when we have walked amiss.
-
Does this not comfort you Christian? I often encounter people who feel as
though they cannot possibly know what God expects from them. If that is you,
understand that God's grace will train you!
-
The first instinct that a Christian is taught by grace, is the denial of ungodliness
and worldly lusts. Please don't
misunderstand. Those desires remain, as they are holdouts of our Adamic nature!
-
While that is true, the grace of God teaches Christians to renounce their
rights and reject their claims upon us! That doesn't come from will power or
from the peer pressure of a likeminded group.
-
It comes as a measure of grace as we make a firm and final, definitive decision
to deny these impulses, leftover from our previous life.
-
This is the essence of what it means to be a Christian person who denies
himself!
-
When a person trusts Christ for the first time, he is turning from something
and turning toward the Lord. There is a life that is past and fading in the
rear view mirror, with a new life on the horizon!
-
We are giving up our past and the identities that once defined us, to gain what
is God's future for us in Christ! We cannot have both and the true believer has
no desire for what is behind!
-
It is utterly inconcievable that some have sought to re-integrate their past
with their future. That which had been ungodly and worldly has somehow become
acceptable to some believers.
-
That is foreign to scripture. Grace teaches us to make a committed break from
the sin that once enslaved and dominated us! This begins with our innate
ungodliness.
-
Ungodliness is a lack of sacred devotion or worship toward God. It is the
denial and refusal of a man to bring to God what He rightly deserves.
-
Before we came to Christ, we worshipped ourselves. We did what most satisfied
us, projecting that upon gods of other names that don't exist.
-
When the grace of the true God revealed the sacrifice of Christ, our eyes were
opened to Divine love and moved us to believe upon the efficacy of His
sacrificial atoning work.
-
From that understanding, our hearts moved from ungodliness to godliness as we
sought to worship Him. We must deny our ungodliness and worldly lusts.
-
These are influences and desires that emanate from the World, which in
diametric opposition, compete with and indeed seek to supplant, a godly soul.
-
There isn't a "world" outside of the church, which focuses on
Christ's desire. Grace teaches us to commit to God's way by turning our backs
upon whatever "world" once spoke so clearly to us!
-
If you are a Christian who is conflicted by which "world" you serve, understand
that you will spend eternity in one world, while the other will be a
continually fading memory!
-
These have been the negative exhortations. But then, grace works positively to
contrast our nature. Grace teaches us to live soberly, in our right mind,
discreet and self controlled in the world.
-
The first 10 verses of this passage teach us that sobriety is the one
characteristic shared by each representative group within the church!
-
This word speaks of our attitude toward ourselves. It is to be moderate, self-controlled
and discreet. Grace dictates that we evaluate ourselves and weigh our actions
in the light of the Lord.
-
Second, generally, we are to live righteously, in an upright fashion. This
refers to our actions toward others. We are committed to doing what God says is
right and beneficial to those around us.
-
Third, we are to live godly, in a devout way toward the Lord. Christians want
to please God!
-
What pleases God is when His Holy Spirit is given free reign to move upon His
people, to cast them into the image of Christ!
-
God is most pleased when Christ is most seen through you! That is godliness!
Verse 13.
•
Titus 2:13,14 : "looking for the blessed hope and
glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He
might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special
people, zealous for good works." : Paul is
not finished telling Titus what the grace of God is teaching us. It is not only
teaching us to deny worldly notions, but to prepare ourselves for heavenly
realities!
-
God's grace is teaching us to continually look for the return of Jesus Christ!
-
There are two words combined to make this one word in the original. The word
picture formed is that of a person looking toward what he knows he will
receive.
-
Much is said about our orientation these days. A Christian is oriented around
the reality that their Savior is coming back for them! That is their blessed
hope, their happy expectation!
-
This is no wish that Paul speaks of! Grace teaches us to expect this glorious
appearing!
-
The word "epiphany" is used again. The first epiphany was of the
revelation of God's grace through Christ's humble, sacrificial life.
-
The second epiphany will be the manifestation of the totality of His eternal
glory!
