Spirit Wars: The Grace Awakens (Titus 2:11-14)

Spirit Wars: The Grace Awakens (Titus 2:11-14)

Collin Leong. Jan 17, 2016

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.

Most Christians are aware of the “Amazing Grace” that God had given to us undeservedly for our salvation through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. We thank Him for this wonderful gift, but not many of us think any further about it. Grace became a passive word that carried no change nor accountability in our lives. 

Worse, living in an ungracious, meritocratic and status-conscious world, we bring the spirit of “ungrace” into our family and into our churches. We put on a façade of cheerful and kindness on Sundays but we become grace killers at work, in school and at home.  Are we any better than the Pharisee’s during Jesus’s day? Or should we be more like Jesus, who came “full of grace” (John 1:14, 16) and regularly associate with the sick, eat with the social rejects,  forgiving sinners and with loving grace, turn their attention away from their plight and unto God. 

The Titus passage above tells us that grace was not just given for salvation, but for “training to renounce” evil, and also to empower us “to live” godly lives. (Titus 2:12). This is made possible because we are “partakers of the Divine Nature” through grace. (2 Pet 1:4).   If we are to grow and mature in Christ, we need to progress from merely enjoying God’s Amazing Grace that saved us, and to “Awaken Grace” to change us. Otherwise, the bible says we are still “short sighted” and “blind.”  (2 Pet 1:9).  

Firstly, the word “training” (paideuó in Greek) also means to educate or to discipline. Grace teaches to recognize what is sinful and “ungrace”.  It is designed to help us remove the sinful habits and spiritual bondage we had in our old nature. The word “grace” (“charis” in Greek) often appears together with truth and peace. "Peace"  because grace not only forgive sins but removes the guilt of sin from our past. So many Christians still carry on guilt or baggage’s from past sin or hurt and cannot fully enjoy grace, nor give grace to others. "Truth" , because grace doesn’t mean it is permissible for us to continue in sin.  Romans 6:14 says “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

Secondly, grace not only gives us awareness of evil and to deny it, but also gives us the power to know and live according to God’s will for our lives. Peter wrote: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Pet 1:3).  By “awakening grace” is us, we are saying to God, “I’m ready to grow, and I’m ready to be channels of your grace to others.”

So Children, when your father or mother corrects you and disciplines you for disobedience, and when they teach you to do good, they are practicing God’s grace on you, just as Titus described. When you receive their counsel, you are receiving grace. When you reject their instructions, you are rejecting grace.  There will be a time when you are all grown up and want to go your own way – then, we will give way to God to pour His grace on you, which means He will train you AND discipline you Himself. Therefore humble yourself and be of courage for God has promised:  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Finally, in what way or in what areas do God wants us to grow? It’s in our character: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” (2 Peter 1:5) Peter says not only to have these qualities but to have them increasingly over time so that we can be effective and fruitful for God and for others.

If we say we have these qualities, then our actions should show them in the manner explained by Rom 12: “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Grace is not just received from God, but must also be given to others.

Episode of VII of Star Wars was entitled “The Force Awakens”, where the heroine, Rey, discovered the dormant force in herself and learned how to use it to battle the “dark side”. Let us pray that the Grace Awakens in us to give us power against the ungrace in us and in the world. 

Here are a few of my favourite quotes about Grace.

“The world can do anything the church can do except one thing: it cannot show grace.” 

(Gordon McDonald.)

“I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.” 

(Anne Lamott)

“Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace”

  (Donald Barnhouse)