There was a time I was preparing some teachings in the book of 1 Samuel and Mwalimu Martin K. Bussey recommended to me a commentary written by Dale Ralph Davis entitled “Looking on the heart”. Focus on the Bible series published by Christian focus.
Let me start by quoting Dale Ralph Davis in Page 24 of his commentary “Yahweh is so quietly at work that we cannot hear Him, but the mess at Shiloh is so visible that we cannot miss it”
When we look at chapter 2 these are some things we are seeing the wickedness of Eli's Son (vv12-17), we also see their moral degradation in (VV 22-25) and prophecy against Eli's household( VV 27-36).
But in the midst of all this evils we are reading there is a phrase which is repeated over and over again. The phrase is Samuel is serving (V II), Samuel is serving (VV 18-21) and Samuel growing (V 26) and Samuel serving, 3:10.
This is how Davis put it “ These brief Samuel – notes are note worthy. They tell us that Yahweh is already at work providing for a new, godly leadership for His people. There are no slogans, no campaigns no speeches. It is all very quiet.”
Indeed the writer is telling us that things are bad but don't forget Samuel, he is serving, and he is growing.
When I look at Kenya my country things are bad but God is speaking quietly, that sometimes we may not notice wonderful things He is doing.
Let me start with the mess which is so visible in our country that you cannot miss just the mess at Shiloh.
There was a story in the Standard Newspaper pm 11/1/2010 : This strange world of false pastors and “Prophets”. They target vulnerable people and promise to work miracles in exchange to cash.” “Any problem like unemployment or sickness is an opportunity for false prophecy”.
A lot which is being witnessed in our country like – personality cults, prosperity gospel, leadership wrangles and divisions, church leaders lording over their members, manipulation and petty church politics.
A friend told me of a preacher who anointed ten chairs with oil and then he told people that ten people who will sit on these chairs after paying 10,000/= are going to get great financial breakthrough and people scrambled to sit on these chairs.
In spite of the above things I have mentioned God is at work in our beloved country. He is speaking quietly. Let me mention some things which shows that He is at work in our country.
Do you know that good Christians literatures and commentaries are now being translated into Kiswahili and Wanjiko (common man) will now be able to read good books in Kiswahili. I have worked in rural areas for many years and I know many good pastors who cannot speak or read English but the sad story is that we don't have good books in Kiswahili but we thank God that less equipped ministers in various parts of our country are going to benefit from translation.
These are some books which are available in Kiswahili, Je umezaliw mara ya pili? Dhambi ni hatari and many others.
Last year attended a pastors conference in Kisumu where the book of John was exposed to us and the following subjects were also taught Christ as our priest, prophet, the Saviour and Christ the King. We also went through Isaiah 53, as you can see the preachings and teaching we all Christ centred as opposed to man centred preaching which is so popular in our land.
Grace Baptist Church Eldoret was having their first anniversary since the church was constituted and I attended the function. It was very encouraging to see people singing with joy and to see what the Lord is doing there.
The sermon preached that day was why the gospel is glorious (1Tim 1:11-18). We saw that the gospel is glorious because it reveals God's Character, it reveals God's purpose and it reveals God's power.
There is a good Christian book based in Karan (NEGEST) Where Bibles, Bible dictionaries,concordance and vital commentaries can be accessed at a very low prise. The bookshop is called African Christian texts books (ACTS). A commentary like the one I have quoted can be found there.
Gospel for Africa, through brother Chad have been sending to us resources like DVDs, CDs and books. Many pastors even those who are not from reform background are benefiting from these resources.
For example now I am listening to DVD video by Ligonier Ministries pastors conference 2002, where Sinclair Ferguson, W. Robert Godfrey are dealing with rightly dividing the word of truth and John MacAthur on hath God said? We thank God that good resources are coming into our country.
We have a missionary in our country who have been giving MP3 player to pastors packed with sermons by Stuart Olyott.
In Ukambani, there are 12 reformed Baptist Churches in various areas and they are reaching out to masaini where there is a church plant going on in a place called Bisil.
