Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Introduction
Perhaps you remember me describing Titus’s structure as a gospel Big Mac. The effects/implications of the gospel are the bread and the gospel itself is the meat. In this short letter there is a brief introduction at the beginning (1:1-4) and conclusion at the end (3:12-15), but in between we find, Big Mac-style, three slices of bread and two slices of meat. The top layer of bread/first set of gospel effects/implications is found in 1:5-2:10. The top layer of meat/the first description of the gospel itself is found in 2:11-14. The middle layer of bread/gospel effects/implications is in 2:15-3:3. The bottom layer of meat/gospel is in 3:4-7. And, finally, the bottom layer of bread/gospel effects/implications is found in 3:8-11.
We just finished looking at the top layer of bread last week. Today, we’re going to begin looking at the top layer of meat. That is, today we’re going to look directly at the gospel in 2:11-14.
The simplicity and scope of this gospel presentation are remarkable. It begins with the good news of the first coming of Jesus, continues through the good news of the gospel’s effects in this life, and finishes with the good news of Jesus’ return. There is amazing grace in this passage. Let’s pray that God would make the amazingness of this grace plain to us. And let’s pray that God would cause us to live in the life and light won by Christ and described in this passage.
Grace, Amazing Grace
Before we get into the claims of the passage, I want to point out one important element of its structure.
Notice that this section begins with the word “for”. The “for” at the beginning of 2:11 refers back to the gospel effects/implications of 1:5-2:10 (the top bun). In other words, Paul is arguing that all of the gospel effects/implications he’s mentioned so far are based on what he’s about to say in 2:11-14.
Everything I just said is true because of what I’m about to say.
My whole life, Titus, and yours, are what they are because of what I’m about to say.
Appoint elders in every town because of what I’m about to say.
Men are to meet certain qualifications before being considered for eldership because of what I’m about to say.
False teachers are to be silenced and rebuked sharply because of what I am about to say.
You, Titus, are to teach what accords with sound doctrine because of what I am about to say.
Older men and women, younger men and women, slaves and masters are to order their lives in certain ways because of what I am about to say.
We need to ask ourselves, Grace, what has the power to bring about and compel that much? The answer, which we’ll see in a minute, is: the gospel! The gospel alone is able to accomplish and demand these things.
In this short passage we see the glory of God in the good news that grace appeared in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, that his appearing accomplished much, and that it continues to accomplish much, even as we await His return. Let’s look at each of those fantastic and amazing claims of grace.
Grace appeared (11a)
First, as the beginning of v.11 says, everything that Paul had instructed Titus on to this point was the product of the gospel. That is, all of it resulted from the fact that “the grace of God has appeared.”
Grace, stop and consider freshly: the grace of God appeared! God Himself came and dwelt among us. The One who spoke and brought all things into existence, who holds all things in His hands, who upholds the universe by the word of His power, who sovereignly reigns over the entire universe, the One who did and does all these things and countless more became a man and dwelt among us in order to bring grace to us. He is grace in the flesh.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman…
Philippians 2:5-7 Though [Christ Jesus] was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Do not miss, and do not allow your soul to grow tired of hearing, that the grace of God appeared in the person of Jesus Christ. What had been planned from eternity past, “appeared” in time when Jesus came to earth.
Grace accomplished (11b, 14a)
What’s more, when the grace of God appeared—when Jesus came to earth in the flesh—he accomplished unimaginable blessings; waves upon waves upon waves of blessings; blessings beyond anything we could hope for or even think to ask for. Grace, if you are trusting in Jesus Christ, I hope you are amazed by the grace of God that you’ve come to know. But I hope even more that you realize that no matter how much grace you are aware of, there is an infinite amount more grace washing over you and surrounding you every moment of every day.
What Grace though? What did Jesus accomplish at his appearing? Verses 11 and 14 describe some of the grace and its accomplishments. In 11 we see that Jesus appeared—grace in the flesh—in order to bring salvation for all people. And in 14 we see that he came to redeem us from all lawlessness and to make us pure.
In one sense at least, Jesus accomplished these things when he was on the earth. They are done. They are finished. They are finished in that he completely secured salvation. He did not make people savable. He saved them. And they are finished in that those he saved he united with himself so that they are seen as completely pure by God. That is, in his appearing (and eternally), Jesus was pure—without spot or blemish, perfectly doing and delighting in the will of God—and brought grace such that those who receive it, receive the purity of Jesus in God’s sight.
How did he accomplish it? The beginning of v.14 answers this question for us. Jesus accomplished these things by giving himself for us.
Ephesians 2:13-16 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Colossians 1:19-20 …in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Colossians 2:13-14 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Again, Jesus accomplished these things by giving himself up for us on the cross. Having inherited the sin of Adam and having chosen to sin countless times against God, we (all people) have earned the wages of sin: death. We deserve to die for our rebellion against our Creator and King. Our sin brings the mighty, mighty wrath of God upon us. Wrath that we have no hope to bear.
