Turn with me to Titus. Titus
chapter 2. I'd like to read four verses. 11 verses 11 through 14. Titus 2 and 11. Paul writing to Titus and he
says, 4. The grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men. That is all nationalities
of man, not just the Jew, but the Gentile. Teaching us that
denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly
and righteously and godly in this present world. Looking for
that blessed hope. This is the believer's hope,
a good hope, because it's founded on grace. Looking for that blessed
hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior,
Jesus Christ, my soul. What we have to look forward
to. Who gave himself for us that
he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works. It's refreshing. It's refreshing
to read how Paul writes so matter-of-factly, isn't it? I mean, we live in
a day that dogmatism about anything is despised, concerning even
how God saves a sinner. Well, I believe it's this way,
or I believe it's that way. You do what you think's right,
and I'll do what I think's right, and we'll all meet around the
throne of God. Anybody that's dogmatic is despised. It's fashionable to be suspicious
and unbelieving in this political correct age. Again, I say it's
refreshing to hear a man speak with authority and sure knowledge. Paul speaks matter-of-factly,
as we know. The grace of God brings salvation. Nothing else can. He is of much
the same mind as John when he wrote in his first epistle, chapter
5, over and over again, throughout that letter, John says, we know. We're not speculating. We're
not giving you suppositions. We're not giving you the ramblings
of our own mind or what we think. We know. We saw God manifest
in the flesh. We touched Him. We saw Him with
our own eyes. We handle Him with our hands.
We're telling you what we know. And in chapter 5 of that epistle
John wrote, we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but
he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one
toucheth him not. And we know, we know that we
are of God. And the whole world lieth in
wickedness. And we know that the Son of God
is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know
Him that is true. Father, Christ our high priest
prayed that night before he went to the garden out, he prayed,
this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true
God, that they might know, know, I know whom I have believed,
Paul wrote. that we may know him that is
true and we are in him that is true even in his son Jesus Christ
this is the true God and life eternal and Paul with the same
matter-of-factness in factly tells us that the grace of God
brings salvation period it's it's not up for debate did you
notice the quote in your bulletin today by dear brother Henry Mayhem
He said, give me a sovereign, omnipotent Lord of heaven and
earth, with authority over all the universe of men and angels,
and I will preach to you a sure hope of mercy and grace. Remember, we're talking, Paul
tells us, it's the grace of God. The grace of God. God's grace
that, like Himself, is sure, reigning grace, conquering grace,
abounding grace. Most people think of God's grace
as being no more than an offer. God doesn't look for someone
willing to be saved and then bestows grace upon them. Oh,
no. His grace makes unwilling sinners willing. How? In the day of His power. God's grace, verse 11 again here
in Titus 2, brings salvation to sinners. Isn't that good news? That's good news. Nothing else
is. That's the gospel. Grace brings
salvation. And grace that brings salvation
brings a complete salvation. Lacking nothing. Because grace
gives us Christ. Christ in us. The hope of glory. Christ who of God is made in
us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. No wonder Paul said that being
the case, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Grace
brings salvation to the very uttermost. How much does a sinner
need saving? Grace gives him that. Grace gives
him that. Grace that will never let me
go. I like that, don't you? I like
that. Oh, the very thought of that.
The psalmist said in spite of his acting as an unbeliever before
God, In spite of his being envious at the wicked, he said, nevertheless,
that doesn't change this. Nevertheless, I am continually
with thee. Thou is holding me by my right
hand. It's his hold on us that's the
grounds of our security. It's not my grip on him. Oh,
know how feeble that is, but his grip on me. This is what
old top lady wrote. Grace first inscribed my name
in God's eternal book. It was grace that gave me to
the Lamb who all my sorrows took. He redeemed us, we're told in
verse 14. Grace taught my soul to pray and made my eyes overflow. His grace has kept me to this
day and will not, will not let me go. We read it a moment ago
in Psalm 84. They go, that is believers, they
go from strength to strength. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. Thou shalt guide me with thy
counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory. Grace experienced
now is the assurance of glory hereafter. Grace is the foretaste
of glory now. There's no possibility of a sinner,
a believing sinner, a sinner that's experienced God's grace
of not entering heaven. That's not going to happen. Consider
what would have to take place before that could happen. God
would have to change His purpose. God's will would have to be overcome. The blood of Christ would have
to cease to be meritorious before God. would cease to atone for
the sins of his people. That can never happen. That can
never happen. No sheep of Christ shall never
fall from the hand of the great Shepherd of the sheep. Look again
at verse 13 here in Titus 2. Looking for that blessed hope.
