The Church of Jesus Christ: A Purified People Zealous for Good Works
August 7, 2016 Preacher: Series: For the Life of the Church, For the Life of the World
Scripture: Titus 2:11–15
Key Truth: God grants salvation in full by grace alone through Christ alone in faith alone as we look back to the cross, walk in the present in newness of life, and look forward to Christ’s return.
Introduction:
Q: What role does God’s grace play in your justification, sanctification, and glorification (or salvation for short)?
“The point of the theological passage to follow [Titus 2:11-15] is that the life Paul expects Cretan believers to live in this context is not an ordinary life in the least; it is the product of the Christ-event. And the implication is that the gospel creates people capable of living within human society, observing its institutions, speaking its language, embracing its good values, while reshaping and retooling others, in order to bring redemption to it.”
Philip H. Towner, The Letters to Timothy and Titus
Looking Back and Looking Forward to See How to Live Today:
Titus 2:11-15
“Paul means that God’s grace should instruct us so that we live the right sort of lives. Some are all too quick to use the preaching of God’s mercy as an excuse for licentiousness, while carelessness keeps other people from thinking about the renewal of their lives. Bt the revelation of God’s grace necessarily brings with it exhortations to a godly life.”
John Calvin, 1&2 Timothy & Titus
Q: What are some ways that you are training to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions? What are some ways that you are training to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age? Are you zealous for good works?
Titus 2:11-15 teaches us that:
-we look back to the first coming of Christ that brought salvation by grace alone
-this same grace compels us to holiness in our present lives
-we look forward the blessed hope of Christ’s return by grace alone
“This deliberate orientation of ourselves, this looking back and looking forward, this determination to live in the light of Christ’s two comings, to live today in the light of yesterday and tomorrow–this should be an essential part of our daily discipline. We need to say to ourselves regularly the great acclamation, ‘Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.’ For then our present duties…will be inspired by the past and future epiphanies of Christ.”
John R.W. Stott, The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus
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