When v.14 says that Jesus gave himself for us, it means that Jesus took upon himself the death we deserve and the wrath of God that was upon us. All the death and all the wrath that was ours was poured out on Jesus on the cross. He accomplished salvation and purity (and so much more) by giving himself for us. His life for ours. Our sin for Him. His righteousness for us. Grace, amazing grace!
But who did he accomplish these things for? Who is the “all people” of v.11? Simply, salvation is offered to all people, but Jesus actually accomplished salvation and purity for all those who would trust in him.
Romans 10:13 everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
2 Timothy 1:9-10 [God] saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…
Who is it that will trust in Jesus and receive his grace? All those “who are called to belong to Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:6), who “were called into the fellowship of … Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9), who were called “out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9), who were called “to his eternal glory in Christ” (1 Peter 5:10), who were called to God’s “own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them [we] may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
The salvation and purity of God purchased by Jesus’ death on the cross is for all who will trust in Christ, and those who will trust in Christ are those who have been called by God. Jesus accomplished all of this. That’s the good news of this passage.
Grace accomplishing (12)
But guess what, Grace? There’s more. Not only has God accomplished these things for us in Jesus, He is also accomplishing even more, right now, in all who are trusting in him.
Look at v.12 with me. Right now, the grace of God, secured at the cross of Christ, is “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives”.
In giving us his Word, we have the will of God. In seeing Jesus’ live in perfect conformity to the will of the Father, we have an example to follow. In the death of Jesus on the cross we have forgiveness for our disobedience and our obedience made certain. And in sending his Holy Spirit, we have the strength we need to live as God intends.
Therefore, because of the appearing of grace in the flesh, where we once joyfully walked in ungodliness and worldly passions, the grace of God is now causing us to renounce the ungodliness and worldly passions that completely captivated us in our sin. The gospel, according to this passage, is the good news that the things that we used to love more than God or instead of God and in ways prohibited by God so passionately (our money or pride or relationships or jobs or degrees or talents or sports of clothes or video games or …), God is now increasing causing us to see as they are: dim and pale and shallow and hallow and, in some cases, evil and disgusting, compared to his infinite glory.
And therefore, because of the appearing of grace in the flesh, where we once lacked self-control—giving in, joyfully and repeatedly, to our sinful desires—the grace of God is now granting us control and changing our desires to match his, which is the only place we can find true joy and satisfaction.
And therefore, because of the appearing of grace in the flesh, where we used to walk hunched over in our sin, the grace of God is now causing us to walk uprightly in purity and holiness.
Grace, the amazing grace of the gospel is working in you all that God requires of you. He is making you and me into the likeness of Jesus. God is restoring you and me into what we were made to be. He is wiping away all of the damage caused to us by sin (inside and outside of us). He is causing us to glorify and enjoy him forever and ever and ever.
The appearing of the grace of God means that God has saved us in Christ and he is saving us. He has made us pure in Christ and he is purifying us.
Grace awaits (13)
Grace appeared, grace accomplished, grace is accomplishing, and, finally, grace awaits.
I briefly mentioned last week the tension that every Christ follower faces. Jesus’ appearing and all that it accomplished and is accomplishing for and in us makes us aliens here. The fact that it calls and empowers us to all that it does makes us in a constant battle between our dead and dying flesh and our coming alive and live new hearts. Some days are easier than others, but everyone who has truly received the saving grace of God is truly seeking after righteousness and everyone who is truly seeking after righteousness in this unrighteous world has felt this tension.
We mean to honor God by obeying the traffic laws only to get honked at by impatient people.
We try to welcome new neighbors into our neighborhood only to be looked at skeptically.
We try to be honest in business only to be labeled troublemakers.
We allow God’s Word to shape our understanding of morality only to be thought of as intolerant.
We share the gospel with the lost, pleading with them to receive grace and mercy, only to be looked at like we’re nuts.
What, then, gets us through this tension? What makes this tension bearable? What makes the Christian life worth living? 2:13 gives the answer. We do all of this, endure all of this, even count this tension joy because we’re ” waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
This isn’t it, Grace Church. This present suffering isn’t even a paper cut compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus. This present tension isn’t even a sliver compared to what awaits us as we look toward the day in which we will see God face to face. With Paul, then, who faced far more suffering than any of us will ever know, we say,
Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us
The grace of God appeared in Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God who died to take away the sins of the world. But Grace, the grace of God is coming back. Grace will come again in the flesh. And when it does, all that has been made wrong will finally be made right. That is our hope and promise.
Conclusion
There you have it, the first of two all-beef gospel patties. Grace, see this grace, love this grace, live in this grace. It has appeared in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, it was secured at his death, and it is working in to certainly make us into what we already are, and it is coming again in power.