That blessed hope. And the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. That's what believers
are looking for. looking for a person, not a plan,
a person. Christ said he promised us that
he should return and take us to be with him in the Father's
house, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from
all iniquity. And Jesus Christ did exactly
that. He redeemed his people, he paid
the price, and God says, deliver their souls from going down to
the pit. Why? I found a ransom. And Jesus Christ will have everyone
he purchased with him in glory. His death will never be proven
to be a miscarriage. It will never be proven to have
been in vain for nothing. Now our text, verse 11, for the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Real grace for real sinners. I've told you before, on more
than one occasion when I was in a service with Brother Scott
Richardson, and he would be preaching, often he would begin his message
by saying, I've got good news. I've got good news. The gospel's
good news, Scott would remind us. I've got good news for sinners. Good news. The gospel of God's
grace is good news to sinners. But he said, I can't find a sinner.
I can't find the sinner. The good news is only, or rather
the gospel is good news to those who have been taught of God,
have been convinced of God, that they're the sinner. It's not
good news to anybody else. That's why people hear it and
think nothing of it. because they've never been made
to feel their need. Joseph Hart wrote, what comfort
can a savior bring to those who've never felt their woe? A sinner's
sacred. He's rare. He's precious. A sinner is a sacred thing. The
Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost has made him so, has convinced him
of what only God can, that they're the sinner. Have you ever heard
folks talk this way? It's always religious folks.
They use language like this. I used to do that, or go there,
when I was a sinner. When I was a sinner. And I want
to ask, when did you ever cease being a sinner? Believers are
yet sinners, but we're sinners that have been saved by the grace
of God. Paul tells us here, matter of
fact, without a doubt. And I'm so thankful that it's
so. That God's grace, the true grace of God that's in Christ
Jesus always brings salvation. It never fails. And that all
that experience that grace will be brought to glory. Because
that grace comes through is because of and is dependent upon the
great God and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the grace
of God in Christ that makes a believer. Nothing else can. In chapter
1 of Paul's second epistle to Timothy, he wrote, God who has
saved us and called us with the holy calling, not according to
our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace
which was given us in Christ before the world began. Now how about that? How about
that? Does that not make grace sure? Does it not make it certain it's
in Christ Jesus? Paul asked those believers at
Corinth. They had become proud. Proud
of face and proud of grace. Proud of grace. How contrary. Proud of grace And Paul wrote
to them and asked them, who made you to differ from another? What do you have that you didn't
receive? And if you received it, from
God's bountiful grace as a gift of His grace, unmerited, unearned,
undeserved, then why do you boast as if you had not received it?
Yes, grace makes sinners. Grace makes sinners to different. Grace alone brings salvation
to needy sinners. What brings salvation? Paul tells
us plainly in verse 11. Grace. Grace brings salvation. It's not merit, it's not merit,
but mercy. It's not by man's so-called free
will, but by God's mighty, free, reigning, sovereign grace. No other kind will help a needy
sinner. Nothing but reigning grace can
raise a sinner from the dead. Nothing but reigning grace can
give him a new heart. Give them repentance, give them
life, give them the gift of faith. Keep them from falling and present
them spotless without thought before the throne of God. What
can accomplish such a feat as that other than God's reigning
grace that's in Christ Jesus? Yes, grace brings salvation. Works won't do it. Works won't
do it. Works will never bring a sinner
to glory. Grace will never lay a foundation
of acceptance before a holy God. Works, rather, can never do that.
