The Fruits of Grace Part 2

Amen. Alright. Amen. Take your Bibles if you would. Turn to Titus chapter three.

Titus Titus chapter three. Titus three We'll begin reading again in verse one. We're going to read through verse 11 and skip down to 14 this morning. Titus three verse one. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey magistrates to be ready to every good work.

To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lust and pleasures, living in malice, and envy, hateful, hating one another but after that, the kindness and love of God, our savior, toward men appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. By the washing of regeneration, renewing of the holy ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our savior. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.

These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law for they are unprofitable in vain. A man that is an heretic after that first and second admonition reject knowing that he is such he that he that is such as subverted and sineth being condemned of himself. Down to verse 14 and let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful. If you look back to Titus chapter two verses eleven and twelve, it says, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.

Teaching us to denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear Lord, we thank you for this day. We thank you Lord for your love for us, for your mercy toward us, your patience, and your grace that you bestowed upon us all. Lord, we pray if there be one here that's unsure of their salvation that they wouldn't leave this place today in such an estate.

We pray Lord that you would drive home to our hearts today how important it is that we maintain good works as your children. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen. Amen. Ephesians two eight and nine, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Now, those two verses are quoted often in our circles. Why? Because they relay a very important message. We're not saved by works. We're saved by grace.

You cannot earn your way to heaven. You're not good enough. It's not possible. You can't erase the sins of the past. You can't stop the sins of the future.

There's only one who's good enough. That's Jesus. The one who took our place on the cross, who paid our penalty, the penalty we couldn't pay because it wasn't, it wasn't in us. He paid it for us and purchased for us eternal life. For we're saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves, not of works.

However, I didn't finish the passage, did I? The next verse, verse 10 says this, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. For we are the workmanship, the masterpiece of Christ. Us, who are saved by grace. That we might live in such a way as to bring glory to our savior in heaven by the what?

By the good works that are evident in our life. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. What is the what are the fruits of of grace? Well, it it says here in verse 12, they teach grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust. It teaches us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

What is the fruit of grace? The fruit of grace is good works. The same is faith, saving faith. Faith without works is what? Is dead.

What is the evidence of faith? The evidence of faith is good works. The works of God. The works that are in keeping with the will of God and the nature of God and thus, the fruit of grace in our life is also good works that Paul is emphasizing here to Titus that he needs turn around and emphasize to the congregations in on the island of Crete to whom he is ministering. At the beginning of chapter three, we looked at last week.

He starts off in regards to authorities and our need to be obedient and respectful of the authorities God has placed in our lives. That isn't always the case, is it? Some will excuse themselves from this good work of respecting and obeying authorities. They would excuse themselves from this duty. They would excuse themselves from going out of their way to to help and to pray for those who are in authority over them or anybody that is in need.

They might excuse themselves from finding a way of peace rather than seeking a way of conflict. Why? Because they're contrary because of their contrary disposition. Because of their human nature. But we must not allow their poor disposition or our human nature excuse us because it does not.

God expects more of who? He expects more of us. He expects us to do what is right and good, caring, to be peacemakers, and not violent dividers. We instead are called to do them good whenever possible. We read from Romans chapter 12 last week.

In Matthew chapter five, to turn the other one, to turn the other cheek, to pray for them that despitefully use us. That is the way of who? That's the way of Christ. To live peacefully and humbly before them. Realizing as Paul states here to Titus that we too were once like them.

Maybe not in every way, maybe not in in every deed but in nature. We were lost. We were slaves to our human nature and to the lusts of the what? The flesh that are contrary to the nature and will of our maker. We were no different in nature and in essence and without Christ in our eternal end.

But we have been saved. Amen. And redeemed and changed by God through no merit of our own. Right. But by God's grace alone.

Thus, as he says in verse eight, it is an incumbent upon us that we who are saved by grace are careful to maintain. That is to practice, to continue in good works. As Paul not only states here but as he states up there on your screen from Ephesians two, as he states to Timothy in second Timothy chapter three concerning the word of God that furnishes on us unto all what? Good works. As Matthew wrote in Matthew five sixteen, as he was recording the words of Christ to let our light shine before men that they may see our what?

