Alright, let's turn back to Titus,
the book of Titus, chapter 2. The title of the message this morning
is Grace, Love, and Good Works. Grace, Love, and Good Works. Now we've been talking a lot
in the past few messages about this subject of good works. talked
about the necessity of good works and I've spent a lot of time
talking about what exactly what are good works what are they
according to the scripture you know man by nature does not know
even what a good work is and the proof of that is if you read
the scripture and it reveals it to us you know for example
in Romans chapter 3 it says there's none that doeth good no not one
speaking of the natural man but What is a good work? Well, a
couple weeks ago I talked about how good works are works that
God does for us and in us through his people by Jesus Christ. We're not the source of any good
work. God is. Christ is the source
of all good works. We're not the power of good works. I know in our minds and in our
way of viewing things, you know, we set out in our minds to do
these certain things, but we're inspired by God in Christ. And then secondly, last week
I dealt with this, how good works are the fruit of our union with
Christ. In other words, they're not the
cause or the ground of salvation, but they're the fruit of salvation. Christ said, I'm divine, you're
the branches. All his branches, all who are
in him will bear fruit. And that's the fruit of obedience,
it's the fruit of love, it's the fruit of worship, all those
things. These works are called the fruit of the spirit in Galatians
chapter 5. Love, peace, joy, all those things. And it's not a compilation of
trying to count how many good works we do. If you do that,
you've missed the point. And I'm going to talk about that
later on in another message when we go into the book of James.
You know, people say, well, how many? That's not the issue. The obedience, the fruit of our
union with Christ is a life lived in the grace of God. That's what
it is. Well, we mess up all the time.
all the time. We're sinners saved by the grace
of God. Now this morning what I want
to deal with is this. Good works are the obedience
of faith. Motivated. Now that's what we're
going to talk about. Motivated by grace, love, and gratitude. And that's one of the keys to
understanding this issue in the Bible of good works. What is
the motivation? What is the inspiration? What
are you seeking to get out of these things? That's, you know,
a lot of people today, you know, they talk about, for example,
I mention this all the time, sowing your seed. You give this
and God will give you so much back. Is that a good work? I
want to tell you something now. That's not a good work. That's an investment. That's
an investment. And that's a mercenary. We'll talk about that in just
a moment. But look here at Titus chapter two. The apostle Paul
writing to Titus here. Titus was one of his, one of
Christ's followers who was instrumental and useful in the missionary
work and evangelism of Paul. Paul has a lot to say here about
good works. And he's talking about the church,
the relationship of people in the church. He says in verse
1 of chapter 2, he says, but speak thou the things which become
sound doctrine. Now that's the first thing you
notice there is necessary in the health and growth of the
church is sound doctrine, right doctrine. right doctrine, the
doctrine of Christ, the gospel is what he's talking about, the
truth, the teachings of Christ. And don't let anybody diminish
those in your mind. Don't let anybody put them down.
Yes, it is possible. Now listen to him. It is possible
for, you know, I've heard preachers say, well, you know, people have
a head full of doctrine, but a heart that's as cold as ice.
That's possible. And I want to combat that too,
but you don't combat that condition by putting down the glorious,
beautiful doctrines of Christ. The doctrines of Christ identify
Him. How would you know who Jesus
Christ is without the doctrine of Christ? How would you know?
I mean, would you just grab it out of the air or something?
No. It's the teachings. Who is Jesus Christ? He's God
in human flesh. That's the doctrine of His person. How would you know that? Now,
it's one thing to know the doctrine. It's another thing to love that
doctrine because we love Christ. If somebody would describe one
of my loved ones in glorious terms in such a way that were
honorable and beautiful, that would warm my heart. Well, that's
the way it is with my Lord. When I hear these truths, these
teachings, these doctrines that identify Him and signify Him
and that distinguish Him from counterfeits, aren't you glad
that you're not worshiping a counterfeit? Well, how would you know? How
would you know unless you knew the right doctrine? Over in 2
John, 2 John in verse 9, this statement is made. Listen to
this. Now this is John writing by inspiration of the Spirit.
Verse 9, he says, Whosoever transgresseth, And abideth not, continues not
in the doctrine of Christ. Listen to the next three words.
