“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14 ESV
There is a lot of confusion these days as to what exactly is
God’s grace to us. Some people see his grace merely as a get-out-of-jail-free
card. Some people see it solely as “fire insurance” against them continuing in
their sinful practices, so that they can continue on in their sinful practices
without fear of judgment. And, some people see his grace solely as forgiveness
of sin and the hope of heaven when they leave this earth. But, is it any of
those?
I believe, if we do a careful study of this subject of God’s
grace in the New Testament, that we will learn that God’s grace is none of
these or none of these solely on their own. And, I believe, too, in this
careful study of scripture on this subject, that we will also learn that the
early Christians struggled to understand God’s grace to them, and some of them
had misconceptions about God’s grace which then had to be corrected.
And, I believe this passage in Titus 2 is one of those
passages of scripture which corrects wrong thinking about God’s grace, and
which sets the record straight. And, there are others, too. But, first I want
us to examine this passage in Titus and see what God would have to say to us
through it.
Grace bringing
salvation
Ok, so this is talking about the grace of God which brings
us salvation from sin and eternal life with God. The word “grace” here means
God’s kindness, his favor, his benefit which he brings to us, which he is freely
extending towards us. And, he did this extending of his grace towards us
through Jesus’ death on a cross for our sins and via his resurrection from the
dead.
So, what benefit did God intend for us by sending his only
begotten Son to die on a cross for our sins? Was it merely to forgive us our
sins and to give us the hope of eternal life with God? NO! For, we read in
scripture that Jesus died on that cross that we might die with him to sin and
live with him to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). He died that we might no longer
live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us, and that we might
become the righteousness of God (2 Co. 5:15, 21).
Also, when Jesus died on that cross, he who knew no sin
became sin for us, thus when he died our sins died with him. But, also when he
died he purchased us back for God (he redeemed us) with his blood, shed on a
cross for our sins, so that we would now be God’s possession, and so that we
would now glorify God with our lives (1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:21; Tit. 2:14).
In other words, Jesus’ purpose in dying for us on that cross
was not just to forgive us our sins, and it was not just to promise us eternal
life with God. But, it was to deliver us out of our slavery (bondage,
addiction) to sin, and to empower us to walk daily in his righteousness,
holiness and purity (See: Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9;
Lu. 9:23-25).
So, the gift of God’s grace to us is not just forgiveness of
sin, and an escape from hell, and the promise of heaven when we die. The gift
of God’s grace is also deliverance out of our addiction to sin and empowerment
of the Spirit of God, who is dwelling within those of us who believe in Jesus,
to live holy lives pleasing to God, free from the control of sin and Satan, and
now free to be slaves to God and to his righteousness (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph.
4:17-24).
His Grace Trains Us
So, not only does his grace deliver us from our addiction to
sin and empower us to live holy lives pleasing to God, but it trains (it
instructs) us in how to walk in freedom from addiction to sin, and how to walk
in holiness and purity. So, the gift of God’s grace is so much more than what
most people think it is. The gift of his grace makes it possible for us to no
longer live (walk) in darkness but to now walk in the light as He is in the
light.
Therefore, when people say that faith in Jesus Christ means
God does it all and we do nothing, or that if we do believe that we have to
obey Christ, that it means we are trying to work our way into heaven, we can
refer them back to these verses. For, the gift of God’s grace does not give us
carte blanche to continue in our sinful practices. It frees us from the control
of them and it gives us the power to live righteously. So, we are just
operating in the gift of God’s grace when we repent of our sins and we follow
our Lord in obedience.
So, again, God’s grace to us does not give us permission to
continue in our sinful practices without fear of punishment. It also doesn’t
look the other way when we do sin. And, it does not placate or coddle people in
their sin. His grace forgives the repentant sinner, but there is no forgiveness
for those who stubbornly refuse to bow the knee to God and to submit to his
will, and who go on in their sinful practices thinking God’s grace covers it
all (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8; Eph. 5:3-6; Lu. 9:23-25; 1 Jn.
1:5-9).
So, how does his grace train us? It instructs us to say “NO!”
to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright and godly
lives while we wait for Christ’s return. And, this is exactly what we have to
do to live free from the control of sin and to walk in holiness before our God.
We have to refuse to yield to sin’s control, we have to put
off all sinful practices, we have to get rid of all that is leading us into
sin, too, and we have to resist Satan and flee temptation and then we need to
put on the armor of God daily and walk in the Spirit so that we do not gratify
the sinful cravings of the flesh (Jn. 8:12; Heb. 12:1-11; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom.
8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Eph. 6:10-20).
To Redeem Us
Again, we are reminded here, too, that the purpose of God’s
grace to us, the gift that he provided for us, is that in his death on that
cross he redeemed us from all lawlessness (evil, wickedness, sin) to purify
(cleanse) us from sin so that we would be a people for his own possession who
are zealous for good works, which God prepared in advance that we should do,
that we should walk in them, by allowing him to do his work in our hearts and
lives (See also: Eph. 2:10).
So, know that God’s grace to us is not just forgiveness of
sins so that we can escape hell and so we can go to heaven when we die. His
grace to us freed us from our addiction to sin so that we can live holy lives,
pleasing to him, in his power and strength within us. So, know, too, that God’s
grace to us is not license to continue in sinful practices without fear of
punishment. For, scripture is real clear that if we walk according to the
flesh, and we don’t walk according to the Spirit, we will die in our sins, not
have eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal.
5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8).
To
Be Like Him
An
Original Work / March 16, 2014
Based
off Scripture
Crucified you are with Jesus.
To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,
Because He died at Calv’ry,
So from sin you’d be free.
Oh, what joy He brings into your life,
Giving life with Him endlessly.
Oh, what plans He has for your life.
Share the gospel faithfully.
Show the people He loves them.
Now His witness you’ll be.
Tell the world of sin about Jesus,
How He died for them on a tree.
Purifying hearts, He saves them,
Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.
Turning now from their idols,
New lives they have begun.
Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.
Over sin, the vict’ry He won!
When He comes again to take us
To be with Him evermore,
There will be no more crying.
Gladness will be in store.
Heavens joys will now overtake us:
We’ll be with our Lord evermore.
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