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You can turn with me in your 
Bibles to the book of Titus. We're in Titus chapter 2, and 
our focus this evening is on verses 11 to 14. Titus chapter 2, I'll begin reading 
in verse 1. But as for you, speak the things 
which are proper for sound doctrine, that the older men be sober, 
reverent, temperate, sound in faith and love and patience. 
The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, 
not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things, 
that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, 
to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, 
good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not 
be blasphemed. Likewise, exhort the young men 
to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern 
of good works, in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 
sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may 
be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bondservants 
to be obedient to their own masters, to be well-pleasing in all things, 
not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, 
that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. For the grace of God that brings 
salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying 
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, 
and godly in the present age. looking for the blessed hope 
and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every 
lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people, zealous 
for good works. Speak these things, exhort and 
rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
you for the written word. Thank you for this letter to 
Titus and for its great, great lessons for the church today. 
Give us wisdom as a church to go forward in the fear of the 
Lord, obedient to Scripture, empowered by the Spirit, so that 
we may be a faithful witness in this community and that we 
may indeed shine as lights and hold forth that word of truth. 
Do forgive us now again for all of our sins and anything that 
would darken our understanding and fill each one with the Holy 
Spirit, that we may receive great joy, great blessing from the 
Word of God Almighty. And we ask this through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. Now, as we have worked 
through this particular section, we have seen the exhortations 
to various people groups in chapter 2, verses 1 to 10. Well, the 
context in which these things are supposed to be complied with 
is in the grace of God. In other words, verses 11 to 
14 set forth that context of redemption by grace through faith 
in Jesus Christ, and as a result of us having been saved, We are 
called to live in a manner that is consistent with that salvation. 
John Calvin, at the beginning of his discussion of this particular 
section, helpfully cites this passage in Luke's Gospel, the 
passage that I read at the outset of worship. If you remember from 
the reading, verse 68, Zechariah says, blessed is the Lord God 
of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. Later 
on, he says, in holiness and righteousness, or rather verse 
74, to grant us that we being delivered from the hand of our 
enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness 
before him all the days of our lives. So it was the redeeming 
work of God Almighty that then enabled them to engage in holiness 
and righteousness before him all of their life. And that is 
precisely the connection that we find here in Titus chapter 
two, verses one to 14. We have exhortations, we have 
commands, we have imperatives, we have things that we must follow, 
but the order is not do this and then you will be saved. Rather, 
it is do this because you have been saved, and that's Paul's 
point, and he wants to make sure that we remember that this activity, 
this compliance with God's law, is in the broader context of 
theology. having saved us by grace through 
faith in Christ Jesus, so that we could live in a manner that 
is consistent with His law and with His Word. Well, as we look 
at this particular section, I want to note four things. First, the 
appearance of God's grace in verse 11. Secondly, the instruction 
of God's grace in verse 12. Thirdly, the demonstration of 
God's grace in verses 13 and 14. And then finally, the proclamation 
of God's grace in verse 15. So let's look first of all at 
verse 11. Again, the connection is obvious because Paul starts 
verse 11 with 4. That means it is intimately connected 
with what has preceded. In other words, do this because 
of this. Do this because God has saved 
you. And so he says, four, the grace 
of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. So it 
is the saving grace of God that is in view. Some have interpreted 
this in a universalistic sense. God's saving grace has appeared 
to all men, therefore all men will be saved. There is at least 
a surface level validity to that type of argument if one accepts 
it. But I think the better way to 
interpret it is all kinds of men. Paul has just discoursed 
concerning all kinds of men. He has talked about old men, 
he has talked about old women, he has talked about young women, 
he has talked about young men, and he has talked about slaves. 
So the grace of God has appeared to all kinds of men, and it gives 
us these particular lessons in terms of God's holy law. There 
is a similar sort of emphasis in 1 Timothy chapter 2. You can 
turn there, 1 Timothy chapter 2. Verse 1, Paul says, Therefore 
I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving 
of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in 
authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness 
and reverence. For this is good and acceptable 
in the sight of God our Savior. Now notice in verse 4, Who desires 
all men to be saved. Brethren, if God desires all 
men without exception to be saved, then God will save all men without 
exception. God is a glorious God. There is no sort of difficulty, 
there's no sort of tension within the heart of God. On the one 
hand, He desires the salvation of all men, but on the other 
hand, He doesn't save all men. That's not the point. He desires 
the salvation of all kinds of men. If you look in the particular 
context, pray for kings and all who are in authority that we 
may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. And then in verse 4, who desires 
all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 
So the bottom line is it's not all men without exception, it 
is all men without distinction. Jews, Greeks, blacks, whites, 
men, women, old, young, the grace of God that brings salvation 
has appeared to all men. That's the emphasis, that's Paul's 
point. Turn over to 2 Timothy 1 to see 
another statement concerning the appearance of God's grace 
in history, in time. In 2 Timothy, verse 9, chapter 
1, verse 9, he says, Who has saved us and called us with a 
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His 
own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus 
before time began. There's a reference to the covenant 
of redemption, that intra-trinitarian, pre-temporal compact between 
the persons of the Godhead to save His people from their sins. But it is manifested in the covenant 
of grace, and we see that in verse 10. But has now been revealed 
by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished 
death and brought life and immortality to light, through the gospel. 