Our good works. You know, the Bible talks a lot about good works but not in relation to the means of salvation. For that's only by grace through what? Faith. But a grace saving grace and genuine faith produces what?

It produces good works and we as Christians, as children of God, must be zealous, careful, to maintain, to continue in, to lead in good works. To be salt and to be light in this world. There are two words in Greek actually that are translated good in the New Testament. There's at least two. There maybe more but there's at least two.

One is Agathos. We read it in verse one of chapter three. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey magistrates to be ready unto every good work. That word Agathos, that means beneficial or profitable. In other words, works and deeds that are done that are beneficial.

Beneficial and profitable. Beneficial to who? Well, to us and beneficial to to others. Beneficial to this world in which we live. Profitable for mankind.

Not destructive but edifying. That builds up ourselves and others. Don't disobey. Don't look for reasons to to rebel against the authorities God has given in our life. Take the time and abilities God has given us to do things that are beneficial.

To mankind. Beneficial and in keeping with the plan and will of God for this world. Those kind of good works. But when we get down to verse eight, verse eight, this is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that thou Paul says to Titus, you keep bringing this up. You say, pastor, I've heard about good works enough.

I'm just I'm just being obedient to Paul here. Paul says to to Titus, you be faithful to affirm constantly. In other words, my people need to be what? Reminded. They needed this to be kept before them constantly because we live in a wicked world.

We're surrounded by people today and a culture more and more that doesn't care about doing good works. Now, these good works here that we're to maintain, this is a different word in Greek. It's the word kalas. It means beautiful. Beautiful.

Virtuous. Praiseworthy. That's what this word means. Beautiful, virtuous, and praiseworthy. We are to maintain a lifestyle.

Practice, deeds that are beautiful. Beautiful in the eyes of who? In the eyes of God. Beautiful before the eyes of men. Now, these two words, they're not far apart because if you do those things that are beautiful and virtuous and praiseworthy, they're also going to be what?

They're going to be beneficial. To you and to to others. They they overlap a lot. But he's saying here that we are to maintain to keep doing things that are beautiful. We live in an ugly world.

They don't, they do a lot of things that are not praiseworthy in the eyes of their maker. But you are a child of God. You have been welcomed into the beloved. You've been saved by God's grace. You've been given his holy spirit.

You're different. Not on any merit of your own but according to the love and mercy and grace of God. This has been given you. Now, act accordingly. Reflect the beauty of God.

To the world around you. They need to see his beauty. They need to see his holiness. They need to see his love. Those things are beautiful.

And desperately needed in the world in which we live. However, the churches to whom Titus ministered had some ugliness going on and so Paul felt it necessary to deal with the ugliness here in chapter three and verse nine. Titus three nine. He says, but avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law for they are unprofitable. Now, that's the opposite of what?

That's the opposite of good. Remember the one word for good Agathos in verse one, it means profitable. So, Paul says, you avoid these things because these things are the opposite of good. They're not beneficial. They're not profitable.

They're not helpful. They don't edify. They are not good. So, Titus, you need to avoid these things. In verse 10, a man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sineth being condemned of himself.

So, there's some ugliness here that needs to be avoided and Paul put it on Titus to remind the people there that they need to do focus on doing good for the Lord, doing things that are pleasing in his sight and they need to avoid this this tendency of human nature that creeps particularly into the what? Into the church. Be careful. Watch out. There is no benefit to ourselves or others in getting caught up in all kinds of nonsensical, philosophical, genealogical, or off the wall theological debates which divide us further and muddy up the message of the gospel.

Particularly in the eyes of the lost. We must avoid those things and it is a problem which many churches struggle with which sometimes even families struggle with with Christian friends struggle with. And it is not of God because it is not profitable. Now, having said that before I get into the details here, I do want to mention this. We must be careful to emphasize the importance of doctrines that are taught.

Where? Right here in God's word. There's sometimes called the doctrines of the apostles. That's what they're called in Acts chapter two when the early church in Jerusalem was praised for continuing in the apostles doctrine. That's the first thing on the list that they continued with.