Hath not God. Now is that clear enough? He
goes on. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. the doctrine of
his person, the doctrine of his finished work. What did Jesus
Christ actually accomplish on Calvary's cross in the salvation
of his people? What does the Bible say about
that? Well, the Bible says he paid
their debt in full. It says he redeemed them with
the price of his precious blood. They being ruined by the fall,
fallen in Adam, could not save themselves. That Christ took
their sins upon himself. He was made sin, charged with
their sin, and died under the penalty of the law for their
sin. Satisfying justice, bringing forth an everlasting righteousness
of infinite value, whereby they could be saved securely and eternally,
and God could be just in doing so. There's the mercy of God,
there's the love of God, there's the grace of God. And it's nowhere
else. That's the doctrine of Christ.
We can talk about the doctrine of life given by Christ through
the Spirit in the new birth. You must be born again. That's
the doctrine of Christ because the Spirit gives life through
Christ. It's out of His death that we
have spiritual life. Do you hear the gospel? With
the ear of faith, I mean. I'm not just talking about hearing
words. But do you hear it with the ear of faith? That's a gift
from God. That's life from God by the Spirit. Blessed are your ears for they
hear. Do you see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ?
That's a gift from God. That's life from God by the Spirit
from Christ. blessed are your eyes for they
see do you believe faith is the gift of God for by grace are
you saved through faith that's not of yourself it's the gift
of God not of works lest any man should boast that's a gift
you see that's not a pedestal upon which you can stand and
crow about your free will it's a gift from God why did God give
it to you I don't know and I don't and you don't either but he did
it for so it seemed good in his sight And that's the way it is. The doctrine of Christ, the doctrine
of perseverance, because we're preserved by His grace. The doctrine
of His second coming, all of these things. And he goes on,
he says in verse 10 of 2 John, he says, if there come any unto
you and bring not this doctrine. There'll be a lot of people that
come in to you. What he's talking about here is people seeking
religious fellowship and support. He's not just talking about somebody
who shows up at your door. He's talking about somebody who's
seeking religious fellowship and support. If they come in
you and bring not this doctrine, in other words, they want fellowship
with you or they want support from you in their religious pursuits,
well, what doctrine do they pray? That's the first thing we're
to see. What is your gospel? Who do you
worship? Who do you serve? Who is your
hope? You see, is it the Christ of the Bible, or is it another
Jesus, a counterfeit? And he says, if they bring not
this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid
him Godspeed. In other words, don't have religious
fellowship with them. It doesn't mean that you're to
be mean to people, or nasty, or inhospitable, or anything
like that. It just means you cannot have
religious... Listen, if we don't worship the
same God, how can we have religious fellowship? And I want to tell you something.
It may seem like love to the world to speak peace to such,
but it's not loving God's side. In fact, it's self-love. Because
I'll tell you why people do it. And that's because they don't
want the persecution of the cross. Now that's it. And look at, he
says in verse 11, for he that biddeth him God's speed is a
partaker, a fellow shipper in his evil deeds. Just like if
a drug pusher would come to your door and say, will you contribute
to my cause? You wouldn't even dream about
it, would you? Wouldn't have to think a minute about it, would
you? If you help his cause, what would you be? You'd be a fellowshipper
in his evil deed. Same thing with false religion.
And I know it sounds hard. I know it does. But listen, you
know, that's why Christ told the people that he spoke to,
he said, count the cost here now. Take up your cross and follow
me. Go back to Titus 2. Speak those
things which are fitting to sound doctrine. And then he deals with
the leadership of the church, the aged men. He said that the
aged men be sober, grave, serious that is, serious in the gospel.
That doesn't mean you have to be mean or like some old Puritan,
you know, Go around like somebody's hit you in the face with their
fist all the time. It just means you're to be serious
about these things of the truth, of the gospel. You know, a lot
of people are flipping about it. No, not about this now. He
says temperate. He says sound in faith, in charity,
in love, charitableness, patience, that's endurance. Then the aged
women, who are the support of the aged men, likewise, that
they be in behavior as becometh holiness, that is, women who
are separate from the world. He says, not false accusers,
not given to much wine, teachers of good things. I don't know
if there was a particular problem in this local body or not, but
maybe these women, you know, they like to drink a lot of wine.
whatever, you know. The Bible condemns drunkenness
and He says that they be teachers of good things, things that are
honorable to God. He says, verse 4, that they may
teach the young women. They are to be examples and teachers
of the young women to be sober, which means wisdom, clear thinking,
to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet,
in other words, to be wise, and to be chaste and keepers at home,
good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemy. In other words, we want to honor
God. That's the key. Young men, likewise, exhort to
be sober-minded. In all things, showing thyself,
now here's what he says, a pattern of good work. That's what we're
to be in Christ. We're to be examples, a pattern.