There is also pastoral theological training going on in Ukambani students are taught 2 weeks per month.
I have a brother and a friend called Mikeal Stenhammar based in Mtwapa Mombasa, who is doing a good job. He is training students how to interpret Bible, and he is also writing some apologetic articles.Has a plan of having library where pastors and students can gather and read good books.
Conclusion. What I am saying is that even though man centred preaching and teaching is every where in our country but here are these who are preaching the true gospel and we must not forget them. We need to pray for them and show those seeking true way of salvation where they can find them.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Why I believe the doctrine of Man’s depravity
Introduction:
I believe in the doctrine of man’s total depravity because it is taught plainly in the Bible. Let us look at:
THE EXTENT OF THE FALL (Rom 3:9-20)
There are two issues here- extensiveness and the intensiveness ( Rom 3:13-18) ( Rom 3:23) – all are sinners; ( Rom 3:13-18) Paul poetically uses the part of body to show that every part of us is sinful.
Extensiveness: Sin has affected all people. It is universal. It is not limited to few isolated individual or even the majority of the human race. All human race without exception are sinners.
Intensiveness: How deep is our sin, your sin, my sin?
We do not accidentally sin or do evil. Our very inclination is evil. Our heart is wrong and must be changed, we need to be created a new ( Jer 31: 33, E3 11:19, we do not merely commit sin, sinful. Our sin is total or total depravity.
Now let us go back to Romans 3:9-20 and see what the bible says:
1. The fall is universal everyone has been affected by it. Jews and Gentiles are under sin (v9) Paul proves this point by referring to old Testament
“ There is none righteous, no not one,
There is none who understands,
There is none who seek after God
They love all tuned aside
There is none who does good no not one”
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
What we are seeing here is that all men are depraved.
Mwalimu (teacher) Martin K. Bussey commenting on verse (9) says “All men (Jews and Gentiles) are under sins. Sin here is pictured as a terrible master who has all men in his power. All are slaves of sin, and unable to break free from it”
Although we do not want to think ourselves as evil or sinful persons the scriptures teaches that we are all sinful.
2. All our faculties have been affected by the fall. It flows from the heart ( the core of the person). In verse 10-12 we see that the fall has affected our character “ there is no righteous not one” and it has affected our practice none seek after God our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever but none is seeking after Him. To be saved is a grace of God.
Another faculty which is depraved is man’s speech (vv 13-14) whose mouth is full deceit cursing bitterness poisonous. When God look at our walk and inner attitude vv15-18 show that He see them as murderous, destructive and empty, without peace and without godly fear.
3. Our will is corrupt and our understanding is darkened. As the scripture says,
“because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish heart were darkened ( Rom 1:21)
As the scripture says:
“Whose minds the gods of this age has blinded ( 2 Cori 4:4) ( 1Cor 2:14, Eph 17-19 our will is bent towards evil ( Rom 8:7,8. ) It is impossible for us to please God scripture says:
“So then those who are in flesh cannot please God” ( Rom 8:8)
4. Our emotions have gone wrong we desire wrong things ( Rom 1:24-27, 2Tim 3:2-4
Therefore we have become slave to sin. All the above number 1-4 add up to the doctrine of total depravity.
What total depravity does not mean:
(i) it does not mean that unregenerated person is totally insensitive to right and wrong ( Rom 2:15 )
(ii) Does not mean sinful person is as sinful as he could be or very sinful. There are unregenerated person who are very good and genuine altruistic who show kindness. Love, care for the family and many other noble things.
(iii) Does not mean that the sinner engages in very possible form of sin.
It is a matter of the entire person. The seat of sin is not one aspect of a person but entire person. Everything we do and think is twisted and corrupted by sin. It falls short of God’s standard of righteousness or requirement.
Let me repeat here that total depravity means that sin has affected all aspect of our being. For example:
(a) it has polluted corrupted or tainted our mind. “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so ( Rom 8:7)
(b) It has corrupted or affected our freedom. “Everyone who is a slave to sin” ( John 8:34)
(c) Sin has affected our desires. “All of us also lived among them at one time gratifying the cravings of our sinful mature and following its desires and thought ( Eph 2:3)
(d) Sin has affected our heart. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil, thoughts a adulterous, fornication, murderer ------ ( Mark 7:21-23)
What we are seeing here is that even our very best is still tainted with sin. There is nothing we can do 100%
Applications: total depravity implies total inability to save ourselves.