Works can never be the reason God declares a sinner justified
in his sight, because by the deeds of the law shall no flesh
be justified in the sight of God. No, it's not works, but
God's grace, unsought, undeserved, and unmerited. Peter wrote to
those suffering believers in his first epistle, those who
were strangers and pilgrims and sojourners, those who had been
robbed of all their earthly possessions. Peter said, be sure of this when
he closed his epistle. This is the true grace of God
wherein you stand. Nothing Nero's done can change
that. You're standing on that foundation
that God has laid and not man. You're standing up on Christ,
that solid rock, the foundation of the church by which sinners
stand before God Almighty accepted and to be loved. What a comfort
that must have been to those suffering believers. What a comfort
it is to God's people today to know that the foundation, the
reason of their assurance, for their assurance, Their acceptance
before God doesn't rest upon anything they do. How about that? Not before they're saved or after
they're saved. It doesn't rest upon anything
they've ever done or ever will do. It rests upon Jesus Christ,
the great God and Savior himself. Grace brings everything needed
to get the job done, doesn't it? It's grace that grants faith
and repentance, the will to be saved. Christ sincerely said,
whosoever will, let him come to me. Is anybody thirsty? Come to me and drink. And then
he turned right around and said, ye will not come. Ye will not
come to me that ye might have life. You cannot come to me. Oh, then what's the answer? My
people shall be willing. in the day of my power. The power
of His grace exercised upon sinners. Grace doesn't offer the same.
Of what good is that? Of what use is that? Oh no, grace
doesn't offer to save sinners. Grace saves sinners. Religious world talks about grace,
but it's not the grace of God that's in Christ Jesus. The one
who wrote these words had experienced God's grace. And he said, after
that, after that encounter with that one in whom grace resides,
that one that John said was full of grace and truth always, Paul
said, after I saw him, after I met him, everything, that's
what he said in Philippians 3, not just some of it, he said
all of it. All of it's done. All of it. All of my religious pedigree,
all that I once trusted in, that robe of self-righteousness that
I weaved, he said I counted it but done. For what, Paul? That I might win Christ. I cast
away that robe of self-righteousness that I might know Christ and
be found in Him. dressed up in Him, not in my
own righteousness, but in His righteousness, that perfect robe
of righteousness that's in Christ Jesus. Oh, what a contrast in
what Saul of Tarsus was before, that experience of God's reigning
grace and after. Before that eventful day on the
Damascus road, we read in Acts 9, that Saul, yet, just like
always, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the people
of God. In his own word, he said, on
more than one occasion, I was exceedingly mad against him. And now you see Saul of Tarsus. After that day on the Damascus
Grove, he stands to preach the gospel that he said he wants
to hate. The gospel that he once despised.
Now he says, I'm determined not to stamp out the name of Jesus
Christ, but to preach the name of Jesus Christ. I'm determined
to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. What's the explanation for that?
What happened? Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15,
he tells us the answer. He said, but I who was once a
blasphemer, injurious, I I am what I am now by the grace of
God. Oh, what a radical change takes
place when grace arrests a sinner. What a radical change takes place.
Old John Newton, you know what he said. He heard someone quote
that verse of scripture, but by the grace of God, I am what
I am. And he sat and thought a while
and he said, yeah, that's true. He said, I'm not what I want
to be. I'm not what I ought to be. He
said, I'm not what I'm going to be. Oh, but he said, by the
grace of God. By the grace of God, I'm not
what I used to be. And bless His name, no sinner
that believes on Jesus Christ is. Grace makes them. And I like that word, don't you?
We would never be made to differ if God's grace didn't make us
to differ. That's all that does it and thank
God that it's so. Grace that is greater than all
my sin. Grace that Bobby sang about a
moment ago. Amazing grace. Isn't it amazing? Grace that saves a wretch like
me. Isn't that amazing? The God of
all grace had determined before time began that Saul of Tarsus
would be one of his chosen. God saves his people on purpose. And he saves them in Jesus Christ. Listen to that. The words of
that one that Saul was given to by God the Father before the
foundation of the world. The great shepherd of the sheep
himself said, all that the Father giveth me, not most of them,
not some of them, not all but one of them. No, he said all.
