If you will, turn back with me
now to Titus chapter 3. I want to use verses 3 through
7. This will be where I'm taking
my text and my title. My title is, When Love and Kindness
Appear. Now here he's talking about good
works, he's talking about maintaining good works, he's talking about
the grace of God that has intervened in our lives and that grace that
has taught us and opened our eyes to see these things and
enabled us to do these things. And I want to say this at the
very outset, these glorious attributes belong to God and can only be
seen in Christ. And so the sole source of our
knowledge of these things is Christ. As He appears, so does
God's love appear. You're not going to learn the
love of God anywhere except as it's manifested in Christ. And the same with kindness. The
same with grace. Grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. Now here he's talking about this
love and kindness appearing. And I've already emphasized that
it can only be seen in Christ. So if it has appeared, it's appeared
in Him. In Him. And there are eight major
appearances of Christ set forth in the scripture. I'm not gonna
preach on these things, I simply want to mention them so in your
mind you can at least have some knowledge about what I'm talking
about when I say his love and his kindness has appeared. They appeared first in the eternal
councils of God. In Ephesians 1, Paul tells us
that God's election of his saints and his predestination of them
to be heirs of God are both eternally connected with Christ. This adoption is in him. This
election, God chose us in him. And then in 2 Timothy 1.9, we're
told God has saved us called us with a holy calling not according
to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. So the
first appearance of God's love and God's kindness was in Christ
at the eternal counsels of God whenever that was. He just simply
says from the beginning because we had no concept of eternity. And then secondly, he appears
all through the Old Testament in the pictures, promises, and
prophecies contained in the word of God. All through the Old Testament
to him give all the prophets witness. Isn't that what scripture
says? He beginning with the books of
Moses and all the prophets and the Psalms, he preached unto
them those things concerning him said. Then they understood. Their understanding
came when they understood that. So that's his second appearance
is all through the word of God. And then thirdly, as a man born
of a virgin in Bethlehem's manger. This is God. This is the one
spoken of. This is the one who appeared
for us in eternity. This is the one spoken of throughout
the Old Testament. And now he appears as a child
born of a virgin in this little town called Bethlehem. Bethlehem,
Judah. And then fourthly, he appeared
to us on his cross. On his cross. Fifthly, after
his resurrection, he appeared to over 500 brethren at one time. He walked around on this earth
quite a while before he ascended up into glory. And he appeared
to his apostles and to over 500 brethren at one time. And then
he appeared for us or to us at the right hand of God. At the right hand of God. And
he has appeared to us in the minds and hearts of his elect.
These appearances are very vivid to me through the word of God,
through the preaching of the gospel. And he shall appear one more
time in that awful day of judgment. And even so, in our text, all
of these appearances are incorporated under one head, which is Christ,
and with one goal, that his love and kindness toward man appear. I want to give you six things
this morning, if time will allow me, and I don't think it will,
but I'll try. I want to give you six things
this morning that I see in this text concerning the love and
kindness of God as it has appeared to man. First of all, let's consider
the object of this life-changing revelation. And it is life-changing,
or he wouldn't have mentioned it. He tells us that it is. And you, he said, who were sometimes
foolish. So let's consider the objects
of this. Titus 3.3, we ourselves also
were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverts love
and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating
one another. You know, too often we see somebody
manifesting these things, and all men manifest these things.
Some are better at hiding it than others, but we all manifest
these things. But too often I hear folks, when
they see something happen to them during the week and they
see this, then they start looking down on these people. Have we
already forgotten that we ourselves were also sometimes foolish? We have if we look down our nose
at them. Who make a theta differ from
another? What have you gotten that you
haven't received? And if you received it, why do
you act like you didn't? We're saved by the grace of God.
We're exactly like them, exactly like those ones now that we look
down our noses at. We're just like them. The only
thing that separates us from them is the intervention of God. Oh, but preacher, I've never
done these things. That's not me. You're not talking about
me. Well, then you can't be the objects. You cannot be the objects
of his kindness and love as they appeared in Christ. Because these
are the ones to whom it appeared. Christ came to call sinners to
repentance. That's what he told those Pharisees.
They said, boy, if he knew what she was, he wouldn't let her
cleanse his feet. He wouldn't let her touch him.
And he looked at them and he said, you go learn what this
means. I'll have mercy and not sacrifice.