“Pulling ourselves up, we cannot, we need somebody from external to extricate us”
Therefore let me end by saying this: Man is incapable of saving himself in a whole or part ( Isa 64:6 Rom 3:20. We can only be saved by grace ( Eph 2:8-9)
As I was writing I had these two commentaries with me.
The message of Romans by Martin K. Bussey
Romans simply explained by Stuart Olyot.
I believe in the doctrine of man’s total depravity because it is taught plainly in the Bible. Let us look at:
THE EXTENT OF THE FALL (Rom 3:9-20)
There are two issues here- extensiveness and the intensiveness ( Rom 3:13-18) ( Rom 3:23) – all are sinners; ( Rom 3:13-18) Paul poetically uses the part of body to show that every part of us is sinful.
Extensiveness: Sin has affected all people. It is universal. It is not limited to few isolated individual or even the majority of the human race. All human race without exception are sinners.
Intensiveness: How deep is our sin, your sin, my sin?
We do not accidentally sin or do evil. Our very inclination is evil. Our heart is wrong and must be changed, we need to be created a new ( Jer 31: 33, E3 11:19, we do not merely commit sin, sinful. Our sin is total or total depravity.
Now let us go back to Romans 3:9-20 and see what the bible says:
1. The fall is universal everyone has been affected by it. Jews and Gentiles are under sin (v9) Paul proves this point by referring to old Testament
“ There is none righteous, no not one,
There is none who understands,
There is none who seek after God
They love all tuned aside
There is none who does good no not one”
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
What we are seeing here is that all men are depraved.
Mwalimu (teacher) Martin K. Bussey commenting on verse (9) says “All men (Jews and Gentiles) are under sins. Sin here is pictured as a terrible master who has all men in his power. All are slaves of sin, and unable to break free from it”
Although we do not want to think ourselves as evil or sinful persons the scriptures teaches that we are all sinful.
2. All our faculties have been affected by the fall. It flows from the heart ( the core of the person). In verse 10-12 we see that the fall has affected our character “ there is no righteous not one” and it has affected our practice none seek after God our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever but none is seeking after Him. To be saved is a grace of God.
Another faculty which is depraved is man’s speech (vv 13-14) whose mouth is full deceit cursing bitterness poisonous. When God look at our walk and inner attitude vv15-18 show that He see them as murderous, destructive and empty, without peace and without godly fear.
3. Our will is corrupt and our understanding is darkened. As the scripture says,
“because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish heart were darkened ( Rom 1:21)
As the scripture says:
“Whose minds the gods of this age has blinded ( 2 Cori 4:4) ( 1Cor 2:14, Eph 17-19 our will is bent towards evil ( Rom 8:7,8. ) It is impossible for us to please God scripture says:
“So then those who are in flesh cannot please God” ( Rom 8:8)
4. Our emotions have gone wrong we desire wrong things ( Rom 1:24-27, 2Tim 3:2-4
Therefore we have become slave to sin. All the above number 1-4 add up to the doctrine of total depravity.
What total depravity does not mean:
(i) it does not mean that unregenerated person is totally insensitive to right and wrong ( Rom 2:15 )
(ii) Does not mean sinful person is as sinful as he could be or very sinful. There are unregenerated person who are very good and genuine altruistic who show kindness. Love, care for the family and many other noble things.
(iii) Does not mean that the sinner engages in very possible form of sin.
It is a matter of the entire person. The seat of sin is not one aspect of a person but entire person. Everything we do and think is twisted and corrupted by sin. It falls short of God’s standard of righteousness or requirement.
