Trained by Grace

Living for Jesus

(Titus 2:11-14; Preaching: Nathan Snyder; August 28, 2016)

[2:11] For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, [12] training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, [13] waiting for the our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, [14] 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.

I have heard it said that God loves us as we are but he does not leave us as we are.  This is true.  The grace of God changes us.  In fact, it is precisely because God loves us that he sets about remodeling our lives.

Paul tells us the grace of God has appeared (cf. 3:4).  God’s grace has appeared in history when he sent his Son into this world to be our Savior.  God’s grace appears in our lives when we hear and believe the good news about Jesus, receiving him as our personal Savior.  Paul writes that God’s grace bring salvation to all people.  He doesn’t mean that all people will be saved.  He means that God’s grace is for all kinds of people, including men and women, the old and the young, slave and free (cf. 2:1-10).  No matter who you are and what life situation you find yourself in, salvation is for you if only you will place your trust in Jesus alone as your personal Savior.

When God’s grace comes into your life, he will not leave you the same.  An essential aspect of his salvation is to save us from the power of sin in our lives in order that we might live for him.  God’s grace trains us to live for him.  Imagine being trained as an athlete, or even as a soldier.  The process is often painful, but it is meant for our eternal good and God glory.

The grace of God trains us to renounce sinful ways and to live in a way that would bring glory to God.  We must renounce ungodliness, meaning godless thoughts and actions.  We must renounce worldly passions, for we must no longer devote our life to all that a godless world so eagerly pursues (cf. 1 John 2:16-17).  We renounce all this because God’s grace shows that it all leads to death, while the pursuit of him and his kingdom brings us lasting joy.  Thus the grace of God is training us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.  To be self-controlled is to have mastery over our impulses so that we submit ourselves to God’s word, not to whatever our flesh might desire.  Self-control is a major concern of this letter (cf. 1:8; 2:2, 5, 6).  To be upright is to live honestly and justly in our relations and dealings with other people.  To be godly is to live a life devoted to God.  This kind of life is life indeed.

A big part of how God’s grace trains us is by giving us the internal motivation to want to live for Jesus, our Savior.  In verse 13 we see that the hope we have in Christ Jesus affects how we live.  What is our hope?  Our hope is that we will see Jesus appearing in the fullness of his glory.  This will be our blessedness for all eternity, that we will be with Jesus, enraptured by his glory and his unquenchable love for us.  We the Church are the Bride of Christ, our Husband who is our great God and Savior.  We know him now.  We love him now.  We are in union with him now.  But the union is not what it will be when this present age comes to end.  We eagerly await the fullness of enjoying Jesus.  Essentially, Jesus himself is our hope.  If we are eager to spend eternity with our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, then we are eager to live for him now.  If we are not eager to live for Jesus now, then we must not be eager to spend eternity with him.

Paul goes on to remind us that this Jesus whom we long to see face to face is the one who gave himself up unto death on our behalf.  He gave himself freely because of his great love for us.  He did it to redeem us from all lawlessness.  He paid in full the wages of our sin that he might set us free from the strangle-hold of sin on our hearts and lives (cf. Psalm 130:7-8; John 8:34-36; Romans 6:14-19).  The death of Jesus broke the chains of sin, so that we can indeed renounce ungodliness in our lives.  His death has also cleansed us.  Jesus has purified us from sin’s defilement so that we could be his own special people.  We could not be the treasured possession of a holy God unless our unholiness had somehow been cleansed.  Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for sin has accomplished exactly this, in order that we might belong to God and live for him (cf. Hebrews 9:14; Ezekiel 37:23; Deuteronomy 26:18-19).  Jesus’ desire is that we as his treasured possession, in whom he delights, might be zealous for good works.  He died that we might be eagerly devoted to doing what is good.  The term “good works” especially refers to doing that which is a blessing and a help to other people.

What or who am I devoting my life to?  What or who are you devoting your life to?  Have you received God’s grace in Jesus?  Is he your Savior and your hope?  He died for us that we might be his treasured people.  He died for us that we might live for him.

