Titus 2:11-14: The Grace of God Has Appeared

Titus 2:11-14: The Grace of God Has Appeared

The passage of Scripture we’ll be looking at today is Titus 2:11-14. Hear now the words of the Living and True God:

¹¹ 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.

May God bless the reading of his Word.

When children think of Christmas, the first thing many of them probably think of is receiving presents on Christmas morning. And it’s not uncommon for them to have their hearts set on certain presents that they want more than any others.

For example, I remember when I was about 9 or 10 years old, I had my heart set on getting a Game Boy. More specifically, it was a Game Boy Color that I wanted. And I thought that if I could just get this Game Boy, all of my problems would be solved and all of my deepest desires would be fulfilled. And that might sound like a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s really not much of an exaggeration of what I was thinking. I actually remember telling my mom that if she would just get me a Game Boy for Christmas, I’d never want anything or ask for anything ever again. And I was delighted when my parents thankfully did get me that Game Boy. And I’ll just let you take a wild guess whether I followed through on my commitment of never wanting or asking for anything ever again.

Now, of course, those of us who are Christians understand that Christmas is about a lot more than simply exchanging presents. And those of us who are Christian parents are hopefully trying help our children grasp that as well. Although it’s understandable for children to be excited about presents, our calling as parents is to help our children see that Jesus is the greatest gift that’s ever been given—and to continually remind our children that what we’re celebrating on Christmas is Jesus being born.

However, it’s important that we not stop there—whether we’re talking with children or anyone else. Because there’s a lot more for us to understand about Christmas than simply that it’s a celebration of Jesus being born. Who was Jesus in the first place? Why was he born into this world? And why is his birth over 2,000 years ago so significant for us today? These are vitally important questions that we don’t want to leave unanswered. In fact, I’d like to suggest that anyone who isn’t thoroughly familiar with the answers to these questions doesn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Thankfully, the main passage we’ll be examining today of Titus 2:11-14 explains what we need to know about Christmas—even though it hasn’t traditionally been identified as a distinctly “Christmas” passage. The main idea of this passage is simply that Jesus came to bring salvation for all people. Again, Jesus came to bring salvation for all people.

So, let’s dive in, beginning with verse 11. Paul writes, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” “The grace of God” refers to God’s undeserved favor toward sinful people. The Bible’s quite clear that we’re not basically good people who sometimes make mistakes. Rather, we’re in a continual state of rebellion against God and are sinful to the core of our being. Romans 3:10-12 says it like this: ¹⁰ …“None is righteous, no, not one; ¹¹ no one understands; no one seeks for God. ¹² All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Although it would be an overstatement to say that each of us is as sinful as we could be, it’s quite accurate to say that every aspect of our being is corrupted by sin. This is why Paul describes us in Ephesians 2:1 as “dead in…trespasses and sins.” That’s our condition in and of ourselves. And that’s why everything has to start where Paul starts in verse 11 of our main passage—with “the grace of God.” Unless God takes the initiative in reaching out to us with his grace, we have no hope. We’re enslaved to our own sinful desires and stand condemned before God.

Thankfully, though, Paul tells us that “the grace of God has appeared.” And when you look at the way Paul speaks of “the grace of God” here, it’s clear that he isn’t just referring to some abstract theological concept. Abstract theological concepts don’t just “appear.” So, what might Paul be referring to when he speaks of this “grace of God” that has “appeared”? Well, it seems clear enough that he’s speaking of Jesus.

It’s commonly said that Jesus is God in human flesh, which is quite true. Yet he’s also grace in human flesh. John MacArthur writes that “[T]he grace of God is more than a divine attribute; it is a divine Person, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ not only was God incarnate but was grace incarnate. He Himself personifies and expresses the grace of God….” So, Christmas is the day when we celebrate this central truth stated so well here in verse 11—that “the grace of God has appeared.” With the birth of Jesus in that humble Bethlehem manger, God’s grace entered the world.

Paul then goes on to tell us what Jesus came to do. He states, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” Jesus came to bring “salvation”—that is, to save us from our sin. And Paul says this “salvation” is available “for all people.” Now, be sure to understand that Paul’s not saying Jesus actually saves all people. There are many other passages in the Bible that teach that many people unfortunately will insist on continuing in their rebellion and therefore won’t be saved. However, Jesus nevertheless has done everything that’s necessary to make salvation freely available to everyone willing to receive it.

