Titus | Week 11

Good morning. It's good to see you guys.

Hope that you. There we go.

It's good to see y'all. I'm glad to be here.

If you have your Bible with you or on that device, you carry in

your pocket turned to Titus Chapter 3, open our Bible to

Titus 3 · chapter mention

Titus Chapter 3. We are, we're nearing the end.

Titus 3 · chapter mention

Sorry! Got a frog in my throat, I guess

we're nearing the end of our series.

He's through Titus we got one more week next week there and

and so but this week I have titled Amazing Grace and it is

amazing grace I don't know that there's a more gospel saturated.

Passage of for relatively short verses than what we see here in

Titus 3 4 through 7. And so, I'm going to read that

to us. And then, then I'll pray and

we'll dive into today's sermon Titus 3 start in verse 4.

But when the goodness, and loving kindness of God, our

savior appeared He saved us not because of Works done by us in

righteousness, but according to his own Mercy by the washing of

regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom he poured out

on us richly through. Jesus Christ, Our Savior.

So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs

according to the hope of eternal life.

This is the Lord's word. As we look at these verses

today, it's my hope that we will walk away with hearts filled

with thankfulness as we examine these verses, our hearts will

swell with gratitude to the Lord and the work that he has done

that he has saved us. And so the thing that I want you

to see if you're taking notes, you can write this little

statement down because I think it's what is woven throughout

Titus 3 4 through 7 and it's this God Saves you.

God Saves You by his Amazing Grace.

God Saves You by his Amazing Grace as you finish that, let me

we pray for us. Heavenly Father, we praise you

for today. Thank you, Lord, for the time

that we've had to sing songs of gratitude to you songs that are

proclaiming Lord the grace, which we've received From you

father through Christ, Jesus. Applied in Us, by your spirit.

What I think that's what Paul is writing about here.

I think it's evidence that he is.

Boeing all the ins and outs the beginning.

And the end of Salvation, he's, he's giving it all to you.

He's describing every piece of that work to you and to you

alone. It's a father, at least part of

the message is that we not read such a passage like this today

and walk away beating our own chest saying look how great I am

that. I have taken hold of Christ by

my wonderful faith. Lord help us to be humbled by

this word, help us to be captivated.

Father by these truths about salvation what you've worked

into us. Help us Lord to be renewed by

them to be rejuvenated to be refreshed by these words.

Or might they bear witness and our spirit that we to belong to

Christ. And Lord may they bear fruit in

our lives, fruits of godliness fruit of the spirit that we look

like men and women and boys and girls who have taken?

Hold of, Jesus Christ, because of your marvelous Grace.

Lord. We love you.

We thank you for this word. We ask that you illuminate it

for us by your spirit. Help us to see it by your spirit

today. It's in Christ's name.

I pray. Amen, amen.

So it's hard to believe Patricia made mention of it, a moment

ago, but it's hard to believe. Steve talked about it.

It's hard to believe still that it's Thanksgiving week, right?

I mean, everybody's kind of talking about it.

We're gearing up for it making plans kids, most of you I assume

or out of school. Now, college students, hold on a

couple more days, all right? And so, some of you will get

off. For some of you will travel but

Thanksgiving is here and as is the case with most holidays,

they're meant for one thing, they're meant to cause a

celebration. They're meant to do something in

our hearts and what ends up happening is the hustle and

bustle of the day itself or the event itself.

The holiday itself, the things around the holiday end up kind

of distracting us from what those things are meant for.

We'll talk a little bit about that as we get into the

Christmas season and our Advent series coming up in a couple.

Of weeks. But thanksgivings the same way,

Thanksgiving is a holiday that's meant to cause us to reflect

with thankfulness on all that God has done in our lives.

It's meant to help us recall those.

Good gifts as Patricia mentioned, a moment ago, just to

remember His blessings, whether they be family or friends or

provision or insert, whatever in this blank here, right?

There's so many things to be thankful for.

If you woke up tomorrow and you logged into your banking account

and you saw that someone had paid off all of your debts and

not only did they pay off all of your debt which, you know, for

it's going to vary from person to person how much exactly that

is what they paid off all of your debt.

And not only did they do that, they deposited 10 million

dollars into your accounts. If you woke up and saw that you

would pinch yourself, right? Like surely this is a dream.

You might faint out of just being overwhelmed.

You might Shout. but no matter what you did the act of of

whatever you're doing the fainting, the shouting, the

pinching, all of that, Is a result of being overwhelmed with

all or with Thanksgiving with joy with gratitude.

If ever, there was something to be thankful for and it is God's

Amazing Grace. God by his grace, cancels your

record of sin and he gives you eternal life.

The hymnist, John Newton knew this Grace, really well.

He pinned in a song, a him that you guys may know titled amazing

grace, these words. Amazing Grace.