So Paul's point is similar here in Titus chapter 2 at verse 11. God's grace has been revealed. It was revealed preeminently 
in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, in his life of 
perfect obedience to the Father's law, in his death at Calvary 
on behalf of sinners, and his resurrection the third day. That 
is the grand manifestation, the grand appearance of God's grace 
to his people. And now Paul moves on secondly 
to tell us what God's grace teaches us. Notice in verse 12, teaching 
us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live 
soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. So there 
are things that the grace of God teaches us to deny, and there 
are things that the grace of God teaches us to affirm or to 
put on. This dynamic is called the putting 
off and the putting on. We're to put off godlessness, 
we're to put off wickedness, and we are to put on good things. 
Paul in Romans 13 says, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make 
no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. There's always 
that sort of twin emphasis in the life of sanctification. For 
pagans, just simply putting off is good enough. But with reference 
to Christians, it's not only the putting off, but it's the 
putting on. of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's the emphasis 
here. The things that are to be denied 
are ungodliness and then worldly lust. Notice what he says, teaching 
us that denying ungodliness. Now, a famous dictionary defines 
ungodliness this way. In general, it is understood 
vertically as a lack of reverence for deity and hallowed institutions 
as displayed in sacrilegious words and deeds. In other words, 
it means impiety. And so the grace of God that 
has appeared to all men, or all kinds of men, that grace of God 
that has called us out of darkness into marvelous light, wherein 
we now enjoy the redemptive benefit of the Lord Jesus Christ, has 
called us to deny ungodliness. We're to put off superstition. 
We're to put off atheism. We're to put off that kind of 
thinking as if there is no God. if not a real philosophical or 
theoretical atheism, there's always practical atheism that 
attaches to people. They may not even call themselves 
atheists in terms of philosophy, or in terms of theology, or in 
terms of religion, or lack thereof, but there is a practical atheism 
that settles upon the soul, where people live as if there is no 
God. And so the grace of God has appeared to all men, and 
it teaches us to deny ungodliness. Matthew Poole says, all atheism 
or false religion, living without regard to any divine being or 
according to our own erroneous and superstitious conceits and 
opinions of him. Calvin adds, under ungodliness, 
I include not only superstitions in which they had gone astray, 
but irreligious contempt of God, such as reigns in men, till they 
have been enlightened in the knowledge of the truth." Now 
experientially, isn't this true? When the grace of God appeared 
to us, when the Lord called us, when he brought us out of darkness 
into marvelous light, now God is in our thoughts and happily 
so. There was a time prior to conversion, perhaps we made sort 
of an external profession, or we made some sort of a formalistic 
commitment, but it wasn't until God saved us, it wasn't until 
that grace that appears to all men had conquered our souls, 
and now we live in light, of a triune God. We still struggle, 
there's still sin, there's still atheistical thoughts from time 
to time, not as if there is no God, but more of the practical 
atheism. But the grace of God has taught 
us concerning the glory of God. As well, the grace of God teaches 
us to deny ungodly or rather worldly lusts. Now the word that's 
used here, lust, isn't always a bad word. It's the same word 
in 1 Timothy 3. One, if a man desires or lusts 
or wants the position of a bishop, that's a good thing. But here 
it's obviously bad because it's modified by the word worldly. 
