Grace Teaches Us

Titus 2:11-12

Titus 2:11–12 “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,”

The Accusation

Satan promotes the misinterpreting of grace to be a “license to sin”

Jude 4 “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

χάρις charis- grace

ασελγεια aselgeia- lewdness, lust, filthy - licentiousness, self-abandonment, insolence

The Truth of the Finished Work Life

Grace teaches us not to sin

Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,”

Titus 2:12 “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,”

Grace brings salvation through faith

Ephesians 2:8–9 “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.”

Five points; 2 negative and 3 positive

Denying:

Ungodliness

This is the opposite to godliness.

Going to to wrong tree

Worldly Lusts

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Habits stemming from ungodliness. To be repented of. (not lapses leading to confession)

Coveting - Romans 7:7 “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.””

opp. to 1 Timothy 3:1 “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.” Godly desires

We Should Live:

Soberly

In Relation to Self

σωφρόνως sophronos- picks up on :2,6 ; 1:8 sober-minded

In a self-controlled, thoughtful manner. Spirit-filled discipline leads to godly self-discipline

Righteously

In Relation to Others

δικαίως dikaios - In an upright manner, working out what God has worked in. Imparted Righteousness, Imputed Righteousness, Mirrored Righteousness.

See also: Titus 1:8 “but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,”

Godly

In Relation to God

εὐσεβῶς eusebos- We are God’s handiwork

2 Timothy 3:12 “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

Titus 1:1 “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,”

In this Present World

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

1 Timothy 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”

2 Timothy 4:10 “for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.”

1 Corinthians 2:6 “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.”

2 Corinthians 4:4 “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

This Age trains us for the one to come

Ephesians 1:21 “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”

Grace Teaches Us - Through Sound Doctrine

Instruction

Teaching

Persuasion

Preaching

Encouragement

Come along side (don’t care how much you know…)

Practice

Church is body life. Team work

Discipline

Tell me when I’m off the path

Conviction unto repentance - to godliness

Confession unto fellowship with the Father