Titus 2:11-14

¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹²It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

V1 speaks of sound doctrine as the foundation for the application, which is found in v2-10. And v11-14 reveal why. The method for living the Christian life (v2-10) is sound doctrine (v1); the motive for living the Christian life (v2-10) is grace and glory (v11-14). Grace has appeared (v11), and glory will appear (v13). Grace and glory are the motive for living the Christian life, founded on the sound doctrine of God’s word (Luke 1:67-78).

In v11, Paul uses the phrase “all men,” but taken in context of instructions given to all kinds and classes of humans (slaves, masters, old men, young men, old women, young women), we can clearly see this phrase as referring to “all kinds of men.” When he speaks of the grace that brings salvation, Paul is speaking of an effectual, justifying and transforming grace, not some potential grace that offers a saving benefit only if we take hold of it. This grace that brings salvation actually justifies. But it doesn’t stop there. It transforms all kinds of men through sanctification, as v12 declares.

In v12, we learn that this grace teaches us; that’s further evidence that it’s an effectual, transforming grace. This is a grace that justifies and sanctifies us, that transforms and teaches us. What does it teach? Negatively, this grace teaches us to say, “No!” to ungodliness and worldly passions, to idolatry and immorality – the two great categories of sin that lead to destruction (Romans 1; Colossians 3). Grace teaches us to put off the old nature and put on Christ. Positively, this grace teaches us to live self-controlled (sober-minded, as we mentioned earlier), upright (holy and righteous), and godly (pious and reverent) lives “in this present age.” Calvin says, “We learn, first, that there is nothing that ought to render us more active or cheerful in doing good than the hope of the future resurrection; and, secondly, that believers ought always to have their eyes fixed on it, that they may not grow weary in the right course; for, if we do not wholly depend upon it, we shall continually be carried away to the vanities of the world.” We aren’t to wait until eternity to live this way; rather, we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ here and now. However we know that we won’t reach perfection in the “here and now,” so Paul adds another effectual benefit of this grace. Grace also teaches us hope, to look in hope for the glorious appearing, the second coming, of “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (v13). That’s how and when we’ll reach perfection. And notice the clear tribute to the deity of Jesus.

John Piper says of this passage, “The Christ who will come in glory is the Christ who came in grace. V14 describes just how that grace appeared – ‘[Christ] gave Himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds.’ So when the grace of God appeared in history about 2,000 years ago, it appeared as a real man, who really died to redeem us from sin and to make us zealous, or passionate, for good deeds. This was the aim or purpose of the appearance of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. That same aim of grace is described in v12 as well: ‘The grace of God appeared training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world.’ That is the same as saying (in v14) that Christ aimed to purify us and make us zealous for good deeds. So v12 and v14 are like a sandwich around v13. Both verses describe the aim and effect of God’s grace as it appeared in the first coming of Jesus Christ. The meat in the middle of the sandwich is our blessed hope (v13). What God’s grace has begun in our lives through the first coming of Christ His glory He will complete in our lives through the second coming of Christ. I think it would be fair to say on the basis of these four verses (v11–14) that the incentive and power to live a Christian life pleasing to God comes from two directions as it were: 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 (Hebrews 9:27-28).”

V13 offers some words to consider regarding our hope – it’s a blessed, visible, glorious hope. Piper says, “We should eagerly await the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ because this is a ‘blessed’ hope. A blessed hope is the opposite of a cursed hope. So the first reason to be eager for this great day is that it will mean blessing and not cursing… Notice what Christ is called in this verse: ‘the great God and Savior!’ …Not judge… God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ… It is the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” We ought to long for His appearing – it is our blessed, visible, glorious hope; and as Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:8, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”

We mentioned that grace is a justifying grace – it brings salvation. We mentioned that grace is a sanctifying grace – it transforms and teaches right living. We mentioned that grace also teaches hope, causing us to look for the glorious appearing of Jesus. And finally, in v14, we learn that grace works. It’s effectual. It doesn’t fail, and the reason it works and never fails is because our great God and Savior is behind it. Jesus works! He “gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good” (v7; Ephesians 2:8-10); we see two aspects of Jesus’ work: to redeem (individual persons) and to purify (corporate body / congregation). Because Jesus works, because grace works, we work. We are saved, transformed, and taught to live rightly and hope for glory, so that we can do good works.