Let me repeat here that total depravity means that sin has affected all aspect of our being. For example:
(a) it has polluted corrupted or tainted our mind. “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so ( Rom 8:7)
(b) It has corrupted or affected our freedom. “Everyone who is a slave to sin” ( John 8:34)
(c) Sin has affected our desires. “All of us also lived among them at one time gratifying the cravings of our sinful mature and following its desires and thought ( Eph 2:3)
(d) Sin has affected our heart. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil, thoughts a adulterous, fornication, murderer ------ ( Mark 7:21-23)
What we are seeing here is that even our very best is still tainted with sin. There is nothing we can do 100%
Applications: total depravity implies total inability to save ourselves.
“Pulling ourselves up, we cannot, we need somebody from external to extricate us”
Therefore let me end by saying this: Man is incapable of saving himself in a whole or part ( Isa 64:6 Rom 3:20. We can only be saved by grace ( Eph 2:8-9)
As I was writing I had these two commentaries with me.
The message of Romans by Martin K. Bussey
Romans simply explained by Stuart Olyot.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The foundation for a Godly living (Titus 2:11-14)
In this present world what do you think can help us to live godly lives.
In this chapter Paul addresses various groups how they should conduct themselves.
The people addressed or are given instruction by apostle Paul are the following:-
i.Older men (VV1-2).
ii.Older women (V3).
iii.Younger women (VV4-5)
iv.Younger men (V6).
v.Titus (VV7-8,15)
(a)Older men are told to be sober, reverent, sound in faith, in love and in patience.
(b)The older women are told to be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers, not given to much wine and teachers of good things.
(c)Younger women are to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, home makers, good, obedient to their own husband.
(d)Young men are not left out they are told to be sober minded, a pattern of good-works, in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility and sound in speech.
(e)Slaves are told to be obedient to their own masters, well pleasing in all things, no answering back, not pilfering and showing all good fidelity.
Then in (VV11-14) we are given the reasons why these groups can obey and practice the admonitions Paul has been giving them.
The first foundation is the manifestation of God's grace (VII).
The grace of God has shone forth. It has come openly to view.
The grace of God here is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the one who came full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14)
The grace of God appeared in the first advent of our Lord, His entire life on earth and His atoning work on the cross of Calvary (Titus 3:4).
Paul is telling these people that the grace of God has penetrated your spiritual darkness and moral darkness and now you can live godly lives.
The grace of God has chased the dark night of sin away (Mal. 4:2, Titus 3:4).
The reason why this grace was revealed was to bring salvation and not only to the Jews or a certain class of people but all men both Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, the educated and illiterate in other words all class of people.
Therefore various groups which Paul has been addressing are able to follow his instructions because the grace of God has appeared to them.
William Hendriksen in his commentary on 1 Timothy 1:15 gives us the best definition of salvation.
In Paul's writings the expression to save means:
Negatively Positively
To rescue men from sins To bring men in state of
(a) Guilt (Eph 1:7 Col 1:4) (a) Righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26;5:1)
(b) Slavery (Rom 7:24,25 Gal. 5:1) (b) Freedom (Gal 5:1, 2Cor. 17)
and and
(c ) Punishment ( c) Blessedness
(1) Alienation from God (Eph. 2:12) (1) Fellowship with God (Eph 2:13)
(2) The wrath of god (Eph 2:3) (2) The love of God (Rom 5:5)
(3) Everlasting death (Eph 2;5, 6) (3) Everlasting life (Eph.2:4 Col 13:1-4)
Hendriksen concludes by saying that to be saved means to be emancipated from the greatest evil, and to be placed in possession of the greatest good. The state of salvation is opposed to state of perishing or being lost (Lk. 19:10, John 3:16).
You now know what Paul meant when he said that grace of God bring salvation. The second thing we are seeing is the training by God's grace (V12). Paul here is telling various groups of people he has been instructing that God's saving grace has brought them under discipline or training that they should be separate from the world.
Paul is telling older men, older women, young women, young men and slaves that they can live godly lives because grace of God has saved them and also is training them to be more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here we are seeing that the grace of God is teaching us to say no or deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. The grace of God is disciplining us to be the kind of people that glorify Him ( 1 Jn 2:15-17)
The grace of God teaches negatively to deny whatever is unlike God and worldly and positively it teaches us to be sober, righteous and godly in this present world (Gal. 1:4, Rom 12: 1-2)
What is ungodliness? Ungodliness is anything that does not bring glory, praise, and honour to God.