How sweet the sound that saved a Wretch?

Like Me, I once was lost but now I'm found was blind.

But now I see You see Paul is reminding Titus and these cretan

Believers, he's Crete and churches of God's Amazing.

Grace, if you'll recall verse 3 from chapter 3 last week, which

Jasper opened up for us? Looked at, in verse 3, he writes

this. He says for we ourselves were

once foolish. So he's instructing Titus on how

he is to instruct the Believers on, how they are to live in a

world, full of foolish Disobedience, people.

People are slaves to various passions and pleasures and he

says to be a different kind of person to live a different kind

of way. And in verses four through

seven, what he's giving you is the foundation is giving you the

why he's giving you the, how he's providing all of the

answers for how you live, a different kind of way.

He says, in verse 3 again for we ourselves were once foolish,

you're disobedient, LED astray slaves, to various passions and

Pleasures passing our days and Malice and envy hated by others.

And hey, Hating one another. What?

Sounds a lot like the world that we know today, it sounds a lot

like those who are outside of the church today and some ways.

It sounds a lot like those who are inside the church today.

What's the point where the point is?

Is that flesh rules? Ungodliness rules

unrighteousness rules. You are a sinner by Nature.

Born a sinner, continuing in sin, unless something outside of

you saves, you. And that's what Paul is laying

out here is, don't look at them and scoff.

Don't look at them and beat your chest, don't look at them and

say there's no hope. He's saying for we ourselves

were once just like them. And so you look with humility,

you look with reverence to God, you look with hope in God, you

look on the world and have hope because of God could save you.

God can certainly save them also.

And so there's a hope here in Paul's writing, he's telling the

truth. But in truth, there is there's

positivity in truth. There's an excitement about What

the Lord Has Done in their lives and what he could do in the

lives of others. But for our purpose today, with

the verses were looking at, I want to focus mostly on what God

has done in your life or if God has not yet done this work in

your life. What is available to you if you

will humble yourself before? And call on his name.

That's the work that lays here before us today.

And so he says we once were this way but when the goodness and

loving, kindness of God, our savior appeared, he saved us.

Not because of Works done by us in righteousness, but according

to his own Mercy by the washing of regeneration, the renewal of

the Holy Spirit. Whom he poured out on us richly

through. Jesus Christ Our Savior.

So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs

according to the hope of eternal life.

Paul is writing to these Believers and he's saying you

were once that way, but now you are this way.

You were once dead in your trespasses and sins but now you

are alive in Christ. Jesus.

You were once a slave to sin. But now you are a slave to God.

Why how? Because God has saved you by his

Amazing Grace? But I want to examine the

passage of bit further. I think the passage reveals to

us three things. One is the foundation of

Amazing. Grace.

The second is the work of Amazing.

Grace. And third it reveals the result

of Amazing Grace, the foundation, the work, the result

of Amazing Grace. I'll try to repeat those kinds

of things as typically they would be up here.

And well, you know where we stand on that right now?

First, the foundation of Amazing Grace.

Titus. 3435 but when the goodness and loving, kindness of

God, our savior appeared, he saved us.

Not because of Works done by us in righteousness, but according

to his own Mercy. Paul lays on thickly. the

foundation of Amazing Grace Paul makes it utterly clear what the

foundation of Grace is It's the character of God.

God is the foundation of Grace. It's a work of God.

He talks to us about the character of God and he starts

with the goodness and the loving kindness of God.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our savior

appeared So when you look on the appearance of, man, what do you

see? You see someone who is envious

hateful, Disobedience foolish. To summarize it in one word.

You see sin? Man is sinful.

And if you look on man and you think somehow man has to save

himself, somehow man, has to rise out of that and become a

new creation. Well, then hope looks kind of

bleak. How in the world can a man who

is dead and his trespasses and sins make himself alive

spiritually? He cannot But the man is not

need of spiritual resuscitation. He's not barely breathing in

need of help of breathing better.

He's not breathing, he's dead. He's in need of New Life.

He's in need of Resurrection. Not resuscitation so, what we

see is that, if we look on man, the The path to Salvation is

Bleak there's no there's no hope there.

And so Paul lays out hope was never in the man to begin with

the goodness and loving. Kindness of God however has

appeared us. Harkins us back to chapter 2,

where what we saw was that Christ has appeared and that

Christ will appear again. So, Paul is now remembering once

again in this word appeared saying, Christ has appeared, he

makes that clear and verse 6 and we poured out on us richly

through. Jesus Christ, Our Savior, the

appearance of Christ, Ice is the appearance of Grace.

That's why John writes in John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention

That Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth and him, we've

received Grace upon Grace, Grace, that abounds Grace, that

never ends. And so in Christ, in this

appearing, it's as if a light has popped on in a dark room.

