The Ordinary Means of Grace (Titus 2:11–12)

Series: Reformation Day SermonsText: Titus 2:11–12

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: October 29, 2023

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: AM Service

Introduction

Perhaps you have struggled with how to receive more of God’s grace in your life. You’ve wondered if there is a secret, thinking that perhaps devotions at 4am instead of six in the morning will radically change your spiritual walk. Perhaps you think it might be going to a special revival or conference. Or, perhaps, it might be changing everything about your lifestyle, moving to a foreign country as a missionary, or perhaps as a monk. It’s not that the Lord doesn’t sometimes bless changes in our lives, but the solution may not be something out of the ordinary.

This is a struggle highlighted in the past 516 years of church history. With this being Reformation Sunday, we want to remember important men and teachings arising from the Reformation. It was on October 31st of 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg. Though that wasn’t the absolute start of Reformation thinking, it was a clear moment challenging long-accepted teachings. Luther and his other contemporaries of were not trying to start a new religion; they were trying to reform the false teachings and corrupt practices of their beloved Roman Catholic faith, which is why we call it the Reformation.

One of the teachings the Reformers challenged was just how we get the grace of God. We can start to see the answer to this struggle in this letter, where Paul leaves Titus to build a healthy church. If Titus is to establish a healthy church, he must understand and teach how God’s amazing grace works in people’s lives. Paul explains here that it appears, bringing two new realities for those who trust the gospel — we must trust that God’s grace saves us (v. 11) and schools us (v. 12).

Yet, as we consider this, we want to understand just how we receive this grace. So, we’ll first define grace. Then, we’ll consider what means through which grace comes.

What is Grace?

What is χάρις, “grace”? Another word for it would be kindness, favor given with no expectation of return. The grace of God is best typified in Christ. This is why, even though the word predates the birth of Jesus, no one understood it well.

For instance, one commentator notes that, “in pagan Greece, this favor was always conferred upon a friend, not upon an enemy.” The New Testament, however, strips grace of the idea of it being earned through friendship. As Paul wrote, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6–8). With the terms helpless, ungodly, and sinners, we see God granting what we do not deserve.

Here, the incalculable grace of God epiphanies, appears out of the sky. Paul carries this thought forward into the next chapter, where, in v. 4, he says, “the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior epiphanied, appeared.” God’s grace gilded the sky in the past; in Luke 1:79, Zechariah prophesied over the infant Lord that the sunrise has visited us “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” God’s grace appeared through the entrance of the Son into the world through His first advent, when He came “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

How does grace save?

The term “salvation” modifies χάρις, as in, “the saving grace of God has appeared to all people.” The word “saved” means many things. Physical salvation figures large in Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, where we see God delivering Israel from enemies. Scripture also speaks of spiritual salvation; as Jesus warns in John 8:34, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” That death doesn’t mean stopping a heart from beating; Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). The second death is eternal separation from God in hell. That’s the bad news.

But, praise God, we’re talking about what grace does. First Thessalonians 1:10 says that Jesus “delivers us from the wrath to come.” Here in Titus 2:11 and in 3:4, we read about God’s grace appearing, and according to 3:7, it justifies or makes it as though, legally, we had not sinned. This is all “according to the riches of his grace” (Eph 1:7). God’s grace delivers us from our deserved condemnation.

Who does grace save?

The text says that grace saves all men or people. Some might misread this to mean universal atonement, that God will eventually save every person in the world. However, God nowhere says this. If He were to save everyone, why should the early Christians face persecution by Roman swords? If everyone is saved, then there’s no need to get everyone’s theology right—Titus would only have to pat everyone on their heads and tell them to play nice. No; Jesus said you must believe in Him, requiring a response of faith and repentance.

What Paul means here is that all kinds of people are saved, that there is a universal availability. As such, we can pray that God’s way and salvation may be known among all nations (Psa. 67:1–2). So, regardless of whether Titus is instructing the elder or the younger individuals on the island of Crete, slave or free, man or woman, he can tell them about when God’s saving grace appeared. The gospel of this grace is available to all and saves those who trust in it.

The grace of God doesn’t just save the soul, either. It also teaches or schools us. It trains us even after we’ve come to Christ in what we need to know and do. The question, though, is how we receive that grace, which is what we want to consider next.

What are “Means” of Grace?

The Latin term for “means” is media, meaning “channels.” Of course, today, when I talk about media and channels, you might imagine flipping through the stations on your television to get the news. (That illustration might be a bit dated today!) The terms come, though, from the concept of disseminating information — we get our information through various media, whether it be websites, televisions, radios, etc.