The worldly lusts is anything that draw us away from God. For example desires, habits, and appetites of this life (1Jn 2:16).
The grace of God is training us to know that we have a duty to ourselves. Individually grace of God teaches us to live soberly. Having control over our passion, appetites and practices of life.
To our fellow men the grace of God teaches us that we are to walk right or be just to others. The grace is training us not to injure our fellow human beings, be it their reputation, body, mind or property.
In respect to God grace teaches us to be those who seek after God's glory and honour.
Thank be to God that the same grace which saved us is also training us to live godly lives in this present world.
Paul has just given us two foundation for a godly living and now he is giving us another foundation. The third foundation for a godly living is: The expectation of Christ's return
(V 13).
Paul here is telling his readers that you can not live carelessly, know that the Lord is coming back again. We are expecting Him any time and we must be ready for Him.
The return of our blessed Lord Messiah, Jesus Christ has been described as:
i.A blessed hope or a hope that bring blessing
ii.A living hope (1 Pet 1:3)
iii.Purifying hope (1John 3:3).
Paul is saying since we are waiting for our blessed hope the appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ make every effort to be found blameless.
Deny ungodliness and worldly lusts because the Lord is at hand.
Those who expect the return of our Lord desire that the Lord find them living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age.
As scripture says,
“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless”.
The fourth foundations: The purpose of Christ's redemption (V14).
The purpose of Christ's redemption was to deliver us from sin, guilt, condemnation and from ungodly walk.
Paul says that the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for us (Cf Mk 10:45), that is to say that the Lord Jesus Christ died in our stead, he died our death. The theological word for it is substitution which is clearly taught in the Bible. For example “ The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6) “God made Him who had no sin to be sin to be sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21) “ He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1Pet 2:24). Indeed the Lord Jesus suffered the wrath of God which we should have suffered.s
Yes it is true that the Lord Jesus delivered us from guilt and penalty of sin but He also redeemed us from every lawless deed. He redeemed us from dominion or reign of sin and sin is no longer our master Rom 6:15-23).
In this verse we are seeing two reasons why the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for us negatively to rescue us or free us from every kind of lawlessness and positively to purify to be His own special people, committed, devoted to do good works.
APPLICATION
What we are seeing here is that salvation makes people different. When we are saved we become new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
When you started attending Church service or may be you went forward and gave your hand to a pastor or an evangelist. What happened? Did any of your ungodly habits fall a way? Or you are still the same person as you were before salvation?
I remember a chorus we used to sing;
“There is a high wide change since I have born x2.
There is a great change since I have been born again”.
Another question I want to ask you is this. From the day the LORD opened your heart to believe the gospel of His son, have you been sober, self-control, prudence, and restraint in your thinking and in your daily practice of life?
How about your daily living? Do you live right or wrong? Do you treat your fellow men right at your place of work, in business or in the community?
Today in our country many preachers especially in major towns are preaching wealth and health gospel. My dear friend are you obsessed with desire to be rich?
Are you still a proud person? Are you drunk on the desire to be attractive and popular in the world or society?
May the Lord help us to be godly people because He has revealed His grace to us. We are trained by God's grace, we are expecting the Lord's return and because we know why the Lord redeemed us.
If you are not saved I am appealing to you to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust Him alone and He is going to save you.
My friends the good works you are doing are not good if you are not doing them for God's glory, honour and reputation.
You cannot glorify God outside the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the scripture says,
“But we are all like unclean thing
And all our righteousness are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our inequities, like the wind
Have taken us away (Isaiah 64:6)
Let me end with this Hymn.
Take time To Be Holy.
1)Take time to be holy, speak oft'n with thy Lord,
Abide in Him always, and feed on His word.
Make friends of God's Children, help the who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing, His blessing to seek.
2)Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone,
By looking to Jesus like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends, in thy conduct, his likeness shall see.