Light has Shone in the darkness and so God himself enters into

the darkness because of his own goodness and loving kindness.

God himself has stepped onto the stage of history in Christ Jesus

because of his own goodness and loving kindness.

It's not that man had gotten himself to some place where now,

it was advantageous for Christ to step onto the scene.

It's that God. Been working from the beginning

of time to this moment where Christ would appear.

Christ comes because God the father and sins.

God the son. And so in Christ, Light has

dawned God entered into the darkness and our Salvation

flows, from his goodness and his loving kindness and so Paulding

clarifies. What the foundation for amazing,

Gray's is what the foundation for Amazing Grace is by saying

what the foundation is not one, it is because of the goodness,

and loving, kindness of the Lord, to it is not because of

Works done by us in righteousness.

And so one way to clarify what you're talking about at times is

to say what you're talking about is not is to give the is not

characteristics of what you mean it is.

This it is not this and that's what Paul's doing here it is the

goodness and loving kindness of God it is not by your works.

Why is it important to talk about that?

It's not by your works here. Well, if you remember back to

Chapter 1, what were the religious leaders guilty of

doing that were guilty of preaching?

A Works based righteousness that you must follow the Old

Testament laws. If you are to be save, truly

saved. True Believers.

And so Paul here is saying not at all, the religious leaders

were guilty of upsetting entire homes.

By teaching, this works based salvation.

And so Paul further denies their claims, he further rebukes their

message by saying salvation is not founded on your own

righteous works. It's founded on the goodness and

the loving kindness of God which appeared according to his own

Mercy. Paul says There's a lot of

teaching about Good Works throughout Titus, right?

We've been instructed over again especially in the last four

weeks about the works of a Christian.

The good works of those who say, they love the Lord, what

godliness looks like. And so there is a lot of this,

but one thing we have not said, because Paul did not say it.

Is that works are the basis for your salvation.

They're the foundation for your salvation.

We have not said that because Paul has not said that, that is

what the false teachers are saying, what Paul says is that

good works come from a heart that has been transformed by the

goodness and loving kindness of God, that good works are to be

present. There is to be sanctification,

there is to be fruit. Of life in a believer that if

the spirit of God has set someone free, they are free

indeed and so you will notice it in their works.

But all of that, the root of all of that is in there.

Knowing god is in God, having revealed himself to them.

Galatians 2:16. Paul writes there, he says yet

Galatians 2:16

we know that a person is not justified by works of the law

but through faith, in Jesus Christ.

So we also have believed in Christ Jesus.

In order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works

of the law because by works of the law, no one will be

justified. Paul saying there is no new life

in good works. There's no way to be justified

declared righteous by God because of the works that you do

that is not how we are Justified.

He says you are justified by faith.

And then you justified by faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:20. Paul.

Romans 3:20

Lays it on here, again, for by works of the law.

No human being will be justified in God's eyes.

Since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

So what does the law good for the law is good for helping.

You know what is sinful? Paul, even uses the example of

coveting and that before he read, Thou shalt not covet, he

did not know he was guilty of coveting.

There's no less guilty of coveting, but this law made him

aware of his sinfulness. The law makes you aware of your

sinful soul and somebody says, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt

not murder. Any of those things, right?

Had you not known previously. Now, you know, and if you are

guilty of those, what you understand is I need something

to justify me because I'm guilty of transgressing the laws of

God. And so I need some, I need

something to happen. To be declared, not guilty

because right now I'm guilty as charged Romans 5:8, but God

Romans 5:8

shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners

Christ died for us. And so now, we see how it is

that God is going to be called both just and justifier.

Is Romans 3:20 lays out for us that God is because of Christ

Romans 3:20

Jesus, both just and justify his not overlooking sin, he's laying

sin on someone. Namely the Son of God who was

perfect and so therefore he can justify whomever he wants to

whomever will call on Christ by faith can be justified.

And so, even even that proclamation of Faith, Alan read

this. This verse earlier, even though

the proclamation of faith that we that we pronounce is a gift

from God, by which you are saved.

Ephesians 2, 8 9. Again, I'll read it for by

Grace. You have been saved through

faith, and this is not your own doing.

It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one

may boast. Even your ability to call on the

Lord, as a gift of God, as Paul writes there in Ephesians 2. so

Paul writes in Titus 3 coming back to our passage that he

saved us according to his own Mercy, The mercy by definition

is not earned. It's not something that you

Merit. Mercy is Mercy is pity.

Mercy is looking at something that is hopeless and then acting

on their behalf because there is no way, there's no way they

could do anything of their own to come out of that thing.

This is Mercy is what we call acts of Mercy.

One commentator says here about Mercy, his Mercy shows, pity to

save because of its own compassion and love.