What media do we turn to for God’s grace, though? Some of you might think about websites and stations which host Christian programing, but I don’t mean it quite that way. There may be recordings of God disseminating His grace in many places, which may in turn bless us, but that isn’t what we’re referring to when we talk about the means of grace. After all, the definition of “means of grace” must be able to apply to all believers in church history, even those who lack our current technologies. In fact, the term that theologians use with this is “ordinary;” these are channels that God commonly works through.

Moreover, we may incorrectly identify one of the many ways God can bless us as a means of grace. For instance, a kind word or wave is enough to bless. Some people may find edification in songs that others do not enjoy. Some people can feel uplifted through the same pain and sorrow which might embitter another person. So, don’t think of the “means of grace” are just anything and everything God uses to bless us — we can be thankful for those, as well, but that’s not our focus this morning.

You might ask, “Well, what are the means of grace?” As Charles Hodge defined it, “The phrase is intended to indicate those institutions which God has ordained to be the ordinary channels of grace, i.e., of the supernatural influences of the Holy Spirit, to the souls of men.” The Westminster Larger Catechism has a similar definition: “The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to his church the benefits of his mediation, are all his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation.” These are ordinary ways in which God blesses His people.

We’re starting to see, though, that they are also standards. These are means through which God promises to work grace into the life of believers. The three identified here are the Word, the sacraments, and prayer.

First, the Word is a Mean of Grace

The first and primary of these is the Word. We call it the “Word of God” because it is inspired or breathed by God, and it communicates grace. For instance, we cannot learn about Jesus Christ except through the Word which reveals Him. It’s true that an evangelist or a preacher might tell you about Jesus, but he learned about the Lord through Scripture, and it’s the Lord of Scripture he’s introducing to you. In James 1:18, we read, “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” Similarly, 1 Peter 1:23 says that the Christian has “been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” Finally, Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” As such, even though television, radio, and other methods might bear limited fruit, the ordinary way God works to bring people to Himself is through His Word.

This is where the information about grace comes. Salvation is the clearest grace we know, but God’s grace doesn’t end there. As Jesus prayed in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” God’s Word causes us to grow in salvation and builds us up in faith (1 Pet. 2:2; Acts 20:32). In fact, Titus 2:11–12 parallels the idea of Scripture training us in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). Therefore, God graciously trains us through the reading and preaching of His Word.

Second, the Sacraments are Means of Grace

When we’re talking about the sacraments, we are typically referring to something sacred. Now, this might be a term that makes you think of the Roman Catholic Church. As one theologian notes, it has “seven sacraments, adding to baptism and the Lord’s Supper, matrimony, orders, penance, confirmation, and extreme unction,” but there is no biblical support for this. That is why we noted that the Word is the primary means of grace, for it informs us on these issues!

Now, because of the Roman Catholic history, “sacraments” typically isn’t the term that Baptists and some other Evangelicals prefer when they talk about The Lord’s Supper and baptism. It’s not that the word is necessarily wrong to use, but the term might create confusion. As such, many prefer “ordinances,” those things which God has ordained, and that is also an acceptable term. We might use these terms synonymously.

The word “baptism” is a transliteration of the Greek which could be translated “dip” or “immerse.” Through immersing a person in water, it speaks of the washing or purification from sins that one receives through Christ. It is a symbol, but it is also a tangible, felt reminder of the cleansing we have received from our former way of life. It likewise demonstrates how we are linked with the work of Christ, who was also baptized for righteousness sake. Finally, it is a seal of the New Covenant into which we come through faith.

We must be clear here. Baptism is a means of grace, reminding us of these important spiritual realities. It is not, however, a work through which we become saved. The water is ordinary; saving grace is reserved through the work of Jesus Christ alone. The baptismal waters do not regenerate us. Christ, not the washing of water, saves.

It's a normal process. We don’t need to liven it up by putting a water slide or a diving board into the baptismal. We don’t need firetrucks and water guns to add elements of excitement. We don’t need to invite people for spontaneous baptisms, just to see what happens. We instead follow the process that God has set out for us.

We have explained why baptism is important, but not the Lord’s Supper. Various passages (Matt. 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24, Luke 22:19, 20, 1 Cor. 10:15–17, 11:23–29) demonstrate the Lord’s institution of communion for the worship service. These two elements (again, ordinary elements — the breaking of bread and the cup with the fruit of the vine) remind us of the tangible realities of Christ’s death. Just as we taste and smell the elements, we are reminded of Christ’s real death for us. We also participate in it and proclaim it as we consume.

