“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Paul shows that God’s grace first saves and then teaches His people for godliness and good deeds.
The word “for” that opens verse 11 links these verses to what he has just said in the preceding verses in the chapter. In Titus 2:1-10, Paul has shown that various groups of believers should adorn their lives with godliness and good deeds so as to bring others to the Saviour. Paul’s mention of “God our Saviour” (2:10) causes him to elaborate on the theological basis for our salvation and how understanding that inevitably leads to a life of godliness and good works. At the heart of everything is this crucial concept of God’s grace.
God’s grace brings salvation to all people (2:11)
When Paul writes, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared,” he is referring to the embodiment of grace in the person of Jesus Christ, who was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), and what he did for all men as His gracious work to save them, which have already dealt broadly from our previous lessons.
God’s grace teaches us who are saved in godliness (2:12-14a)
The word “teaching” means “instructing.” It includes also, training, correcting, and disciplining. It is a process that begins at salvation and continues until we stand before the Lord. But, note that grace does not mean, “hang loose and live as sloppily as you please.” Rather, grace trains, disciplines, and instructs us in godly living. Paul mentions three ways that grace teaches us:
1. Grace teaches to deny ungodliness and worldly lust (2:12a).
When you experience God’s unmerited favor in Jesus Christ, it motivates you to want to please Him in everything that you do. As you read God’s word, you begin to realize that there is much in your life that displeases the Lord, who gave Himself on the cross to save you from God’s judgment. So, you begin walking on the path that Jesus described as denying yourself daily, taking up your cross, and following Him (Luke 9:23).
This includes saying no to ungodliness. This refers to a person who does not reverence God and thus lives by ignoring God. It obviously refers to the person who is openly immoral or evil, but it also includes the outwardly nice person who simply has no place for God in his life. His everyday life is organized, motivated, and run by self, with no place for God. The person who has tasted God’s grace will say no to such godless living.
Also, saying no to worldly lust. This refers to desires that are characteristic of this world system that is opposed to God. John describes them as “the lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16). They include selfishness, pride, seeking after status and power, greed, lust, and living for sinful pleasure rather than finding pleasure in God above all else. Grace trains you to say no to these things, because God and His grace are far sweeter than anything the world can offer.
2. Grace teaches us to live soberly, righteously, and godly (2:12b).
It is not enough to say no to ungodliness and worldly desires. You must also say yes to sober, righteous, and godly living. In the midst of this present evil world, we are to live soberly, righteous, and godly lives, so that those in the world will be drawn to our Saviour
3. Grace teaches us to look ahead and to look behind (2:13-14).
The forward look is toward the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of Christ. The backward look is toward the cross and its implications on our lives.
“Looking for” implies eager anticipation. Just as a young bride whose husband is away in the military eagerly looks forward to his return, so believers who have tasted God’s grace look forward to the coming of our Bridegroom. That hope motivates us to purify ourselves on any sins in our lives (I John 3:3).
“Who” refers back to “our great God and Savior, Jesus Chrsit” None other than He “gave Himself for us”! If that thought doesn’t grip your heart, you’re in deep spiritual trouble. Paul shows that this past grace that was shown to us produces godliness in us.
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“that he might redeem us from all iniquity” – He paid the redemption price in His own blood to free us from bondage to sin. How, then, can a believer go back into slavery to sin?
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“purify unto himself a peculiar people” – He bought us from the slave market of sin and washed off our filth. Now we belong to Him as His personal possession. He prizes us more than anyone prizes a valuable treasure, because He paid for us with His blood. Again, what a motivation to live to please Him!
God’s grace teaches us who are saved to be zealous for good works (2:14b).
“Good works” refer to deeds that are done out of sincere love for God and others in obedience to His word. “Zealous” is a word that Paul used to describe his fanatical zeal for Judaism prior to his conversion (Gal. 1:14). It was also used to describe the fanatical Jewish sect that was devoted to ridding Israel of Roman domination. The Zealots were totally devoted to their cause, even to the point of risking their own lives to achieve their goals. You would not call them lukewarm!
Could you rightly describe yourself as a fanatic for good works? Or addicted to the ministry? (Romans 16). It seems to me that the vast majority of Christians interested only at good works when it is convenient, when they don’t have anything else that they’d rather do. But if we have been bought out of the slave market of sin by the blood of our great God and Saviour, we should be zealous of good works. We ought to be totally devoted to serving our new Master.
Evangelist Rodgie Quirante
The Workman’s Treasure Study Series