You might compare it to bringing enough Christmas cookies with you to work for all of your coworkers. So, let’s say you have 30 coworkers and therefore bring 30 Christmas cookies. Now, you might have some coworkers who are exceptionally disciplined and are actually staying true to their diet during the Christmas season and who therefore don’t eat one of your Christmas cookies. Yet, in that scenario, it would still be true that you brought cookies “for all people” in your workplace, even though some of them didn’t eat the cookie you brought for them. And that’s the sense in which Jesus has brought “salvation for all people.”

And I’d also like to point out that this shows us how broad God’s grace is. You know, a lot of people say they have a problem with biblical Christianity because, they say, it’s too exclusive. Only Christians go to heaven. In response, though, I’d first like to say that we aren’t being any more exclusive than the Bible is in places like John 14:6 and Acts 4:12. Yet, beyond that, it’s also important to understand that the only people who are excluded are those who exclude themselves—because, as Paul reminds, Jesus offers salvation to “all people.” 

We find further confirmation of this in John 6:37, where Jesus himself says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” I also love how God expresses his invitation in Isaiah 55:1-2. He says, ¹ “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. ² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. This is the invitation God extends to everyone.

So, this is what Paul’s referring to in verse 11 of our main passage when he says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” Now, most of the time, when people think of “salvation,” they simply think of being forgiven of their sins. And while it’s certainly true that salvation includes forgiveness, it also includes a whole lot more—as Paul explains in the subsequent verses. Look at verse 12. Having already said that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,” Paul continues his sentence in verse 12: “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”

So, notice here that God’s grace isn’t merely a forgiving grace—it’s also a transforming grace. While it’s certainly true that God’s grace meets us wherever we are, it doesn’t leave us there. Imagine that you encountered a stray dog that was filthy, malnourished, sick, and covered in fleas, and you decided you wanted to take that dog in and give it a home. I assume that, if you did that, you’d do a lot more than just bring the dog home and turn it loose in your house. I’m sure you’d first wash the dog thoroughly, feed it well, take it to the vet, and gradually nurse the dog back to good health. You wouldn’t just leave the dog in the pitiful condition in which you found it but would do everything necessary for the dog to be healthy once again.

Similarly, God’s grace reaches out to us no matter how wretched of a condition we’re in. However, it doesn’t leave us in that condition. As Paul says, it trains us “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.” In other words, it trains us both to renounce the bad and pursue the good. So, if you claim to be a Christian, are you doing that? Are you seeking renounce everything in your life that displeases God and instead pursue things that bring him glory?

And just to get specific—which is always good to do when you’re applying the Bible—here are four areas to consider as you think about whether you’re truly renouncing what displeases God and pursuing what brings him glory. First,

the things you allow yourself to be entertained by. In Psalm 101:3, David says, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.” Are you setting before you eyes and allowing yourself to be entertained by things God hates? Or, to put it even more directly, are you having devotional time with God when you open your Bible in the morning but then having devotional time with Satan when you turn on your TV later in the day?

Second, consider the way you interact on social media. Proverbs 18:2 states that, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” Is that not the verse that describes so much of what takes place on social media? What about you, though? Do the things you say, the things you view, and the amount of time you spend on social media honor the Lord?

Third, consider the conversations you have with others. In Matthew 12:36, Jesus says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” That’s actually a pretty scary verse when you think about it. Because I don’t know about you, but I’ve said more than a few “careless” words. The day’s coming when we’ll have to answer for each one of those careless words—whether it be an unloving response, a hurtful comment, an inappropriate joke, or a boastful remark. We’ll have to answer to God for it all.

And finally, consider the things you do when no one’s looking. In Luke 12:2, Jesus says, “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.” What you do in private will one day be made public. So, is there anything you’re doing when you think no one’s looking that you’d be ashamed of if others found out?

So, hopefully, these four areas help us consider how diligently we’re doing what Paul describes in our main passage[verse 12]—renouncing “ungodliness and worldly passions” and living “self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.” And as Paul makes clear, it’s the grace of God that trains us to do this. Again, God’s grace meets us wherever we are but refuses to leave us there. This means that we’ve if we’re not being trained by God’s grace, there’s really no reason for us to think we’ve been saved by God’s grace.

Yet I’d also like to say something about the way God’s grace trains us to renounce “ungodliness and worldly passions” and live “self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.” Lest anyone think that we overcome our sinful desires simply by gritting our teeth and whipping up our willpower and trying really hard, let me remind you that God’s grace takes a much different approach. It instead works within our hearts to cultivate our affections for Jesus—such as loving and delighting in him. And it’s our affections for Jesus that end up expelling the desires for sin that linger within us. So, our desires for sin aren’t merely resisted but are rather displaced by a greater desire for Jesus.