Hope-Based Purity

Who Is He? Who Are We?

(1 John 3:2-3, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, August 14, 2016)

[2] 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. [3] And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

God's children now

It is a special privilege to have the family love of God as adopted children into the household of the Almighty. Children who can remember life prior to being a part of their new family have this benefit over those that cannot: They know what life was like prior to adoption, and they experience life now as full members of their new household who know where they came from. As Christians, we have one further advantage over that good experience of the adopted people of this world: We have learned from the Scriptures that when we were in our former state, it was not just that we did not know God and His family; we were enemies of God.

Romans 5:10, “If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”And now we are friends, John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” But we are more than friends, 1 John 3:1, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

We will be like Him

And there is even more to come. We have hope, based on the promises of God, that this Jesus, who went to prepare a place for us, will one day come again to establish His kingdom in fullness. That means a change for us, for we will be like Him in His resurrection life. How does John know this? Because he is assured based on the Scriptures, that we will see Jesus as He is now. Some New Testament passages that show us how important and central this hope is:

Romans 8:29, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 4:11, “For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Philippians 3:21 “who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

2 Peter 1:4 “by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

We will see and be seen—know and be known by the Lord, who even now knows us fully.

1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

And from the final chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22:4 “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.”

But this is not just a New Testament teaching. It was based on an Old Testament-driven expectation of a coming resurrection life from passages such as Daniel 12:1-2 “… everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,...” And more, Psalm 16:10-11, and Psalm 17:15.

Not wish, possibility, or command, but FACT: The purification of the hope-filled

In every generation, God makes the impossible possible. He purifies His children in hope.

Hope purifies. Imagine if Jesus only heard the counsel of the worldly-wise—of the “prudent.” He would not have gone to the cross if He followed such advice. But He listened to His Father:

John 5:19, “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”

John 8:28, “I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.”

John 10:17-18, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

John 12:49, “I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.”

There were a few others who understood, very few, that were able to catch the vision of Jesus.

Simeon and Anna at the time of His birth were a help “to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:22-38) The hope of Mary of Bethany would have an impact wherever the gospel was proclaimed (Mark 14:3-9). Even a Gentile centurion's word of hope after he had supervised the crucifixion of Jesus (Mark 15:39) inspires us 2000 years after he said what he had to say. But will we be pressed by hope to walk in faith? Try Colossians 3:1-4.

We are already blessed, but there is far more Christlikeness ahead of us. The Lord will purify us with the purity that comes from hope! Jesus is perfectly pure. Hope-based purity is our destiny.

What gets in the way of our progress in hope-based purity?

There will always be people around you to instill within you fear of doing anything great, or fear of simply living by faith. We need to weigh what advisers say, but we need discernment, or we will never attempt anything in life, great or small.

We need to find other people—people of faith, who are used to making that judgment call that distinguishes between faith and presumption, or to look at this from the other side, who are able to see the difference between ungodly fear and reasonable caution. We need to be around those who have been moved by God and used by God to do things that other people were sure were just plain impossible.

Old Testament Reading—Joel 3:18-21 – The Lord dwells in Zion

Gospel Reading—Luke 8:22-25 – Who then is this?

Two Places--Two People

The Uncomfortable Gift of Divine Adoption

(1 John 3:1, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, August 7, 2016)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

What kind of love has the Father given us? Family love. God has brought us into His family by adoption. We are called “children of God.” Surprised? Yet this is exactly what we are. Still, we are not yet home in every sense of the word. We do not yet live in the present heaven. We are not yet fully enjoying the perfect environment that will be ours at the return of Christ.

The children of God are currently living in a place that John calls the “world.” The only thing he says about the world in this verse is that the world did not “know” Jesus, and that it does not know us either. We have been given the gift of divine adoption. Though this is a tremendous grace, our new family relationship is a call to a life where we may not be understood by many of those around us.

This “world” is both a place and a collection of people with a person at the head of that group. The same can be said about our ultimate home. It is a place and it is a Person connected to a large group of people.

