Grace, Kindness, & Love (Titus 2:11-3:7)
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Source of Salvation (verse 4)
God is love in His own nature. He is essentially kind and good, and the whole earth is full of His goodness and experiences it. We, as humans, have been especially created to participate and partake of His kindness in the most abundant measure. The Father, from all eternity—seeing and knowing our fall, yet contriving the means of our recovery and restoration—appointed His Son as our substitute and our surety, in order to reconcile us to Himself. In due time, He sent Him into the world in order to execute the office and work assigned to Him, bringing salvation to His people. In Christ, “God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared.” Like the Sun, He is always there, but clouded or hidden. Now, in His kindness and love, it is unveiled for us to see! The Father’s love is the source of our salvation.
Securing of Salvation (verse 5a)
The only procuring cause of our salvation is Jesus Christ. Everything we receive comes to us only because of what He has done. “Mercy” could not be exercised if our violations of the divine law were not satisfied. Jesus accomplished this! Christ’s life and death allow mercy and justice to meet together, for righteousness and peace to kiss one another (Ps 85:10). Because of Jesus’ work, God is both faithful to and just to forgive our sin. Not only did Jesus die as our substitute, but He was raised again. He sits now as our advocate, ever living to make intercession for us (Heb 7:25). We obtain mercies by virtue of His death and intercession. The Son secures our salvation.
Sealing of Salvation (verse 5b-6)
Our salvation is not accomplished by our own merit, nor is it effected by our own power. We are made partakers of the divine nature by means of the Holy Spirit changing our hearts. We cannot know or experience the love of God the Father unless it is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). We will remain ignorant of the Father’s love and uninterested in the Son’s mediation, if the Spirit does not work effectually in us. The Holy Spirit seals our salvation.
Sonship of Salvation (verse 7)
The end of our salvation is that we would “be made heirs according tot he hope of eternal life.” The justification of sinful man was a concern so great to God that in love He gave His Son to secure it. So precious are souls to Christ, that He willingly laid down His life for them, His brethren. The Spirit gladly responded to His call by invading, changing, and sealing the hearts and minds of men and women everywhere, for all time. This is amazing grace and wonderful kindness! Sonship as heirs together with Christ is the purpose of our salvation.
- In what sense does grace “appear” in Christ Jesus? How is God’s grace seen prior to the coming of Christ? In what ways is it seen most clearly in the person and work of Christ?
- Does your life bear the marks of one who has been washed and made new by the Spirit’s regenerating power? Are you affected by God’s sovereign rights in your life and in the world, or are you indifferent to His rule and reign? Are you concerned for the condition of your soul, or are you careless about where you stand before the living God? Do you experience conviction of sin, or are you able to sin freely without any real concern for the offense that it is against God? Is your life governed by what you know and confess to believe about Christ, or does it look much the same as before you understood the gospel? Do you desire to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, or to be recognized by the world as one of its own? Are you driven by a desire to see the glory of God advance through the spreading of His kingdom, or are you uncaring about the praise of His Name among mankind?