The Puritans compared it to an oak tree. Apparently, there are certain kinds of oak trees that actually keep their leaves during the winter. The leaves die during autumn—just as they do on other trees—yet the dead leaves actually don’t fall off of certain kinds of oak trees but instead remain attached to the tree throughout the winter. And the thing that eventually causes the dead leaves to fall off isn’t the harsh winter elements but rather the new life that bursts forth from the tree’s branches at springtime. The new buds that develop on the tree’s branches in the spring do what the harsh winter elements couldn’t do and basically force out the dead leaves still clinging to the branches. 

Similarly, it’s the affections for Jesus that grace produces within us that displace our sinful desires and, in that way, expel the sin from our lives. Our love and desire for Jesus drive out our sinful inclinations. That’s the way in which God’s grace trains us, as Paul says, “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.”

Then, if you look at the end of verse 12, Paul adds that all of this is taking place “in the present age.” This anticipates verse 13, in which Paul states that we’re “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The word “hope” in the Bible refers not merely to wishful thinking but to the confident expectation of something that’s sure to come. And Paul speaks of a “blessed hope,” indicating that what’s sure to come is something we should be very much looking forward to—namely, “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” The word translated “appearing” is closely related to the Greek word translated “appeared” in verse 11. So, “the grace of God has appeared” in the past when Jesus entered the world. Yet we’re also waiting for the “appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” in the future.

And notice that word “glory.” We’re waiting not simply for the appearing of Jesus but for the “appearing of the glory” of Jesus. Whereas his first appearing was one of meekness and humility, his second appearing will be one of glory and power. Jesus’s divine glory will no longer be veiled—as it was during his first coming—but will be on full display for all to see.

And according to Paul, we’re supposed to be “waiting” for that day. If you look at the way Paul speaks of this “waiting,” it’s clear that he’s not speaking of any kind of passive waiting but of a very active waiting—one that affects every aspect of our lives. Our entire lives are to be lived in light of Jesus’s return. Now, part of that is knowing that we’ll have to give an account to Jesus for the way we’ve lived. In that sense, it might be similar to a college student approaching their classes in light of the final exams and assignment of grades that will occur at the end of the semester. 

However, I don’t think that’s what Paul primarily has in mind when he speaks of our waiting. The Greek word translated “waiting” carries the ideas of welcoming something and eagerly anticipating it’s arrival. So, it’s less like a student anticipating a final exam and more like the wife of a soldier waiting for her husband to return from his deployment. She misses him dearly and can’t wait for the day when she’ll be able to throw her arms around her husband and welcome him back home. That’s the sense in which we’re “waiting” for this “blessed hope” of Christ’s return.

I appreciate the way Paul speaks of it in 2 Timothy 4:8. He describes Christians as those who “love his appearing”—speaking of the appearing of Jesus. Christians are those who “love” Jesus’s appearing. Does that describe your disposition? 

In addition, Paul’s description of Jesus in our main passage is quite notable as well. He refers to “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” This is, of course, an unmistakable reference to the deity of Jesus. No one who takes the Bible seriously can say that Jesus was merely a great moral teacher or a great religious leader and nothing more—because the Bible’s so clear that Jesus was God in human flesh. 

Now, there are some interpreters—with the specific agenda of undermining the deity of Jesus—who try to say that the words “our great God” refer to God the Father, while the word “Savior” refers to Jesus. However, this is problematic for several reasons. First, there’s only one definite article in the Greek. So, to put it roughly in English terms, Paul doesn’t say “our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” He says “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”—making it clear that both terms refer to Jesus. And second, the New Testament never speaks of God the Father appearing in the future. Whenever it talks about a future appearing, it’s always a reference to Jesus appearing. And third, the Bible contains numerous other references to Jesus being God in the flesh. 

So, when we celebrate each Christmas Jesus being born, we’re celebrating nothing less than the entrance of God into this world. Just think about how profound that is. The God who created this world entered into his own creation. The one who transcends time and space entered into time and space. 

And it actually gets even more radical in verse 14. Paul describes Jesus not only as “our great God and Savior” but as the one “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.” To think about the infinite God entering this finite world is astounding enough. But to think of him “giv[ing] himself for us” is even more astounding—especially when you consider that the way Jesus “gave himself for us” is by dying on the cross as our substitute. That’s what the word “for” refers to. Jesus “gave himself for us” in the sense that he offered himself up in our place. We were the ones who deserved God’s punishment, but Jesus suffered that punishment on our behalf.

