Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
The crafty theologians that plagued the Apostle Paul appear to have discovered Ponce de Leon’s fountain of youth for they are alive and well. Having corrupted and contaminated the Grace of God, Paul asked of them, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid” (Romans 6:1-2). While most willingly emphasize grace’s appearance, “hath appeared to all men”, most reluctantly, expound grace’s application, “bringeth salvation” and “Teaching us.” Paul repeats the two fold emphasis of grace when he wrote; “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). The word “perform” mean to finish, complete, or to perfect. In our text, the word that emphasizes perfecting grace is, “Teaching.” The word is not just a reference to the transfer of information, but the training of a child; it means to educate by implication to disciple by means of punishment or to chasten. One writer said, “A grace that fails to chasten the saint in their present sin has little possibility of cleansing a sinner of their past sins.” God’s grace doesn’t save an individual and leave them where they are; “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).
Within the text, Paul emphasizes the perfecting of the saint’s lifestyle; grace maintains the balance of negative and positive, “denying ungodliness . . . should live soberly.” Perfecting grace is neither formal legalism nor fleshly liberalism, but rather “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). Paul emphasizes the perfecting of the saint’s longing, “Looking for.” Motivated by the fact that we are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13), we look for a city “whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). The heart of the saint has been transported to a land that is fairer than day; “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (I Corinthians 15:19). In addition to saint’s abode, there is a longing for the saint’s Beloved, “the glorious appearing of . . . our Saviour.” Paul said that he was “in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:23). As the old songwriter said, “Oh I want to see Him, Look upon His face. There to sing forever of His saving grace.”
A grace that will not help clean a life in the present will most likely, not clear the ledger of the past! Paul is clear, God has appropriated a perfecting grace that saves and sanctifies so that we may “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”