We call it the “Lord’s table” or “Lord’s Supper” because it is His, and He will one day dine with us again. We also call it “communion” because we are reminded of our fellowship with Him and with each other. There was confusion in Rome in how Christ is present; they began to believe that the priest could transform the elements into Christ’s literal body and blood. However, He is here in spirit while His body remains in heaven, an ever-present offering for us before the throne of God. In communion, we receive the graceful reminder that both His atonement still applies to us and that His Spirit is with us. We are truly fed in these elements.

Again, these are ordinary elements. Some people quibble over incidentals, like must cup have alcoholic wine or is non-alcoholic okay, or whether the bread must be unleavened or if leavened is acceptable. Churches will have to decide on those issues. What we’re not given permission to do is to change things up. For instance, there was a church that, in the wake of Trayvon Martin’s 2012 death in Florida, offered a communion of Skittles and Tea in the name of social justice. When some churches locked down in 2020 for the COVID scare, pastors encouraged their home-bound congregates to partake of communion by themselves using whatever they had, even if it was cookies and milk. Invention is not a freedom that the Lord allows His faithful.

We’re united to Him in our spiritual baptism, meaning our water baptism reminds us of our freedom from the bondage of sin and the hope of His resurrection (Rom. 6:3–6). When we partake in the Lord’s Supper, we proclaim the death of Christ (1 Cor. 11:26) and collectively participate in the blood and body of the Lord (10:16–17). These are precious moments in the Christian life, working grace in our hearts.

Because the working is through Christ and His Spirit, the grace is only for those who are believers. “They may have a natural power on other than believers by presenting truth and exciting feeling, but their saving or sanctifying influence is experienced only by believers.” It’s possible for unbelievers to receive baptism or the elements, but they will not experience the true grace of God otherwise.

Prayer is a Mean of Grace

We do not operate with the Word of God in a detached manner. When we engage in prayer, we are seeking the Lord of grace. And in that prayer which is pleasing to Him, He grants grace.

As an aside, we could note the reverse. It is not prayer in itself that blesses, for many pagans and unbelievers pray. Prayer must be shaped by the inspired Word to be effectual.

For instance, we could step back and consider salvation for a moment. There are some who believe that there are people who are Christian but don’t know it; they might be Buddhist, Muslim, or Atheist, but supposedly, they are still Christ’s without their knowing. That is an unbiblical and wrong notion, for we’ve already seen that they must have the message of grace in front of them in the first place. Moreover, Scripture says, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13); people aren’t saved if they don’t call upon the name of the Lord.

Beyond salvation, we need His grace every day. As the disciples asked Christ to increase their faith, so can we (Luke 17:5). In Christ, we can “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). We’re also following along with the pattern of the early church, where they were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). As such, God’s grace not only grants faith and brings us near, God promises that we can receive more grace in times of need.

Conclusion

The distinctions we’ve seen today are important. First, grace is favor we receive, not something we earn. It is a work of God, not of us. We do not merit God’s grace even in reading our Bibles, partaking of the sacraments, or praying. If you heard that today, you need to reconsider what Scripture says about salvation.

Second, this is a grace that is not regenerating. In other words, you are not saved from Hell just because you crack open a Bible, pray a prayer, or get baptized. God’s grace is present in each of these, but only in the sense that it teaches you to become a Christian and sanctifies your life. Roman Catholicism may have taught that you need infant baptism, communion, pay indulgences, and live a lifetime of faithful participation to gain enough grace to ensure heaven, but these things do not get you grace for your final justification before God. Rather, He justifies you in Christ alone, and then you read and pray, experiencing the conversion of the soul.

Third, these are ordinary means of grace. There is not fanciful about them. The Pope invents teachings such as following him on Twitter will help the state of your eternal soul, but God inspired specifics which should not be added to. We don’t need to “think outside the box” to make things more interesting or easier for God. We just need to follow His ways.

You still might be struggling with this, though. You might say, “It can’t be that simple. I’ve come to church and nothing changed!” However, ordinary blessings operate in an ordinary timetable. You don’t remember all the meals you had as a child, but they were all essential for nourishing you into the person you are today. In a similar way, the means of grace may not seem flashy, and you might not remember every sermon, every prayer, every time of communion — but it’s essential, nonetheless. Let the work of God have its way in you.