Because I'm not come to call the righteous. I'm come to call
sinners to repentance. He came into the world, Paul
said, to save sinners of whom I am chief. In 1 Corinthians 1 and verse
27 it says, God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to
confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things which are mighty, and the base
things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen. Yea, and things which are not,
to bring to naught things that are. Why? Why would God do this? Why would
he choose the foolish things and the weak things and all of
this? Well, he tells us in verse 29,
1 Corinthians 1, that no flesh, a glory in his presence. But
of Him, or in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that according
as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. If we come in here this morning,
we're not gonna glory in our works. We're not going to glory
in some isle that we walked or some card that we signed or some
profession that we made or going out and breaking out the ice
and getting baptized in the middle of winter. We're not going to
come in here and glory in ourselves. He that glory, let him glory
in the Lord. And God's fixed it so you can't
glory in anything else except Him. Listen to David, this is a man
after God's own heart. He said, I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin. Not sins, he said he acknowledged
his transgression, that's his sins. And he said, and my sin,
the nature of it, the hideousness of it, the ugliness of it, the
influence of it, the power of it, are ever before me. constant reminder to me of the
grace of God. And David said, I confess these
things that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest.
He confessed these things because God requires truth from the inward
parts. He confessed these things because
God told him what he was. All through the scriptures, he
tells us what we are. And the man who's learned these
things and understands these things, he confesses these things,
not to another man, but to God. He said that thou mightest be
justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest. So God's revelation of his love
and kindness appears to man, sinful, fallen, depraved man. Man at his best state, the scripture
said, is altogether vanity. Drinks iniquity like water. All
right, secondly, we're told in Titus 3, verse 4, that this appearance
of love and kindness is toward man. Mankind. Mankind. Well, wait a minute, preacher.
You saying God's love is universal? No. But you can't get rid of
that word man. That man means mankind. God's
love and kindness toward man as a species is not some proof
text for universal love. Love, we're told in the scriptures,
never faileth. Now I want you to hear what I'm
saying. If we're gonna talk about the love of God, this is the
nature of the love of God. It never fails. Never fails. It never ends in a loss. In Romans chapter eight, verses
35 through 39, he brings up anything and everything that any man had
ever said to him about being separated from the love of God. He uses the plainest of terms,
that none for whom Christ died shall ever be separated from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. They cannot
be separated from him. They've been bought by him, redeemed
by him, justified by him. He's not gonna lose one. His
love is sovereign. It's eternal and it's unchangeable. Now that's what the scripture
says about the love of God. So the simple fact that millions
perished under the wrath of God is evident enough to me that
his love is particular and not universal. Now I've used this
illustration often to you because I think it goes home. It's something
everybody can relate to. You husbands. Just come home
and tell your wife sometime, I love you just like I do every
other woman in the world. See what kind of response you
get from that. But ain't that what universal
love is saying to God? You love me just like you love
everybody else in the world. That's not much, is it? Think about it. So what is the apostle saying
when he speaks of the love and kindness of God toward man appearing? He's simply saying that to save
a people out of their species is an act of love and kindness
toward it. Isn't that what he's saying?
Now I want you to just think about this for a minute. I want
you to think how special mankind is. When Christ was made a man, or
robed himself in human flesh, this is God robing himself in
human flesh. He made himself, the scripture
says, a little lower than the angels. Mankind as a species
is below the angels. That's what he's saying, isn't
it? But he didn't choose the angels to manifest his glory
in their salvation. He chose man. He chose man. He created man. He's the only
creature that God ever created. Angel or beast. He's the only
creation that God ever made in his own image. In his own image. Here's what he's saying. He's
saying that this love and kindness has appeared to mankind. It hasn't appeared to the angels.