All that the Father giveth. And how many are there? People
here, you believe elections. Oh, you bigot. You big head. You think just
one or two will be saved. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. No, we
believe without question, without doubt, that a multitude that
no man can number shall be saved, shall be brought to glory. We
believe that everyone Jesus Christ laid down his life for Everyone
whose sins he bore in his own body on the tree shall be brought
to glory. There is no question about that.
He redeemed them. He redeemed them with his own
precious blood. There he is. He said, All that
the Father giveth me. Every one of them. Every one
of them. Nobody knows it but the Great
Shepherd. He knows who his sheep are. And
he says, All my sheep will hear my voice. And they're going to
follow them. Follow me. All that the Father
gave me shall come to me. And him that comes to me, I will
in no wise cast out. Someone I was talking to the
other day, I don't even recall who it was, but as long as there's life, there's
hope. Is that not so? There is no sinner,
no prodigal son, no matter how far they've wandered, that God's
grace can't bring down. God's will rules. He has His
way and if it's His will and His purpose to bring that prodigal
son down, He's coming down. There's no question about that.
It's no wonder we're told, go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature. I'm not sending you on a fool's
errand. During my ordination, that's
another story, but I was asked questions and given advice about
everything but the gospel, John. told how to dress, what to wear,
all but not given the blessed, blessed good news of what our
Lord Himself said when He said, other sheep I have which are
not of this fold, them also I must bring. That's the grace of God
we read about. That's the true grace of God
in which we stand, the grace that brings salvation doesn't
offer salvation, but it brings salvation. Grace that day said
concerning Saul of Tarsus, that Christ-hater, that persecutor,
God said from the throne of his sovereign grace, arrest that
man. You're not taking one more step
in rebellion against my son, Paul, right now, today, you're
coming down. And Saul came down. He became
a willing captive of King Jesus that day. Saul was made willing
in the day of God's power, or he never would have been willing,
and neither would you or I. People curse Get angry when they
hear about God's sovereign grace. Oh, I rejoice in it. I'm thankful for it, aren't you?
I'm glad that it's not of him that willeth. Because if it was,
nobody would be saved. If salvation was dependent upon
man's will, no sinner would ever be saved. Now, folks hear that
and they say, well, you're saying God saves people against their
will. No, no, no, no. There's never
been a sinner saved against their will. Everyone that comes to
Christ, they come willingly. They bow willingly. They embrace
Christ willingly. But the reason they do so, they've
been made willing in the day of God's mighty power. Thank
God. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth around doing religious exercises, but
the reason a sinner is saved, because God Almighty purposed
to show mercy. Mercy and grace. Oh, mercy there
was great and grace was free. Thank God His will prevailed
over mine. His grace reigned over my sin. The only people, really, who
have a problem with God's sovereign grace are those seeking salvation
by some other means, by some other way. They are trusting
themselves instead of the Lord Jesus Christ like that Pharisee
in Luke 18. Like old Scott said, find me
a sinner. Find me a sinner. A great sinner. A sinner that feels himself to
be the sinner. The greatest in all the world
and I've got good news for him. I've got good news. I've got
a great message of God's great grace through the great Savior
for his great sinners such as they are. Like that, public.
He had no problem with God's sovereign grace, did he? No,
he would say, that's all my hope. That's all of my salvation. I'm
lost otherwise. Sinners are saved not by works,
but by that free, sovereign, reigning grace of Christ. Good
news to blind beggars. Ask Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus. You got a problem with Jesus
of Nazareth coming your way that day and interfering with your
will? You got a problem with that?
You got a quarrel with that? Oh my soul! I was in darkness. I was born blind. I was blind
all my life. I was a beggar. And I would still
be blind. I would still be sitting in darkness.
I would still be sitting by the highwayside begging. Only Jesus
Christ came that day. He came to where I was. He called
me to Himself. And He gave me sight. He gave
me faith to see Him. He opened my blinded eyes and
aren't you thankful, child of God, that God in His sovereign
majesty and grace gave you faith to see Jesus? Ask that poor woman
that came to Simon's house that day, that self-righteous Pharisee.