Worldly lusts are antithetical to God. Worldly lusts are exactly 
what the grace of God teaches us to deny. That doesn't mean 
we can't enjoy the good benefits that God gives to us in this 
earth. It doesn't mean that we can't enjoy a nice meal or a 
good marriage or children or happiness and the celebration 
that is consistent with those sorts of things. But it's worldly 
lusts. It's the kinds of things that 
are condemned all throughout the New Testament. Look over 
at James 4 for just a moment. James chapter 4, where he has 
very strong words for those who are friends with the world. James 4.4, adulterers and adulteresses, 
do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with 
God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes 
himself an enemy of God. It's a horrible sort of a situation. If you want to be friends with 
the world, you are making yourself an enemy of God. And then the 
famous passage in 1 John chapter 2, where John tells us, calls 
us to not engage in those things that are worldly lusts. 1 John 2.15, do not love the 
world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the 
love of the Father is not in him. Again, we need to qualify 
this, and this is something to be quite candid with. I'm just 
coming to grips with in my own life. Having been brought up 
Catholic, having had sort of an imbalanced position with reference 
to God, there is enjoyment to be had in this world, but it's 
not the worldly lust that Paul is condemning here. You can enjoy 
the creation. You can use the good gifts of 
God as you reflect upon Old Covenant Israel. One of the reasons they 
would be ejected from the land is because they entered into 
the land and they weren't thankful to God. They didn't praise God 
for the good gifts that He had given. Remember, Paul describes 
doctrine of demons in 1 Timothy chapter 4, and the specific doctrine 
of demons are men that forbid or men that prohibit other men 
from enjoying food that God created to be received with thanksgiving 
and prohibiting marriage from persons when God has given marriage 
for good. So this isn't a prohibition against 
joy. God doesn't call us to this sort 
of sourpuss attitude where we carry around lemons and we take 
a bite out of one every single day so we have the requisite 
despair and bloom on our faces. Brethren, that is antithetical 
to Scripture as well, because Paul commands that we are to 
rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice always, Paul says. So 
this is not to be taken as if we can't enjoy the good gifts 
that God has given. It is to be taken in terms of 
our orientation. It is to be taken in terms of 
our allegiance. Does the world gain our affections 
more than the living and true God? If that's the issue and 
the worldly lusts associated with it, if that's what we're 
about, then we haven't learned the lessons of God's grace because 
God's grace has appeared and it does teach us to deny ungodliness 
and to deny worldly lusts. Back to John, again, 1 John 2, 
15. Do not love the world or the 
things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the 
love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, 
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of 
life is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world 
is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will 
of God abides forever. So going back to Titus chapter 
2, we see that grace of God that has appeared to all men teaches 
us, on the one hand, we're to deny ungodliness and worldly 
lusts. But on the other hand, it teaches 
us that we're to affirm, we're to imbibe, we are to practice, 
we are to pursue, we are to inculcate. We are to develop and act accordingly 
with reference to the instruction of God's grace when it comes 
to the positive application of how we are to live. And there 
are three terms here. He says we should live soberly, 
righteously, and godly in the present age. Now, the word soberly 
is the same word we've seen in verses 2, 5, and 6, and the bottom 
line, sort of meaning of it, is self-control. And so if you 
look at these three terms, it's how we deal with ourselves, how 
we deal with others, and how we deal with God. And I think 
Knight is absolutely right when he says these three adverbs seem 
to refer respectively to one's self, to one's relationship with 
other people, and to one's relationship with God, i.e. to thoughtful 
self-control, to uprightness in dealing with others, and to 
genuine piety in relation to God. There's a passage that's 
very similar in nature in the Old Testament, Micah chapter 
6, verse 8. He has shown you, oh man, what 
is good. Remember that particular context. 
The people of Israel are essentially saying, well, what does God want? 
Does He want us to bring all these sacrifices? Does He want 
us to offer up our firstborn? What is it that will please Him? 
wicked and rebellious, and the Lord God speaks to them through 
the prophet and says, he's already shown you. In other words, you 
don't have to ask him, what is it that he wants? He's already 
specified it. You go back to Deuteronomy 10, 
you will see this imperative. You will see it throughout the 
prophets and you see it in the Proverbs as well. He has shown 
you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of 
you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with 
your God. That entails our responsibility 
toward men and our responsibility toward God. And that is precisely 
the point here in Titus chapter 2. So the grace of God that has 
appeared to all men, all kinds of men, to us in particular, 
has taught us to deny these two things and has taught us to live 
in a manner that exercises self-control over oneself. We're not to be 
erratic, we're not to be filled with sin, we're not to be pursuing 
those things that God forbids and God condemns. As well, righteously, 
how do we conduct ourselves toward one another? In accordance with 
the second table of the law. That's how Paul quantifies what 
love is. In fact, turn to the book of 
Romans, Romans chapter 13. Romans chapter 13, just to get 
a view that the law of God is a great pattern or paradigm for 
the way that we ought to treat one another. Romans chapter 13. Verse eight, he says, owe no 
one anything except to love one another. For he who loves another 
has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, you shall 
not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, 
you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet. And if there 
is any other commandment, they're all summed up in this saying, 
namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm 
to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 
Brethren, it isn't the case that your brother only loves you if 
he's handing you a gift. Your brother loves you when he's 
not doing harm to you. Your brother loves you when he 
is not engaged in transgressing the second table of law with 
reference to you, when he's not stealing your property, when 
he's not stealing your wife, when he's not trying to kill 
you, when he's not embittered against you, when he's not slandering 
you, when he's not gossiping about you. That is concrete, 
objective obedience to God's law that demonstrates the love 
