Introduction
Where do we get the power to live the Christian life? There are so many forces always seeking to battle us down to the ground. Where do we find the energy to keep going? Are there any incentives or motivations from the scripture that we can look to be encouraged to keep on following Christ?
Some of us because of indwelling sin, because of the trials and tribulations of life, and because of discouragements are almost calling it quits to this Christian journey. I wonder what you think the solution to your sorrowful and sick soul is? Today we hope to find sth we can cling on. We will revisit this question at the end. Please keep in mind.
For the last three Sundays, we have been surveying through the theme: ‘The Glory of Christ’. We looked at the Glory of Christ in his life, the Glory of Christ in his death, the Glory of Christ in his resurrection, and today we will look at the Glory of Christ in His return.
Acts 1:6–11 (ESV): So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
For our sake, Christ came, Lived, died, rose, and ascended and for our sake, He will come back again. Christ did not pay for us so dearly only to leave us in our sorry state.
The Bible closes with this promise, ‘I am coming soon’ and our longing, ‘Behold come Lord Jesus!’. It will be the culmination of history.
A number of texts of scripture truly say this confidently: (Turn with me to
John 5:24–28 (ESV): Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
John 6:39 (ESV): And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
John 14:1–3 (ESV): “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
1 John 3:2 (ESV): 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.
Revelation 20:10–15 (ESV): 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 22:20 (ESV): 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
These verses more confidently ascertain the glorious return of the King. This Christ will triumphantly come as a victorious conqueror to subdue all his enemies and to rejoice with all those he purchased by his own blood forever.
There is a given contrast between the first coming (Incarnation) and the second coming of Christ (His coronation).
While in his first coming Christ rode on a donkey, Christ in his second coming will ride a white horse (Rev. 19). While in His first coming Christ came as the suffering servant, Ooh in His second coming he will come as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
This Christ came in humility and meekness, but Lo! He will come in majesty and power.
Our Christ came to suffer the wrath of God for sinners, …in His return, he will come to establish the Kingdom of God for His Saints.
We saw last week in the book of Isaiah 53 that this Christ in his first coming was rejected by many as the Messiah. In His return, every knee in heaven above, the earth, and beneath the earth will bow and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord.
Ooh in his first coming the Messiah came to seek and save the lost, in his second coming, Christ will come to judge and rule as King.
In today’s passage, we seek to behold the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, and by beholding this blessed hope, our hearts may be encouraged in the midst of the many barriers that exist preventing us from seeing Christ or King.
It is my hope that as you leave today’s service, you will be encouraged to fight sin, to love your neighbor, to live missional lives, and to endure hardship as good soldiers not just because Christ came and lived a perfect life that you couldn’t live, not just because Christ died a death you deserved, not just because Christ conquered the death you deserved giving you a life you didn’t deserve in his resurrection, but because this Christ will soon come in His glory and splendor and all those undeserving sinners will be fully and completely sinlessly perfect saints in His presence to live and abide with him forever.
May we stand for the reading of God’s word: Reading from Titus 2:1-15
Our text of the day
Titus 2:1–10 (ESV): But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
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.
The book of Titus is a letter from the Apostle Paul to his brother in faith, Titus. It is a letter written to encourage him and instruct him on how he is to shepherd the church in Crete, a place where Paul had preached in one of his missionary journeys.
The main idea is that of practical Christian living. Besides the problems with false teaching and immorality; the main concern here is that those professing to be Christians are not leaving as though they have been saved.
Titus 1:16, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” (Speaking of the Cretans)
Titus 2:15, “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”
Titus 3:3-6, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”
Our main verses of focus are vv. 11-15. Verse 11 starts with the preposition For. This helps us appreciate that all the commands given to Titus from verses 1-10 are motivated by what is here in verses 11-15.
In other words, we can say that; Paul’s command to Titus to teach what accords with sound doctrine (2:1) regarding the conduct of Older men, Older women, Bondservants and even his won conduct. The command and goal in verse 10 to adorn the doctrine of God our savior is motivated by two appearances.
What are these two appearances?
Notice Verses 11 – 14
The appearance of the Grace of God (11-12)
Bringing salvation to 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 appearance of the glory of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ (13-15)
- Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness
&
- To purify for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Given this understanding, we can state here that both the appearance of the Grace of God in salvation as well as the appearance of the glory of Christ in his return are motivations for:
- Our present sanctification
Now? A question
What happened in the appearance of the Grace of God?
Paul tells us in verses 11-12
- The appearance of the grace of God brought salvation.
In Christ’s first coming, he lived a perfect life for us and died for all our imperfections and all our sins. In his first coming, he was the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the whole world.
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
1 Timothy 1:15
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
Luke 19:10
Jesus said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
He did not just save us so that we can continue to sin, His salvation was for good work; notice what Paul says in verse 12 in Titus 2
training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.
