TITUS 2:12

In the last verse that we looked at, Titus 2:11, we were given an important statement about the grace of God. It says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” Titus 2:12 is closely related to Titus 2:11. Titus 2:12 tells us specifically one of the things that the grace of God teaches each and every human being. It says, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Becoming saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ is not the end. It is the beginning. It is God’s will that your salvation be the beginning of a new way of life. “If any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.”

The grace of God teaches us about salvation. The grace of God teaches us that we are sinners who need salvation. The grace of God points us to Christ so that we can believe on Him and be saved. And the grace of God also teaches us what God’s will for us is after salvation. Notice first of all that God is concerned more about “what” you are than “where” you are. You are on the earth: you are “in this present world.” Because of the grace of God, the day will come when you will be in heaven; but until that day comes, there is a certain way that God wants you to live. He wants you to turn away from something, and then to turn towards something else. That is repentance: a turning from something and to something else.

Believers are to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts.” Of course, ungodliness has to do with anything that is not godly. It is the opposite of being godly. Just think of everything that a good Christian should not do or say and those are the things that you should “deny.” It is interesting that we are told to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. To deny means that we are to repudiate and to say “no” to these things. In other words the battle starts by having the right attitude toward certain activities of the unbelievers. There are certain behaviors and certain ideas that a Christian will not accept for his own or for her own. A Christian says “no” to them from the very start. A Christian denies these things. In case someone is not clear on just exactly what we are talking about, the next phrase helps to make it clearer.

Followers of Christ should deny “worldly lusts.” The word “worldly” tells us that this verse is talking about life on this earth. The word “lusts” means literally “strong desires.” Most of the desires that human beings have are normal desires. They are the normal desires of human life: the desire for food, the desire for love, the desire to succeed at one’s endeavors, etc. These things are normal and good, but only in the proper context and to the proper degree. When a normal desire is allowed to motivate a person improperly, then that person has lusted. For example, sex in marriage is God’s will. Sex is a strong physical desire. The fulfillment of that desire is good and proper in marriage. But those who allow the desire for sex to motivate them to do things outside of marriage have been carried away by worldly lusts. Too many in the human race have accepted the improper fulfillment of the desire for power or the desire for success or the desire for sex or something else to be a part of their view of life. But a Christian does not accept such strong desires as being acceptable. A Christian is taught by the grace of God to “deny” world lusts.

Instead of ungodliness and worldly lusts a Christian is taught by the grace of God to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” The fact that the “grace” of God teaches us this; means that: we will benefit greatly the more that we are able to live such lives. There are always negative consequences to living according to “worldly lusts.” There are positive consequences to living “soberly, righteously, and godly.” Jesus said, “I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.”

Titus 2:11, 12 and 13 are great verses for describing the past, the present, and the future for each believer. Titus 2:11 reminds us of the past. Jesus came into the world, revealed the truth about the great “I AM” and died for our sins. The grace of God was manifested to our hearts. What a blessed past we have! What wonderful reasons we have to look back and thank Jesus Christ for what He did for us, both in dying for us and in coming into our lives with the grace of God. Titus 2:12 reminds us of our present life in this world and the challenge that we have been called to by a holy God. Titus 2:13 reminds us of the future that God has planned for us. Do not get so caught up in this world that you forget the future.

Titus 2:13 says, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” No matter what happens to you in this life, nothing can take away the “blessed hope” that you have through Christ. If you were to be dipped in pitch, nailed to a pole, and lighted as a street lamp (such things happened to Christians who lived during the time of Nero), you would still have the blessed hope. Remember that “hope” in the Bible is a word that refers to something that is certain to happen, and thus one looks forward to it happening with great expectation and longing. It is called the “blessed” hope because it comes from God. There is a special blessing to those who have this hope. It is the knowledge that Jesus Christ will come and fix everything. The Apostle John wrote about the future coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and spoke about the blessing involved, and the Holy Spirit said through John’s writings in Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

In the phrase “the glorious appearing”, the word “appearing” comes from the same word that is translated “appeared” in Titus 2:12 that says “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” In a very similar way in which Jesus Christ appeared on the earth the first time, He will appear again. He will be manifested. He will be seen by the eyes of men. Faith will turn into sight. Of course, there will be some very big differences in what Jesus does when His second appearing takes place compared to His first appearing. The itinerant preacher will be manifested as the “great God” just as Titus 2:13 tells us.

