The Goodness and Loving Kindness of our God
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Every one of us needs to be reminded of things in our life - even things that we would think we would remember!
Yesterday, I had the privilege of officiating a wedding for one of my best friends growing up.
As I prepared for the ceremony, and specifically to organize the rehearsal, I kept having to ask Lizzy, “How did this go? What order did we do this in? Who stands here? When did this happen?”
She was not completely thrilled that I didn’t remember that special day with perfect clarity - but that is because I was so focused on her beauty, right?!
The truth is, we are forgetful people. We need to be reminded, and we need to take specific action to remember things.
In Luke’s account of when Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper, He said “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
Today we will observe that supper, and we will do it to show the Lord’s death until He comes - proclaiming to everyone that Christ died for sinners.
But we will also do it, to renew again in our own memory, the love and sacrifice of God our Savior.
Here in , Paul is giving one of those reminders.
is specifically about how the Church is supposed to behave itself in a sinful world - how they are to purport themselves while surrounded by evil men.
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
This is an incredibly practical passage, that shows our conduct toward people. It is also a reminder, in verse 3, of where we came from!
Foolish
disobedient
led astray
slaves to various passions and pleasures
passing our days in malice
envy
hating one another
Paul Reminds Titus, and the people of Crete where Titus was ministering, who they were - and he also reminds us who we were.
We must be reminded who we were - and this happens all throughout scripture - but Paul moves very quickly from reminding us of who we were, to reminding us of what God has done.
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
Verse 4 starts with the conjunction “but” - it makes a clear transition. It is almost like a “that was then, this is now.”
What follows in the next verses is a beautiful, doctrinal treatise of what God has done in saving us. It reminds us that none of it is our work, and points us to the wonderful outworking of the Triune God in redeeming mankind. And it reminds us that it initiated out of the kind, merciful, benevolent love of God for mankind.
Christian, do not forget the goodness and loving kindness of God that brought your salvation.
John MacArthur says this - “In this short passage, Paul sweeps across the glorious truths of salvation, every facet of which is sovereignly initiated and empowered by God alone.”
The reason that we, as believers, are radically different from the way we were, and from the way the world is now, is because of God’s work in salvation.
In this passage, Paul speaks of:
God’s Kindness,
His love,
His mercy,
His washing of regeneration,
His renewing by the Holy Spirit,
His son Jesus Christ our Savior,
and His grace.
In framing this, quickly I want to see
The Character of God in salvation
The Work of the Trinity in Salvation
The Benefit of Man in salvation
The Character of God in Salvation
The Character of God in Salvation
Vs. 4
In this passage, Paul speaks of the difference maker between our former state of sinfulness and our current state of salvation as being the appearing of the “goodness and lovingkindness of God.”
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Paul speak
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Romans
That passage in Romans highlights the real issue at hand - we, who practice evil by nature, are deserving of the judgment of God. There is no one exempt from that state, and God is justified in His wrath, because He alone is Holy.
But He does not only display wrath, but as Paul says there “God’s kindness leads you to repentance.”
We are in need of repentance, and God has displayed His goodness and loving kindness in Christ to bring us to repentance.
The Work of the Trinity in Salvation
We say, rather succinctly, that “God has saved us.”
But wrapped up in that little statement is the distinct, yet unified work of the three persons of the Trinity.
Verse 4 reminds us of the loving kindness of God our Father.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
In Verse 5, however, Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit at work in us.
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
And finally, Paul speaks of this all being poured out to us in Jesus Christ our Savior.
whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Romans
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Our salvation is totally a work of God.
The Love and mercy of God the Father, the Sacrifice of Christ to atone for us, and the regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit - we see the three persons of the one Glorious being of God at work.
The Benefit of Man in Salvation
so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This can be summed up very well in another passage in Titus.
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.
We have received salvation by God’s work. We have received His love, His mercy, His Grace, His regeneration, His renewal, His justification, and we are made heirs to the hope of eternal life. All by His work, all for His glory.
This is what we are to remember.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Today, as we observe the Lord’s Supper, we are doing it in remembrance of Him - in remembrance of what He has done, and we do it to show His death until He comes.
And we do it, as Paul said,
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
And with that, we say, Come quickly, Lord Jesus!