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Grace Baptist Church

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The Purifying Power of the Grace of God

The Purifying Power of the Grace of God

Jan 29, 2017

Passage: Titus 2:11-14

Preacher: Jared Longshore

Category: Sunday Morning

Keywords: gospel, grace, law, lawlessness, legalism, sanctification

Detail:

Pastor Jared Longshore opens the Bible to Titus 2:11–14 with a message entitled “The Purifying Power of the Grace of God” discerning the biblical path between legalism and lawlessness. The devil uses both: legalism to diminish grace and lawlessness to diminish law. Both are wrong and diminish God’s grace, mercy, and holiness. Thus, a correct understanding is imperative. Today’s passage counters both errors, teaching the power Christians have to overcome error and sin. It is the purifying power of God’s grace.

Three subjects are worthy of consideration as we seek to understand striving for purity while living by grace. The first is the appearing of the grace of God. Ephesians 2:4 helpfully informs the reader that through grace believers have been saved. Without that grace, all are helplessly lost in sin. The reality of this grace is apparent because we have the appearing of this grace; Jesus Christ has come. Because Jesus dwelt among us, lived a sinless life, died and rose again, never to die again, grace, the forgiveness of our sins, is available to us. The truth of God’s great love, as evidenced by His sending the Son to work on our behalf, gives us confidence and helps us overcome the challenges in our pursuit of purity. The practical outworking of this is seen in v. 12 where God’s grace trains “us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions,” enabling us to say “no.” Our training also enables us to say “yes” “to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.” As a result, our lives should be marked by a Godward orientation.

The second subject pertains to Christians in the present age. This is the age between the two bookends of Christ’s appearing. There has already been the appearing of God’s grace in the coming of Jesus as a man. His second coming in glory has yet to happen. The present age, therefore, has both an “already” aspect as well as a “not yet” aspect. Though Christ defeated Satan on the Cross of Calvary, Jesus has yet to cast Satan into the lake of fire. Satan still seeks to damage the church and individual saints. Thus, the creation still groans and so do we. Nevertheless, Christ will return and bind Satan once for all as God’s kingdom comes to full fruition in the second appearing of Christ. Then all will be as it should be.

The final subject to consider is our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Verse 14 states it was Christ “who gave himself for us.” He did this “to redeem us from all lawlessness,” and “to purify for himself a people for his own possession.” Our redemption has, in one way, completely purified us by giving us the righteousness of Christ. But, since, as we have seen, we live in the present age, we still sin. It is the power of Christ that gives us power over lawlessness, enabling us to live by grace and strive for purity in our daily lives. God’s grace is greater than our sin and is available to all who come to Him.