So what does mercy driven by its driven by its own compassion and

love if you show Mercy towards someone and Own life.

It's because you have compassion and love for that person inside

of you. And it drives the fact that

you're going to show Mercy. The same is true of God that

having shown Mercy toward Sinners.

It is because of God's Own goodness.

It's because of his own loving. Kindness.

It's because of his own deep-seated compassion, for

Humanity. Mercy is the response of a good

and loving God, toward the Affliction of man in his sin.

The commentator goes on to say And so God Saves You by his

loving. Kindness God Saves You by his

goodness. God Saves You by Amazing.

Grace Which are founded in his own goodness is on loving.

Kindness is on Mercy. And so Paul emphasizes that this

is the foundation of our Salvation, he does.

So so that the cretan churches Cretan, Believers may be sure of

their salvation that they may understand that as these false

teachers are bearing it on the say no no you've got to perform

all these Works. You've got to add circumcision

and purification processes like you've got to, you've got to

live out the Old Testament laws of God, if you were to truly be

saved, Can you imagine what? Paul's up against here?

Because what we read here, Was not yet established by anything

other than the spirit of God which was moving through these

Riders. Moving through these Apostles,

moving in their teachings, affirming them sure.

But it would be real easy for these false teachers to get up

and say what he says is by his own understanding.

But what we have right here as they hold out, their Septuagint

saw, right? They're Hebrew New Testaments.

There are Old Testament, sorry, the laying these out, right?

And they're saying, what we have here is the very word of God,

he's established these things, this is how you're supposed to

live. And Paul say, no, no, no.

God Saves You by his own goodness and loving kindness,

according to his own mercy. And the way that he saves in the

New Testament is the same way he was saving the Old Testament,

their faith as Hebrews 11 reveals was not in their own

Works, their faith was in Christ Jesus.

The one who was to come and so it's always been faith in Christ

that saves Always, it's never buy your own mind.

It's never by your own ability to follow the commands of God.

God Saves you. By his own kindness by his own,

Mercy by his own goodness. These are the foundation for

your salvation. And so works are to be present,

but they are to be the fruit of salvation.

Not the roots, the root is God. And so we may say with over

hearts that are overwhelmed with Thanksgiving, he saved me, God

has saved us. Having seen the foundation of

Amazing Grace. Paul now shows us the work of

Amazing Grace. What is it?

That's taking place in that moment of Grace.

What's happening inside of you, what's happening outside of you?

What's going? What's going on?

Titus 3:5 through 6. We read this, he saved us by the

Titus 3:5–6

washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit whom

he poured out on us richly through.

Jesus Christ, Our Savior, You see salvation is entirely the

work of our Triune God. The Trinity just flows right in

just flows throughout this passage mean.

Paul is is laying it out there. That salvation is initiated by

the father. It's accomplished for us by the

sun and it is applied in Us by the Holy Spirit.

Salvation is initiated by the father.

It's accomplished for us by the sun and it is applied in Us by

the Holy Spirit. And so we see here that Grace is

applied through the work of the holy spirit in, at least two

ways. The first is the washing of

regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Now, this is the moment when old

things pass away regeneration is like that it's quick.

There's no delay to Regeneration.

Old things, pass away All Things become new at regeneration.

You become a new creation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says,

2 Corinthians 5:17

What we see is that as one commentator put it that

regeneration is the New Birth by which spiritually dead centers

are brought to life in order to believe.

You're brought to life that you might believe.

Jesus explains this explicitly. So so clearly with Nicodemus in

John chapter 3 Nicodemus was a Pharisee of Pharisees meaning.

John 3 · chapter mention

He was he was the religious Elite.

He was called the teacher of Israel, and he comes to Jesus

and calls him rabbi. He recognized something in

Christ because he said that no one who has not sent from God,

can do the work that you're doing and so he comes by night,

so that nobody sees him and he inquires of Christ.

Who are you? What is going on?

And he says to Jesus. He asked, Jesus, you know, about

the kingdom of God and Jesus says to him, unless one is born

again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus is dumbfounded. He doesn't understand.

And so he asked Jesus, how can I enter into my mother's womb a

second time? How could I be born again?

And so, Jesus goes on to explain what you must be born of water

and spirit. In other words, you must be

washed. with the Regeneration and renewed by The spirit of

God. if you are to be born again, Nicodemus is like how and

Jesus says, well, this is done by the spirit of God.

He tells Nicodemus that the spirit is like the wind that no

one knows where or where it comes from, or where it's going.

When the wind comes. That it does its own thing.

This is according to the spirit of God.

Jesus was undoing everything that Nicodemus had spent his

whole life building. It's been his whole life

committing himself to the teaching of God to becoming a

religious zealot. What he thought God would find a

provable, what he thought, God would find good and right and

Jesus undoes it in a moment saying you need to be born

again. Basically telling me everything

you've lived for to this point in your life, counts for

nothing. Why?