Paul’s spoken two different times in this passage about us being saved. In verse 11, he said that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,” and in verse 13 he referred to Jesus as our “Savior.” Yet it’s not until we get to verse 14 that we’re told the means by which Jesus accomplished this salvation—and that is by “giv[ing] himself for us.” That’s why Christmas took place. That’s why Jesus was born into this world. Jesus was born in Bethlehem so he could one day die at Golgotha—and until someone understands that, they don’t really understand Christmas. 

Paul then explains in very specific terms what exactly Jesus accomplished on the cross. Paul says that Jesus “gave himself for us” first “to redeem us from all lawlessness.” The word “redeem” refers to paying the required price in order to purchase someone out of slavery. And the bondage out of which Jesus purchased us is our “lawless” condition. Although we’re not under the Old Testament law any longer—since that law was only meant for Israel during that particular period of time—we’re still under another more general law. Galatians 6:2 refers to it as “the law of Christ.” It says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Paul also describes himself in 1 Corinthians 9:21 as “not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ.” 

However, what exactly is this “law of Christ”? Well, it would conceivably include everything Jesus taught about the way we should live. Yet most scholars believe the “law of Christ” is seen primarily in the two commandments Jesus identified in Matthew 22:37-40 as the summary of the Old Testament law—and those are the commandments to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. So, back in our main passage, the “lawlessness” from which Jesus redeems us is our sinful disposition to live in an unloving manner. 

In addition, Paul says that Jesus “gave himself for us” not only “to redeem us from all lawlessness” but also “to purify for himself a people for his own possession.” Notice those words “for himself.” Jesus died on the cross not only to do something for us but also to do something “for himself”—and that is “to purify for himself a people for his own possession.” In writing this, Paul’s deliberately invoking the language of Exodus 19:5, where God tells the Israelites, “[Y]ou shall be my treasured possession among all peoples.”

Paul’s point is that Jesus has redeemed us from our slavery to sin so that we now belong to him. He’s purchased us with the result that we’re now his possession—belonging not to ourselves but to him. This means that we exist to bring glory to Jesus as what we might call trophies of his grace. 

And I think Ephesians 1 helps us see this even more clearly. In Ephesians 1, Paul spends a good portion of the chapter describing the lavish blessings that are ours in Christ. And he repeats three times in the span of twelve verses the fact that God did this for the glory of his own great name. In verse 6, Paul says that God predestined us for adoption “to the praise of his glorious grace.” Then in verse 12, Paul states that our function is now to “be [that is, to exist] to the praise of his glory.” And once again in verse 14, Paul says we’re indwelt with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our heavenly inheritance “to the praise of his glory.” So, Paul repeats this idea three times that God redeemed us so that “his glory”—and more specifically “his glorious grace”—might be praised. 

Hence, we now exist as trophies of God’s grace. The function of a trophy is to be set on display as an indication of the achievements and the greatness of the one to whom it’s awarded. And that’s our function as well. Those of us who are Christians exist so all the universe can look at us and marvel at God’s glorious grace. 

So, are you living in a way that’s conducive to that? Are you seeking to live a life that’s an accurate reflection of the grace you’ve been shown? Are you striving to live in such a way that the world can look at your life and praise God for his glorious work within you? I even encourage you to think through each of the aspects of your life and consider whether you’re bringing glory to God in that area. Are you bringing glory to God in your marriage, your family, your career, your friendships, your hobbies, your conversations, the way you spend time, the way you spend money, your stewardship of your body in diet and exercise, your involvement in church, and in every other aspect of your life?

Notice in our main passage at the end of verse 14, Paul speaks of being “zealous for good works.” He says that Jesus “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.” A key way we bring glory to the one who redeemed us for himself is by being “zealous for good works” in all of the areas of life I’ve just mentioned.

So, I hope you can see from this passage that Jesus came to this world for a very specific purpose. He came as the manifestation of God’s grace—grace incarnate, we might say—in order to bring “salvation for all people.” That’s what Christmas is ultimately all about. I’m sure we’re all aware that Christmas isn’t primarily about gift exchanges or fun decorations or even treasured family traditions. And I hope you can see from what we’ve discussed this morning that the significance Christmas extends even beyond the commonly celebrated elements of the Christmas story such as shepherds and wise men and angels and the Bethlehem stable. Ultimately, Christmas is about God’s saving grace entering this world in the person of his Son Jesus. 

After all, that’s what the name “Jesus” literally means. It means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation”—Yahweh being the personal name for God in the Old Testament. This is why, in Matthew 1:21, when the angel appeared to Joseph to tell him about Mary’s pregnancy, the angel said, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

So, this Christmas, we celebrate Jesus not only as the baby born in Bethlehem but as the Savior we so desperately need. And understand this morning that Jesus offers salvation to you. So, have you ever received the salvation Jesus offers?