The doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel,

[Jillo]

For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. Titus 2: 11-14 ASV





The doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel, is for all ranks and conditions of men. It teaches to forsake sin; to have no more to do with it. An earthly, sensual conversation suits not a heavenly calling. It teaches to make conscience of that which is good. We must look to God in Christ, as the object of our hope and worship. A gospel conversation must be a godly conversation. See our duty in a very few words; denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, notwithstanding all snares, temptations, corrupt examples, ill usage, and what remains of sin in the believer's heart, with all their hinderances. It teaches to look for the glories of another world. At, and in, the glorious appearing of Christ, the blessed hope of Christians will be complete: To bring us to holiness and happiness was the end of Christ's death. Jesus Christ, that great God and our Saviour, who saves not only as God, much less as Man alone; but as God-man, two natures in one person. He loved us, and gave himself for us; and what can we do less than love and give up ourselves to him! Redemption from sin and sanctification of the nature go together, and make a peculiar people unto God, free from guilt and condemnation, and purified by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is profitable. Here is what will furnish for all parts of duty, and the right discharge of them. Let us inquire whether our whole dependence is placed upon that grace which saves the lost, pardons the guilty, and sanctifies the unclean. And the further we are removed from boasting of fancied good works, or trusting in them, so that we glory in Christ alone, the more zealous shall we be to abound in real good works.



Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

 

[Meditation]

For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. Titus 2: 11-14 ASV

Meditation: Titus 2:13- Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. - KJV
Jesus has a God. Didn't you know?

 

[Karl Peters]

For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. Titus 2: 11-14 ASV





The doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel, is for all ranks and conditions of men. It teaches to forsake sin; to have no more to do with it. An earthly, sensual conversation suits not a heavenly calling. It teaches to make conscience of that which is good. We must look to God in Christ, as the object of our hope and worship. A gospel conversation must be a godly conversation. See our duty in a very few words; denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, notwithstanding all snares, temptations, corrupt examples, ill usage, and what remains of sin in the believer's heart, with all their hinderances. It teaches to look for the glories of another world. At, and in, the glorious appearing of Christ, the blessed hope of Christians will be complete: To bring us to holiness and happiness was the end of Christ's death. Jesus Christ, that great God and our Saviour, who saves not only as God, much less as Man alone; but as God-man, two natures in one person. He loved us, and gave himself for us; and what can we do less than love and give up ourselves to him! Redemption from sin and sanctification of the nature go together, and make a peculiar people unto God, free from guilt and condemnation, and purified by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is profitable. Here is what will furnish for all parts of duty, and the right discharge of them. Let us inquire whether our whole dependence is placed upon that grace which saves the lost, pardons the guilty, and sanctifies the unclean. And the further we are removed from boasting of fancied good works, or trusting in them, so that we glory in Christ alone, the more zealous shall we be to abound in real good works.



Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

Ps 78: 1-2 A Maskil of Asaph.
Listen, O my people, to my instruction;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,

One of the things about the Bible is that the Lord has always spoken to people in parables and dark saying that He got from His Father, the Ancient of Days. So when we read the Bible we should seek the Word of God (Jesus Christ) and listen to Him who spoke the sayings.

Who is the 'grace of God?' Note" I asked 'Who' because 'the grace of God' according to the verse is a someone who can 'instruct us' and someone who can and did 'appeared. Well, of course 'the grace of God is our Savior Jesus Christ!

For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. Titus 2: 11-14 ASV

So we don't write "grace and salvation" as concepts which save us, but the "grace and salvation" are what Jesus Christ brings us!

"Grace" does not appear and save us, except if you are using "Grace" as a word to mean Jesus Christ, like in a parable or saying. All too often I run into people who think the concept of grace saves us, and that is wrong. Jesus Christ is the One who saved us; which is to say that Jesus Christ is the One who gives us the "unmerited favor" who He alone can! So to get that 'unmerited favor"/grace we have to actually seek Him!!! If you don't seek Him, why would He give you His 'unmerrited favor'/grace.

The Lord once asked me to do a quick study about grace/His favor, and pointed out an interesting thing about it in the Bible. The interesting thing was that about the first 13 times we find 'grace' or 'favor' (depending on the translation) in the Bible there is a connection with seeking His face or finding His eyes - meaning He has to look at us (concentrate on us which comes from us seeking Him)!

Gen 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Gen 18:3 and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.

Gen 19:19 Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness...

Exo 33:17 The LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.”


Now this also tends to be true with people looking for unmerited favor/grace, from other people. For example, if a homeless person want someone to give them money, they need to put themselves into a position of being seen and they also need to get their message of need across!! Of course, we give the person some money or something we have. So we can give them a dollar, or maybe even we can ask God for a miracle for them, if we have a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Yet for them to get God's grace, they need to make themselves seen by God and communicate with Him!!

