“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” – Titus 2:11-14
Two widely different ministries of grace are set forth in this passage:
First, the grace of GOD which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men.
This refers to the saving grace of GOD which has come into the world by CHRIST JESUS, and is now to be proclaimed to all men. It is a message for all men, since its provisions are universal and its invitation is to “whosoever will.” Grace upon grace is bestowed both now and unto the consummation of the ages upon those who believe.
Second, the passage reveals, as well, that it is the same grace which has brought salvation to all men, that teaches “us.”
The word us, it should be observed, does not refer to the wider class of all men mentioned before; but it refers only to the company of those who are saved. The importance of this distinction is evident; for whatever grace proposes to teach, its teachings are addressed only to those who are saved by grace. This qualifying aspect of the teachings of grace is not limited to this one passage, though that would suffice; it is an outstanding characteristic of the whole body of grace teachings as they appear throughout the New Testament. These teachings, being addressed to Christians only, are never intended to be imposed on the Christ-rejecting individual, or the Christ-rejecting world.
This fact cannot be emphasized too forcibly. The Scripture makes no appeal to the unsaved for a betterment of life. There is but one issue in this dispensation between GOD and the unregenerate man, and that is neither character nor conduct; it is the personal appeal of the Gospel of the grace of GOD. Until the unsaved trust CHRIST, who is GOD’s gift in grace, no other issue can be raised. Men may moralize among themselves, and establish their self-governments on principles of right conduct; but every Scripture regarding the quality of life is reserved for those who are already rightly related to Him on the greater issues of salvation. In this dispensation, GOD has never made a slightest moral appeal to the unregenerate other than that which is implied in the Gospel for therein is the righteousness of God (Romans 1:17), then it must be admitted that no moral appeal be complied with by any individual that would move him nearer to GOD.
If the unsaved are present when the teachings of grace are discussed, there should be a Gospel appeal made by which the unsaved are classified and excluded from any share in those teachings. Apart from this appeal, it is impossible to save the unregenerate from receiving the impression that GOD is now seeking their reformation before He seeks their regeneration. Nothing is more wholesome for the unsaved than lovingly to be reminded that they, according to the Scripture, have no part in the Christian life, and that they are first to trust CHRIST as the only remedy of their sin-sick soul.
The teachings of grace, it will be found, comprise all of the teachings of the Pauline Epistles, and also certain portions of the General Epistles apart from their mere dispensational and Jewish-doctrinal features. Returning to the passage already quoted from Titus, we discover that only a portion of the whole appeal of the teachings of grace are mentioned in this Scripture; but here the believer is taught that he is to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, godly, and looking for the personal return of his Lord from Heaven. This describes a life of peculiar devotion and sweetness. Thus would GOD “purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
According to the Scriptures, Christians are confronted with the following dangers:
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To receive the grace of God in vain (2 Cor. 6:1)
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To use grace a license to sin (Rom. 6:1,14-15)
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To be fallen from grace (Gal. 5:2-4)
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Be moved away from grace (Gal. 1:6)
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Grace be mixed with the law (Gal. 3:1-3)
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Turning the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 4)
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Returning to the Law (Gal. 4:1-9)
The Believer’s Daily Life is to be Directed Only by the Teachings of Grace
In exact accord with the fact that Christians are to be governed only by the teachings of grace, the Biblical appeal in grace never contemplates an observance of the law. Through the death of CHRIST, the law is not only disannulled; but, as a rule of life, it is never mentioned, or included in the teachings of grace. It is rather excluded. The believer is to walk by a “rule” but that rule, it will be seen, is never an adaptation of the law (Galatians 6:16; Philippians 3:16). This important fact should be carefully verified by the reading of all the Pauline Epistles. It is impossible to refer here to this extensive body of Scripture beyond a very few illustrative passages.
In the following Scriptures, as in all grace teachings, the law, it will be found, is not once applied to believers:
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Titus 2:11-12- “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”
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Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”
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2 Corinthians 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
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Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
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2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
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2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
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2 Corinthians 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
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Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
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Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
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2 Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
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2 Corinthians 8:6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.
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Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
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Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
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Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
By these passages, selected from the whole body of New Testament teaching concerning the believer’s walk in grace, it is seen that the teachings of grace do not include the precepts of the law as such; but that they exclude those precepts. However, no vital principle contained in the law is abandoned. It will be observed that these principles of the law are carried forward and are restated in the teachings of grace; not as law, but as principles which are revised, adapted, and newly incorporated in the issues of pure grace.
Evangelist Rodgie Quirante
The Workman’s Treasure Study Series