The Person and Work of our God and Savior Jesus Christ
Titus 2:11-14
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. (ESV)
1.
Context
a.
In Verses 1-10
Paul instructs Titus as to what he ought to teach the people in his
church. Paul has specific instructions
for five divisions of people—older men, older women, younger men, younger
women, and slaves, or, in other words, everybody.
b.
Paul is
prescribing the practical behavior for Christians.
c.
In Verses 11-14
Paul shares the “why.” Why should
Christians live in this way? That’s what
we’ll see today.
2.
Verse 11: The
Grace of God
a.
Verse 11 begins
with “for”—everything that I have told you is because of this.
b.
The Greek
construction of this sentence allows for two wordings:
i. The one in the ESV
ii.
For the grace of
God that brings salvation has appeared to all people.
iii.
The meaning is
basically the same.
c.
What is Paul not
saying?
i.
That Christ came
to save everyone.
ii.
That everyone has
received a small amount of grace—enough to enable them to accept Christ.
d.
We spend too much
time debating passages like this, entirely missing the point.
e.
What is Paul
saying?
i.
Paul is saying
that the gracious nature of God has been revealed in the New Testament in a far
greater way than ever before. Grace
means favor. Christ came and revealed the favor of God to men, despite the demerit of men. Hebrews 1:1-2: “Long ago,
at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but
in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed the heir
of all things, through whom also he created the world.” The Advent has brought us a greater knowledge
of God’s grace than was ever revealed before Christ’s coming.
ii.
The revelation of
the true God, which was once confined to one nation, has now been sent to the
whole world. Ephesians 2:13-14, 17: “But
now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood
of Christ. For he himself is our peace,
who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of
hostility…And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to
those who were near.” Until the time of Christ the covenant
community was almost exclusively confined to the nation of Israel. Now it is international!
iii.
The whole world
has received the knowledge of the true God.
The call of the Gospel goes out to all men, women, and child—repent and
be saved!
3.
Verse 12: The
Results of the Gospel
a.
The Gospel does
not merely save us from the guilt of sin.
It also rescues us from the power of sin. Darren Rogers: “The same grace that redeems
us also reforms our lives and makes us godly.”
b.
Training=disciplining
or instructing (especially in reference to children). The Gospel finds as us weak, needy children
and teaches/empowers us to live for God.
c.
It does this in
two ways:
i.
Renounce our old
ways. Renounce literally means to say
no; to deny; to disown.
1.
We are to
renounce ungodliness. This word
basically refers to the rejection of God’s authority. It is being anti-God.
2.
We are to
renounce worldly pleasures. This phrase
does not refer to physical, earthly pleasures.
The world in this context is the world system opposed to God. It is the fleshly, carnal mindset. It is the worldview that perverts God’s
Creation. The world takes the blessings
of God and uses them for evil—things like food, sex, technology, and money. God has given us these things to use for
building His Kingdom, but they become worldly when we use them for our pleasure
and when they distract us from God.
ii.
Adopting a new
lifestyle. We are to be:
1.
Self-controlled. We are not supposed to be ruled by our
desires. We are not slaves to our appetites. Albert Barnes: “It means that we should
exercise a due restraint on our passions and propensities.”
2.
Upright. This refers to our interaction with those
around us. We are to treat people
fairly, lovingly, and justly. The Golden
Rule!
3.
Godly. This is the exact opposite of the word ungodliness
that we just looked at. It refers to
piety and devotion. We are to
acknowledge, emulate, and submit to God.
iii.
This is the
contrast Paul is giving us here. Where
once we were selfish and driven by our own lusts, now we are to be controlled by
and dedicated to God. Our will has been
changed. We want what God wants. Our lives demonstrate that essential change
that has been accomplished in our hearts and lives.
d.
In this present
age. We cannot blame our behavior on our
culture. Compromise with the sins of a
culture is inherently anti-Christian. We are a holy people. We are distinct. We are the called out ones! Accordingly, we
are to be different. In the world and
not of the world—cliché, but true. We
are not called to live in a commune. We
are called to follow God wherever He has placed us. Too often we think, “If only I lived in this
place or in that era, then I’d be a better Christian.” God wants us to follow Him exactly where He’s
put us. We are to represent Him in the midst of the world.
4.
Verse 13: Our
Hope
a.
Paul describes
the attitude of the Christian. We are to
be always waiting.
b.
Paul says that we
are waiting for our blessed hope.
Waiting and looking (KJV) don’t quite capture the meaning of the
word. It means that we are expectantly
waiting. We are looking forward to
something. We are welcoming it. For what are we waiting?
i.
Our blessed
hope. Hope refers to something we are confident will happen. What is our hope?
ii.
The appearing of the glory of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. We are waiting for the Return of Christ.
iii.
Some translations
separate these two (hope and appearing). I believe the second is describing the first. Our hope is Christ's return.
iv.
Notice the
parallel between Verse 11 and 13—appearing. Paul is referring to the first and second
comings.
1.
Because of what
Christ has revealed to us when He came the first time, we await the Second
Coming, when all will be completed.
2.
The grace of God
was revealed when Christ came the first time.
The glory of God will be revealed the Second time. Both times God is being revealed in the
person of Christ.
3.
The Greek wording
is not describing two people (Christ and God).
It is describing one. Christ is both God and Savior. This is a great proof of Christ's divinity.
4.
At the Second
Coming Christ will be perfectly revealed as God and Savior. His work will be consummated. The revelation of God will be complete.
5.
Verse 14: What
Christ Came to Do
a.
Paul summarizes
what Christ came to do. Christ’s mission
had essentially two parts (as regards us):
i.
He redeemed us
from all lawlessness. How? By giving Himself. This verb (redeem) means to buy back. The noun form is usually translated
ransom. He paid the price for our guilt. We were lawless, but He gave Himself so that
we would not have to suffer our punishment.
ii.
To purify His
people. How?
1.
By making us a people
for his own possession.
2.
By making us a
people who are zealous for good works. These two are connected. We belong to
Christ. That determines how we live our
lives. John Gill: “Now these people, for whom Christ has given
himself, and whom he has redeemed and purifies, are a ‘peculiar people’; for
whom Christ has a peculiar love, in whom he takes a peculiar delight, and to
whom he grants peculiar nearness to himself, and bestows peculiar blessings on
them, and makes peculiar provisions for them, both for time and eternity; these
are Christ's own, his possession, his substance, what he has a special right to
by his Father's gift, his own purchase, and the conquest of his grace; and they
are a distinct and separate people from all others, in election, redemption,
effectual calling, and in Christ's intercession, and will be in the
resurrection morn, at the day of judgment, and to all eternity; and they are,
as the word also signifies, an excellent and valuable people; they are Christ's
portion and inheritance; they are his peculiar treasure, his jewels, whom, as
such, he values and takes care of.”
6.
Application
a.
Realize and
appreciate the age in which we live—the world has received the revelation of
the grace of God! We need to cherish
this reality and thank God for it.
b.
We need to
renounce the world (not physical, spiritual).
We are not a part of the carnal system.
1 John 1:15: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the
Father is not in him.”
c.
We need to live
self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.
d.
We need to live
in expectation of meeting our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Christ may not return during our lifetimes,
but we will meet Him, in this life or in the next. Live like it.
e.
As the Church we
need to live like Christ owns us. The
grace of God dictates every choice that we make. We are “slaves of righteousness” (Romans
6:19). 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “You are
not your own, for you were bought with a price.
So glorify God in your body.”
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