This is why so many churches ask people to come forward and ask Jesus Christ to come into their lives! Their coming forward, should get them to seek Jesus Christ and thus be seen by Him, then they lead them into a prayer asking Jesus Christ to come into their lives.

The problem then is giving people the impression that they are saved by His grace without seek Him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is why I point out the difference between telling people grace saves and His grace saves us!! And this is true with telling people that grace saves us and instructs us, as opposed to Jesus Christ saves us and instructs us. Again, 'grace is unmerited favor' and anyone can give another person some type of 'unmerited favor/grace' but only One is our Saviour!! Therefore we are not saved by grace - but His grace!! Jesus Christ does that, which is why in a parable of saying we might fine 'grace' as a name for Him, but we understand that is a parable fo saying, right???

The verse Titus 2: 11-14 - is God speaking to Titus in a parable o\r saying, which Titus wrote down for anyone to read! If you don't realize this you are going to get the wrong understanding. To get the correct understanding, you really need to listen to the Lord by faith. After all, nobody is really going to believe what I say because I am just another person, but if they believe in Jesus Christ the our Lord our God and listen to Him, they we believe this because they will get teachings from Him!!

Therefore, knowing this, I summarize and try to focus people on actually seeking Him and His voice!! In fact that will get them His grace and salvation - and that is what we mean by the "Good News" - that people can seek Him and hear from Him!!

Is 1:2 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the LORD speaks,

That is the gospel message. That is how we get His grace (unmerited favor). That is how a person gets salvation! So don't tell people 'grace' saves us, but that "His grace" will save us, but to get it we need to seek Him!! We don't miss the part of the verse which reads, "he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself" - It is the 'unto himself' which is the important part. the rest come when we come to Him!

 

[L.A.M.B.]

For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. Titus 2: 11-14 ASV





The doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel, is for all ranks and conditions of men. It teaches to forsake sin; to have no more to do with it. An earthly, sensual conversation suits not a heavenly calling. It teaches to make conscience of that which is good. We must look to God in Christ, as the object of our hope and worship. A gospel conversation must be a godly conversation. See our duty in a very few words; denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, notwithstanding all snares, temptations, corrupt examples, ill usage, and what remains of sin in the believer's heart, with all their hinderances. It teaches to look for the glories of another world. At, and in, the glorious appearing of Christ, the blessed hope of Christians will be complete: To bring us to holiness and happiness was the end of Christ's death. Jesus Christ, that great God and our Saviour, who saves not only as God, much less as Man alone; but as God-man, two natures in one person. He loved us, and gave himself for us; and what can we do less than love and give up ourselves to him! Redemption from sin and sanctification of the nature go together, and make a peculiar people unto God, free from guilt and condemnation, and purified by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is profitable. Here is what will furnish for all parts of duty, and the right discharge of them. Let us inquire whether our whole dependence is placed upon that grace which saves the lost, pardons the guilty, and sanctifies the unclean. And the further we are removed from boasting of fancied good works, or trusting in them, so that we glory in Christ alone, the more zealous shall we be to abound in real good works.



Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

Thank you.
I do love Matthew Henry's commentaries.
There is no comparison to the word of God rightly divided.

John 17:
16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. [17] Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. [18] As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. [19] And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified THROUGH THE TRUTH.

Ephesians 2
[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: IT IS THE gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should WALK in them.

 

[Karl Peters]

Thank you.
I do love Matthew Henry's commentaries.
There is no comparison to the word of God rightly divided.

John 17:
16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. [17] Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. [18] As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. [19] And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified THROUGH THE TRUTH.

Ephesians 2
[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: IT IS THE gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should WALK in them.

I like the above post:

I like the verses and even the bold print and underlining to make your point!

That is to say the grace we are save by is a gift of God - and not just anyone grace, but God's grace/unmerited favor!

And that gift is not given to us because of any works that we do, but He created us for His purpose.

And the pointing out that we were created in Christ Jesus "unto good words" which I would have also put in bold print, but the "we should WALK in them" certainly does that same thing, meaning that while we are not saved by any works, we were created "unto good works", and that so "we should walk in them." So, we find that while we are not saved by works, even the good works we do for the Lord our God because He asked us to do them, yet if a person is not walking in them certainly that type of faith will save them will it? That is not really a faith in Jesus Christ who speaks to us via His Holy Spirit! Therefore our "good works" justify the person who hears from the Lord and does as instructed. We will want to check the spirits we are hearing from, but all those who seek find, do they not - and we do have tests in the Bible as to how to test the spirits, right?

So we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, and that a faith that results in doing the works He has for us to do - so we are justified by having the faith which results in hearing the small voice of His and doing what He asks, at least as we, His creation, can do them.

 

[GRACE ambassador]

There is no comparison to the word of God rightly divided.

Amen. Solves all the confusion:

I have decided to follow Jesus?

Amen.