- Titus 2:11-15
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- Titus 2:11 (KJB)
- For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men,
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- Appeared - Bring to light, become visible, or known
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- This verse is pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who brings
salvation to all the Elect. The word “appeared” in the Greek is in the
Aorist tense which means it is a one time act in the past but its effects
are still active. Grace was active in the world before Christ came upon the
scene. Abraham, Noah, Moses and others in the Old Testament were saved by
grace because God has no other salvation plan. This verse tells us that the
grace of God hath appeared to all men, which does not mean that all men will
be saved or does it imply that the Holy Spirit indwells everyone. He only
indwells the elect. One way the grace of God appears to all is the changed
life of the believer as one can plainly see the change which has transformed
their life. Transformation comes only through the grace of God in salvation.
An unbeliever can see the change which has taken place in the life of
another and in this way the grace of God has become visible to all.
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- Titus 2:12 (KJB)
- Teaching
us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world;
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- Teaching - Instruct, correct, or train
- Soberly - Self-control or showing temperance
- Righteously - Justly, rightly, or properly
- Godly - In a godly manner or piously
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- When the grace of God indwells a believer, the Indwelling Holy Spirit
will lead us into all truth.
(John 16:13
KJV) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
That truth teaches us to deny ungodliness and all the
worldly lusts which so easily ensnared us before we became Christians. It
teaches us to be on guard for the traps which can bring us back into the
bondage of sin. Conversely, the grace of God not only teaches us to avoid
the worldly situations but we are taught how to live soberly, that is, in
showing self-control. Even in good things we must be temperate. Let us say
that as a result of a person being saved, they no longer drink alcohol but
drink iced tea instead. A person can drink too much iced tea and risk
diabetes because of all the sugar in there. So even in good things we must
be temperate. We are also taught how to live a proper life in this world
being obedient to the laws of the land and being obedient to God’s laws
which supersedes the laws of the land. We are to live in a very pious manner
and not one who is rowdy or riotous. It is important to note that we are to
live our testimony in this present world. So many are just looking forward
to heaven and are allowing their present testimony before the world to
become sloppy and that must not happen in the life of the believer. How can
we show we have been transformed by the grace of God if we allow our outward
testimony to go in disarray?
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- Titus 2:13 (KJB)
- Looking
for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
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- Looking - Await or expect
- Appearing - Epiphany, manifestation, or light shining upon
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- Paul now moves from the first appearance of Christ to the second advent.
As believers we have God’s assurance that the Lord Jesus Christ will return
on the appointed day.
(Acts 17:31 KJV)
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he
hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from
the dead. In our day we see so many of the
prophetic signs that have been fulfilled, that the next event on God’s
prophetic clock is the return of Christ on the last day. As believers,
living in a very sinful world, we look for that return calling it the
blessed hope. When that hope becomes sight, all pain and suffering is ended
for the believer for all eternity. We will see the Lord Jesus coming back on
the clouds of glory, just as He left.
(Acts 1:9-11 KJV) And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he
was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. {10} And
while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men
stood by them in white apparel; {11} Which also said, Ye men of
Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go
into heaven. It will be a glorious day for the all
the redeemed of God when we shall be taken home forever. We also see in this
verse the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ calling Him the great God and our
Saviour. (Isa 43:11 KJV) I, even
I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
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- Titus 2:14 (KJB)
- Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works.
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- He might redeem -Set free or rescue
- Iniquity - Lawlessness or without the law
- Purify - Cleanse or make clean
- Peculiar - One’s own or exclusive ownership of the possession
- Zealous - A zealot or one who is enthusiastic
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- This verse focuses on Christ’s atonement as we see the effect in the
believer’s life. Christ gave Himself “for us” and that is important to note
because He did not die for the whole human race. He died only for His people
which were predestined for salvation before the foundation of the world.
(Mat 1:21 KJV) And she shall bring forth
a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from
their sins. Matthew 1:21 tells us that Christ came
into the world to save “His” people from their sins and there is no
implication here that He did it for the entire world.
(Eph 1:4 KJV) According as he hath chosen us in
him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love: We were chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world and at the appointed time He came into
this world and completed the salvation plan on Calvary.
(John 19:30 KJV) When Jesus therefore had
received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and
gave up the ghost. “It is finished” is one
Greek word which carries the meaning of “completed.”
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- His sacrifice on Calvary redeemed us from all lawlessness in our life
but it did not stop there. His blood has cleansed us from all those sins and
now our souls are completely clean, as if we never sinned.
(Psa 103:12 KJV) As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
He totally removed all our sins and made our souls
spotless while making them alive unto God.
(Col 2:13-14 KJV) And you, being dead in your
sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and
took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Now as another result of us becoming saved through Christ, we are now a
peculiar or special people unto the Lord, and we no longer belong to
ourselves but totally belong to Him. (1
Pet 2:9-10 KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of
him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: {10}
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the
people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Before we were saved, we were not a people of God but
according to 1 Peter 2:10, we are now “the” people of God. No one can become
a child of God unless they are chosen of God in Christ. Now that we are in
Christ, we are become zealous for good works and the greatest singular good
work that a Christian can ever accomplish in this present world, is to bring
the gospel to this dying world so God can save His elect, and then when the
last one is saved, the work is over and we all go home.
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- Titus 2:15 (KJB)
- These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all
authority. Let no man despise thee.
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- Speak - Proclaim with the spoken message
- Exhort - Encourage or call to one
- Rebuke - Refute, convict, or reprove
- Authority - Speak with the authority of a command or decree
- Despise - Have contempt for or look down on
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- Paul summarizes in this verse that we, as believers, must proclaim the
message of the gospel. We are to speak this message with two tones in mind.
The first one is to encourage the believers who are living the Christian
life and are being good testimonies that they continue to live that way. The
second tone is to rebuke or reprove, especially those who claim to be
Christians but are not living the transformed life. Paul wants Titus to
rebuke them with the authority of a command, that is, they are to be told in
no uncertain terms that they must examine themselves to se if they are in
the faith and if they are, then they need to get their spiritual lives in
order. Paul also tells Titus that not to let any man despise him, that is,
if any look down on him, he is not to take it to heart and stop proclaiming
this message. We cannot control how others view us but we can also stop
ourselves from being affected by their rebukes. If we are preaching the
truth, then we can expect people to look down at us, especially if we are
younger or shorter (like me). We must never feel so intimidated to the point
that we stop our ministries. This is why Paul told this to Titus, he knew
there would be rebukes, especially from the older men and women in the
congregation but again, these rebukes must never halt our ministries.
However, if a rebuke is warranted, then we learn from it and go on.
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