Sound Doctrine-7

Sound Doctrine – 7

Titus 2:1–10 (NIV84)

1You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

2Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,

5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness

8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,

10and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

Titus 2:11 (NIV84)

11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

Grace = χάρις charis 155x = a beneficent disposition toward someone, favor, grace, gracious care/help, goodwill; that which one grants to another, the action of one who volunteers to do something not otherwise obligatory.

Kindness given to someone who doesn’t deserve it: hence, undeserved favor, especially that kind or degree of favor bestowed on sinners through Jesus Christ (Eph 2:4–5).

Goodwill freely disseminated (by God); especially to the benefit of the recipient regardless of the benefit accrued to the disseminator.

Grace is the unearned favor generously given by God, bestowed for the good of the recipient without regard to any benefit for the giver.

It is not mercy.

Grace is receiving what we do not deserve (God’s unearned favor and blessing).

Mercy is not receiving what we do deserve (God’s compassion that withholds judgment or punishment).

God’s grace refers to his goodness toward those who ought to experience his judgment, that is, he does give us what we do not deserve.

“Unmerited favor” or “blessing” is a shorthand definition.

This is why we receive salvation through Christ totally apart from anything we do (Romans 3:27–28; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5–7).

A.W. Tozer: Grace is an attribute of God, that is, something which God is, and which cannot be removed from God and yet have God remain God.

Grace is not God; Grace is an attribute of God.

The grace of God is made manifest through the presence and work of the Holy Spirit, who brings the saving work of Christ into our lives, comforts and strengthens us in our weakness, and transforms us into His likeness.

Ephesians 2:1–10 (NIV84)

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

9not by works, so that no one can boast.

10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Grace. God’s favor on those who have broken his law and sinned against him. God’s grace offers and secures salvation.

Saved. Delivered from God’s wrath at the final judgment (Rom. 5:9). The perfect tense of “have been saved” means that the Christian’s salvation is fully secured.

through faith. Faith is confident trust and reliance upon Christ Jesus.

this … is the gift of God. The pronoun “this” refers to the entire process of salvation by grace through faith; it is all a gift of God.

Grace is something we receive, not because we earn it but because, out of God’s benevolence, he gives it to us as a gift.

Merit, on the other hand, is a reward that is owed to someone for fulfilling the terms of a contract, or a legal agreement.

John 1:16–17 (NIV84)

16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

All that Moses could do was command righteousness; but Jesus Christ produces righteousness.

All that Moses could do was forbid us to sin; but Jesus Christ came to save us from sin.

For Moses could not save, but Jesus could.

Jesus is the channel through which grace comes. And He said, “I am the truth,” and it is through Him that grace is released to the world, through His wounded side, to sinners like you and me. All the grace of God anywhere comes through Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:20–24 (NLT); 25-26 (Amplified)

20For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

21But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.

22We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

24Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight (being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; nasb95). He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

25 (Amp) [Jesus Christ] Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. (People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood, nlt). This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment.

26 (Amp)It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus.

being justified. To be justified means to be set right or declared righteous. It refers to both the acquittal of all charges and the provision of right status before God.

God’s justification of those who believe is provided freely (dōrean, “as a free gift,” i.e., without charge) by His grace. God justifies by the instrument of His grace, His unmerited favor.

We are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. (v. 24, rsv)

A gift reminds us that it is not of our doing.

Grace means God’s spontaneous, unmerited kindness toward us, his mercy, his love.

Hebrews 4:14–16 (NIV84)

14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Let us approach. Christians need no earthly priests for access to God.

Approaching the throne of kings in Bible days required permission. Without the consent of the king could mean possible death.

Because of grace we qualify to come before God and His throne of grace.

This was the meaning of the veil of the temple being rent in two from top to bottom.

The high priest could only enter into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies.

Now we have access into God’s presence because of Jesus Christ.

Confidence = παρρησία parrēsia = courage, boldness, confidence, frankness; openness.

Parrēsía is possible as the result of guilt having been removed by the blood of Jesus; and manifests itself in confident praying and witnessing.

Confidence before the Judge.

Being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.

Joel R. Beeke: We need proper vision to pray boldly.

We must see who we are—sinners.

We must see who God is—the perfectly holy and righteous King, before whom the angels cover their faces and cry, “Holy, holy, holy” (Isa. 6:3).

On what basis can a poor, sin-polluted beggar find the boldness needed to approach God’s throne?

