Purpose: To show how God's grace motivates us to do right.
Aim: I want the listener to treat others selflessly in order to display the gospel.
INTRODUCTION: When we talk about good works there are two extremes that must be avoided. Both of them are based on an inaccurate view of who God is.
On the one hand, we find those who think that God doesn't care very much about the problem of sin. These people think that it doesn't really matter how we live. In other words, accept God's forgiveness and then just do whatever you think is best. God, after all, knows that we aren't perfect so He doesn't expect us to be perfect. In other words, God's loving attitude is an excuse for living carelessly. This last week I talked to a very religious man who went so far as to tell me that God works completely through our free will. He said that God does not require or command anything of us. God leaves everything up to our free will to decide what should or should not be done.
On the opposite side of the coin are people who feel like working hard to be good is the only way to please God. We call them legalists. They believe that there are certain ceremonies or behaviors that we must perform in order to be accepted by God. They envision a God who is expecting us to measure up to a certain standard, and that He decides to only accept those who work hard enough to reach that standard.
Paul is demolishing both of those ideas in these two chapters. In chapter 2:1-10 He is making the argument that Christians should make the Gospel of Christ beautiful ("...showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect" Titus 2:10) just because it is the right thing to do. Notice that Paul uses the word DOCTRINE here. Paul is making it clear that God commands us to be righteous.
In chapter two verse 11 through chapter three verse 11Paul is arguing that we should work hard to do good works just because we want to show our gratefulness to God for Christ's amazing grace that we already possess.
So, in our text today Paul is shifting his attention to the other reason why Christians should do right. Followers of Christ should do right because they have experienced God's saving grace.
What is grace? "The classic definition is the best: God's grace is His unmerited favor. Grace means that God showered favor and blessing on those who did not in any way deserve or earn it. They deserved His judgment and wrath. But He showed them favor." THAYER points out that the Greek word for grace "contains the idea of kindness which bestows upon one what he has not deserved." [1]
Do our good works make God's grace beautiful? The answer to that question depends on WHY we do good works. It is right to do good works, but good works should only come from our response to Christ's good works on our behalf.
In other words, We must learn WHAT is right, but we must also know WHY we should do right.
Let's see how Paul makes this truth clear to us. First of all...
Vs.11 I. Grace is Available to all "bringing salvation to all men"
Paul just finished listing different groups of people: Older men (vs.2) older women (vs.3) younger women (vs.4) younger men (vs. 6) and even slaves (vs.9).
God does not restrict His grace to certain people, or certain groups of people. Anyone who is proud that God has graciously forgiven them does not understand God's grace.
God has never chosen to show grace to someone based on something good He saw in them. Paul makes this very clear in Titus 3:5: "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy..." (NAS). Paul also said, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8--9, NAS)
Since grace is available to everyone, how can we know if we actually possess God's grace? Paul is now going to give us four tests so we can see if we really have God's grace.
Vs.12 II. Grace Motivates us to live right
Gratefulness for God's grace makes a person willing to "... deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow [Jesus]" (Luke 9:23, NAS).
Here Paul is saying that God's grace teaches us or disciplines us to live right. There is a negative side and a positive side we should be able to see in our lives.
"For the love of Christ controls us..." (2 Corinthians 5:14 NAU).
A. Grace turns us away from sin "ungodliness...worldly desires"
An ungodly person is someone who lives his life as if he doesn't need God. This would include someone who is outwardly a very nice person, but sees no need for God in their everyday life.
WORLDY DESIRES is the same thing that John was talking about in 1 John 2:16: "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. "
We are either looking for pleasure in this world, or we are looking for the pleasure we find in being close to God.
B. Grace moves us to embrace holiness "sensibly, righteously and godly"
Being good is not just defined by what we DON'T do, it is also includes what we DO.
Living SENSIBLY means to have self control; RIGHTEOUSLY refers to how we relate to others; and, GODLY means living a "God-ward" life.
This should remind us of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22--24 : "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
Vs.13 III. Grace Draws us to long for Christ "looking for...Christ Jesus"
If you are really looking forward to Jesus coming back to earth then you will be concerned about the way you live. "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. " (1 John 3:2--3, NAS)
If you are expecting a close friend to show up at your front door at any minute you will keep your living room clean. From time to time do you find yourself just longing to see Jesus?
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20, NAS)
Vs.14 IV. Grace Establishes New Ownership "His own possession"
We are precious to Jesus because He paid for us with His own blood.
A. Jesus pays for our sins
This means that:
1. Christ's death was voluntary "gave Himself"
"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father " (John 10:17--18, NAS)
2. Christ's death was complete "gave Himself"
He gave all of Himself. Shortly before Jesus died He said, "It is finished" (John 10:30) or "It is paid in full"
"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. " (Hebrews 12:2, NAS)
3. Christ's death is a substitute "for us"
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him" (1 Thessalonians 5:9--10, NAS)
4. Christ's death is redemption "to redeem us"
REDEEM means "to set free by paying a price." Jesus "gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father" (Galatians 1:4, NAS)
5. Christ's death is sufficient "from every lawless deed"
"Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us" (Romans 8:33--34, NAS)
These are the reasons why the Lord told us to take the Lord's Supper together.
The bread reminds us of the sacrifice of Christ's body.
(Hebrews 10:5--10, NAS)"Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; ""IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. " ..."SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them" (which are offered according to the Law),then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. "
The juice reminds us of the blood of Christ
(Ephesians 2:11--13, NAS)"Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh...remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. "
B. Jesus changes our feelings about sin "zealous for good deeds"
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10, NAS)
When we are doing good we are doing what God created us to do.
Before we embrace Christ's gift of salvation we are apathetic about sin. After we embrace Christ's forgiveness we become fanatics about not sinning.
Vs.15 V. Grace Gives Boldness "speak...with all authority"
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God " (Romans 5:1--2, NAS)
CONCLUSION: Charles Spurgeon said:
"Do you think we could sit still, or grow worldly, or spend all our energies upon ourselves if we could see the Crucified? ... Faith, when it takes a stand at the foot of the Cross, makes us hate sin and love the Savior just as much as though we had seen our sins placed to Christ's account and had seen the nails driven through His hands and feet and seen the bloody scourges as they made the sacred drops of blood fall."
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
"Full atonement!" can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die;
"It is finished!" was His cry;
Now in Heav'n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we'll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
--Philip P. Bliss
[1] HOW GRACE WORKS Titus 2:11-14 By Steven J. Cole April 29, 2007 © Steven J. Cole, 2007
