Speaker Sermon/Lesson Title Audio   Video  Text     MS Word Category Bobby Stafford According To His Mercy Titus 3:3-8       Book of Titus

According To His Mercy

Introduction:  What motivates you to attend services?  What motivates you to live a godly life?  What motivates you to maintain good works?  The text for this lesson is a motivational one to inspire us to live a more dedicated life.

Text: Titus 3:3-8, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.” (NKJV)

Background:  In the preceding verses Paul instructed Christians to treat others with kindness, gentleness, and respect,  In our text he tries to motivate us to do this by reminding us of how we used to be before becoming Christians, why we need regeneration, what God has done for us, and the hope we now enjoy. 

Body: 

1.       Why We Need Regeneration (vs 3)

a.       A description of what we were without Christ.  Ephesians 2:12, “that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”  Colossians 1:21-22, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death…”

b.       This sinful world is controlled by Satan.  2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age [satan] has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”  People of the world serve Satan.  The phrase “god of this world” (or “god of this age”) indicates that Satan has a major influence on the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His influence also encompasses the world’s philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions. 

c.       Characteristics of sinners:  Titus 3:3, Romans 1:29-30

                                                               i.      Foolish – without knowledge of spiritual matters. (Romans 1:21-25)

                                                             ii.       Disobedient - in rebellion against God's authority.  (Titus 3:3, 1 Peter 2:8)

                                                            iii.      Deceived - being LED astray by others. (1 Peter 2:25, 2 Timothy 3:11)

                                                            iv.      slaves of last and sensual pleasures - given over completely to them.  (Romans 1:26)

                                                             v.      Living in malice and envy - kept hatred in their hearts for others and resented what they had.  (Romans 1:29-30)

                                                            vi.      Hateful and hating one another - a wicked attitude causing wicked behavior. (Psalms 36:2-4)

                                                          vii.      All these things describe us before we knew Christ. “There is none good no not one” that's why we desperately need regeneration.

 

2.       What God has done for us (Titus 3: 4-7)

a.       God is called our savior because he originated the scheme of redemption - the plan of salvation.  His response two hour need for salvation is seen in four attributes:

                                                               i.      God's kindness - goodness of heart - gracious generosity.  He delivered us from a miserable and wicked state we were in before obeying the gospel. We were like those in Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

                                                             ii.      God's love toward man - philanthropy - his love had no limits. John 3: 16.  His son Jesus died for all. Romans 5: 6-8. So everyone has an opportunity for eternal life in heaven.

                                                            iii.      God's mercy - an expression of sympathy for the misery of another period real compassion demands we become involved. This is just what God did. God became involved with man's need for salvation. Man could not save himself. A savior was needed so one was sent. Luke 2: 8-11.

                                                            iv.      God's grace - undeserved favor.  Ephesians 2: 8-9

 

3.       What was the result?  

a.       He saved us - made us safe from the power of sin. Romans 6: 17-18. Safe from eternal consequences of sin- matthew 1: 21.

b.       He justified us - this is a legal term. Pronounced not guilty. Completely exonerated - not even slightly guilty of our sins.  Appearing as if we had never sinned.

c.       He made us heirs of God - Romans 8: 14-17.

d.       He gave us hope of eternal life - Titus 1: 1-2.

4.       Conclusion:

a.       To receive the wonderful blessings just discussed, one must have that washing of regeneration.

b.       Once sin has entered our life and made us unclean, no amount of good works can undo the damage that has been done unless one experiences this washing.  In other words, there must first be a regeneration; a conversion.

c.       How is this accomplished? Let's look at Ephesians 5:25-26, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,” the Lord's church is cleansed by washing of water by the word. Add to this 1 Peter 1:22-23, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,”  we learn from Romans 1: 16 that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Through the gospel we learn how we are cleansed and regenerated and converted.

d.       We are cleansed by having faith in the son of God which leads us to turn to God, confess his name, and be immersed/baptized. And with this immersion, our sins are washed away. Acts2:38; 22: 16.

e.       Cleansed by the washing of water. This process of conversion produces a new creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” . What a beautiful picture this is.

Prepared by Bobby Stafford. 

The church of Christ at Granby, MO

Located at
516 East Pine St.
P.O. Box 664
Granby, Mo. 64844
(417) 472-7109

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