The apostles were largely responsible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for writing our New Testament. It is their doctrine but it's not just their doctrine, it's whose doctrine. It's Christ's doctrine. It's God's doctrine. It's his word.

It is the foundation. Of our faith. You throw doubt upon the doctrines of the word of God and you're kicking the legs out from under the stool. The Christian faith rests upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of the what? The doctrine of the apostles and therefore, the word of God.

It is the basis for our faith, for everything that we believe because it is God's word and not merely man's word. When someone cast doubt upon the integrity of scripture or when some would say, well, yeah, it says this but. Watch out for the but because if God's word says it, it shouldn't be followed by a what? It shouldn't be followed by a but this. Because it is.

The word of God which carries his authority. It is the basis for our faith and practice. As children of God. The purity of the doctrine of the apostles spelled out in the scriptures is absolutely necessary for the continuance and practice of the Christian faith. In second Timothy three, I don't have it up here but I I want to read it to you.

It won't take me but two seconds to find it because it's just one page back. Paul wrote Timothy said, all scriptures given by inspiration of God. How much of scripture? All of it. Old and New Testaments both?

Yes, every book, every letter? Yes. Every sentence? Every word? Yes.

All scriptures given by inspiration of God and it's profitable. Others that word profitable again. For doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction, and righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all what? Good works. There we go.

There's that good works again but it starts with the what? It starts with the doctrine. The doctrine of the word of God. The word of God itself. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the what?

The word of God, the word of God gives faith and it gives knowledge and as we trust in God's word, he strengthens and he builds our faith and he brings conviction which leads to good works. The fruit Doctrine is important. Don't think for a moment that standing as Jude wrote contending for the faith is not necessary. It is. We must stand for the faith.

However, there are things that creep into churches that creep into the lessons, that creep into relationships that have nothing to do with what? With the doctrine. Of the word of God. It creeps into our church to confuse and to divide. That's what Satan does.

He doesn't come in the front door and say, hey, I'm here. No, he don't do that. He creeps in the backdoor. And he begins to pick away. He begins to divide He begins to get people upset with one another over things that are not spelled out in God's word.

Over things that are a personal matter. Over things that are not necessary to divide one another over. And these must be what? These must be avoided. And whose responsibility was it to make sure they didn't?

That didn't happen? It was Titus's. Paul said to Titus, you, you, make sure that your church doesn't end up divided and contentious and unfruitful. Because you're arguing over things that are not matters of doctrine. Don't get entangled in them because people will try to pull you in.

They'll pull you in to their little group. They'll try to pull you in to their little opinion. Don't get pulled in. Don't get entangled with that. I say as a as a as a pastor and as a preacher, I'm not a Calvinist and I'm not an Armenian.

I believe in what? I believe in the word of God. Amen. And read this. You're going to find elements of maybe some of both of those in here.

Just preach what? The word of God. Don't get caught up in controversies over things. Amen. Stick with God's word.

You won't get led astray. Paul says, avoid these things, foolish questions, genealogies, contentions. In first Timothy one four where Paul's writing Timothy says, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith so do. Why why does it why do they which minister questions? Because there are no what?

There are no answers, okay? So, why argue all day day about things which have which in which there are no revealed what? No revealed answers. Okay, stick with the answers. You gotta apply the answers, yes.

But don't get caught up in these things which don't have answers. Don't let that rule. Don't let that divide. You from one another. Foolish questions, absurd debates over words, speculations, controversies, things you know nothing about.

Colossians two eighteen, Paul wrote the churches in Colossian, the church in Colossian and others in the area. He wrote, let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels. Intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. In the churches in the area of Colossi in Asia Minor which is today Western Turkey. There were false teachers that have come in and they had made the doctrine of angels their priority and they had come up with all this stuff about angels, where the angels came from, all these different angels, names, what this angel group did, and that angel and they spend all their time talking about the importance of angels.