Contrast of Places

Jesus said that in this “world” you will have tribulation. (John 16:33) Sin entered the world, and with sin came all kinds of depravity and death. That is not all that we have in the world. There is plenty of truth, goodness, and beauty here. People are sometimes wonderful and can be very generous in every way you can think of. With all the good that is in the world, the reality of death is still looming, and the God who alone can bring life is not acknowledged in the world for who He is or followed in the way that He should be obeyed.

The present heaven and the ultimate new heavens/earth are different from the world on these key points. Notice the way John highlights the contrast for those who are counted as the Lord's children in Revelation 21:4, In heaven, God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” John also tells us about the person who is the Prince of that place. One of the key blessings of being there is the company that we will keep. So we cannot really separate the Person/people from the place.

Contrast of Person/People

Before we talk about the King of heaven, we should first consider the ruler of this world. It is true that Jesus already has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), but not everyone in the chain of command on earth knows him. There is a prince here who has already been defeated, and is even being restrained so the other nations of the world can hear the gospel (Revelation 20:3). Nonetheless, that old prince still retains certain parts of his job, and he makes it more difficult for those on a mission from God to live the resurrection life. (Matthew 24:24)

Let's talk about this old boss who is still roaming the halls of a dying corporation. He is smart, powerful, and knows what he wants. We are told that he is at work in “the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2) He is head over a vast host of smart, powerful, and driven spirits and angels. (Matthew 9:34, 12:24) While he believes in God with a keen mental assent, he does not know God with joy of a true son, and He does not love the fact that God has an eternal purpose to unite all things in Christ. We are instructed to resist this false spirit.

What about the King of heaven. He is far above the prince of this world. He is far more intelligent, far stronger, and far more aware of what is being accomplished for the glory of God. He is also a lover of a truth, goodness, and beauty that will last forever, and He has put His own life on the line in order to bring those who call upon His Name home to His eternal kingdom.

The King has a plan for you that is the very fullness of justice and love. He understands about your final homeland and about Himself as the person who has made a way for all who will call His home their home forever. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

Frustration and Faith

I read a story recently about some Christians working among Syrian refugees in Greece. Their home as they once knew it is gone. Cities throughout country of Syria, once places where various groups could coexist, have now, in many cases, been entirely blown away. These refugees now need to do their best to live in some other place that is not really their home.

You and I are like them in a way. We too are not at home, but our home has not been blown up, it is in reserve for us in the heavens. Of course we face the frustrations of those who are children of God living in a world that did not know Jesus and that does not know us. We are shocked by mini-surprises of evil incursions onto this war-worn battlefield. We face ugly words, bad decisions, and painful signs that death and the devil still seem to be alive and at work.

Yet we are also not like all of them. We know Jesus, and some of them do not. We know that heaven is our home, won for us entirely by the merit of our Redeemer, and some of them have no idea about how to live in a faith that is more than a series of outward commands.

We are like Daniel and his friends in exile in Babylon, but we know more than they do. We know that there is yet a Son of David right now on the highest of all thrones. Yes we have frustrations, but we also have the gift of faith. We have heard the Word of Jesus and we receive His assurance that we are a part of His family. We have come to know the adoptive love of God.

We must not let the frustration that we feel loom larger than the faith that we have been given. We are already eating the bread of heaven in the Word of God. That diet makes us much healthier than those who have not heard the message of salvation through a perfect Husband.

Beloved, do not give up on the kingdom or the King. The events of life that seem to breed only frustration in your hearts are actually part of making you ready to be who you will be in the eternal kingdom of Christ. You know Him and He knows you. He who has all power and authority in heaven and on earth has not forgotten you in your greatest hour of need.

The exile will soon be over. The day of salvation draws nearer every second, just as it has for these many years. Your greatest Friend is on the throne of heaven, and He is working in your life and awaiting your arrival. His own Person and His place are better than anything in this world.