- You see Christ did not just save us to leave us to ourselves, He saved us for good works.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
- His salvation achieved for us that which we could not achieve for ourselves namely the removal of our sinful nature but not just that, it also achieved for us righteousness (meaning), because Christ came and saved us from sin, we can now live to forsake any sin that encroaches at the door.
Now because we have been saved and are being sanctified because of the first appearance namely the appearance of the grace of God that brought salvation:
we wait for our blessed hope,
Now, what is this blessed hope?
The “blessed hope,”, is the joyful assurance that God will extend His benefits to us and that Jesus Christ will return. We are waiting for this event now.
- Jesus said He would return (John 14:3 (ESV): 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.)
- The angels said He would return (Acts 1:11), and the epistles say He will return.
Notice verses (13-14)
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.
Our blessed Hope is the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
There are a number of things to note about this second glorious appearance.
- Christ is at the center of this glorious appearance.
How do we know that Christ is at the center of this appearance?
- The glory mentioned is ascribed to him (the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ)
The Lord Jesus Christ will come in Glory
Matthew 16:27 (ESV): 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
Luke 21:27 (ESV): And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
I saw . . . one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. (Revelation 1:13–16)
Jesus is the glory that will be revealed. People say I can’t wait to see the glory of God on that day! I can’t wait to behold that beauty!
We often quote this famous text:
Romans 8:18 (ESV): 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Now let me ask you, what is this glory? What is the nature of this glory? What does it consist of?
It is Christ! Christ is the glory of God! We might as well say, the glory that is to be revealed to us is Christ. In other words, Christ is the object and substance of the glory to come. There is no glory without Christ.
We will see this Christ, our Lord of Glory, we will see this Christ and our hearts will marvel. The Christ who was slain for our transgressions, the one who was bruised for our iniquity.
We will have Christ as our portion forever, this Christ whom we were tempted to reject will fill the whole earth with glory and because of His glory, everything will be made new.
When Christ comes again — as He repeatedly promised to do — He will come through the heavens with glory and power, accompanied by a host of angels. All the earth will see His coming, and even His enemies will realize they have been opposing the Son of God. The Bible says, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him…. So shall it be!” (Revelation 1:7).
We can barely imagine this, of course, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen! And when Christ returns, He will destroy all evil and rule the world in perfect righteousness and justice. This is why the Bible calls His return “the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
You see!
There are scoffers who say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4). They are not willing to take the promises of God’s Word seriously. But the angels declared to the disciples of Jesus who witnessed His ascension into Heaven: “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
The Apostle Paul declares that “When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). The truth about the second coming of Jesus is clear — and we do not try to explain it away.
- Who is this Christ according to Titus 2:13-14?
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.
- He is the one who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works
- He is the Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness
The second coming of Christ has everything to do with what he did. So that when we ask who is he that comes back, we can say, it is he who saved us when he came first.
The one who comes back is the one who redeemed when he came first
The one who comes back is the one who made us his own when he came first.
This is the one who comes back
What then is the aim of this text??
Let’s read it again: Titus 2:11-14
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.
This is what this text is showing us:
The Grace of God in verse 11 achieves salvation and sanctification.
The Glory of God completes this salvation and sanctification.
Because of this truth, because of this reality, we ought to wait for this blessed hope (13)
Now another question? Maybe the last one?
How do we as Christians continue to leave lives of good works, working out our salvation with fear and trembling?
How do we persevere in our good works?
“the incentive and power to live a Christian life pleasing to God come from two directions:
- it comes from looking back with gratitude to the grace of God that appeared in Jesus Christ at his first coming when he purchased our redemption; and
- it comes from looking forward with hope to the glory of God that will appear at the second coming when he completes our redemption.” John Piper
Dear Christian,
You who has been living on the edge of your journey, thinking to quit it altogether, you who has been swallowed up in the vomit of your sin and rebellion, you who continues to relish iniquity down your throat as if it were water! Consider Christ! Not only that he came to seek you and save you through his death and resurrection, but also that he will return in glorious splendor.
Dear Christian,
You who is despondent, you who is bewildered in sorrow because of the oppressive nature of Satan in this harsh world! Endure hardship like a soldier, because you know that your inheritance awaits. The reason he is coming back again is because he came first and conquered all evil and in his second coming, he will subdue all evil and judge all wickedness.
Soon you will join your master, your groom, at that wedding feast. Sinners saved by grace will be at that table of the Lord, and the rebels will perish forever.
Richard Baxter:
Doubtless, this will be our everlasting admiration, that so rich a crown should fit the head of so vile a sinner, but no thanks to us, we know to whom the praise is due and must give to forever.
I’ll finish with this one last one from Richard Baxter again:
We will inherit the destiny to which all fairy tales pointed in fantasy that is_ we, foolish sinners will live happily ever after. How amazing the Gospel is, that be glory indeed, and it will be because of Christ.
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