that we have for one another. It's a beautiful thing. We typically 
think of love as flowers, love as gifts, love as whatever, and 
we don't see Paul's emphasis in this particular point. Love 
is concrete obedience to the second table of the law with 
reference to our fellows. That is how we display love to 
one another. Now that doesn't mean you can't 
give flowers, you can't give chocolates or whatever, but it 
does mean that if somebody doesn't, but they're not killing you or 
taking your spouse away from you, that is an expression of 
love. So that's what grace teaches us. Deny ungodliness, deny worldly 
lusts, and live with reference to ourselves in a state of self-control, 
with reference to others in a state of righteousness, and then with 
reference to God, That's what the last term says, and godly. So sober, righteous, and godly 
is the orientation of God's people. These are the lessons that God's 
grace teaches. So put off and put on, and that 
by the grace of God. And then notice the arena in 
which this takes place, in the present age. For the apostle 
Paul, his eschatology is basically two ages, the present age and 
the age to come. The now, the already, and the 
not yet. That's the very superstructure 
of eschatology in the New Testament. There's no secret rapture, there's 
no seven-year tribulation, there's no thousand-year millennial period 
on earth or in Jerusalem. For Paul, it's this age and the 
age to come. Biblical eschatology is a million 
times simpler than churches make it out to be. It's a very simple 
construction. The next grand event, Jesus will 
come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. That's 
the next big eschatological event. We don't need to know about God's 
prophetic clock and how he restarted it in 1948. That is just antithetical 
to the teaching of Scripture vis-a-vis eschatology. So the 
grace of God has appeared, that grace has taught us. Now notice 
thirdly, the demonstration of God's grace, and he speaks concerning 
the future and the past. When he speaks concerning the 
demonstration of God's grace, he looks to the future and the 
great sort of appearance, or the great manifestation of that 
grace, and then he grounds it in the past accomplishment of 
our Lord Jesus. Now notice verse 13. looking 
for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and 
Savior, Jesus Christ. The saving grace of God is not 
only a present reality. It not only has benefit for this 
age, but it certainly has benefit for the age to come. And we are 
to be looking for that blessed hope. And that is one of the 
helps with reference to the Christian that promotes holiness and watchfulness 
and carefulness in his or her heart. Look over at 1 John again. 1 John chapter 3. 1 John chapter 
3. Verse one, he says, behold, what 
manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should 
be called children of God. Therefore, the world does not 
know us because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are children 
of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But 
we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him for we shall 
see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope 
in him purifies himself just as he is pure. You see the emphasis 
on eschatology there? It's not construct charts. It's not date set. It's not trying 
to figure out who the Antichrist or the Beast of Revelation is. 
The reality that Christ is coming again ought to promote in us 
hope, and everyone who has this hope purifies himself even as 
he is pure. There is a good benefit involved 
in eschatology, and it's not the study of charts and numbers 
and persons that we think might be the Antichrist. Jude makes 
the same emphasis in Jude 21. Jude 21, keep yourselves in the 
love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ 
unto eternal life. So the blessed hope, according 
to the Apostle Paul in Titus chapter 2, is the second coming 
of the Lord Jesus. But notice the blessed Savior, 
the one he describes. Look at the language at the end 
of verse 13. He says, looking for the blessed 
hope and glorious appearing of our great God, and Savior Jesus 
Christ. Now there's an interpretative 
question here. Is he talking about the Father 
and the Son? Are there two persons in view with reference to the 
end of verse 13? Or is it one person? Is he describing 
Jesus as Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, that is precisely 
what Paul is doing. There are several places in the 
New Testament documents where the name or word God, which is 
theos, is applied to our Lord Jesus, and this is one of them. Consider in terms of the support 
for this position. In the first place, the appearance 
of a divine person in the future, relative to Christian experience, 
is always the second person of the Trinity. So it's Christ that 
makes this appearance. The blessed hope that Paul speaks 
of here and elsewhere in the New Testament is focused upon 
the return of Jesus Christ. The grammar of the text indicates 
that these two words speak concerning the same person. Perhaps you 
have heard of the Granville Sharp rule. Sometimes people get exposed 
to that when they go against Jehovah's Witnesses and they 
start arguing for the deity of Jesus Christ. This is a textbook 
example of the Granville Sharpe rule. And for those of you who 
actually care, the Granville Sharpe rule basically says there's 
an article, a substantive joined with a chi, which is and, and 
then another substantive. And the idea is that both substantives, 
the both nouns, refer to the one object, be it a person or 
a thing. And so what Paul is highlighting 
here is that Christ is our great God and Savior. Peter does this 
in 2 Peter 1. You can turn there. Fortunately, 
I think the old King James blurs this one. I'm not sure I haven't 
checked it lately, but I think it's not as clear in the old 
King James in 2 Peter 1. We have Simon Peter, a bondservant 
and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like 
precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and 
Savior, Jesus Christ. Now you see the apologetic weight 
of these passages in dealing with, say for instance, Jehovah's 
Witnesses. When the New Testament authors 
describe Christ, they do so in these magnificent terms. He is 
our great God and He is our Savior. He is our Lord Jesus Christ. So understand that what is happening 
here is that Paul is telling the people of God that the demonstration 
of God's grace will certainly be manifest in the future at 
the second coming of our Lord Jesus. And as well, if you look 
at verse 14, it says who. There's a singular object that 
who refers back to. Again, we're not dealing with 
Father and Son, we are dealing specifically with the Son, and 
He is termed our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. So He moves 
now from the future to the past. All of this hinges upon verse 
14. In other words, God's grace has 
appeared to all kinds of men. God's grace has appeared in order 
to instruct us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live 
in a manner that is sober with reference to ourselves, righteous 
with reference to others, and godly with reference to God. 
