When I was trying to raise my daughter, as she grew from a little girl into a young lady, I frequently suggested that she do this or that, or not to do this or that, and always found one argument sufficient to persuade her willing compliance. I would say, "Sweetheart, that just is not becoming a young lady." Faith always wanted to be and to appear to be a young lady. Therefore, she chose not to speak, dress, and act in a manner unbecoming a young lady.
The Holy Spirit uses similar reasoning with us. When we are given directions for our conduct and behavior in the New Testament, the basis of and motive for compliance is that there are some things becoming to the gospel and some unbecoming. Paul told the saints at Ephesus not to live like their neighbors in fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness. Instead, he urged them to live "as becometh saints" (Eph. 5:3). If we profess to be saints, we ought to live "as becometh saints." In Philippians 1:27, the Apostle urges us to so order our lives as to "let our conversation be as it becometh godliness." Then, in Titus chapter two, the inspired Apostle instructed Titus and all who preach and teach in the kingdom of God to speak those "Things Which Become Sound Doctrine."
That is my subject tonight - "Things Which Become Sound Doctrine." I told you at the outset that these studies in Bible doctrine would be of a practical nature, that every message would be applicable to our lives day by day. Today, as I was preparing this message, I received a letter from a young man that reminded me just how needful such instruction is. It was, I think, the most horribly astonishing letter I have ever received. To make it worse, it was written by a preacher, a young man I have been trying to help, a young man who, I hoped and thought, was seeking the glory of God and trying to faithfully serve him by preaching the gospel of Christ. Let me read a small portion of his letter to you.
"My goal is not to preach Christ or even serve him. My goal is to follow my joy…I want to enjoy myself as much as possible. I don’t even want to do what is right as much as I want to do whatever I wish…I am free! I am a child, not a slave. God did not die for me so that I would tend his garden and do his dishes. He did not need a slave, but he desired a son. I am that…His beloved son and to me he says, ‘with you I am well pleased.’ This is what my Lord did for me. He set me free, not in order that I turn and serve him, but truly free. I can quit the ministry any week and surf the rest of my life and never pick up a Bible or preach again and he will still be pleased with me, because of what his Son did on the cross.
So I take the freedom and run with it. I will follow my joy until he calls me home…I do not try to resist sin. I just live…I follow my joy and tremble and trust that God really is sovereign and that he really will have his way with me…I am like a dog that digs up gardens and jumps fences and follows his instincts wherever they lead…I do not want to be cautious…I do not ever want to ask myself, ‘Is this glorifying to my Lord?’ That will kill me. I trust that he will glorify himself through me, if it pleases him to do so and meanwhile I am going to chase that tennis ball."
I truly hope that the man who wrote those words is insane, because unless he is insane, unless he has simply lost his mind, the man who wrote those words is utterly void of the knowledge of the grace of God in Christ. As Paul said to the Ephesians, when they were tempted to embrace the licentious antinominianism of pagan Gentile religion, I say to him - "Ye have not so learned Christ" (Eph. 5:20).
I want you to turn with me to Titus chapter two. Hold your Bibles open to this chapter, and follow me carefully through the Scriptures. I want you to see the teaching of Holy Scripture in this chapter; and I want you to see it clearly. In this chapter, the Holy Spirit telling all God called preachers and teachers exactly how to lead and instruct God’s saints in the gospel of Christ and the doctrines of it.
Proposition: The gospel of the grace of God teaches all to whom it is revealed that salvation is by grace alone and teaches us how to live in this world for the glory of God. - Those who preach the gospel of Christ teach and preach "Things Which Become Sound Doctrine."
Divisions: As we look at these fifteen verses, I want to call your attention to these five things:
I. The Adornment of Grace
In verses 1-10 Paul tells both the man who preaches the gospel and the people who hear and believe the gospel how to adorn the gospel. He is telling us how to behave ourselves so that we may "adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things" (v. 10).
This is both our personal responsibility and our privilege. I hope it is our desire. We are to "adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things." That is to say, We are to set forth in our lives as well as in our doctrine the beauty, glory, and attractiveness of the gospel of Christ. If we hope to persuade men and women to believe the gospel we preach, we must show them, by our lives, the beauty of the gospel. If we would honor Christ and his gospel in the eyes of men, we must have our lives regulated and governed by the gospel.
Titus 2:1 "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:"
Every preacher has a mandate from God. And the preacher’s mandate is always the same. All who are sent of God as his messengers to eternity bound men and women are sent to preach the gospel, to constantly declare those "things which become sound doctrine."
The doctrine we preach is the doctrine of grace, which is the doctrine of Christ. And those things which become sound doctrine are those things that are consistent with and honoring to the gospel.
