Saved By Love, Mercy, and Grace
A trustworthy statement
Text: Titus 3:3-8
Introduction
This morning is the first of a few lessons drawn from the letters of Paul that we often refer to as the “Pastoral Epistles”, those letters written to Timothy and Titus. These letters have a different flavor than those Paul wrote to the various churches; these were more personal in nature. They were written to encourage and help these young leaders in the work that God had given to them and for which Paul had trained and prepared them.
These lessons will focus on key thoughts which Paul identifies in these letters using a phrase that sets the specific principle or truth apart from the rest. “This is a trustworthy statement...” By using this phrase, Paul declared to the reader: "what I have just said, or am about to say is an important truth; it is a principle you can count on."
In these statements, Paul gave to Timothy, Titus, and us principles which are true and dependable, truths upon which we can build our faith and our lives in Christ.
In this lesson we are going to look at the occurrence of this phrase in Titus 3 where the trustworthy statement is made that we are saved by the love, mercy and grace of God.
Read Titus 3:3-8
Progression in our spiritual walk as Christians requires a proper understanding of God’s Grace. In order for this to happen, we must understand the way we once were.
I.For We Also Once Were…(v3)
A.Understanding The Way We Once Were
1.In Titus 3:3, Paul left no room for misunderstanding in regards to our condition before receiving God’s grace:
a.Foolish: Without understanding; ignorant of God, his nature, his providence, and his grace.
b.Disobedient: Unpersuaded, unbelieving, obstinate, and refusing to obey.
c.Deceived: Erring - wandering from the right way due to ignorance, not knowing the right way; and not choosing to know it.
d.Serving divers lusts and pleasures: Being in a state of continual moral and mental servitude; not served or gratified by our lusts and pleasures, but living, as their slaves, distressed in mind and body.
1)Divers lusts: Strong and irregular appetites of every kind.
2)Pleasures: Sensual pleasures. Intent only on the gratification of our senses.
2.So we all stood opposed to God, spending our lives in malice, envy, and hatred.
a.Spending our life in wickedness and envy; not bearing to see the prosperity of others, because we feel ourselves mean and contemptible.
1)Hateful: Abominable; hateful as hell. The word comes from, Styx, the infernal river of Greek mythology. The verb signifies to shiver with horror.
2)The word maybe taken actively, as it is read, hateful; or else passively, and so may be read hated, that is, justly detestable and odious to others, both God and man.
3)Hating one another: This word is less expressive than the preceding: there was no brotherly love, they hated each other, and self-interest alone could induce them to keep up civil society. This is the true state of all unregenerate men.
B.This Is How We All Once Were
1.Paul included us all in this description of how we were.
a.It is human nature to deny or diminish our own sinfulness, by comparing it to others around us.
b.We look at the sinners of the world and we think like the Pharisee of parable “praying this to himself: ’God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” Luke 18:11 (NASB)
c.That leads to the next thought: "How can God see me the same as those people? I’m basically a good person, aren’t I?"
d.Such prideful thought denies the gravity of our sinful condition and lessens the magnificence of God’s grace, our need for His mercies.
2.With the word, “we”, Paul shatters those attitudes and assumptions, saying that “such were we before Christ, if not in action, then in attitude, inner nature.”
a.Paul was echoing the same sentiment he wrote in Ephesians 2:1-3 (NASB) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
b.And be sure Paul did not exclude himself from this characterization. He described himself in 1 Timothy 1:15 as “the chief of sinners”. Paul knew he had once been a blasphemer, persecutor, and a violent man. He knew and understood the gravity of his sinful condition before he received God’s grace.
3.If we want to be certain of God’s grace, we must begin by really understanding who we were before Christ. That leads us to the next step.
II.But…(v4)
A.Understand What God Did For Us.
1.Notice Paul’s words In Titus 3:4: “But (This is the word you want to see in scripture immediately following words like we find in verse 3!)
2.Titus 3:4,5a (NASB) But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy…
a.Those who were foolish, disobedient, and deceived could not possibly have works of righteousness to plead; therefore, if saved at all, they must be saved by mercy.
b.Romans 5:8 (NASB) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
c.While we were yet sinners, God the Father sent His own Son, Jesus into the world with one purpose: to save us.
Luke 9:56a (NASB) for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
d.Knowing that we could do nothing to save ourselves, Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin by His mercy and His love.
B.What was the result? (Titus 3:5ff)
1.“He saved us through the...”
a.“Washing Of regeneration and renewing”: cleansing from the defilement of sin.
b.Undoubtedly the apostle here means baptism, the rite by which we are admitted into the Church, and the visible sign of the cleansing, the renewing influences of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 1:7 (NASB) but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
c.Our lives were regenerated from the inside out, resulting in a change of attitude and nature.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
d. “So that, having been justified by his grace” - when we receive Christ, we are declared righteous, and given a standing of acceptance before God.
1 Corinthians 6:9 - 11 (NASB) Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
e.“We might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
Romans 8:16, 17a (NASB) The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…
2.That’s what God’s grace is all about, that through Jesus Christ, we can avoid what we deserve (death), so that we might receive what we don’t deserve (forgiveness and eternal life in heaven).
a.As Christ’s followers we must know in our heart that God did what we could not do for ourselves, restoring our relationship with Him, now and forever.
b.Saved by His love, mercy, and grace.
C.How does one respond to God’s Grace?
1.Accept His Grace.
a.Paul was writing this letter to those who were already Christians; they had already received and accepted God’s love. That is the first and most essential step.
ILL: George Wilson was sentenced to hang after he was convicted of killing a guard while robbing a federal payroll from a train. Public sentiment against capital punishment led to an eventual pardon by President Andrew Jackson. Unbelievably, Wilson refused to accept the pardon. Now the courts had never experienced this, and were naturally confused as to what should happen. Eventually the Supreme Court was called to make a ruling. Chief Justice John Marshall delivered the following verdict: “A pardon is a parchment whose only value must be determined by the receiver of the pardon. It has no value apart from that which the receiver gives it. George Wilson has refused to accept the pardon. We cannot conceive why he would do so, but he has. Therefore, George Wilson must die.”
b.The truth is that all stand in a similar position before God. Through Christ, He offers us forgiveness and pardon from sin, but it is only effective as we accept His grace personally in our lives.
John 3:36 (NASB) “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
2.Act On God’s Grace Through Godly Living.
a.Titus 3:8 (NASB) This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.
b.Read Titus 2:11 - 14
c.When we have received God’s grace, the next step is to live in obedience to God’s desires -- to live a life of holiness and love. To do otherwise is to ignore God’s grace.
d.Ephesians 5:8-10 (NASB) for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
3.Appreciate God’s Grace through Worship.
e.All glory and honor to God
f.1 Timothy 1:17 (NASB) “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
g.For Paul, it was a spontaneous expression of appreciation for God’s grace to bow down and give honor and glory to God. And if we truly understand God’s grace, it should be our response as well.
Conclusion:
Do you know what God’s love, mercy and grace has done for you? Have you experienced God’s grace for yourself and have you made it a part of your life? Are you exercising God’s grace in the way you live? Have you recently expressed your appreciation to God for the grace that He has poured out in your life?
Invitation