Because it's not by works of righteousness, which you have

done. But by the grace of God. and so,

what Paul is laying out what Jesus laid out to Nicodemus is

that regeneration always precedes and causes saving

faith. Since centers have no interest

in the kingdom of God, unless they are born again.

That's what he's explaining to Nicodemus.

You cannot see this unless you were born again.

Nicodemus in as the teacher of Israel would have been familiar

with God's teaching on spiritual rebirth.

This is not a new, this is not just a new testament thing,

everything that's happening in the New Testament, as a

fulfillment of Old Testament. Prophecies concerning the new

birth. This is not new, it's old, it's

been taught for centuries. And we see it in God's promise

to Ezekiel and Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 25.

Ezekiel 36:25

Through 26, God says there through the prophet, I will

sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean from all your

uncleanness. And from all your Idols, I will

cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and

a new spirit. I will put within you and I will

remove the Heart of Stone from your flesh and give you a heart

of Flesh. It's incredible.

What what Christ is saying to Nicodemus?

What Paul is saying to Titus and these create and churches Again,

they're being told by false prophets that you must wash

yourselves the right way. You must clean yourself up.

You must live the right way. Follow all the Old Testament

laws. I'll just the moral laws, but

the laws for purification also. And so, this is what Paul is

laying out here. Is that, no, you are washed. but

the spirit of God in regeneration, It's the same

thing that Christ tells Peter and John chapter 13. when Jesus

John 13 · chapter mention

kneels down and he grabs that Basin of water and that's how

And he begins to wash the disciples feet, and he comes to

Peter and Peter says no, no, no, no, no, no.

You will not wash my feet. And Jesus says, unless I wash

you, you have no share with me. And Peter says, oh well then not

my feet also but my head and my body too.

Wash wash all of me and what does Jesus say?

He says you are already made clean by my word.

It's just your feet that need to be washed.

Amazing. And so some have taken washing

of regeneration to mean baptism, just immediately jumping into

baptism and I think that's a fallacy.

I read a lot of commentators this week who did exactly that

Respectfully disagree. Also, read a lot of commentators

who say what I say, too. But there's disagreement on

this. You can't jump straight into

baptism when you're talking about the washing of

regeneration because baptism does not save you.

Baptism is not regeneration. What is baptism?

It's the outward work of an inward work.

The n-word work is not up to you.

The n-word work is up to God. And so, as you've been saved

then you hop into that tub. You hop into that baptistry and

you tell the world that I have been washed clean with Christ.

I have been buried with him and now I'm raised to New Life.

This is what baptism means. Baptismal and so on is not

salvific. I think it's further evidence

from Paul says here, that God has poured out his Spirit on

you. He uses the word washing.

He uses the word pouring. He's clearly using analogous

language here to lay out for you.

What is taking place like God is pouring something on you?

That is outside of you. God's work.

The interesting thing about God, pouring out his Spirit on use,

this is a fulfillment of Joel. 2:28 were God, says there

Joel 2:28

through the prophet, it shall come to pass afterward that I

will pour out my spirit on All Flesh.

Peter and his sermon at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2,

Acts 2 · chapter mention

uses, Joel 2 chapter. 2 is a proof text for what has just

taken place. And here's what we know about

this passage is that again, one commentator, summed it up this

way. So, I'll just read this one.

What Pentecost meant to the church as a whole regeneration

means to the individual believer, the beginning of a new

life and the spirit of God characterized by faith and

godliness, Cher. As those who have been

regenerated in that moment of Pentecost, the spirit of God

being poured into our lives. By the love of God, by the grace

of God. And so you have been regenerated

by the Holy Spirit. The second act, we see is the

renewal of the Holy Spirit regeneration is a new life.

Renewal is the effectual work of the spirit in this new life.

So you have been given a new life and in that moment you are

immediately transformed into a new creation justified by God by

his free Grace. Made new, and the spirit of God

now is renewing. You the spirit of God is washing

your feet, so to speak. You have been made clean by the

word of God, but now your feet need to be washed.

He's helping you put to death the old man, take on the new

man. He's hoping you put away the old

things and take on the new things.

He's hoping you put off sin, put to death sin and live, according

to the word of God, the commands of God, the life that God has

for you, but you will not be renewed apart from regeneration.

It's impossible. I want to be clear on this

point, there is a once for all renewal of the believer in the

gift of saving faith. this comes to us by regeneration of the

spirit, but that same Spirit now resides in you Spirit of God

dwells in you. The Same Spirit which weighs

raised Christ from the dead, which Paul talks about in

Ephesians now. Dwells in your, in your hearts

and your life, And so, what that, which raised Christ from

the dead, is the same spirit. It's that, which is Raising you

from the dead. It's that's what's helping you

put off. Spiritual deadness, take on

spiritual life. And so your spiritual life

continues to increase. You continue to grow.

