Titus 2:11 - Forerunner Commentary

Titus 2:11

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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Titus 2:11:

Titus 2:11-14
Excerpted from: Freedom and Unleavened Bread

There are things that we must learn from grace and whether what we learn comes from God's grace to us directly, or the kind of grace He has given to others, it matters not. We better learn something from God's grace! The Days of Unleavened Bread have very much to do with this.

I've used this scripture a couple of times recently, but is so important to our understanding. If there is anything this verse teaches us, it is that grace is not the entire story, especially after we leave Egypt. Our portion of the responsibility for salvation begins to become larger after we leave Egypt. It will never be in balance with what God does. God is always going to be doing way more providing salvation for us than we do, but our part enlarges, and that's the way it is in life too, as well.

The realization of grace and what it accomplishes for us puts us under obligation to respond to God in the way that these verses show. It says there that "grace teaches us"—or "grace trains us" would be a bit more specific interpretation or translation of that. What obligation does it put us under? It puts us under obligation to no longer LIVE the way we did in bondage.

What grace does, as we can see from these verses, is it makes ethical demands on us. It makes ethical demands that are consistent with its nature. Since it's the grace of God, the nature of this grace is God's. We are then put under obligation to change or to produce ethical things that are consistent with God. So why is grace given? So a change can take place.

In Titus 2:11-14, the word that's translated "worldly" is kosmikos. It's an adverbial form of the word cosmos. Cosmos means world. We have the adverbial form here "worldly." It means "of the world."

You'll understand it, I think, if I give you a synonym we can all relate to. Its synonym is "carnal." Its antonym is haggios. Does anyone know what haggios means? It means "holy." The opposite of worldly is holy. Holy means pure; holy means different; holy means set apart.

Worldly lust, which is what these people in Numbers 11 were having an attack of—they were lusting after the food—it was a carnal desire that had gotten out of hand. Worldly lusts are those desires that are not of God but of the world, and these desires are FUELED by the reservoir of concepts that are formed from our experiences in bondage in the world.

Titus 2:11-15
Excerpted from: Grace Upon Grace

Grace here appears as the connotation of penetrating in the same way that light penetrates darkness. It does not just appear to darkness, but rather it penetrates it and disperses it. That is what grace does to a human being. It enters into a person's life, penetrates it, and begins dynamically to produce things.

This is what John 1 is about. God came to the earth and He penetrated it. The grace of God appeared to man in the person of Jesus. It can be translated that God's grace made its appearance, salvation bringing.

Grace can rescue man from the greatest possible evil. What could that possibly be? The greatest possible evil that anybody can face is God's curse. Men can curse you, but if God curses you, you have had it. That curse is sin—I should say the penalty of sin. That would be more specific.

But God counterbalanced that, and more, by giving us grace. So here, then, grace is seen as the power that teaches. It trains us. It disciplines us. It guides and leads us. It does not force us. In other places it can been seen as being used as counseling, comforting, encouraging, admonishing, guiding, convicting, rewarding, even restraining. It teaches us that we must deny immorality, that we must give ourselves over to self-mastery, that is, controlling ourselves. We must give ourselves over to integrity and devotion right here and now. And all the while, expectantly and patiently looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead.

Articles
After Pentecost, Then What?
Communication and Leaving Babylon (Part Two)
Five Teachings of Grace  (2)
Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Six)
Living By Faith and God's Grace (Part Two)
The Christian Fight (Part Five)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control
The Tenth Commandment

Bible Studies
Kindness

Essays
The Rare Virtue of Self-Mastery
What's Wrong With Works?

Sermons
Psalms: Book Four (Part One)
The Tenth Commandment
The True Savior of the World!
Freedom, Liberty, and Bondage
Do You Recognize This Man? (Part 5)
Looking Forward
Seeking God's Will (Part Four): Sacrifice
Motivation to Endure
Living by Faith: God's Grace (Part 4)
Life in Sodom
Preparations For Christ's Return
God's Law in Our Mouths
Eternal Security (Part 2)
Cloak of Zeal
Deleavening the Home
Themes of Ruth (Part Three): Redemption
Limited Atonement
Hope and Faith
Deuteronomy and Holiness
Be Holy, as I am Holy
Motivation to Endure
Freedom Isn't Free
By This We Know Love!
Leavening: The Types
Titus 2:11-14
Titus 2:11-14
Titus 2:11-14
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part 2)
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part 3)
The Unleavened Life Is a Happy Life!
Faith and the Christian Fight (Part 10)
Glorifying God
Importance of the True Gospel
Importance of the True Gospel
Unity (Part 3): Ephesians 4 (A)
Unity (Part 5): Ephesians 4 (B)
Deuteronomy (Part 5)
Deuteronomy (Part 5)
Titus (Part Five): A Church in Training
Faith and the Christian Fight (Part 5)

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