3)Take time to be holy, let him be thy Guide;
And run not before Him whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow still follow thy Lord,
And looking to Jesus, still trust in His word.
4)Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul;
Each thought and each temper beneath His control,
Thus led by His Spirit to fountain of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted fro service above.
The Outline
Foundation for a godly living Titus 2:11-14
1.The manifestation of God's grace (VII)
2.The training by God's grace (V12)
3.The exception of Christ's return (V13)
4.The purpose of Christ's redemption (V14)
In this chapter Paul addresses various groups how they should conduct themselves.
The people addressed or are given instruction by apostle Paul are the following:-
i.Older men (VV1-2).
ii.Older women (V3).
iii.Younger women (VV4-5)
iv.Younger men (V6).
v.Titus (VV7-8,15)
(a)Older men are told to be sober, reverent, sound in faith, in love and in patience.
(b)The older women are told to be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers, not given to much wine and teachers of good things.
(c)Younger women are to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, home makers, good, obedient to their own husband.
(d)Young men are not left out they are told to be sober minded, a pattern of good-works, in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility and sound in speech.
(e)Slaves are told to be obedient to their own masters, well pleasing in all things, no answering back, not pilfering and showing all good fidelity.
Then in (VV11-14) we are given the reasons why these groups can obey and practice the admonitions Paul has been giving them.
The first foundation is the manifestation of God's grace (VII).
The grace of God has shone forth. It has come openly to view.
The grace of God here is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the one who came full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14)
The grace of God appeared in the first advent of our Lord, His entire life on earth and His atoning work on the cross of Calvary (Titus 3:4).
Paul is telling these people that the grace of God has penetrated your spiritual darkness and moral darkness and now you can live godly lives.
The grace of God has chased the dark night of sin away (Mal. 4:2, Titus 3:4).
The reason why this grace was revealed was to bring salvation and not only to the Jews or a certain class of people but all men both Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, the educated and illiterate in other words all class of people.
Therefore various groups which Paul has been addressing are able to follow his instructions because the grace of God has appeared to them.
William Hendriksen in his commentary on 1 Timothy 1:15 gives us the best definition of salvation.
In Paul's writings the expression to save means:
Negatively Positively
To rescue men from sins To bring men in state of
(a) Guilt (Eph 1:7 Col 1:4) (a) Righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26;5:1)
(b) Slavery (Rom 7:24,25 Gal. 5:1) (b) Freedom (Gal 5:1, 2Cor. 17)
and and
(c ) Punishment ( c) Blessedness
(1) Alienation from God (Eph. 2:12) (1) Fellowship with God (Eph 2:13)
(2) The wrath of god (Eph 2:3) (2) The love of God (Rom 5:5)
(3) Everlasting death (Eph 2;5, 6) (3) Everlasting life (Eph.2:4 Col 13:1-4)
Hendriksen concludes by saying that to be saved means to be emancipated from the greatest evil, and to be placed in possession of the greatest good. The state of salvation is opposed to state of perishing or being lost (Lk. 19:10, John 3:16).
You now know what Paul meant when he said that grace of God bring salvation. The second thing we are seeing is the training by God's grace (V12). Paul here is telling various groups of people he has been instructing that God's saving grace has brought them under discipline or training that they should be separate from the world.
Paul is telling older men, older women, young women, young men and slaves that they can live godly lives because grace of God has saved them and also is training them to be more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here we are seeing that the grace of God is teaching us to say no or deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. The grace of God is disciplining us to be the kind of people that glorify Him ( 1 Jn 2:15-17)
The grace of God teaches negatively to deny whatever is unlike God and worldly and positively it teaches us to be sober, righteous and godly in this present world (Gal. 1:4, Rom 12: 1-2)
What is ungodliness? Ungodliness is anything that does not bring glory, praise, and honour to God.
The worldly lusts is anything that draw us away from God. For example desires, habits, and appetites of this life (1Jn 2:16).
The grace of God is training us to know that we have a duty to ourselves. Individually grace of God teaches us to live soberly. Having control over our passion, appetites and practices of life.