Look at them for an example. Over in the book of Jude, the
Bible says the angels which kept not their first estate, but left
their habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains of darkness
under the judgment of that great day. There's no savior, no representative,
no mediator, no surety, no substitute for the angels. They sinned, God condemned them,
and they'll stay condemned forever. In fact, in Hebrews 2.16, he
says, Verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he
took on him the seed of Abraham. No love, no kindness toward fallen
angels, but man is a special creature. He's the only living
creature created in the image of God. But in his fall, that
image was taken from him. He's now totally depraved. He's
ruined. He's a sinner by nature and by
choice, by motive, and by deed. But it doesn't change or alter
God's purpose. Love is best seen against the
backdrop of our depravity. And as His appearance was first
declared in the Word of God, then in the incarnation of the
Son of God, and especially in His death and resurrection, And
even in the preaching of the gospel, it's been an open appearance
to all men. He walked on this earth. He walked
before Jews and before Gentiles. They all sing, he stood before
Gentile kings, didn't he? And I want you to think about
this. Where is In all the world, where is a
single tribe, nation, tongue, people, clan, whatever you want
to call them, that's not been extended the appearance of the
love and kindness of God? He hath chosen out of every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people under heaven. Isn't that what it says? He has reached into every area
of humanity and manifested his love, his kindness. So truly his love and kindness
toward man has appeared. But nowhere has it appeared as
when the word was made flesh. The Son of God has taken to himself
an eternal union with man. There's a man in glory, right
now, a man, just like me, just like you, there's a man in glory. And one preacher preaching on
this subject said if there's one, there may be more. There's some reason why there's
a man in glory. Were it not for the purpose of
God and the salvation of chosen sinners, God would have destroyed
all creation at the very outset. As soon as Adam conceived in
his mind to sin against God, God would have obliterated all
creation. In Romans 8, verse 19, it tells
us that the earnest expectation of creation, that is, what does
God expect from creation? Now listen to this, the earnest
expectation of creation waiteth for the manifestation of the
sons of God. It's waiting, it's being preserved
of God, it's being ordered of God, the sun gonna come up in
the morning, it's gonna set tomorrow evening. What God expects from creation
and the reason that creation continues to be He's waiting
for the manifestation of the sons of God. That was his purpose
in creation. You can read about it in Colossians
chapter one. He sums up the whole thing. All
things were made by him and for him, and by him all things are
given a continuance. All things consist. And actually,
if you want to get down to it, there's only two men in all mankind
that God has dealt with. There are just two, Adam and
Christ. He tells us in 1 Corinthians
15, he said, in Adam, all die. In Christ, shall all be made
alive. Everybody represented in Adam,
die. And will continue to die. In
Christ, all who are represented by him, are gonna live. There's only two men that represent
all mankind, and that's Adam and Christ, and only one true
man, the Lord Jesus Christ. There's one mediator between
God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. He's the only true man. He's the express image of the
Father. He is the very image of the invisible
God. and he's the firstborn of all
creation. This is the world that God loves
and will show his kindness to. You know, in his arrogant pride
pilot, and he did this for the Jews, he dressed up the Savior
in a purple robe and he put a crown of thorns on his head and he
led him out before that crowd of bloodthirsty rebels. And he
said, behold the man. Behold the man. And I'm gonna tell you something.
God loves all those that he chose in Christ. All those for whom
Christ appeared in the eternal counsels of God. All those for
whom he made promise and provision. All those to whom he sent his
gospel. and sent his Spirit, and to them
this love shall appear. And then thirdly, this divine
revelation of Christ has no consideration for the works of man whatsoever,
none whatsoever. Look here in Titus chapter three,
verse five. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, Now every religion, now I'm gonna
go beyond the scope of Christianity. Whenever we talk about religion,
the first thing your mind does is go to Christianity. Let's
go beyond that. I'm talking about every religion
there is, whatever it is, Buddhist, whatever, all religion, all religion. Christian or otherwise, incorporate
as the motive of their salvation, their works. It's all works. Every bit of it, isn't that something? There's only one religion in
all the world that does contrary wise, and that's true believers. They're saved by grace. not by
works of righteousness, which we've done. They believe you
do this, and God'll do that. But this is strictly forbidden
of God, and it's absolutely not how this salvation appears to
His people. I want you to think about something.
What could possibly offend God more than to deny His sole purpose
in salvation, and that is to manifest the glory of His grace?
What could offend God more than that? You cannot manifest the glory
of His grace and His love and His kindness by making it a product
of man's works. That takes away from it. God's
people are justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that's in Christ Jesus. It's not a work. He tells us
in Romans 9.11, not of works, but of him that calleth. Not
of works, he says in Ephesians 2.9, lest any man should boast. It's not of him, Romans 9.16,
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth
mercy. It's not of works. Over and over
and over he tells us that in the scriptures. Now I'm not talking
about the fruit and evidence of salvation. I'm talking about
God's love and favor and kindness as it appears to us in the gospel,
as it appears to us by the spirit of revelation. This appearance of the love and
kindness of God toward man is 100% the work of grace. All right, the fourth thing we're
told about this revelation of God's love and kindness is that
it comes by way of the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost. Now regeneration is vital to
the saving of the soul. You must be born again. He uses
that word must twice. Natural man receiveth not. This
regeneration is vital to the saving of the soul, but he said
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
their foolishness unto him. He must be born again. He tells
us the carnal mind's enmity against God, it's not subject to the
law of God, and here that word law means authority. It's not
subject to the authority of God, neither indeed can be. And fallen
man, if left to himself, he's gonna self-destruct because destruction
and misery are in his ways. Actually, there's four things
that deny every false profession of faith. I don't care who it
is or what they say. There's four things that absolutely
deny it. Prove it beyond a shadow of a
doubt to be false. Four things. You find every one
of them in Romans chapter three. There's none righteous. There's none good. There's none
that understandeth, and there's none that seeketh after God. Our Lord said to a man who had
been, he dedicated his life to the ministry, graduated from
the most reputable seminary of his day, He was considered to
be a master theologian. They gave him the proper attire.