Our lives are to be a pattern. He didn't say that they do a
hundred good works or they do a million good works. He said
that they'd be a pattern of good. It's not how many. You know,
we don't go around counting, keeping a tally. If we do that,
that's self-righteousness anyway. But we're to be a pattern, a
tenor of our lives is what he's talking about. were to be worshipers,
were to be obedient servants, in doctrine showing uncorruptness,
gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that
he that is of the contrary part, that is, that he who opposes
us, may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you. He
speaks of servants, verse 9. Exhorts servants to be obedient
unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things,
not answering again, not sassing, that's what that means, not being
one who answers back. Verse 10, not purloining, not
stealing, but showing all good fidelity, faithfulness, that
they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things,
adorning the doctrine with right behavior right attitudes that's
what he's talking about he says a lot about that and that's the
doctrine of grace you see look at verse eleven for the grace
of god now this is this is the basis of the whole thing right
here everything that we are to do and to be as as obedient children
here's the ground of it here's the basis of it here's the cause
of it For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all men. Now, the all men there are the
ones he's talking about. In other words, if you're a believer
in the Lord Jesus Christ, this grace of God that brings salvation
has appeared to you. It's been revealed to you. It's
been put within your heart, your mind, your affections, your will,
the inner man. All right? And there's the ground
of it. You see, the obedience of a believer
is not the cause or the source or the ground. It doesn't make
us righteous. It's the grace of God that brings
salvation that makes us righteous. That's Christ. You see? That's what he's talking about.
It's the doctrine of grace. And it brings salvation to us. We don't earn it. We don't work
for it. It's given to us freely. The
forgiveness of sins. How can I claim the forgiveness
of sins? By the blood of Christ. Period. Don't add anything to it. The
blood of Jesus cleanses me from all my sins. I don't need anything
else or anything more than the blood of Christ. Circumcision
won't do it. Baptism won't do it. Preaching
won't do it. The blood of Christ did it all.
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What makes me righteous before God? Christ did. His obedience unto death charged,
imputed to me. Don't need anything else to give
me a right standing before God. But here's the result. Now look
at verse 12. Here's the result. Teaching us. Now this grace of God that brings
salvation, a free gift of God, God's free and sovereign mercy
and grace in Christ that has appeared to me, that has been
revealed to me and put within my heart, it teaches me this. Well, I can go out and sin as
much as I want to now. Or I can go out and just live
like a hellion. It doesn't matter because I'm saved by grace. No,
this is what it teaches us. teaches us that denying ungodliness
and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly
in this present world right now. Well, I walk on this earth every
day. Now, what motivates me? What's
the inspiration for it? Look at verse 13. Here it is.
Looking for that blessed hope. Now, what is my blessed hope?
Well, he says it. and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. My hope is Christ. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. My hope is not in my works. You
see, if your hope is in your works, it's not a good work.
I can tell you that right now. My hope is in Christ. I'm looking
for that blessed hope. That's the certain assurance
of final glory that comes by virtue of His merits, His blood,
His righteousness, the grace of God in Him. It says in verse
14, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us, buy us back,
pay the full price from all iniquity. All iniquity. My good works do
not redeem me from all iniquity. Christ's blood redeems me from
all iniquity. and purifying himself a peculiar
people, that's a purchased people. He bought me lock, stock and
barrel. You see, my good works are not payment for my salvation.
The blood of Christ is the payment for my salvation. And so that
he might purify unto himself a purchased people, redeemed
people, justified people, zealous of good works. There's the zeal.
Now what motivates that? What brings that zeal? What promotes
this zeal for good works? It's that blessed hope. It's
that assurance of salvation and final glory based on Christ,
who he is, what he did, why he did it, where he is now, and
when he's coming again. That's it. And then he says in
verse 15, these things speak and exhort and rebuke with all
authority and let no man despise thee. These are works motivated
by grace. These are works motivated by
love. These are works motivated by
gratitude. You know, there are works that
are motivated by legal fear of punishment. You know, a lot of
preachers, when they preach on giving, they use that. Legal
fear of punishment. You better give it now or God's
going to take it out the back door in a coffin. You ever heard
that? That's a legal work. You send
in your seed and send in a hundred, God will give you back a thousand.
You know what that is? That's a legal work. That's a
mercenary. You know what a mercenary is?
