The motivation and tools for holy living
Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who 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.
Introduction
1. We are looking at this scripture we see Paul talking about grace.
2. He is writing to Titus who was a friend a Paul and the leader of the church in Crete.
3. Now from reading the letter it seems that the church in Crete must have Been a little disorganizes
4. And probably new Christians.
5. We see this because Paul is writing about the duties aof the elders and deacons.
6. And than the duties of the pastor
7. He is instructing them how to live and be organized
8. We get to the verse where he talks about the grace of God appearing to all men.
9. This because his foundation for the way we live.
10. He is saying that because the grace of God has appeared in your life.
11. You should live self controlled,
12. Upright and godly lives as we are waiting Jesus to come back.
13. And everyone here is called to that.
14. Everyone here who has been touched by God grace is called to a higher life than one of an unbeliever.
And its all because of grace it all because grace appeared to all men!
So what is this grace? What is it about? How does it work? How is one saved? What are they saved from? If this is our motivation for godly living we need to know what it is.
A good tool for explaining grace is the evangicube.
Man is separated from God because of sin
a. explain the fall of man in the garden
2. What is sin?
a. Our wanting to do our own thing
3. The effects of sin
a. Separates us from the relationship with God
b. Our life force
c. In the dark
i. Don’t see life the way we should
d. Hell
Gods remedy
1. Sent his son to die? Hung on the cross
a. because the wages of sin is death
i. Someone has to pay.
ii. He cant turn a blind eye to it
b. So Jesus who knew no sin became sin for us
c. He paid the debt we owe
Billy Graham
When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court.
The judge asked, "Guilty, or not guilty?" When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge replied, "That’ll be ten dollars -- a dollar for every mile you went over the limit."
Suddenly the judge recognized the famous minister. "You have violated the law," he said. "The fine must be paid--but I am going to pay it for you." He took a ten dollar bill from his own wallet, attached it to the ticket, and then took Graham out and bought him a steak dinner! "That," said Billy Graham, "is how God treats repentant sinners!"
Buried in a tomb
2. Romans Guards were dispatched to protect it
a. Make sure no one stole the body
Rises from the dead
1. The center of all we believe
2. Proved who he was
3. Demonstrated his perfection
4. Demonstrated he was the prefect sacrifice
5. Guilt free
6. But sin and death and the roman guards could not hold him
a. Because he was sinless
b. He had God power of sin and death
Bridge for us to God
* We can access our God given relationship with Him.
a. That’s the point
b. More than just ok I wont hold it against you
* All the benefits of the garden are given to us
a. Care for us feed us meet our needs
* Can get to God
a. The creator of all
* No need for hell. Live with him forever
We become his friends and fellowship together
John 15:15 (NIV)
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
* No more hostility
Our response
* Live godly lives
o How?
* Prayer
* Bible study
* Fellowship
* Worship
We need to work this salvation out
Philippians 2:12-13 (KJV)
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
El Nino
* There was a bug storm in California
o Caused a mud slide
* While the family was still in their home,
o a wave of mud tore through the house,
o severing it and sweeping a sleeping baby out into the night.
* The parents began to search through the darkness for the child.
o Tromping through the mire that had descended upon their whole neighborhood, they searched, dug, and called for their child throughout the long night
o without results.
* When morning came a rescuer,
o himself covered in mud,
o came to the parents with a mud-caked bundle in his arms —
o The baby, filthy but alive.
* You know what the mother then did.
o She clung to her child despite its filth,
o Washed the muck away,
* And determined to keep the child out of the mud in the future.
The account helps me understand concepts in this passage That are so opposed to our common thought about the nature of God’s grace.
* Grace, we know, annuls our works as the means of securing or maintaining God’s affection.
o The natural human inclination, as a result,
o is to suppose that if our good works do not determine God’s affection,
o There is no reason to do them.
* Why be concerned about godliness since we are saved by grace?
* Because, say the Scriptures,
o when the filth of my sin was sweeping me in my helplessness to eternal death,
o my God covered himself in the muck of this world to rescue me,
o embraced me despite my filth,
o and now wants me to remain out of the mud.
Such grace should make us so in love with God
* That we cannot stand whatever in our lives re-soils us and offends him.
* Biblical grace makes us intolerant of evil in our lives.
* The apostle here underscores this truth, saying that the grace of God
Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)
"teaches us to say ’No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions"
Grace — rightly perceived — compels holiness.
This is not a natural logic, we must confess. In the popular mind those who are full of grace are supposed to say, "Okay, that’s all right. Fine. Never mind. Go ahead." But for the apostle, grace means we say no