Titus 2:14 takes a look back at what Jesus did for us and then stresses one more time what effect this should have on our lives. It says, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” This verse tells us what Jesus Christ did for us. This verse tells us what is our current standing and condition because of what Christ did for us. And this verse tells us what our current calling is, because of what Christ did for us. Jesus Christ died for us. He paid a price for us: the price of His own precious blood. Anyone who has been “redeemed” is free “from all iniquity.” The more that you realize how great is your iniquity, the more that you appreciate what Christ did for you.

Titus 2:14 gives three things that Christ did. He gave Himself, He redeemed us, and He purified us from all iniquity. Jesus died. His blood was shed in a violent death, and we have been paid for by means of the blood of Christ. Being paid for, we were purchased; and being purchased, we were set free: free from sin, free from evil, free from guilt, free from darkness, and free from hell. Being redeemed by Christ, we are pure. Because of the three things that Jesus did, we are now the people of God. It is not anything that we did. It is only what He did that makes us a child of God. Because of Jesus we have been made a part of the greatest of all people: the children of God. We have been given this standing freely. Because we are the people of God, there is one thing that God wants from us. He wants us to be zealous of good works. The ultimate result of being a believer should be the good works that we do. Notice the word “purify” in this verse. Jesus already purified you. In His eyes you are pure. At the judgment He will say that as far as He is concerned, and His opinion is the only one that will count, you are pure if you believe in Him. Now live like it.

The Bible says in Titus 2:15, “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” First believe and become a child of God through faith in Christ, then learn to be a doer of God’s commandments. Finally, do the three things that the Bible speaks of here: speak, exhort, and rebuke. It is important what we say. No one will learn anything, if those who know say nothing. Sometimes when we do speak we need to exhort, and sometimes we need to rebuke. To exhort means to comfort or to console. Some people are in great sorrow or distress, and they need comforting words of God’s promises. Other people have made some bad choices and are in a dark place spiritually speaking. Such people may need to be rebuked by showing them the error of their ways. To rebuke means to convince them of their error.

When Paul told Titus, “Let no man despise thee,” perhaps Paul was telling Titus exactly what can easily happen once one has decided to speak forth God’s Word. This phrase might have the meaning: “Keep men from despising thee.” Once you become a speaker of God’s Word, people will watch you much more closely. You must have the best of behavior so that at least no one will be justified in despising you. One of the terrible things that has happened in these last days is that there are men who have set themselves up as preachers who are despicable people. Only the best of Christians should be preachers. Only individuals who have truly taken this commandment to heart should be preachers: “Let no man despise thee.”

Titus chapter three gives some details on exactly what the content of Titus’ preaching should be. The Bible says in Titus 3:1, “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.” The word that is translated “to be subject to” has already been used two other times in the book of Titus where it was translated “obedient” in Titus 2: 5 and Titus 2:9. The word is also translated often in the New Testament as “submit.” For example, Romans 10:3 says, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” To be subject to is to obey. A Christian should always obey the law. To be subject to is to submit. To submit is to willingly put oneself under the authority of another. The opposite of this is to be in rebellion. Rebellion is sin.

Believers in Christ should be subject to principalities and powers, and they should obey magistrates. The word that is translated “obey magistrates” means literally “to be persuaded by those in authority.” It is once again an emphasis on the fact that God has established authorities in your life, and God wants you to obey in such a way that you receive and accept the goals that your authorities make for you. Once a decision has been, you are to conform to that decision. God wants you to be persuaded that what has been decided by those in authority is a good thing and should be honored by you. There is far too much disrespect, there is far too much rebellion, and there is far too much resistance to those in authority. If you want to be a follower of Christ, then live in submission to the authorities that have been placed over you.

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