You continue to conform, to God, to be like him, by the work of

the spirit in you. Philippians 1:6 Paul writes to

Philippians 1:6

the Philippians Church there. And he says, this is I am sure.

I am sure of this that he who began a good work in, you will

bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

And so this is what we know about sanctification it is on

going. You are declared just at

regeneration you are made new at regeneration but you are being

made knew you were being made into the image of Christ from

Duration to your final breath. And so there will always be send

to put off there will always be righteousness to take on there.

Always be on ungodliness to unclothed and they're always be

godliness to put on there will be Holiness meant to be had from

the moment of regeneration to the moment that you breathed

your last and you enter into Glory with Christ Jesus.

That does not end. Are you feeling thankful yet?

Christ. Has saved you.

By the grace of God. He's made you knew by the grace

of God, but he has not left. You like regeneration is is the

work of God Alone. But God has not left.

You after regeneration and said, good luck, buddy.

Figure it out. I'll see you in heaven.

The spirit of God, which raise you from the dead is alive in

you. And he he is your source of

strength. He is your source of growth.

He is what makes it possible to live a holy life?

You must depend on the Lord. Now, in the same way that you

depended on the Lord, for your salvation and you will depend on

the Lord, one day, when you're preparing to enter into

eternity, if you're fortunate enough to know that days, coming

that moments there, You'll be dependent on God and so we

should depend on God in the middle for what we're depending

on him. At the beginning of the end for

he'll grow us into the image of Christ Jesus.

The Bible knows nothing. Nothing of regeneration without

sanctification. The Bible knows, nothing of

someone who says, I believe in Jesus.

And yet, there is zero fruit in their life.

That person is not is not a saved believer in Jesus Christ

and a dead tree and old tree a bad tree, cannot Not produce.

Good fruits. And a good tree one that has

right Roots, regenerated, by the spirit of God will not produce

bad fruit. Christ, says, and so if you have

for your entire life, From moment of childhood, if you have

said, I believe in Jesus Christ. But there is no desire to know,

God or his word. There's no desire to sing to the

Lord. There's no desire to put away

sin. There's no desire to overcome.

There's no desire at all for the Lord or the things of the Lord.

Then you need to seriously question whether or not what you

believe is saving or not, because it's possible.

It's possible that you've come to a cultural understanding.

That Christ was a good man who lived and he died and he saved a

bunch of people for others from their sins.

And so therefore you believe in Jesus, but you have never placed

your faith in Christ to save you from your sins.

You've never committed your life to following him Faithfully.

And so you have a conflation of terms.

Yes, I believe in Jesus but no, I'm not following Jesus, the

Bible knows nothing of that sort of Christian.

Nothing. Now, the world knows a lot about

those kinds of Christians. Same Spirit, which gives New

Life To Us effects that new life in Us.

By that same Grace, one part of God's great work in Salvation is

the n-word work of regeneration. It's the n-word work of renewal

and it's applied in Us by the Holy Spirit.

But the work that precedes, that is the work of redemption,

through the cross of Jesus Christ, taught us 36 whom he

poured out on us. He poured out on us who the Holy

Spirit richly through Jesus Christ, Our Savior, I love that

in the beginning of this, he calls God, our savior and he's

saying Jesus Christ, Our Savior. It's just a full trinitarian

view of the deity of the spirit, the deity of Christ and of

course, the deity of the Father which no one.

Doesn't recognize. He poured out on us richly

through Jesus Christ. The Father, the Son, the spirit,

they're all involved in your salvation.

And so when we say God saved us, we mean God, the Father, Son,

and Holy Spirit saved us. Our Triune God has saved us.

One commentator said this. He said with the three persons

of the Eternal Trinity coordinating, in the salvation

of Believers. The Christian May rest.

His heart securely in God's Saving Grace, while exercising,

his will, and a zealous Pursuit Of The Godly life for which Paul

is laboring in this letter. so we, we Are zealous for good

works. Which is what we saw in chapter

2 verse 14. He gave himself for us to redeem

us from all lawlessness to purify for himself, a people for

his own possession who are zealous for good works.

We are to be men and women boys and girls who were zealous for

good works because we have been transformed by God.

We've been redeemed by God. And as your zealous for good

works, you are resting in the goodness and loving kindness,

the mercy of God you know that your zealousness for good works

is not what's going to save you. You're not zealous out of fear.

Your zealous out of reverence. For the Lord, I want my life to

be a living sacrifice for he who has saved me.

Amen. I'm going to dedicate.

We going to commit all of me to serving God because he has

redeemed me. He has made me new, he has given

me new desires. He has planted in me but the

desire to live for him to be zealous for good works.