To our fellow men the grace of God teaches us that we are to walk right or be just to others. The grace is training us not to injure our fellow human beings, be it their reputation, body, mind or property.
In respect to God grace teaches us to be those who seek after God's glory and honour.
Thank be to God that the same grace which saved us is also training us to live godly lives in this present world.
Paul has just given us two foundation for a godly living and now he is giving us another foundation. The third foundation for a godly living is: The expectation of Christ's return
(V 13).
Paul here is telling his readers that you can not live carelessly, know that the Lord is coming back again. We are expecting Him any time and we must be ready for Him.
The return of our blessed Lord Messiah, Jesus Christ has been described as:
i.A blessed hope or a hope that bring blessing
ii.A living hope (1 Pet 1:3)
iii.Purifying hope (1John 3:3).
Paul is saying since we are waiting for our blessed hope the appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ make every effort to be found blameless.
Deny ungodliness and worldly lusts because the Lord is at hand.
Those who expect the return of our Lord desire that the Lord find them living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age.
As scripture says,
“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless”.
The fourth foundations: The purpose of Christ's redemption (V14).
The purpose of Christ's redemption was to deliver us from sin, guilt, condemnation and from ungodly walk.
Paul says that the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for us (Cf Mk 10:45), that is to say that the Lord Jesus Christ died in our stead, he died our death. The theological word for it is substitution which is clearly taught in the Bible. For example “ The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6) “God made Him who had no sin to be sin to be sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21) “ He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1Pet 2:24). Indeed the Lord Jesus suffered the wrath of God which we should have suffered.s
Yes it is true that the Lord Jesus delivered us from guilt and penalty of sin but He also redeemed us from every lawless deed. He redeemed us from dominion or reign of sin and sin is no longer our master Rom 6:15-23).
In this verse we are seeing two reasons why the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for us negatively to rescue us or free us from every kind of lawlessness and positively to purify to be His own special people, committed, devoted to do good works.
APPLICATION
What we are seeing here is that salvation makes people different. When we are saved we become new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
When you started attending Church service or may be you went forward and gave your hand to a pastor or an evangelist. What happened? Did any of your ungodly habits fall a way? Or you are still the same person as you were before salvation?
I remember a chorus we used to sing;
“There is a high wide change since I have born x2.
There is a great change since I have been born again”.
Another question I want to ask you is this. From the day the LORD opened your heart to believe the gospel of His son, have you been sober, self-control, prudence, and restraint in your thinking and in your daily practice of life?
How about your daily living? Do you live right or wrong? Do you treat your fellow men right at your place of work, in business or in the community?
Today in our country many preachers especially in major towns are preaching wealth and health gospel. My dear friend are you obsessed with desire to be rich?
Are you still a proud person? Are you drunk on the desire to be attractive and popular in the world or society?
May the Lord help us to be godly people because He has revealed His grace to us. We are trained by God's grace, we are expecting the Lord's return and because we know why the Lord redeemed us.
If you are not saved I am appealing to you to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust Him alone and He is going to save you.
My friends the good works you are doing are not good if you are not doing them for God's glory, honour and reputation.
You cannot glorify God outside the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the scripture says,
“But we are all like unclean thing
And all our righteousness are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our inequities, like the wind
Have taken us away (Isaiah 64:6)
Let me end with this Hymn.
Take time To Be Holy.
1)Take time to be holy, speak oft'n with thy Lord,
Abide in Him always, and feed on His word.
Make friends of God's Children, help the who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing, His blessing to seek.
2)Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone,
By looking to Jesus like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends, in thy conduct, his likeness shall see.
3)Take time to be holy, let him be thy Guide;
And run not before Him whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow still follow thy Lord,
And looking to Jesus, still trust in His word.
4)Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul;
Each thought and each temper beneath His control,
Thus led by His Spirit to fountain of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted fro service above.
The Outline
Foundation for a godly living Titus 2:11-14
1.The manifestation of God's grace (VII)
2.The training by God's grace (V12)
3.The exception of Christ's return (V13)
4.The purpose of Christ's redemption (V14)
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