What the Blessed Hope Means for Our Lives
An exploration of God’s grace and our life of sanctification from Titus 2:11-15.
People have occasionally asked themselves, “If I knew that the Lord were returning tomorrow, what would I be doing differently today?” That kind of thinking isn’t the dedication that the Lord wants. Today or a thousand years from now, my worship should always be the same. I don’t do something because I think the Lord is coming, but because I love Him.
John Wesley was once asked how he would spend his time if he knew he would die at midnight the next day. He replied, “Why madam, just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Rev. Martin’s house, who expects to entertain me, talk and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at 10 o’clock, commend myself to my heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in glory.”
The Apostle Paul writes in Titus 2:11-15: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”
Paul starts at the beginning: with grace, God’s grace. The grace of God is the undeserved favor shown to ungodly, unworthy sinners when He delivers them from condemnation and death. But God’s grace is more than just a divine gift; it’s a divine person, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, is grace personified. Jesus embodies and expresses the grace of God—“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.”
Grace came to us through God in the flesh, “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:9-10).
The very purpose of God’s redeeming grace through Jesus Christ is to save man from the corruption and destruction of sin. Sin weakens and crushes human life, separates the sinner from a holy God, and persists in unredeemed humanity like an incurable and fatal disease.
Paul summarizes God’s eternal plan in Christ in Titus 2:11-14. He identifies four aspects or realities of God’s redeeming grace: 1. Deliverance from punishment (v. 11); 2. Redemption from sin’s power (v. 12); 3. Salvation from sin’s presence (v. 13); and 4. Redemption from sin’s dominion (v. 14).
Deliverance from Punishment
God’s grace brings salvation to all people. The word “salvation” describes God’s desire to redeem, save, and set people free from sin. This desire is shown through His redemptive work. Salvation is by grace only, and solely through Jesus Christ. Without it, man is lost forever, condemned to hell (Mark 9:43-44; Isa 66:24). But Christ works eternal good and salvation for those who put their trust in Him, God’s Son.
Paul speaks of the grace that brings salvation “for all people.” Will God eventually save every person? God does offer His mercy and His most precious gifts to all of fallen mankind. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared…” (Tit 3:4). But even if the offer of salvation applies to all people, it only becomes effective for those who believe: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16-18; cf. 14:6).
Redemption from Sin’s Power
Saving grace, Paul writes, “[trains] us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”
“Trains us” means to educate us. God’s sovereign grace isn’t just a Redeemer, but also a teacher, educator, advisor. When we were saved, we came under God’s guidance and direction through His Holy Spirit and His Word.
Paul explains it this way elsewhere in Scripture: “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual” (1 Cor 2:12-13). Also, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:1-6).
When a person is truly saved, truly converted, and given new life in Jesus Christ, it isn’t just their character that changes, but their life as well. It’s visible. It’s impossible to be saved from the penalty of sin without also being saved from the power of its dominion: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).
However, the Word of God doesn’t teach us that sinless perfection is possible in our mortal flesh. Paul quite rightly says: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:12-14).
And Paul says elsewhere: “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Col 3:9-10).
Our present earthly life is a time of sanctification, a two-way process of the diminishing of our old, sinful self and the growth of our new, Christian self. The Lord instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly lusts in this process (Tit 2:12). “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness” (Rom 6:12-13).
Renouncing something is a conscious, purposeful act of the human will; that is, consciously turning away from what is sinful. It means saying no to ungodliness and worldly desires. Ungodliness is anything that is not done for God’s glory. Regarding worldly passions, the Bible says:
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22).—“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Pet 2:11).—“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16).
And so, Christ trains us “to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” Self-controlled means not being swayed by circumstances or external influences. Upright means obeying God’s Word, the divine standard of what is right, without reserve. Godly means cultivating a close fellowship with the Lord. And the present age is the here and now. Our rebirth, transformation, and constant renewal are meant to be a testament to a lost world.
Through grace, we are renewed and live purposefully in sanctification.
Salvation from Sin’s Presence
“Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit 2:13).
One of this promise’s wonderful truths is that one day, when our redemption is accomplished, we will be glorified and made perfectly like our Lord in purity and righteousness. “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
“Waiting” doesn’t just mean longing hopefully, but also a certain, eager expectation. “Blessed hope” is an expression of happy fulfillment, bliss, and confident certainty. Paul isn’t speaking about human desire, but a divinely promised certainty. That assurance is “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”—His Second Coming.
His first coming was in grace: “…his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:9-10).
And Paul writes of His Second Coming, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom” (2 Tim 4:1).
The best is yet to come! We await the Rapture of the Church (1 Cor 15:51-58; 1 Thess 4:13-18) and the Second Coming of the Lord. And, even if we die first, we all have the hope and confidence that one day we will be with Him. Christ will reign in glory, and everything is longing for that day: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom 8:22-23).
Paul is focusing on the completion of our salvation when our Lord calls us to the place He has prepared (John 14:1-3). Even though we’re living on earth, our citizenship is in heaven. We’re just passing through! “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body…” (Phil 3:20-21).
When Paul writes about the expectation of “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” we also see that he is classifying Jesus Christ as God (John 1:1-18; Rom 9:5; Heb 1:1-3). The Apostle can’t mean God the Father when he writes of “our great God,” because he is speaking of a single person in Titus 2:14. The term “great” is also often applied to Jesus in the New Testament (Matt 5:35; Luke 1:32; Heb 10:21). And, above all, the New Testament never speaks of the return of God the Father, but only of His Son.
Redemption from Sin’s Dominion
“Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Tit 2:14).
Redemption permanently frees us from being possessed by sin, in the utter bondage of the unregenerate man. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin” (Rom 6:5-7).
Our gracious Lord gave Himself to redeem us from all lawlessness, from the slavery and bondage of sin. Acts 20:28 speaks of “the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” And Peter writes, “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet 1:18-19).
Since Christ “gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal 1:4), every believer can testify like Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).
He has made us into a “people for his own possession” (1 Pet 2:9)—not temporarily, but permanently! “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).
If salvation were temporary and could be lost, then by definition it couldn’t guarantee eternal life. But not even Satan himself could rob a believer of his or her salvation. To be able to do that, he’d have to be more powerful than the God who created him and who is greater than everything.
As God’s redeemed people, we provide further proof of our salvation by our eagerness to do good works: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10).
Good deeds are a natural fruit of our faith, which we strive to live out diligently. They are a fruit of the Spirit. “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb 9:14).
It has always been God’s purpose for His people to be righteous and holy; to testify to His own righteousness and holiness before the unbelieving world: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Pet 2:12). And the benchmark remains, just as Christ Himself passed on to us: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48).
Midnight Call - 02/2024
