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"For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to
all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in
this present world; looking for that blessed hope' and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus
Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us
from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works."—Titus 2: 11-14.
Here is a whole sermon. Salvation is not the result of our
good works; but the outflow of God's grace, the pure gift
of his mercy. It is not reserved in heaven for us, but has
appeared on earth to all men, and is delivered free of
charges at the door of every heart. It redeems us from all
iniquity. It teaches us how to deny ungodliness and
worldly lusts. Namely, it gives us power to fully abstain
from all sin, and say no to every Presentation of evil.
And as a result we live soberly, righteously and godly in
this present world.
We have already seen—Luke the covenant of divine mercy
provides grace whereby we may serve God without fear in
righteousness and true holiness before him all the days of
our life.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death."—Rom. 8: 1, 2.
" I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."— Gal.
2: 20.
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain."— Phil. 1: 21. His spiritual life was purely
the life of Christ in him; and in all its minutia
redounded to the glory of God.
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on
the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. "
—1 Pet. 2: 24. These testimonies are descriptive of
God's will in us, and our privileges in Christ. For the
same salvation which the apostles enjoyed we need, and the
same Christ who saved them from all sin is able to do the
same for us. Nor is there any respect of persons with God.
If, therefore, the apostles and first disciples of Christ
attained an experience where they were really
"crucified with Christ," "dead to
sin," and "free from sin," and their life
was simply the Christ life in them, God requires the same
of us all. While the gifts of God in salvation are
various, salvation itself is the same to all. And we all
need the same holiness of heart to fill our calling in
life, however humble it may be; and to fit us for heaven.
Therefore he who testified to the Roman brethren that
"the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made him free
from the law of sin and death," also tells them, and
us as well, " to reckon themselves dead indeed unto
sin." He who said to the Galatians, "I am
crucified, " etc., also commands them, saying,
"Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the
lusts of the flesh." "And they—the children of
God—that are Christ's—fully given to him have
crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. "
He who told the Ephesians that God had chosen us in Christ
even "before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy, and without blame before him in love.
"—1: 4, commanded them to "put off, concerning
the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the
Spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteousness and true
holiness."—4: 22-24. Thus we might go through all
the Epistles and find that the highest plane of salvation
and holiness gained by the apostles is also administered
to and enjoined upon all the children of God.
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