And it's all grounded upon and rooted in and based on the redemptive 
work of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the emphasis in verse 
14. So he gives us sort of a glimpse 
of the future and the manifestation of God's grace that is to come 
at the second coming, but that is as a result ultimately of 
verse 14 in terms of what Christ has accomplished. And there's 
two things to note here. First, the willing sacrifice 
and the redemption of the elect. Notice what it says in verse 
14, who gave himself for us. Now certainly the father sent 
the son. In the fullness of the time, 
God sent forth His Son, born of a woman born under the law, 
to redeem those under the law. God so loved the world that He 
gave His only begotten Son. But when we read the gospel records, 
we do not see an unwilling Savior. We do not see Jesus sort of just 
going through it because he has to. We see him in the garden, 
certainly exceedingly sorrowful over the cup of wrath that he 
is about to drink, but in terms of his willingness, and even 
there, because he consigns himself to the Father's will, all throughout 
his life it is his meat to do the will of Him who sent me. 
And so this, who gave himself for us, highlights the willingness 
of his sacrifice on behalf of the elect. In other words, in 
that covenant of redemption, the son didn't say, okay, I'll 
do it if I have to. No, he is a willing participant 
in the redemption of the elect, and that is a most blessed thing. 
As well, the language is what we call the language of substitutionary 
atonement. He gave himself for us. He didn't 
give himself as an example. He didn't give himself for some 
undefined nebulous lot, but he gave himself specifically for 
the elect of God. And we see this emphasis on penal 
substitution, Matthew 20, 28. For the Son of Man did not come 
to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for 
many. That's what he tells his disciples. 
in Matthew chapter 20 at verse 28. We see it in John chapter 
10. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Again, 
not in terms of example, though it is that, at least to some 
degree, but primarily what is in view is penal substitution. 
Christ gave himself for us. You see it in Galatians chapter 
1. He gave himself to deliver us from this present evil age. You see it in Galatians chapter 
2, verse 20. You see it all throughout the 
New Testament documents. Christ gave himself as a penal 
substitutionary atonement to save His people from their sins. 
It is most glorious, it is most excellent, and this is Paul's 
point. This grace has appeared, and the context, or rather the 
origination of it, at least in time and space, was in the redemptive 
work of Christ on behalf of all those whom the Father had given 
Him. So there is that willing sacrifice, but then notice, with 
reference to redemption, how he teases this out. Now, when 
you see that convention in the New Testament, there's no contingency. There's no possibility that it 
could be otherwise. It's just the way the language 
is specified. That he might redeem us from 
every lawless deed. Isn't that a beautiful thing? 
He doesn't redeem us from some of our lawless deeds or else 
we'd be in hell. He redeems us from every lawless 
deed, from the previous ungodliness in which we once walked, from 
the previous commitment to worldly lusts in which we once walked, 
in the previous lack of self-control, in the previous lack of righteousness 
toward others, in the previous lack of godliness relative to 
God. He redeems us from every lawless 
deed. And I think I've told you before, 
the word redemption there isn't simply that he does it. Redemption is accomplished by 
the payment of a price, and that's the connection. He gave himself 
for us. That was the price paid, and 
that then resulted in the redemption of the elect by God's grace. It is a wonderful and a beautiful 
expression of the redemptive power and benefit that Christ 
secured for his people. So he redeems us from every lawless 
deed, and then notice what it goes on to say, and purify for 
himself his own special people. This is interesting if we were, 
you know, to go off on a tangent and discuss dispensationalism. 
Who is Paul calling the special people of God? The church, the 
Jews. Now, if the Jews are in the church, 
then they're the special people of God. This is Old Testament 
language. When he says special people that 
are purified for himself, this goes back to Exodus 19. This 
goes back to the book of Deuteronomy in several places. This goes 
back to the old covenant situation wherein Israel was the special 
people of God. Well, in the New Covenant, we 
are called Israel. We are called the true Israel. 
