Looking for the blessed hope
Looking for the blessed hope
Titus 2:11-14 Grace teaches us to be obedient to God
”For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.“
Titus 2:11-14 NASB1995
God seems to be pointing us into some of the lesser-known corners of His Word these days. Two days ago we explored the last chapter of Hosea; today He sent us to Titus.
This is another of Paul’s epistles, this one directed to Titus, who is noted in Galatians as traveling to Jerusalem with Paul and Barnabas. Titus seems to have been a very persuasive and good-hearted man; he was sent to Corinth to successfully reconcile the early church there with its founder, Paul. After that, he moved on to Crete, where he organized the first church there. He later met back up with Paul in Nicopolis (in modern-day Greece) before heading off to Dalmatia (now Croatia) to continue spreading the Gospel.
This is a short epistle; Chapter 2, which today’s verses are from, is only 15 verses long! The entire second chapter deals with setting out the duties of the old and young Christian — woman and man alike. In particular, he’s writing about the responsibilities of priests and bishops, the leaders of the church. Paul puts an emphasis on all Christians being “sensible” — the Greek word used is σώφρων (sōphrōn), meaning “curbing one's desires and impulses, self-controlled, temperate”.
Older women are given much more stern instruction than men from Paul, as they’re not to not be “malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine.” Young men are to “be an example of good deeds,” and “sound in speech which is beyond reproach,” while young women are to “love their husbands… and children”.
These instructions are a preface to today’s verses, in which Paul explains the place of grace in the lives of Christians. He begins by explaining that grace brings salvation; it is something that we must actively receive, we don’t just get it from God. In saying that the grace of God has appeared to all men, Paul is saying that there is one gospel of grace for all men — there’s no gospel of law or a gospel of self-justification; all humankind finds salvation only by the grace of God.
Paul then goes into detail about what instruction we receive from grace. The Greek word for instructing — παιδεύω, or paideuō — has in mind what teachers are supposed to do — teach, encourage, correct, and discipline their students. God’s grace should instruct us to live our lives righteously, denying “ungodliness and worldly desires” and conversely to “live sensibly, righteously and godly”.
Grace teaches us to be obedient to God. As Charles H. Spurgeon so eloquently put it:
Wherever the grace of God comes effectually, it makes the loose liver deny the desires of the flesh; it causes the man who lusted after gold to conquer his greediness; it brings the proud man away from his ambitions; it trains the idler to diligence, and it sobers the wanton mind which cared only for the frivolities of life. Not only do we leave these lusts, but we deny them.1
Finally, Paul writes that grace teaches us to expect our blessed hope, and to prepare ourselves for it. That hope doesn’t lie in some human concept of heaven or glory, but in being in the presence of Jesus Himself. We’ll conclude today’s devotional with this list from Enduring Word on what that return means:
He came the first time to save the soul of man; He will come a second time to resurrect the body.
He came the first time to save the individual; He will come a second time to save society.
He came the first time to a crucifixion; He will come a second time to a coronation.
He came the first time to a tree; He will come a second time to a throne.
He came the first time in humility; He will come a second time in glory.
He came the first time and was judged by men; He will come a second time to judge all men.
He came the first time and stood before Pilate; He will come a second time and Pilate will stand before Him.
That’s something worth looking forward to and preparing for.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank You for pouring out your grace on me and all who believe in the work that Your Son, Jesus Christ, finished on the cross. Thank You for my salvation, and that I know I have been redeemed by His precious blood. May I live my life in such a way to emulate His perfect righteousness, and I pray that you use me to spread the Gospel to all nations. In Jesus’ holy name, AMEN.
Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The New Park Street Pulpit" Volumes 1-6 and "The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit" Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990)