˚ "He
came the first time to save the soul of man; He will come a second time to
resurrect the body. He came the first time to save the individual; He will come
a second time to save society. He came the first time to a crucifixion; He will
come a second time to a coronation. He came the first time to a tree; He will
come a second time to a throne. He came the first time in humility; He will
come a second time in glory. He came the first time and was judged by men; He
will come a second time to judge all men. He came the first time and stood
before Pilate; He will come a second time and Pilate will stand before Him." David Guzik
-
Your blessed hope is wrapped up in your Savior's physical presence on planet
Earth, manifest forever as the reigning King of all Kings and Lord of all
Lords!
-
For those that believe in a Kingdom promise that is fulfilled spiritually, this
verse presents some great problems, mainly that Jesus Christ is not presently,
physically standing upon the Earth!
-
From the very beginning of the church, this has been the fundamental
understanding of the meaning of God's Kingdom fulfilled.
-
Please do not misunderstand: Jesus is the King now and Christians are living in
that truth. Whatever occurs in the Presidential elections will not affect this
in any way!
-
The Kingdom of God in all it's totality will one day encompass all who live
upon Planet Earth!
-
Turn in your Bibles to Acts 1. We
pick this thread up in the conversation between the disciples and the Lord
after His bodily resurrection.
-
In the account, 40 days have passed from the events of Christ's death and
resurrection.
-
Jesus is commanding the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the promise of the
Holy Spirit is fulfilled, which will take place in 10 days. This prompts the
disciple's urgent question.
•
Acts 1:6,7 : "Therefore, when they had come
together, they asked Him, saying, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the
kingdom to Israel?' And He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has
put in His own authority." : The
disciples anticipate that the resurrection will initiate the fully realized
Kingdom. It was certainly reasonable to assume that the time was right.
-
Notice what Jesus does does not say, "Guys, what are you talking about?
The Kingdom is now! It's a spiritual thing, not a physical thing!"
-
That would have been a good time to clear up any confusion on the matter, don't
you think?
-
Instead, Christ reminds them that it's beyond their pay grade to have the
knowledge of what belongs in the hands of the Father alone. Can you imagine the
disciples' disappointment?
-
Their King is leaving the Earth, not assuming His rightful role upon it! When
Christ ascends, they stare into the sky until He is no longer visible.
-
Apparently, they are taken by complete surprise by the visitors who had assumed
a position right next to them. Note verse 10.
•
Acts 1:10,11 : "And while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why
do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you
into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'" : And there is the promise of the Kingdom in one sentence: He
went physically, visibly into the sky and will so come in like manner as you
saw Him go!
-
Jesus Christ will physically, visibly return to the Earth and every eye will
see Him! Jesus makes this promise in the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24:30 and again in Revelation
1:7.
-
We even know where we will need to look! Turn in your Bibles to Zechariah 14.
• Zechariah
14:1-5 : "Behold, the day of the Lord
is coming,
and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to
battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be
taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half
of the city shall go into captivity, but the
remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight
against those nations, as He fights in the day
of battle. And in that day His feet will stand
on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem
on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be
split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you
fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah
king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come,
and all the saints with You." : A plain, simple reading of the scripture points conclusively to
a literal, physical and yet future fulfillment of this prophecy.
- The grace of God is teaching us to
expectantly look for this to take place! May it be soon!
- The world will know then what grace has
taught us now: Jesus is both God and Savior!
- From time to time, there are groups of people
bent upon extra-Biblical and suspect revelations who wish to diminish the
person of Jesus Christ. Don't let them do it!
- Jesus is the God Man, who took on flesh and
dwelt among us as a servant Savior to bring us to salvation. When He returns,
He will be the God King who ushers in the full benefits of salvation!
- Two different roles, One person! Again, note
the text. This God and Savior Jesus Christ who is coming is the same person who
gave, delivered or committed Himself on our behalf, for our sakes!
- Why? That He might pay our ransom! This is
justification. God has taken upon Himself the debt that you owed, absorbing the
wrath of the Father in His own body for you, on your behalf.