What was it back during the Revolutionary War? There was a group of German
soldiers. What are they called? Hessians?
See, I know my history. Made an A in history, Ron, see?
Called the Hessians. They had no love or loyalty to
America or the cause of the revolutionaries who wanted freedom, wanted to
establish a country, freedom. They worked, they fought for
money. And if they got no money, what?
They didn't fight. That's a mercenary. And that's
what most preachers today who call themselves Christians promote. You do this, God will give you
that in return. It's like a debt. But that's
not good works. Look over at verse 4 of chapter
3 of Titus. Here's what motivates and brings
forth this zeal in the hearts of God's people for good works,
for obedience, for worship. But after that, the kindness
and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. Not by works of
righteousness which we have done. You see there? Not by works of
righteousness which we have done. But according to His mercy. Undeserved favor. His mercy. He saved us. It's mercy. Paul said in Romans
chapter 12 verse 1, I beseech thee therefore by the mercies
of God present your bodies living sacrifices unto God. God has
been so merciful to us. We who are saved by grace. How
could we not thank Him? He's given us all things in Christ,
none of which we've deserved or earned. How can we not thank
Him, love Him, serve Him? You see? He goes, by the washing
of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. That's the
new birth. And what Paul's saying here is
this love, this love that God has shown toward His people,
this kindness that God has shown has been put within our hearts
by the Holy Spirit. It's a dynamic. It's a power. It's an unction, John called
it, within our hearts by the Holy Ghost. And it says in verse
6, look here, verse 3, which is shed on us abundantly, richly
through Jesus Christ our Lord. The reason we have it is not
because of our works. The reason we obtain it is not
because we believed. No. It's shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Verse 7, look at it. Now here's
the ground of it. That being justified by His grace. You see, my right standing. Justified
means I have a right standing before God. I'm not guilty. I
have no sins charged to me. They're charged to Christ, you
see. He was made sin. I made the righteousness of God
in Him. I have a righteousness that answers the demands of God's
law and justice that not only saves me, but seals me eternally. And it says that being justified,
having that right standing by His what? His grace. Not by my
works. Not by my cooperation. By his
grace, we should be made heirs. Now, how do you get an heir is
one who gets an inheritance. How do you get an inheritance?
Do you earn it? No, you're born into it. Somebody else earns
it and bequeaths it to you. Who earned it? Christ did. Who
was born into it? Everyone who has experienced
the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.
Have you been born again? Well, do you trust Christ? Do
you believe in Him? Do you rest in Him? And he says
that we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal
life. I have an inheritance and it
cannot be lost. None of it was conditioned on
me. I didn't earn a penny of it. It was all conditioned on
Christ and He earned it all. That's my inheritance. I have
a reservation. Peter said that. It's reserved
in heaven for us. And it cannot be lost. Listen,
I've already got the confirmation number. It's Jesus Christ and
Him crucified and risen again. He's my hope. Now, what does
that inspire a believer to do? Again, does it inspire us to
just throw caution to the wind and say, well, we can live like
hell? No, look at verse 8. This is a faithful saint. This
is a true saint. And these things I will that
thou affirm constantly, don't let up on this one, that they
which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable
unto men. What Paul is saying here is he's
guided by the Holy Spirit, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is these
are the very things that should inspire God's people into zeal
and carefulness in good works. You know, dead works. We talked about it a little bit
last week in Romans 7. Paul said there, I think it's
verse 5. He said, when we were in the flesh, the motions of
sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring
forth fruit unto death. That's the dead works. And of
course, when you apply that to Paul, Think about him in his
religion. Here was a man lost in his sins,
doing his dead level best to try to work his way into God's
favor. Remember he said in Philippians
3, I was a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee of Pharisees is touching
the law, blameless. All of his, and these are things
that men by nature call good works. But in God's sight, they're
evil. Why? Because they deny his glory.
You see, a work done in order to earn God's favor does not
glorify God. If you could earn it, you know
who it glorifies? You. That's right. It glorifies you. But not God. A work done to earn God's favor
denies the Lord Jesus Christ. What did He come to this earth
to do? To redeem His people from their sins. He earned it. Everything
that I have by way of salvation and blessing now and forever
is earned, not by me, but by Christ. Now if I'm trying to
earn it, what am I doing? I'm denying Him. That's evil
on the side of God. You see that? That's the whole
issue. These dead works, that's what
we're to repent of. Hebrews 9 and verse 14 talks
about the blood of Christ putting away all sin and how that blood
purges our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. There are works motivated by
grace and love and gratitude, zeal inspired by the ever-abiding
sense of the fact that everything I am as a sinner saved by grace,
justified in the sight of God, forgiven of all my sins, everything
I have by way of salvation is unearned. Undeserved. Freely given to me by God through
Christ. And that's what's to motivate
us. Then why be a patron? Well, we
look at good works. They cannot make us righteous.