He looked down his nose at her. He was embarrassed by her. How
did she get in here? She's got a lot of nerve coming
in here. This is my house. She's got no business here. How
did she slip in? Oh, but the Lord knew her, didn't
he? The Lord claimed her. He said, Simon, I got something
to say to you. Two debtors. And when they had nothing to
pay, the one to whom they owed the debt, frankly, freely, is
the word. He freely. without a cause or
a cost from them or by them. He freely forgave them both. And then he turned to the woman
as if to say, don't you pay them any mind. Just leave them alone. Simon
in his self-righteousness, but he says, I say unto you, your
sins are all forgiven you. Go in peace. Go in peace with
the peace of God. Peace with God and the peace
of God. Go in peace. All of your sins
are all forgiven you. What about Lazarus? His salvation. Ask him if he has a problem with
salvation being a matter of pure, unmerited grace to dead dog sinners. Lazarus, you got a problem with
the Lord Jesus Christ coming to Bethany that day? Coming to
the tomb where your dead carcass lay you got a problem with him
crying Lazarus come forth You got an issue with that. Oh No
Lazarus now stands before the throne shouting the praises of
him who alone is worthy I am so glad my good buddy David Coleman
used to sing I Am so glad God saves old sinners I'm surprised
and amazed how he sets them free, but the biggest surprise in God
saving old sinners is that he would save an old sinner like
me. The God of all grace bringeth
salvation, everlasting salvation. Paul said to those believers
in the church at Philippi, he that's begun a good work in you
will perform it. perfected, carried on to completion
until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for His uttermost
salvation from sin's penalty. There's no condemnation. There
never will be to those in Christ Jesus. From sin's dominion. Sin shall not have dominion over
you because you're not under the law but under grace. And
one day from the very being They're the very presence of sin. Bobby
sings that song sometimes, doesn't she? By Old McShane. About an unsinning heart. When
I see thee as thou art and love thee with an unsinning heart,
I don't have a clue. I just can't get a grip on what
that's going to be like. Because everything we do and
think and say is mixed with sin. Oh, but one day when we stand
before Him, the blood of Jesus Christ so completely and thoroughly
washed us from all of our sin, there won't be that there was
ever any sin in us. There won't be a trace of it.
Not a trace of it. Then we shall see Him as He is
and be like Him and love Him with an unsinning heart. That's
the grace that brings such a great salvation to needy sinners. Real grace for real sinners. And look what Paul writes on
down here. Verse 13, looking for that blessed
hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ. That blessed hope. It's more
than that there'll be no more tears. That's so. And we look
forward to that. No reason to cry. But more than
no more sorrow or pain or death. It's this. Great as those things
are, this is greater. That blessed hope is our great
God and Savior, Jesus Christ Himself. We shall see Him. John, not a doctrine of redemption,
but the Redeemer. But the Redeemer. We shall see
Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. He redeemed us, Paul
writes in verse 14. That's why we'll be with Him
where He is, He bought us. We're His property. He purchased
us with His own precious blood. And He shall see up to the veil
of His soul and be satisfied. We shall see Him as He is, the
object of our hope, the reason for our hope, and the ground
of our hope, Jesus Christ Himself. Paul tells us first in our text
that grace has appeared. Then he tells us soon, very soon,
Christ himself shall appear, a second appearing, Christ in
you, the hope of glory and we with Christ. The hymn writer
put it this way, Farewell ye dreams of night, Jesus is mine. Lost in this dying bright, Jesus
is mine. All that my soul has tried, left
but a dismal void. Boy, I know that. I know that. All that my soul has tried, left
but a dismal void. Jesus has satisfied. Jesus is
mine. Farewell, mortality. Jesus is
mine. Welcome, eternity. Jesus is mine. Welcome, O loved and blessed.
Welcome, sweet scenes of rest. Welcome, my Savior's breast. Jesus is mine. Amen. Amen. God bless you.