Old Testament Reading—Daniel 1 – Ten times better

Gospel Reading—Luke 8:19-21 – The true family of Jesus

The Gospel Fruit of True Faith

Christlikeness

(1 John 2:28-29, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 31, 2016)

[28] And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. [29] If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

When He appears

In the last few verses, John encouraged his readers to do something that he mentions one more time in this morning's text: “Abide in Him.” The “Him” here is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Messiah who is at the center of human history. We have also understood from John that the church is to let the Word of God abide in us. These two instructions must be considered as one directive. We cannot claim to have Jesus if we will not receive His Word. The command to “abide in Him” is an instruction to obey Christ and His Word, including His understanding of the correct interpretation of the Old Testament.

In today's text this directive is reinforced with a fact about the future that is an essential element of a Christian view of time. Jesus will again appear. He is coming again. There can be no doubt that the New Testament expectation included the imminent return of Christ. Though some view His return as 2000 years late, we would contend that throughout the entire New Testament era, the return of Jesus has always been imminent. We are told plainly that we will not know the precise timing of His return, but that we are to be ready for this culmination of all history.

One passage that states this well is 1 Peter 4:7-11

[7] The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. [8] Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. [9] Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. [10] As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: [11] whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The truth is that our lives here below are very brief. Either Christ will soon come here with the fulfillment of the resurrection kingdom, or we will soon go to be with Him. Either way, it has always been and remains today a very imminent happening with ethical implications. Each of us will soon see Him. Any view of time without this fact is deficient.

Confidence or shame

But how will it be for us and for the church when we see Him. Will we be ashamed, or will we have the boldness of Christian confidence?

God has given to each of us a conscience. We do not want to be paralyzed by guilt or shame, but we cannot get to that inner peace of true integrity without being straightforward with the Lord. We need to take His Word seriously, be willing to be changed by Him, and seek His power in our lives.

We want to be able to have a plain life—honest before Him. All of this will eventually come to head when we go to be with the Lord or when He comes here to be with us. A plain life has benefits now. Others can sense the integrity and peace of an honest Christian life and can benefit from friendship with someone who is able to live simply and boldly. We also can sense the tortured life of someone who is not at peace.

We want confidence before God now and confidence before God at the day when we are with the Lord face to face. This word which is translated “confidence” in verse 28 has to do with plain living and speaking, the kind of life where a person is not trying to hide secret facts that would bring him shame if they were found out.

This word is used three other times in 1 John.

3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

4:16-19 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

We want confidence before Him and not shame. The key to understanding this confidence is the position of God in our life as the real God, the author of Law and grace, and Jesus Christ His Son as the appointed Redeemer and Judge of all humanity. The standards that would bring us either confidence or shame are God's standards. We want plain living and speaking in the light of God's standards. As we consider our own goodness according to God's Ten Commandments every Sunday, we know that we need a Redeemer. And we have One. Jesus has kept the Law of God's goodness perfectly and has taken our shame on the cross. We know God's love for us. This takes away our fear of torment. Our hearts do not condemn us. We do not treasure sin in our hearts, we treasure Christ. And we come to God in prayer with confidence.

The habits of Christian righteousness

But we must be committed to plain living according to God's commandments now. We must be committed to humility before God, confessing our sins and receiving His forgiveness. We must find the strength in the Almighty to pursue new habits of holiness. As those who have been born of him, it is a good day for us to pursue the good life of righteousness.

We are the Lord's dwelling place and we also abide in Him. We have the best gift of all—the Lord Himself. This is the privilege of the church. Throughout the centuries we have heard the call of Jesus saying, “Follow Me.” We have heard the Word of the Apostle Paul explaining his ministry in Corinth saying, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” We have heard Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount telling us the true meaning of the Ten Commandments? We have heard the Lord's calling to His church to make disciples, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Jesus is Lord. It is His and not any antichrist's Word that we must follow if we want confidence. We will see the Lord very soon, whether we go to Him, or He comes to us. We do not want to be ashamed when we meet. We should order our lives according to the habits of Christlikeness.

Old Testament Reading—Ezekiel 37:15-28 – My dwelling place shall be with them

Gospel Reading—Luke 8:16-18 – The one who has and the one who has not