It's not me, it's not because I'm amazing some because I'm

awesome. I'm terrible.

By all accounts, I was Unworthy of Salvation and that's exactly

what it takes to be worthy of Salvation.

All that we bring to God and our Salvation is, our need of a

savior. We bring our sin to him and he

saves us. God Saves You by his Amazing.

Grace. That's the work of Amazing

Grace. Now we come to the result of

Amazing Grace which is my last in shortest point.

How does 37 so that being justified by his grace we might

become heirs according to the hope of eternal life here.

We see the results of Amazing Grace in two forms one, you are

justified by grace. To you were made an air of

eternal life by amazing grace. These are the results of Amazing

Grace. Let's talk about what it means

to be justified to be justified. You were accepted into the

presence of God by his declaring you righteous.

Because of the work of Jesus Christ.

That's what makes you justify. Second Corinthians. 5:21 for our

2 Corinthians 5:21

sake. He made him.

He met Jesus. Let me start by inserting the

names of what Who Paul's writing about here so that's it's clear

for our sake. God the Father made him Jesus,

the son to be sin who knew no sin.

So that in Christ we you and I might become the righteousness

of God. In a word, this is called

imputation. God has imputed to you the

righteousness of Christ. He's credited to your account,

the righteousness of Christ and Christ credited to his own

account. Your damnation, your sin took it

on himself that you might be free from the guilt of sin and

death and alive to Christ Jesus. You've been made new Jesus Paid

the penalty that your sins deserved when he died on the

cross in your place. And so he then imputes to you,

his perfect righteousness. He credits to your account.

He gives to you freely by his grace, his perfect

righteousness. So that you may be declared

righteous in God's courtroom. You may be justified, declared

not guilty. Many celebrated, a not guilty

verdict this week. Which is good and right?

I'll go on the record as saying. I think Justice one that day.

Praise God. But but the Jubilee that comes

from that declaration ought to pale in comparison to the

Jubilee that's alive in your heart.

When you read that Christ, imputed to himself your

unrighteousness and then imputed to you his righteousness, all by

grace. We ought to celebrate that we

ought to give. Thanks for that there ought to

be like Smiles on our faces as we walk around during the day

because of that truth alone. I don't care what else is going

on in your life. We smile and we Rejoice because

of this work. God has Justified Us by his

grace. Romans 46 describes Christians

as those to whom God counts righteousness, apart from works.

Pre Christ, your works are counted to you as

unrighteousness. Because you have bad works, you

have unrighteous Works post Christ, your works are no longer

counted but what is counted as the righteousness of Christ to

your account? And now we get to do good works,

we get to be zealous for. Good works.

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by

Galatians 3:13

becoming a curse for us for it is written.

Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree He redeemed us from

the curse by becoming a curse for us.

Christ became a curse for you. You are an heir of eternal life.

The doctrine of justification is not like simply.

Like it's not like putting a deposit to this account stamp on

the back of a check and putting it in the bank.

Justification. By Paul's understanding, here is

the beginning of eternal life. It's the foundation for eternal

life. You are not only a counted.

As a son or a daughter of God. If you believe in Jesus for the

Forgiveness of your sins and you're serving him, you're not

only counted as a son or daughter of God.

You are now go Heirs of eternal life in heaven with Christ

Jesus. The son of God, you're adopted

into his family, you're a brother or sister of Christ and

nothing will unseat you from that position.

If you have truly believed in Christ, Jesus, Nothing will take

this away from you. Because nothing in you made it

happen in God is Not bipolar. God is not mentally unstable.

God does not change with the Wind.

God is sure in his salvation, this year.

God is steady. He's an unchanging, he's the

same yesterday today and forever.

And so whom he declares righteousness is righteous

indeed. Your name is written in the

Lamb's Book of Life for eternity.

You'll be a part of the tribe and the Nations and the peoples

from all over the world, all over history rejoicing and the

Son of God on that last day. Jesus says in John chapter 10

John 10 · chapter mention

that all whom the father gives to me, no one can take out of my

hand. Because I am.

The father are one. No one can snatch them out of

the father's hand, Jesus says So, whatever happens.

Let me read this first. You first, Romans 8:16, 17,

Romans 8:16

Spirit himself Bears. Witness with our spirit that we

are children of God. Again, this is what I mean by

there. Will be fruit.

Evident in a Believers life. The spirit of God Bears witness

with our spirit that we are children of God.

And if children, then we are heirs Heirs of God and fellow

heirs with Christ provided we suffer with him in order that we

may also be glorified with him. So what Paul is writing in

Romans 8 is that whatever happens in your life you can be

sure of one thing that if you are in Christ you have the hope

of eternal life you have the hope of Heaven, everything works

out for your good and for God's glory everything is sure you

can. Therefore endure with patience

the trials that you were going through.