They cannot atone for our sins. They cannot balance the scales
before God. They cannot contribute to the
payment of sin. They cannot even sanctify us
or make us holy. That's right. Christ is our holiness.
Did you know that? They cannot give a spiritual
life. They cannot make you fit and qualified for heaven. Listen
to me. They cannot even earn God's favor and blessings or
His rewards in glory. They cannot do that. Somebody
says, then why? Why do? Why be a pattern, as
Paul writes there in Titus? of good works. Why be zealous? Why seek to maintain them? Well,
here it is in a nutshell. First, because the grace of God
has brought me to salvation and brought salvation to me. Let
me show you a passage over here in the Old Testament. Look at
Ezekiel 36. The reason is because the grace
of God has brought me to salvation and has brought salvation to
me. And what does that involve? Well, look at Ezekiel 36. Look
at verse 24. He says, for I will take you
from among the heathen and gather you out of all countries and
will bring you into your own land. Now, this has an application. to physical, the physical nation
Israel coming out of the Babylonian captivity. But it has a spiritual
application to the true spiritual Israel of God. God's elect people
out of every tribe, kindred, tongue and nation. And that's
what he does when he say he brings us out from among the heathen,
that's unbelievers. And he gathers us out of all
countries and brings us into our own land, the land of salvation. the land of promise. In verse
25, then I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall
be clean, cleansed by the blood of Christ. From all your filthiness
and from all your idols will I cleanse you. But now look at
verse 26. A new heart also will I give you. That's a new mind,
new affections, new will, new desires. A new spirit will I
put within you. That's spiritual life from Christ. I'll take away the stony heart
out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh, one that's
bendable, a broken and contrite heart, broken and contrite over
sin. And I will put my spirit within
you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep
my judgments and do them. That has to do with believing
and trusting and following Christ for all salvation. and you shall
dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers and you shall
be my people and I will be your God. That's what it is. God has
brought me to salvation and salvation to me. God's grace is not just
doctrine. We love the doctrine of Christ.
Don't put it down. But God's grace and salvation
is not just only doctrine. It's also a new heart, a new
spirit, new desires, a power to live for Him. Here's another
reason. Because the love of God has been
shed abroad within my heart by the Holy Spirit. Paul spoke of that in Romans
chapter 5. When we were even enemies, Christ died for the
ungodly. The Holy Spirit takes that truth
in the preaching of the gospel and he sheds it abroad within
our hearts, he says. It becomes part of us. So much
so that Paul, as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 5.14, he says,
for the love of Christ constrains me. It inspires me. It motivates
me. Here's another reason. Because
the Holy Spirit has given us life from Christ. And He lives
within us. And He produces the fruit of
the Spirit. My friend, if the Holy Spirit is abiding within
us, that fruit is going to be there to some degree. John wrote
it this way in 1 John 2.20. He says you have an unction,
a power from the Holy One and you know all things. Here's another
reason. because of our love and gratitude to God for his great
salvation. You know, Christ said it this
way in John 14, 15. He says, if you love me, keep
my commandments. He didn't say, I'll love you
if you keep my commandments. But he said, if you love me,
the keeping of his commandments, his sayings, believing his gospel,
trusting him is a product of that love It's not a mercenary. It's not a legal punishment.
It's love. He says in John 15 and verse
8, listen to this. He said, hearing as my Father
glorified that you bear much fruit. Remember, it's the fruit
of our union with Christ. And so shall you be my disciples
as the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue
in my love. What is His love? Hearing of
love, not that we love God, but that He loved us. Send his son
to be the propitiation for our sins. And then he says, if you
keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've
kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. First
John 5 says his commandments are not grievous. They're not
a burden. You know why? Because they're not legal. They're
not mercenary. They're acts of love, grace,
love, and gratitude. Think about that. Paul wrote,
we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining
of the glory of God in Jesus Christ. Grace, love, and gratitude. That's the motive. That's the
inspiration. None of it without Christ. He is all. All right.