Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

More Than Forgiveness

Introduction

Today we begin a four-week journey about God’s grace.

Have you given much thought about grace?

Have you ever studied God’s Word to discover what grace is and how it applies to your life?

ILLUSTRATION

I once had a neighbor who was a rage-aholic.

He often had anger fits and treated his family horribly.

When I heard it happening, I would bang on his door and intervene.

Every single time he begged his wife for forgiveness, and she being “good Christian woman” would forgive him.

I once had a neighbor who was a rage-aholic.

He often had anger fits and treated his family horribly.

We could hear him screaming through the walls of our duplex.

When I heard it happening, I would bang on his door and intervene.

Every single time he begged his wife for forgiveness, and she being “good Christian woman” would forgive him.

Each time we hoped it never happened again.

But it did—over and over again!

I only wish I knew as much about grace then, as I do now.

The only thing any of us knew of God’s grace was forgiveness.

So she forgave him.

Unfortunately for them, we knew very little about grace; we knew just enough to put her in danger.

Grace is not just about forgiveness.

If I banged on that door today, I would advise the woman to go somewhere else where she was safe.

No Christian has a duty to remain in a home and risk injury or death because of some notion of grace is expressed as “constant forgiveness!”

If I were advising her today, I would tell the woman to get away from him and demand that her husband get the help he needs, to overcome his deep anger and pain.

You see, every marriage has a third member—Jesus!

In that situation, Jesus would do at least two things: (1) protect the woman and her children, and (2) provide help for the man.

Jesus would never leave the woman in a harmful situation, or the man to figure out how to deal with his anger—He would intervene!

Now step away from the story for a moment.

What about us?

Would a gracious God leave us in the condition he finds us?

Would he spend his days reminding us of our shortcomings, demanding, again and again, prayers of repentance and sorrow?

Would the loving Creator wave his hand and say, “You are forgiven, now—go and sin no more,” without lifting even one finger to empower us over our sin?

Does God’s grace mean only forgiveness, or is there more?

First of all, remember, God is NEVER the problem—OUR UNDERSTANDING is the problem!

When we search the Bible to understand grace, we discover Grace forgives, but it also guides.

Grace is not just to forgive us so we can be cleansed to enter heaven, it is meant to guard us in this life so we can live sensible, upright, and godly lives while we live here.

Grace is not just to forgive us so we can be cleansed to enter heaven, it meant to guard us in this life so we can live sensible, upright, and godly lives while we live here.

Our text today is

It introduces us to grace in ways that are both familiar, and also unfamiliar.

The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was writing to a young pastor, Titus.

Titus had traveled with Paul, and was trained by him—Paul was his father in the faith.

The Apostle calls Titus (1:4) “my true son in the faith…”

) “my true child in the faith…”

“my true child in the faith…”

Paul reveals to us, that the same grace God gives to save us, is the same grace He provides to say “No” to those things that corrupt our walk with God.

In this passage, the word “grace” appears right next to phrases like “self-controlled” and “upright and godly lives”.

The text implies making one "spiritually whole.”

In this passage, the word “grace” appears right next to phrases like “self-controlled” and “upright and godly lives.”

What kind of grace is this?

If grace means only “forgiveness,” why does the Scripture also talk about learning a new way to live?

What kind of grace is this?

If grace means only “forgiveness,” why does the Paul also talk about learning a new way to live?

Making us “spiritually whole.”

Most believers are very familiar with “the grace that brings salvation,” but not many have ever heard of a grace that “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

Most believers are familiar with a saving grace capable of securing heaven after we die, but have never considered the possibility that God’s grace can nurture us in this present age.

Let’s look at the four key points of this passage:

1. Grace offers salvation to all people.

This is the part of God’s grace most Christians know.

It is foundational to our faith

This is the starting point of our life in Christ, but it’s just the start.

The good news gets even better!

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” ().

This is the starting point of our life in Christ, but it’s just the start.

The good news gets even better!

2. Grace teaches us to say, “No!”

God doesn’t want us forever trapped in a cycle of sin and forgiveness.

So grace keeps on working for us, teaching us how to resist temptation and ungodliness.

What this means is: We can call on the grace of God BEFORE we fall into sin!

3. Grace teaches us how to live.

There’s more to the Christian life than saying “no” to sin.

God’s grace is available to replace our sinful habit patterns with self-control, so we can live upright and godly lives.

This is NOT the result of trusting in our works or our will-power; it is surrendering to God to allow grace to teach us.

4. Grace fills us with hope.

Life in Christ is not meant to be a desperate fight against sin, nor even a narrow focus on godly living.

In verse 13 we see that it’s God grace that fills us with hope—hope for this life, and the next.

The emphasis of the Biblical teachings on grace reveal several facts:

God does not allow sin to rule over our lives so we have to struggle to keep from doing it.

2. God DID NOT leave us stranded to struggle on our own.

3. Grace is intended to teach us a new way to live.

GRACE serves two primary purposes: (1) It delivers us from the PENALTY of sin, and (2) it continues to deliver us from the POWER of sin over us.

ILLUSTRATION

This is part of the good news: grace not only forgives our sin, grace teaches us how to live a life that is no longer captive to sin!

If grace is the teacher, we are the students, and all of life is the classroom.

If we possess the humility to become learners, God’s grace not only transports us to heaven when we die, it brings heaven close to us while we live.

This is part of the good news; grace not only forgives our sin, grace teaches us how to live a life that is no longer captive to sin!

Too often we get stuck in unhealthy spiritual patterns:

Too many believers are stuck in an unhealthy pattern.

We choose sin, which is bad enough.

Worse still, afterward, a voice in our head tries to drag us down deeper still.

It’s the voice of the Adversary.

He whispers enticement before our sin and shouts condemnation after.

His is a voice skilled in subtle influence, followed by paralyzing guilt.

It’s a voice filled with accusation.

He is a liar and the Father of Lies; lies are his native tongue.

First we choose to sin;

Then we listen to the voice in our head that drags us down deeper into the sin;

We fail to recognize the voice that leads us astray is the voice of our Adversary.

He whispers to tempt us, then whispers to convince us to continue, then he shouts shouts condemnation to destroy us!