We are called the Israel of God in Galatians 6.16. We are told 
in Romans chapter 2, circumcision isn't about outwardness, it's 
about the inward circumcision of the heart. Paul in Philippians 
chapter three describes him and a Gentile church as the true 
circumcision. So Paul co-opts old covenant 
language and applies it to the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
It's a beautiful thing. So he purifies for himself his 
own special people. Notice, again, where this comes 
from. You and I didn't wake up one 
day and say, wow, I've decided to follow Jesus. I'm really going 
to get it together. I'm going to stop engaging in 
ungodliness. I'm going to stop engaging in 
the pursuit of worldly lusts. I'm going to live godly and soberly 
and righteously. That's not what happened at all. 
It's because he gave himself for us. It's because He redeemed 
us from every lawless deed, and it's because He has purified 
for Himself a special people that are now zealous for good 
works. So again, this is the grace context in which the law 
section comes. It is not do this in order to 
be saved. It's do this because you have 
been saved. The same emphasis in Ephesians 
1, 4. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that 
we should be holy and blameless. He doesn't chose us or choose 
us in Him because we were holy and blameless. Rather, it is 
unto holiness and blamelessness. We need to maintain this proper 
order. Paul is not commanding the people 
in Crete to obey and toe the line in order for their salvation. They are to obey and toe the 
line because they've been saved. It is a wonderful dynamic that 
the Bible presents that the gospel holds out for the people of God. So his own special people, zealous 
for good works. Gil says, a people zealous of 
good works, not in order to their justification and salvation, 
but in obedience to the will of God and to testify their subjection 
and gratitude to him for his honor and glory and for the credit 
of religion and the good of men. That's why we do good works. 
Good works are not unto salvation. Good works are gratitude to our 
Heavenly Father for His having saved us. Good works testify 
or adorn the gospel that we profess. You see that in Titus 2.5, Titus 
2.10. As well, it is beneficial to our neighbor. As Luther said, 
God doesn't need your good works, your neighbor does. And this 
is why the believer does good works as a result of having been 
saved by God's free grace. Now let's look fourthly and finally 
at the proclamation of God's grace. Look at what Paul says 
to Titus. Speak these things, exhort and 
rebuke with all authority, let no one despise you. So there's a duty, a manner, 
and the urgency involved. Notice the duty, speak these 
things. This connects us back to chapter 
2 verse 1, which indicates that chapter 2 as a whole is a unit. You're not supposed to separate 
it. You're not supposed to pull law obedience or obedience to 
the law away from the context of God's salvific grace. In other 
words, we are saved unto good works. So Paul connects verses 
1 and 15. Verse 1, but as for you, speak 
the things which are proper for sound doctrine. He highlights 
that, both law and gospel. And now in verse 15, speak these 
things. He then tells them the specific 
manner in which he is to do this. He is not to just sort of throw 
it out there. He's not just to chat it out 
there, but rather he is to exhort and rebuke. The manner in which 
these things are taught are to be exhortation and rebuke. Paul says a similar thing to 
Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 4. Preach the word, be ready 
in season and out of season. There's the duty. Preach the word, be ready in 
season and out of season. But then the manner comes, convince, 
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. So Paul not only 
specifies what needs to be taught, but he specifies how it needs 
to be taught. Remember this morning, we looked 
at Ephesians 6. What was his desire in terms of prayer from 
the Ephesians? Pray that I would speak boldly 
as I ought to speak. In other words, we are on a mission 
from the high King of heaven. We have the word of the living 
and true God. This isn't just some other philosophy. This isn't just some other sort 
of worldview. This isn't just some other kind 
of thought that men sort of discourse about. No, this is the word of 
the living and true God. And so Paul tells Timothy, he 
needs to speak these things. He needs to exhort, he needs 
to rebuke, and he does need to do so with all authority. Now, 
that authority will remind both Titus and the churches on Crete 
that he is, in fact, Paul's delegate. That is most important for this 
particular situation, as it was for Timothy in Ephesus. It had 
to be seen that these men were connected to the Apostle Paul, 
they had received authorized doctrine, and they were now going 
out to preach that authorized doctrine, and to do so with authority 
requisite. Now, the last statement, he says, 
let no one despise you. This is a word of encouragement 
that anticipates opposition. And if you listened to chapter 
1, verses 10 to 16, you know there will be opposition to Titus. 
There will be opposition to any elders that Titus appoints because 
these are wretched men that are always going to do everything 
they can to upbraid the work of God Almighty. And so Paul's 
emphasis to Titus is, let no one despise you. Now that doesn't 
mean be everybody's buddy. Take everybody out for coffee. 
Buy them Chinese food and treat them to good things. So everybody 
likes you. You're everybody's favorite pastor. 