It is a pastor’s responsibility to faithfully teach people how to live in this world for the glory of Christ, applying the Word of God to every area of life. And it is the responsibility of God’s saints to personally obey the gospel, applying it to every area of their lives.
Illustrations:
I realize that many people prefer to ignore this fact, but it is a fact nonetheless - God almighty does interfere with people’s lives. If the God of glory is pleased to open the windows of heaven drop his saving grace into your heart, he will take over. He insists on it! Christ will either be Lord of all or he will not receive you at all. This is what Paul teaches in verses 2-10. He has a word here for just about everybody.
I am calling for all of us who believe the gospel of the grace of God to adorn it, to show forth the beauty and grace of the gospel in all things for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). If you are indeed born of God, if you truly are a believer, if you have really experienced the grace of God, you know that grace teaches you so to live.
II. The Work of Grace
Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men."
As Paul uses the term here "the grace of God" refers to "the doctrine of God our Savior." "The grace of God" in this verse means "the gospel of the grace of God." The gospel we preach, "the doctrine of God our Savior," is the gospel of "the grace of God."
A. The doctrine of the gospel is the message of grace.
B. This gospel, the grace of God, brings salvation.
I know that salvation is by God’s operations of grace, that it is an act of free and sovereign grace, grace that is almighty and irresistible. But in this context, "the grace of God" is used as a synonym for "the gospel of God." The Holy Spirit is telling us that the gospel is the means by which salvation is brought to and wrought in chosen, redeemed sinners.
Certainly, Paul does not mean for us to understand that every person in the world has heard the gospel. Obviously that is not so. There are people in Danville, many of them, who have never heard the gospel! What Paul is telling us is that the gospel has been and is preached freely to all men and women, people of every rank, race, and region (Rom. 16:25-26).
III. The Teaching of Grace
Titus 2:12 "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."
Whenever the gospel of the grace of God comes into a sinner’s heart by the life-giving, regenerating power and grace of God the Holy Spirit, it effectually teaches him some things. It teaches us...
The gospel is not given for intellectual speculation, but for practical direction. It is given for our eternal salvation and for the ordering of our lives. It tells us plainly what we are to do and what we are not to do. It tells us what to follow and what to shun.
B. The grace of God teaches people to live right.
IV. The Expectation of Grace
Titus 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
Read verse 13 again very carefully. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Paul does not tell us to set dates or even speculate about when the time of our Lord’s coming may be. He does not tell us to look for signs of the end time, or to even think about when the end time may be. Grace teaches us to look for Christ himself, and to do so standing upon the tiptoe of faith and expectation. Grace gives us a good, well-grounded hope, a hope that breeds expectation, anticipation, and desire.
A. There is one common and blessed hope for all believers.
There is not one hope for one group and another hope for another group. We all have the same hope, upon the same grounds, a glorious, blessed hope, a hope that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined!
Matthew 6:33 "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Colossians 3:1-4 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."
Fade, fade each earthly joy, Jesus is mine.
Break every tender tie, Jesus is mine!
Dark is this wilderness, Earth has no resting place
Jesus alone can bless. Jesus is mine!
Farewell, mortality - Jesus is mine!
Welcome, eternity - Jesus is mine!
Welcome, oh loved and blest! Welcome sweet scenes of rest!
Welcome my Savior’s breast! Jesus is mine!
C. Our hope of eternal glory with Christ, if we trust him, is a well-grounded hope.
Notice how Paul describes our Savior. He appears unable to find words worthy of him.
1 John 3:1-3 "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (3) And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
V. The Motivation of Grace
Give me your attention just a little longer. This is so important. Paul is calling for us, in every aspect of our lives, to "adorn the doctrine of God our Savior." How will he induce us to obey his admonition? How will he persuade us? How will he motivate us?
Read Titus 2:14 "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
A. Christ gave himself!1. He might redeem and deliver us from all iniquity, from all sin and all the consequences of it!
2. He might purify (by blood and by grace) unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Note: The word "peculiar" means "distinctively excellent, valuable, and honorable." We are Christ’s portion, the lot of his inheritance, the jewels of his crown, his fullness (Eph. 1:23), his peculiar people!
God the Father ordained that we should walk in good works (Eph. 2:10). God the Son redeemed us that we should walk in good works. And God the Holy Spirit effectually teaches every chosen, ransomed sinner to be zealous of good works.
Application: Now read verse 15 - This is Paul’s admonition to Titus; and this is the Word of God the Holy Spirit to me, as your pastor. "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee."
Give no one reason to despise you.
Have no regard for the opinions of disobedient men. Paul shows us by his own example what he means in 1 Corinthians 4:1-3 "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. (2) Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (3) But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self."
Hebrews 13:7 "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation."
Hebrews 13:17 "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."
*