Divine Grace On Display

"Divine Grace on Display"

Titus 2:11-14

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Introduction: The most important word in our text this morning is the word "appeared" which means to show or to put on display or in some translations, to reveal. God has displayed His grace in at least three ways in our text. Because of grace we can:

I. Leave the Sinful Life (11)

a. The purpose of grace

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

God has displayed His grace in order to save us but many don't receive His offer because they are unwilling to let go of the world.

Billy Graham tells the story about a little child the was playing with a very valuable vase. He put his hand into it and could not withdraw it. His father too, tried his best to get it out, to no avail. They were thinking of breaking the vase when the father said, "Now my son, make one more try. Open your hand and hold your fingers out straight as you see me doing, and then pull." To their astonishment the little fellow said, "O no, dad, I couldn't put my fingers out like that because if I did I would drop my dime."

Smile, if you will but thousands of us are like that little boy, so busy holding on to the world's worthless dimes that we cannot accept liberation. Drop the trifles in your life. Surrender! Let go, and let God have His way in your life.

As someone aptly stated, "Jesus does not just want to be resident in you, He wants to be president in you." Ah, yes! When we relinquish our struggles, and find our rest in Christ, then the winds of the storm may blow, but we find ourselves fixed upon the Rock.

b. The person of grace

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Chuck Swindoll in "The Grace Awakening" wrote this:

If our greatest need had been information,

God would have sent us an educator.

If our greatest need had been technology,

God would have sent us a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money,

God would have sent us an economist.

If our greatest need had been pleasure,

God would have sent us an entertainer.

But our greatest need was forgiveness,

So God sent us a Savior!

c. The power of grace

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

Grace is not only evangelistic it is also educative. The word "teaching" in the KJV refers to instruction, training or as one writer said, discipline. Because of grace we can:

II. Learn the Sanctified Life (12-13)

What does the word sanctification mean? A very simplified definition would be "growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ." Sanctification is a spiritual process that begins at the instant we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. He then produces spiritual fruit in us throughout our Christian life and this process climaxes when we are glorified with Jesus. The word "teaching" here is training in and by discipline: The discipline of grace teaches us to:

a. Reject the old life

Negatively by grace we have the power to "deny ungodliness and worldly lust" which would be attitudes, affections and appetites that are anti-God, that are contrary to His Word, will and way!

Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Colossians 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;