They gave him his title. They put him over the synagogue.
He was called master. And our Lord looked at him and
he said, Nicodemus, except a man be born again, he cannot perceive,
he cannot believe, he cannot understand the kingdom of God. And except he be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. The scripture said, to as many
as received Christ, the promised Redeemer, to them gave he power. to become the sons of God. They
didn't do it on their own. God gave them power to become
the sons of God, even them that believe on his name, which were
born. Now watch this. Not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but God. When a man's born of God, he's
given the power to become his son, his heir. Romans 8, verse 15, I think it
is, Paul said, for you have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father. The spirit is called the spirit
of adoption. And this power to become sons
of God has a cleansing effect on those who are born of God.
They're cleansed from an old nature, their old inabilities,
their own, I know you, Christ said, that you will not believe
on me. I know you. I know what natural
man is. He has to be given the ability,
he has to be made meat to be partaker of the inheritance of
the saints and light. And this regeneration cleanses
us from those old inabilities, that old nature, and all of these
things. Our Lord said all things are
possible to them that believe. Why? Because they've been cleansed
from their inabilities and given the gift of faith. And God's
people through the new birth have been given through the gospel
of Christ an understanding that we may know him that's true,
that we're in him that's true, even in his son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God in eternal life. washed from the condemnation
of death and the guilt of sin. You know, all through the Old
Testament in the pictures, when a man came to God, he came there,
he was represented by his priest, he had to be washed. He had to
stop at that labor and wash. And not only is he washed with
this regeneration, but he's renewed by the Holy Ghost. And actually,
if you look at it, the word is renewing, or renewed. And he says that because it's a continuous
work. We're constantly being renewed.
In Ephesians 4, 23, he talks about the renewing of the mind. In 2 Corinthians 4.16 he said
the inward man, listen to this, is renewed day by day. And in Colossians 3.10 exhorting
us to put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after
the image of him that created him. There's a washing, a renewing. of the Holy Spirit. And then,
fifthly, we're told this about this appearance of God's love
and kindness to men, that it was shed on us abundantly through
Jesus Christ, our Savior. Christ is the way to God. He is, now listen to me, the
only way to God. He said, I am the way. It's not that he came and taught
the way. He is the way. But he doesn't just say I'm the
way, the truth, and the life. He tells us this after he says
that. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. There's no other way. No other way. He's the seed of regeneration. Tells us in 1 Peter 1 25, this
is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. And then
Paul tells us this over in 1 Corinthians. He said, in him dwelleth all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and we're complete in him who
is the head of all principality and power. Now different ones
say different things, but I'm gonna pick on the Pentecostals
this morning. Pentecostals say we're not complete without some
separate act of the Spirit. Isn't that what they say? Paul said, all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily is in Him. Now listen, and you're complete
in Him. I don't need anything else. Because
the fullness of the Spirit is in Him. The Spirit has nothing
to communicate to you except Christ. When He's come, He won't
speak of Himself ever. He'll take of the things of mine
and show them unto you. And the fullness of the Father,
the Father's love, the Father's provision, all manifested in
the Son. You've been so long time with
me. Have you not seen the Father? To see me is to see the Father.
To know me is to know the Father. This washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Ghost is shed on us abundantly through
Jesus Christ, our Savior. That being justified by His grace,
we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The revelation of Christ is a
revelation of the love and kindness of God. There never has been,
nor ever will be, any other revelation than Christ. You're not gonna
learn anything anywhere else concerning God. And especially of the love of
God. Herein is love, not that we love God. That's not love. Oh, don't ever do that. Don't
ever try to look into your own heart and say, I love God. I love God. Herein is love, not
that we love God, but that he loved us. and sent his son to be the propitiation
for our sins. When we were yet without strength
and due time, Christ died for the ungodly. And then let me
close with this. This appearance in all of its
many facets is what constitutes our hope of eternal life. Christ in you, the hope of glory. We hope in Him as He has appeared
for us. His appearances for us is what
constitutes, I hope, in the counsels of God before the world began,
in the pictures, prophecies, promises of the Old Testament
Scriptures as a man made of a woman, made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law, on the cross at the right hand
of God, in the minds and hearts of His people, And unto them
that look for him, Paul said, shall he appear the last time
without sin unto salvation. May the Lord be pleased to make
him appear to us constantly, every day, renewing our minds
and hearts every day for Christ's sake. Come here.