Well, angels are important and that they serve God and that they worship God and in that way, we should take their lead but they're not to be what? They're not to be worshiped and they're not for us to spend all our time talking about. We're not to be serving angels. We're be serving who? Serving God.

God revealed himself not in angels but in his son, Jesus Christ, our savior. Amen. Remember a few years back, I talked to a couple people and they were all into this book of Enoch. Ever heard of the book, the the book of Enoch? Well, this is a a apocryphal book.

In other words, it's a book written by somebody who wanted people to think they were giving God's word but it isn't. It's all full of errors and issues and contradictions with what? With what we know is the word of God. And it talks all about angels. All of this stuff.

People get all caught up in that and in getting caught up in that, they get distracted from this and they get distracted from maintaining good works and it draws contention between believers over things that you don't know what you're talking about. So, be careful. Don't get caught up in these foolish questions. In these debates, contentions, he says, not to be caught up in contentions, entangled, in quarrels, and personal arguments. Things that are are are shouldn't be issues that that get in between people.

Not necessarily doctrinal things but you know, what color the carpet in the church is going to be or what we're going to paint the walls or or what time we're going to meet on Sunday whether it's eleven or quarter till. I've had it at both time. I hope nobody left over the time. The time of the church meeting. But the Christians argue over the dumbest things.

First Corinthians eight one and two. Paul wrote, now, it's touching things offered unto idols. We know that we all have knowledge. In other words, we all know we're right. Do you know you're right?

Of course, you do. I know I'm right. We all think we're right. We'd be dumb to think we're wrong. We all think we're right.

However, knowledge does what? Puffs up. We walk around all the time. I'm right. I'm right.

I'm right. Gotta be my way. That supposed knowledge that we think we have, it gives us a what? Gives us the big head. Knowledge puffeth up but charity that is love Edifies.

That that builds others up. And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth not yet as he ought to know. That you got a lot to learn. You know, something I usually think I'm right especially about the things I preach and teach. But over the years, I find out I come back to the passage to preach it five years later and I look at a word and I said, you know something?

I I didn't quite have that right. I'm human. Praise God. This word doesn't change. Sometimes, my understanding of it does.

But be careful The church at Corinth was dividing itself over meat sacrificed idols. Whether they should eat meat that was sold in the marketplace for cheaper that was taken off of altar in front of a idol. Paul goes on to say, we all know an idol is nothing. It's just a piece of stone. So, don't worship the idol.

That's clear. But if you're getting meat from the market, don't ask. Just buy the meat. If that's what you can afford because the idol didn't change the meat, did it? The answer is no.

It didn't. Don't don't fight over these things. That's dumb. In first Corinthians 111 through 13, Paul writes, for hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now, this I say that everyone everyone of you say it, I am of a Paul and I of Apollos and I am Cephas and I of Christ.

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? This is dumb, Paul saying. This is Satan.

Stop this. Well, of course, we all serve Christ. We don't serve Paul. We don't serve Apollos. This is this is unprofitable.

These divisions that are in the church. Sometimes over doctrine, sometimes over personal issues. When I I was a youth pastor in a church in Georgia for a while and long before I showed up at the church, there were two families in the church. The Shaws and the Rays. And somewhere along the line, the Shaws and the rays got mad at each other.

And things escalated. Until one day, one of the Shaws killed one of the rays. And what do you think that did to the church? Yeah. Now, there were no shawls in the church when I got there.

They were still raised but but that, how in the world did that happen? Well, contention. Personal arguments. Ridiculous. But it happens.

You have to watch out for. They're unprofitable. They're not gonna usually escalate to murder but they will do damage. They will do damage. Striving about the law, that is battles over the mosaic law.

The Jews love to argue about the law. Paul had this to say in Galatians two six two sixteen, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of law but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of law. For by the works of law shall no flesh be what? Be justified. So, why argue all day about the finer points and the added points of the law?

Jesus said to the Pharisees and others, he said, you've replaced the commandments of God with the commandments of men. Colossians two sixteen and seventeen, Paul says, therefore, let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect to an holy day or of the new moon or the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ. Study the word of God, the doctrine. Make it the foundation of your faith and then, focus on doing those things that he has commanded us to do. Not doing those things that he has commanded us not to do.