˚ "He
willingly gave Himself for us. 'For' is the great preposition of
substitutionary atonement. He gave Himself instead of us. He gave Himself in
our place. He gave Himself on our behalf. Jesus not only died for you. Jesus
died AS you, with all of your sin!"
Joe Focht
- We needed to be ransomed because we had been
sold into slavery where we lived for and loved our lawless deeds. While we did,
Christ died for us, the ungodly!
- He wiped away the stain from all of our
iniquity. There isn't a charge that stands against a Christian person! This is
why He came, but that wasn't enough for Him!
- We feel that it's enough for us to have our
sins remitted because that keeps us out of hell. But the issue is that we
aren't fit for heaven! That is why He is purifying us for Himself!
- We get our English word "katharsis"
from this word which refers to a lasting cleansing.
- Every one of our moral stains which left
caked on filth in our soul is being washed thoroughly by His Spirit, through
His Word!. That is the work of the gospel in your life! Why?
- It's not simply for your own sake, though you
derive an ever increasing eternal benefit. No. His main goal in cleansing is to
fit you into His precious peculiar people!
- We are His own special people, not defined
nationally or even ideologically, but by His cleansing! Every person in heaven
will be there as one that has been cleansed by Jesus Christ!
- The primary mark of His people now is that
they are zealous, eager or totally committed to good works! Such commitment
cannot be mixed with any other kind of work!
- Our good works are determined for us by the
Lord. Each individual Christian has a personality that God works through and
the same could be said for individual bodies of believers.
- You can hear Paul saying to Titus,
"Jesus died because of our sin, but he rose to make us like Him, denying
the World and devoting Himself to the will of the Father!"
- This is the essence of Christianity: Jesus
came to a world of sin and died on it's citizen's behalf. How could a person
who lived on Crete not seek to do the same, in dying to self?
- How could you and I, caught in the
gravitational pull of this planet's moral decline, not die to the desires and
attitudes that Jesus came to save us from?
- Anything less than complete devotion to His
way of life is an insult to His Work! Verse 15.
• Titus
2:15 : "Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let
no one despise you." : These things you must
continually speak! Continually speak about the return of Christ and His call
for His people to be innocent in evil, but zealous for what is good!
- Continually be in the habit of encouraging,
coming up under them. It could not have been easy for those in Crete,
especially given their culture.
- Certainly, they would feel the weight of the
effort. Titus had to continually remind them that their effort was worth it! Paul
says this for their sake, but probably for Titus as well!
- This encouragement is not a one time deposit.
You cannot get the mentality that you have already encouraged them and that
that is now enough!
- This has to be a frequent part of his and
every Pastor's ministry while God's people grow!
- Sadly, he must also rebuke with the same kind
of frequency! He is to stand firm, commanding God's people to turn from false
ideas.
- His words in the church carry all the
authority of heaven, so long as they are the words that are from heaven!
- I can't stress enough that this authority
comes directly from God's Word. The further a person deviates from it, the
further they diminish they own authority.
- Titus, don't let anyone disregard your
position. You provide the voice for the heart of God presented in His Word!
Conclusion
- As we close,
allow me to recap what we have just seen. Our passage teaches us that we are
saved from grace to grace and we are given three points which illuminate this!
- First, Grace is our provision. The favor of
God extends beyond the conversion of your soul to the forging of your character
in Christ!
- It has lead
us to salvation in the past and it is teaching us to live before God in the
present!
- Second, Grace is found exclusively in the Person of
Jesus Christ!
- His first
coming Jesus Christ unveiled grace. At His second coming, He will unveil His
glory!
- What we have
in grace is all because of Him! Jesus Christ lived perfectly, fulfilling the
law of God. He died vicariously, voluntarily taking your sins upon Himself.
- He rose
victoriously, God having accepted His sacrifice. He lives eternally,
interceding for His bride. Why has he done this?
- So that God
can treat you graciously with the grace that Christ so richly deserves!
- That is what
we understand at the end of our passage: Grace
has a purpose!
- He is
cleansing you and making you fit to be a part of His own special people that
will celebrate His grace for all of eternity!
No comments:
Post a Comment