Only by realizing that the King’s throne is a “throne of grace.”

The beggar dares to approach because the King delights in mercy, in showing love to the miserable.

He dares, because the King delights in grace, in showing love to the undeserving.

Here lies the heartbeat of boldness.

Christ, as our High Priest, provides freedom and boldness to approach God.

You may tremble when approaching the King, as Esther did in her approach to Ahasuerus, but has there ever been one trembling sinner to whom Jesus Christ did not hold out His golden scepter?

No, never! Through Christ’s mercy, at His throne of grace, a sinner finds true boldness.

When we come boldly, what happens?

“We… receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

We receive “mercy” for our past failures and “grace” to meet our present and future needs.

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV84)

16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve; grace is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it.

Mercy is deliverance from judgment.

Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy.

Mercy relates to the negative;

grace relates to the positive.

Mercy says, “No hell,”

whereas grace says, “Heaven.”

Mercy says, “I pity you;”

grace says, “I pardon you.”

Mercy deals with the symptoms,

grace with the cause.

Mercy offers relief from punishment;

grace offers pardon for the crime.

Mercy eliminates the pain;

grace cures the disease.

Mercy removes the guilt and penalty of sin;

grace imputes the righteousness of Christ.

Where and when do we receive mercy and find grace?

Where? At the throne of grace.

When? When we approach the throne of grace with courage, boldness, confidence, frankness, and openness, knowing that through Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection, we no longer fear His judgment and look forward to our complete our salvation.

James 4:6 (GW)

6But God shows us even more kindness. Scripture says,  “God opposes arrogant people,  but he is kind to humble people.” 

Do you want God’s grace? Be humble.

This grace is given abundantly to those who humbly seek Him while those who strive to satisfy their selfish ambitions are opposed by God.

They are opposed because of their prideful dependence upon their own resources rather than His grace.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 (NIV84)

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

If Paul had it all together and had been miraculously and wonderfully healed at his first or second request, then people might be able to point to Paul’s intelligence, giftedness, and devotion as the source of his adequacy.

But because Paul had debilitating physical struggles as well as countless external trials, the astounding success of his ministry can be attributed only to the grace of God.

Health and Wealth gospel: The victims of long-term illness are blandly assured that if only they had enough faith, they would be cured. Yet often these are people who have borne a wonderful testimony to God’s keeping power through an extended period of pain and suffering. It is hardly kind to taunt them with their own suffering by implying that it is really their own fault, as though with the right amount of faith they would be free of it.

Sufficient = ἀρκέω arkeō = to suffice: to be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity.

“You need nothing more than my grace.”

Paul says that God’s grace “is sufficient” (in the present tense). This emphasizes the constant availability of God’s grace, for Paul and for every believer.

It would also be worth asking ourselves how we regard our suffering fellow-believers.

If they are an embarrassment to us and we would sooner identify with Christian success stories, perhaps we resemble Paul’s opponents more than the suffering apostle himself.

Paul was not strong in his own strength, but in divine strength. The reverse is doubtless true.

When a believer is physically strong, he may not rely upon God as much and thus become spiritually weak.

Paul had to believe that God’s grace is sufficient. We really don’t believe God’s grace is sufficient until we believe we are insufficient.

For many of us, especially in American culture, this is a huge obstacle.

We are the people who idolize the “self-made man” and want to rely on ourselves.

But we can’t receive God’s strength until we know our weakness.

We can’t receive the sufficiency of God’s grace until we know our own insufficiency.

John Newton: “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, now I’m found, was blind but now I see.”

G-R-A-C-E: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

“Grace is the power and desire to do the will of God in your life.”

The grace of God is essential and adequate for every area of our life from salvation to service, from surviving suffering to being saintly.

The grace of God is unearned, undeserved, and unmerited. We are unworthy, unqualified, and unentitled to receive it, but we do because it is given freely by a gracious God.

Hebrews 12:14–16 (NIV84)

14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Deuteronomy 29:18 (NIV84)

18  Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.

16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

A person who falls from grace, in this context, is not a person who loses his salvation but a believer who fails to avail himself of the “means of grace” made available to him by God to help him in his Christian life.

Such means of grace are the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, fellowship with other believers, the Word of God, prayer, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and similar things. The believer who neglects these things falls into sin and loses, not his salvation, but his reward.

Titus 2:11b-12 (Next Week, the Lord willing)