Trained by Saving Grace

 



Trained by Saving Grace

Today I want to study three verses in the book of Titus and apply them to our lives.

Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

There are three main points in these verses:

1.       The Grace of God brings salvation to all men: What is Grace? Unmerited favor. God gives us good gifts free of charge, not based on any goodness in us. Grace is free to us, but cost God his only Son. Jesus Christ came to earth as a little baby. He lived a perfect life of obedience to God in everything. He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin by dying on the cross and rising from the dead on the third day.

     “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”  I Corinthians 15:3-4

    “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”   Ephesians 2:8-9

    “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”   Acts 4:12

Salvation is deliverance from the penalty for sin which is everlasting condemnation in Hell. Salvation is also deliverance from slavery to sin in this life. Have you put your trust in Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection as the only way of deliverance from an eternity in Hell, and a life of bondage to sin in this life?

2.       The Grace of God teaches us to live godly lives: Some people live as though their salvation is ONLY deliverance from Hell and not deliverance from sin in this life. Titus 2:11 says it is God’s grace that teaches us to live godly lives. Paul said to the Galatians who were trying to be righteous by the law of Moses.

    “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”  Galatians 3:1-4

    “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”  Romans 2:4

We don’t live righteous and holy lives by trying hard. We don’t do it by following rules. We don’t do it by acts of religious service, attending Church, giving money to the church, helping the poor, etc. All those things are good. But the only way to “deny ungodliness and worldly lusts”. The only way to “live soberly, righteously, and godly” is by God giving us his grace. The way God gives us the grace to live holy lives is by giving us the Holy Spirit to live inside us. The only way to receive the Holy Spirit is by believing God’s promises.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray for the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”  John 14:15-17

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”  John 16:12-14

The grace of God which teaches us to live godly lives, comes in the person of the Holy Spirit who dwells within every believer and guides us into all truth, while at the same time giving us the power to obey that truth.

Have you received the grace of God for salvation, by trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection as the only deliverance from Hell? I hope many of you have. If you have not, talk to me, or a pastor you know. But right now, I want to focus on those of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, yet still struggle with sin and temptation. To you I want to say, that, just as you trusted God’s grace through Jesus Christ for salvation, you also need to trust in God’s grace through the Holy Spirit for deliverance from bondage to sin.

Is there a particular sin you are being defeated by? Different people will have different answers. But there is only one source of victory, the Holy Spirit who lives inside you.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”  Romans 8:31-34

3.       The Grace of God gives us hope for the future:  Titus 2:12-14

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”  John 14:1-3 

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Rev3:19-22

Do you believe that Jesus will someday return and bring us back to Heaven with Him? Jesus has promised that he will. But when he comes there may be rebuke and chastening. God has given us grace, through the Holy Spirit to help us to live holy lives. The grace of God teaches us to be holy. But we must pray and believe that He will help us. Do you want to be made whole? Only God can give you the power to do so.

Pray for salvation, holy living.


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