You can endure with patience whatever lays before you Paul

adds in the very next verse Romans 8:18.

Romans 8:18

He says, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time

are not worth comparing with the glory, that is to be revealed to

us. That's why I spoke just a couple

weeks ago about having an eternal mindset.

Having the hope of Heaven before your eyes, daily is the fuel for

your Christian life. It's what drives you when you're

in The Valleys. It's what drives you when you're

on the mountain peaks, it is the force by which you walk in

zealousness for good works and in total utter abandon Forgot.

That I want nothing in this world but Christ and Christ

Alone. Paul is saying that hope and

eternal life is not vague. It's not unsure it stands on the

Promises of God who cannot lie. Paul said in chapter 1, It's not

vague. It stands on the Promises of

God. It is based in scripture and it

is provided by God. God Saves You by his Amazing

Grace. Professing Believers.

Will you give me your attention for a moment?

You say, I believe in Jesus Christ.

I want you to listen to me for a second.

Every one of us. Can say with Paul and all the

saints who have gone before us, God saved me.

That's where our Hope rest. Our confidence for salvation,

our confidence for growing in godliness, or confidence, for

eternal life, rest on God Alone. It's not rest on you.

Not rest on your works. It rest on the work of God.

I want to ask some questions. Do you sense the comprehensive?

This comprehensive change in your life.

Do you sense that God has transformed?

You do you feel these longings for God?

These new desires for Holiness within you.

Do you witness? Within yourself a new obedience

to the word of God. Is there fruit of belief in your

life. What lays in your wake?

is it fruitfulness or unfruitful - Is it life or is it

destruction? if you do not, Since these

things, see these things in your life.

I beg you to humble yourself before God today.

To ask him for this new heart. And I want you to know that this

is a prayer that he Delights to answer.

It excites him to Grant new life.

And unbelievers. People who say I have never

professed faith in Christ. I'm not walking with him.

If you haven't experienced this change in your heart, Then you

too must humble yourself and ask God to Grant you a new heart,

ask him. That you might be born again.

Only God is able to save you. You will not stand before the

Lord on the day of judgement. the Lord looks at you and says,

By what standard? Shall you enter Heaven today?

you will not stand there and say, I was a good father.

I was a good husband. I worked hard.

You remember that time I gave? I got that bonus and I gave some

of that to somebody who is in need.

I did all these works in your name.

I went to church. I prayed some I encourage people

to seek you. Do you hear the problem with

trying to enter Heaven with those statements?

Where is that person's faith? It's on himself, isn't it?

I did this. I did that.

You will not enter Heaven by your own works as good and as

right as they, maybe he will not enter Heaven by your good works.

The one who enters Heaven is the one who says.

You saved me. My faith is in Christ Jesus

because you saved me, God. Let's not conflate those two

things, by the way, that we live each day.

And so if you're an unbeliever and you cannot say that God has

saved me, but I'm a good person. And you will not enter Heaven.

What God does when you turn to him as he takes Your Heart of

Stone, and he gives you a heart of Flesh.

He puts life where there is no life, he makes you a new

creation in Christ Jesus. And so then you are never the

same. Again, there is a discernible

difference. Between the one who has.

Place their faith in Christ. And the one who has not.

And it's daylight and nighttime difference.

I beg of you unbeliever turned to God today that you might be

saved. Let me pray for you as a

worship. Team comes Heavenly Father.

We thank you for your word today.

We thank you, Lord, for the truths that we see here.

We ask father that you help us to lay hold of them by faith

that you do the work of regeneration.

You do the work of renewal father by your spirits and our

lives today. Help us to be men and women and

boys and girls whose confidence is in Christ alone for our

salvation. Lord.

And from there, from that new life make us zealous for.

Good works at me. We might walk with you in such a

way that we bear witness about the truths, which we believe.

But God save us from confidence in our own flesh.

Deliver Us from it. Help us to be confident in God

alone for our Salvation to say as Paul says he saved us.

Father, thorough professing Believers in here, who have said

for a long time that I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.

But there's no fruit whatsoever ever in their life.

God, would you humble them now? Would you draw them to you?

Would you grant them salvation In Christ Alone?

Would you regenerate them by your spirits?

Would you start the process of renewal and them today that they

might know you? Humbled, and father.

His father for those in here who are just outright saying I've

never placed my faith in Christ. Would you save them fine?

Grant them New Life in Christ. Jesus.

Help them to be humbled, also to turn to you and to find

Salvation and none other than Jesus Christ.

Lord, we praise you for your word, we praise you, for the

work, you've done that only, you can do that.

We can take no credit for we love you today and we we give

you, thanks, father for the Salvation which we've received

In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.