Introduction
1. (email funny)
2. As we continue to study our ABCs...
We come to the letter G...
G is for Grace...
Grace is one of the great words of the Bible...
It is found 115 times in the Bible...
It is found in both the Old and New Testaments...
And as Christians, learning our Biblical ABCs...
we must come to the realization that we are only Christians by God’s grace...
By God’s grace...
Christ reaches out to us even before we become a Christian...
While we are embracing the life of sin...
and while we are engaging in all the sinful behaviors and attitudes of the world...
Christ still loved us so much...
The Bible says that While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us... (Romans 5:8)
3. As we consider God’s grace...
it is my prayer that God will give us a great appreciation of His grace...
Read Text: Titus 2:11-14
1. First of all, let’s look at The People of Grace v. 11 says...
A. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to...
just a select few?”...No...it doesn’t say that...
God’s grace that brings salvation has appeared to the rich and famous?...No...it doesn’t say that either...
God’s grace that brings salvation has appeared only to those who are worthy to receive it?...No...that’s certainly not right...
None of us are worthy...
We all born in sin...
and without God’s grace...in sin we would remain...
Our text says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.”
God’s grace is for all mankind...
God’s grace for the all men, women, boys and girls...
it is for the rich and the poor...
it is for the famous and the unknown...
it is even for those who don’t deserve it...
God’s grace reaches to every person...
it doesn’t matter your race, your social standing...
It doesn’t matter how bad you’ve been...
how deep into sin you have gone...
God’s grace reaches all.
B. Over the course of my ministry...
I’ve had opportunity to speak to different people about accepting Christ...
I’ve invited hundreds and hundreds of people to attend church...
on occasion, I will come across someone who will say that they will come to church AFTER they get their life turned around...
They need to get a few things straightened out first...
and THEN they will come...
Unfortunately...I’ve never seen those people come to church...
Because you see, we can NEVER get our life straightened out on our own...
We can never be good enough on our own...
We can never earn God’s grace through our own efforts...
we cannot pick ourselves up by our bootstraps...
As the hymn says, “come, just as you are”...
2. Secondly, let’s look at The Power of Grace... v. 12 says...
A. God’s grace “teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age”
Not only does God’s grace extend to all people...
But God’s grace gives us the power to live for Him in this world.
Without the power of Christ...
Not only would we never come to Him for salvation...
But, without the power of Christ...
We would not be able to live an ongoing Christian life...
God’s grace enables us to say “NO” to ungodliness and worldliness...
Nancy Reagan established the “just say NO” campaign...
Her vision was having people “Just say NO to drugs and alcohol”...
I don’t know how familiar Nancy Reagan was with Scripture...
But long before her “just say NO” campaign...
God’s Word has been telling people to “just say NO”...
to sin...
And by God’s power...the power of His grace...
we are able to do just that...
B. There are some people who feel that the Bible is just a book of “Don’t’s”...
“Don’t do this...
“Don’t do that”...
And certainly there are some “don’ts”...
Don’t commit adultery...
Don’t steal...
Don’t kill...
don’t live an ungodly/wordly life...
But there is more to the Bible than just “don’ts”...
There are some “do’s”...
In order to live a Christian life...
You’ve not only got to NOT do the don’ts...
But you’ve got to do the do’s...
and here in our text, God is giving us some of the do’s...
DO...live a self-controlled life...
DO...live a life of righteousness...
DO...live a godly life...
And by God’s grace, we are able to say “NO” to the don’ts...
and say “YES” to the do’s...
3. 3rd, we see the Promise of Grace v. 13 says...
A. “while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”
So, not only does God’s grace extend to all people...
and not only does God’s grace empower us to live for Him today...
But we see this great promise of Grace...
And the promise is...
if we say no to sin...
and say “yes” to holiness and righteousness...
then we will have the opportunity to spend eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ!!!
God gives us the strength to live for Him today...
He gives us Joy for the journey...
He gives us peace in the midst of the storm...
All that and heaven too!!!!
B. We know very little about heaven...
we get clues from Scripture...
but, by and large, it is mostly unknown...
where is it...
what will we do...
who will be there...
Who won’t be there...
a theologian described heaven as "an unknown region with a well-know Inhabitant,"
We may have some uncertainties about what heaven holds for us...
But the one thing you can be certain of...
to be in heaven is to be with Christ.
Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 5:8...
“to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”...
Richard Baxter expresses a similar thought in this poem:
My knowledge of that life is small,
The eye of faith is dim,
But it’s enough that Christ knows all,
And I shall be with him.
To those who have accepted the free gift of God’s grace...
we have the promise of meeting Him face to face...
we have the promise of living with Him for all eternity...
and that is the promise of grace...1
4. And finally, let’s look at The Person of Grace v. 14 says...
A. “Jesus Christ, gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
Grace is for all people...
Grace gives us power for living today...
Grace gives us the promise of a future home in heave...
And...all this is made possible by the Person of grace...
Jesus Christ...
Jesus Christ gave Himself for us...
He died on the cross for you and for me...
He paid the penalty for our sin...
Without the Person of grace...Jesus Christ...
We wouldn’t have grace...
we would have to pay the penalty for our own sin...
we would have to stand before the Judge on our own merits...
which are worthless...
and we would be condemned to suffer for all eternity in hell...
But...because of Jesus...
Because of the blood that was shed on our behalf...
Now, we stand before the Judge...
NOT on our own merits...
but on the merit of the blood of Jesus...
If we have availed ourselves of the free gift of God’s grace...
Then God doesn’t look at us and see our sin...
God looks at us and sees that the price has been paid.
B. I’m sure you’ve heard the acronym...
GRACE...
God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense...
Certainly we’ve seen both here in our text...
God’s riches...
Grace for all people...
Grace for living today...
The promise of heaven...
And yet, all this comes at Christ’s expense...
Conclusion
1. Kids learn very early their ABCs...
A is for Apple...
B is for Book
C is for Cow...
and so on...
2. We as Christians have our own ABCs to learn...
A is for Abundant...
B is for Beginning...
C is for Capstone...
and...G is for Grace.
3. Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent...
Certainly a special time in the life of a Christian...
As we turn our attention to Advent and Christmas...
I trust that as a part of our preparation for the holiday season...
that we will have in our minds that that little Baby in the manger... became a Man...
and that Man paid the price for our salvation...
and that Salvation comes only by the grace of God.
1. 1 James Packer, Your Father Loves You, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986.