And live your life for Jesus. Amen. Be a doer of the word and don't get caught up. In all of the bickering. It is unprofitable.

He goes on to say in verse 12, in verse 11, knowing verse 10, a man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject. In other words, the person that is determined to cause what? Division and strife. The word heretic, the word in the Greek here does not mean a false teacher. It means someone who divides.

Now, often, what is used to divide is what? False teaching, okay? So, often times, we associate heretic with false teaching but the word in Greek means to divide and Paul is saying to Titus, do not do not, what's the word I put here? Encourage, do not condone, do not excuse, and do not appease those who are dividers. Those who pit people one against another.

Over personal matters, over things that are not revealed in scripture. Do not let dividers divide and take over and destroy your what? Your ministry. That is unprofitable. That is not good.

Don't get entangled with them. Don't appease them. That's one of the things we tend to do. I I'm tempted sometimes. You're tempted in your relationships.

You just want peace and and and peace is what? Peace is good but not peace not peace that ends with division and destruction. Not peace at the price of purity. Not peace at the price of good works. We must contend for the faith Sometimes that means we need to confront those who are dividers.

Now, this isn't a difficult sermon for me to preach because we don't have a lot of contention in our church and I thank the Lord for that. That is not my doing, that's why. That's God's doing. And this is an easy sermon for me to preach because I don't know one divider in our church right now. Praise the Lord.

Amen. That's his doing and not mine. But it does happen. And appeasing is not the way to go. So, he says, after you've tried, you've put in do it, due diligence, two admonitions, parallels Matthew 18, where it said, if there's someone who's sinned against you, go tell em about it.

If they won't hear you, go again with what? Take somebody else with you and tell em about it. If that doesn't work, well, then, you'll have to bring it before the what? Before the church, before the congregation. But you look for opportunities.

But sometimes it's necessary take a stand and to not appease those who would divide. Rather than getting entangled in these things. We just need to stick with God's word. And we need to be focused on doing those things which why? Which please him.

Stick with the word. And do those things which please him. Be you doers of the word and not what? And not hearers only. In conclusion this morning, talking about the fruits of grace.

What grace teaches us back in verse 12. I I I thought of it this way. Somebody might go to school or they might apprentice with somebody who is a baker and they become a baker. What does a baker do? Baker bakes.

He bakes bread. He bakes cake and things that are good and beautiful. A mechanic might go to school or might go to work with another mechanic and learn to be a mechanic and so, now, he's a mechanic. What does he do? Well, he fixes people's cars and vehicles, mechanical issues.

Somebody might go to school to be an artist and we call them an artist. What do they do? Well, they make beautiful artwork. They're an artist. A pilot might go to school to learn to fly airplanes and to take people across the country.

That's a profitable, beneficial thing, is it not? They're a pilot. What do they do? They fly planes. What does a Christian do?

What does a Christian do? Now, I didn't become a Christian by doing good works. I became a Christian by God's why? By God's grace. That's the only way to become a Christian.

But the grace of God, he says here, again in verse 12, teaches us. It teaches us. It teaches us what? To do good works. What do Christians do?

They do good works. On behalf of who? Their savior in heaven. They live a life different. Than those around them.

They they focus on doing those things which please their heavenly father. Things that are beautiful and virtuous and beneficial. To be salt and to be light in a dark world. That's what Christians do. They do good.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for this day. Thank you Lord for reminding us today of some things we need to avoid that aren't good. And Lord, if there is contention in our heart or or with others, I pray Lord that we would recognize the need to take care of that. For that is is not of you.

Lord, I pray that we would see the need and be reminded every day to do those things which are pleasing in your sight. We represent you here. May we do the works of God. Works that are beneficial and works that are beautiful. That others may see our good works and glorify our father which is in heaven.

And as we may have failed in some respect to that, Lord, may we confess that. May we confess it to you that you might forgive and cleanse us. Make us more like your son today, Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior, who has saved us and given us this wonderful privilege. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.