That's not the point. Let no one despise you. Rather, 
the word specifically means to have dis-stand for, to disregard, 
to look down on, to despise. The ESV, I think, is a little 
better here. Let no one disregard you. So it's not despise. Let no one 
hate you, Titus. Be the best guy ever on the island 
of Crete that everybody loves. It's never going to be the case 
that everybody always loves you. That's just the reality. At least 
that's not been my experience. You guys are probably saying, 
oh, everybody loves me. Okay, sorry about that. I guess I just 
have that kind of face or disposition. But it's not let no one despise 
you, though that's part of it. It's let no one disregard you. Not Titus the human being, but 
Titus the gospel minister, when he is about teaching these things. both law and gospel. In other words, persons must 
take heed, not because you're Titus, but because you come as 
an ambassador of the living and true God. I've always liked this 
quote from a book by Gardner Spring. The book is called Power 
of the Pulpit. And he gives an instance of an 
American preacher named Samuel Davies. He says, that distinguished 
American preacher, excuse me for a moment, Samuel Davies, 
then the president of the College of New Jersey, went on a visit 
to England in behalf of the college, was invited to preach before 
George III. His youthful queen was sitting 
by his side, and so enchanted were they by the preacher's eloquence 
that the king expressed his admiration in no measured terms, and so 
audibly and rudely as to draw the attention of the audience 
and interrupt the service. The preacher made a sudden and 
solemn pause in his discourse, looked around upon the audience, 
and fixing his piercing eye upon England's noisy monarch, said, 
When the lion roars, the beasts of the forest tremble. When Jehovah 
speaks, let the kings of the earth keep silence before him. He was God's messenger. He feared 
not man who is a worm. It is God's ministers who tremble. It is not God's ministers, rather, 
who tremble amid such scenes. That is gold. Samuel Davies had 
no problem telling the king of England, you need to shut up 
and listen to the voice of the Lord that shatters the cedars 
of Lebanon. You need to pay attention. That's 
what Paul says to Titus. Let no one despise you. Let no 
one disregard you. Ministers, as we talked about 
this morning, are accountable to God. Study to show yourself 
approved to God, unto God, as a workman who need not be ashamed. 
Ministers are accountable to their churches, to the people 
of God. Remember the Bereans? They were 
more noble-minded. They received the word with all... 
gladness, and they examine daily the scriptures to see if these 
things were taught, but that doesn't mean ministers are pushovers. 
They are ambassadors of the living and true God, and they are to 
preach and speak the truth. And it is precisely because they 
are gods and accountable to Him that they speak in such a manner, 
because they are on a mission representing the great King of 
all the earth. Well, in conclusion, we see first 
the instruction of God's grace. As those saved by grace, we are 
to put off ungodliness and worldly lusts. We are to put on self-control, 
righteousness, and godliness. Secondly, I think this passage 
highlights or underscores for us the connection between theology 
and ethics. Theology and ethics. Now, the 
kids are probably all going to get what I'm going to say, so 
it's you adults that may have to pay close attention here. 
There's something in language or in grammar. There's something 
called mood. And that doesn't mean I'm sad 
or I'm depressed. It's how a verb is used. And 
there is something called the indicative mood. We have this 
in English. We also have it in Greek. That 
means the mood of reality, the mood of certainty, the mood of 
something that has already been done or something that is concrete. 
And then there is the imperative mood. Imperative simply means 
a command. So what you have is the indicative of the gospel, 
verses 11 to 14. You have the indicative of the 
gospel, what Christ has accomplished in terms of giving himself for 
us to redeem us from every lawless deed and purifying for himself 
his own special people, zealous for good deeds. That's the indicative. The imperatives follow on that. So what Christ has done has freed 
us from our sin, has delivered us from God's judgment, has put 
us into that state of favor with Jehovah, and now we are commanded 
how we are to live in light of that. A moment's consideration 
will make you think that every other religion is the exact opposite. 
Every other religion says, do this in order for the benefit 
to come. Do this in terms of obedience, 
and then good things will come your way. Does that sound right? 
Christianity is not like that. The imperative follows the indicative. And this is most important because 
if we get this wrong, then we have stepped into false religion 
versus the true religion of saving grace. So there is that conspicuous 
order. You are saved by God, now live 
as God commands. not live as God commands in order 
to be saved. That second proposition is obviously 
impossible. We never live like God wants 
us to do. Even as saved people, we still 
have enough remaining corruption in us to probably damn ourselves 
for millions of years and millions of eternities if God hadn't saved 
us, if Christ hadn't redeemed us with his own precious blood. 
There's never the way or never the case that somebody can obey 
God in order to be saved. As well, there is a risk in terms 
of proclamation. The proclamation of imperatives 
apart from the indicative of the gospel usually, and I wanted 
to say always, and I would bet that it does, but I want to hedge 
that bet because I haven't verified this in every instance, but the 
proclamation of imperatives apart from the indicative of the gospel 
usually leads to moralism and legalism. In other words, if 
we tell people to behave like Christians and they're not born 
again, we have completely inverted the gospel paradigm of the indicative 
and then the imperative. And that is doing great disservice 
and harm to people. Tell someone to act like a Christian 
without belief on the Lord Jesus Christ? Obey these laws without 
looking unto Christ? Now, in the realm of common grace, 
in the realm of the Noahic covenant, in the realm of civil polity, 
and in the realm of just general day in and day out, yeah, it's 
best, even for pagans, to not murder people. It's best, even 
for pagans, to not commit adultery with people. It's best for pagans 
not to steal. And I get that. But when gospel 
preaching inverts the order or somehow says, you live like a 
Christian, whether you're a Christian or not, there is big problems 
with that. J. Adams, in his very helpful 
book on preaching, says, it is easy to become moralistic when 
preaching. While there is nothing wrong 
with preaching morality, we do preach rules. We do preach how 
to behave. He says, while there is nothing 
wrong with preaching morality, in contrast, moralism is legalistic. It ignores the grace of God and 
it replaces the work of Christ with self-help. In other words, 
if people can behave like Christians without having been born again, 
if people can behave like Christians without having looked unto Jesus 
Christ in faith, then why did Jesus Christ come into this world 
to die on that cross? If righteousness comes through 
the law, then Christ died in vain. Galatians 2.21. as well 
in terms of the benefits of understanding this. And I don't hope people 
understand, well, this is very important. You have to appreciate 
this because this is how sanctification properly proceeds. If you think 
in your life of gratitude or in your life of sanctification, 
you're somehow securing God's favor, you've missed the point. And that's not what we want here. 
Indicative and then imperative is what we see in Scripture. 
The proper handling of the indicative and the imperative promotes the 
lawful uses of God's law. People that understand this dynamic 
typically don't twist the uses of God's law. The proper handling 
of the indicative and imperative provides the proper context for 
sanctification. This is Paul's whole point in 
Romans chapter 6. The bottom line is they're not 
to present their members as instruments of unrighteousness because they 
died with Christ. They were buried with Christ. 
They were risen with Christ. Therefore, do not let sin reign 
in your mortal members. That's what Paul emphasizes. That's what the Scripture gives 
us. And then the proper understanding of these things helps to underscore 
the connection between justification and sanctification. They are 
connected, but we need to appreciate the distinction between justification 
and sanctification as well. And this paradigm is useful, 
indicative and imperative. Gordon Clark makes this observation 
that I think is beautiful. He says, what passes so apparently 
as good works are not good unless preceded by justification. And if a claimed justification 
does not inevitably produce good works, it simply was not justification. There is connection. There is 
also distinction. And I think understanding the 
way that God's grace comes to us is helpful for us to spot 
departures, to spot problems, and to spot emphases that are 
not right and correct. So Paul, in summary, gives us 
these commands, gives us these exhortations, gives them to all 
kinds of men in the context of the local church. But he never 
says, do this and you will be saved. He says, do this because 
you have been saved. And this is the conduct of God's 
people who have been redeemed from every lawless deed. This 
is the conduct of God's people who have been purified for his 
own special people that are zealous for good works. If you miss this 
connection, you've missed the gospel. You're going to end up 
twisting justification, sanctification, law gospel issues, and that is 
never a good thing, and it always ends in calamity. So let's think 
properly in terms of command. Let's think properly in terms 
of law, and let's think properly in terms of gospel. It's the 
gospel that empowers obedience on the part of God's saved people 
to pursue those things that are pleasing in His sight. When we 
invert that, we inevitably step into the realm of false religion, 
which always teaches, do this and you will be saved. Do this 
and you will be rewarded. That's the glory of the Christian 
message. The Lord Christ gave himself 
for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed. And 
the way of access is, again, not by our law-keeping, not by 
our good works to minimize the bad, but through faith in Christ, 
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, that one 
in whom alone there is forgiveness and the righteousness that God 
demands and that he supplies through imputation. Well, let 
us pray. Our Father, we thank You for 
Your Word, and we thank You for this book of Titus and the great 
lessons that it does have for us. I pray that You would help 
us to think clearly concerning these things, help us to understand 
justification and sanctification, help us to understand the connection 
between theology and ethics, to see that it's Christ's redemptive 
work That's the very foundation upon which we now live in a manner 
that is hopefully consistent with your law. God, how we thank 
you that he has redeemed us from every lawless deed, how we thank 
you that he is purifying us, how we thank you that the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit is alive and well and functioning, not only 
in church corporately, but in individual believers. We give 
praise to you that you are doing what you have purposed in the 
lives of your people. I ask now that you would go with 
each one of us, that you would protect us in this coming week. 
Help us, God, to bring glory to you, and we pray through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen.