All of Grace (Titus 2:11-15)

Introduction

Good Morning, Church! Have you ever experienced a miracle? How has God worked wondrously in your life? Has He healed a disease, kept you safe in a perilous situation, or delivered you from something that only He could? What about your salvation? That’s a miracle, isn’t it? Let me tell you a short story about such a wondrous miracle.

There once was a mischievous young boy who turned into a wicked young man. When he was a youth, he stole some pears, not because he was hungry or in need but for the sheer thrill of evil.¹ When he was a little older, he gave in to all sorts of wickedness, including arrogance and vanity, a love of worldly success, and even an advocacy for heresy and false teaching. However, chief among his sins was sexual immorality. Not only did he live with a concubine for many years, but he also regularly acted on fleshly desires with others outside of a marital relationship.² During these struggles and sins, he had been searching for God, knowing Him but refusing to submit, even praying, “Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.”³ However, this rebellion would soon be quenched.

The young man’s mother was a devout Christian who regularly and eagerly prayed for her son’s salvation. Her prayers were answered in excess when the young man wept over his sin under a fig tree. He questioned, “Lord, how long? How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever?… How long, how long? Tomorrow and tomorrow? Why not now? Why not this very hour make an end to my uncleanness?”⁴ Suddenly, he heard children’s laughter: “‘Pick up, read; pick up, read’ [tolle, lege; tolle, lege]” and he understood this as a divine command. So, he read the first passage he turned to in his Bible. Do you know what it was? Romans 13:13-14: “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”⁵ A coincidence? I think not, and neither did he. So, by God’s grace, he believed and turned to the Lord.⁶

He fled to his mother, and they rejoiced together, for the Lord had done abundantly more than they asked. By this time, some of you know of whom I speak. And no, I need to make clear this was not me, wretched sinner that I am. This man in this true story was no other than St. Augustine of Hippo, who would go on to do great things for the Lord and His Church, including combating the heresy of Pelagianism, or that sinful humans can choose God apart from His grace.⁷

But what does Augustine have to do with our sermon today? Well, in short, the central theme of Augustine’s conversion story is the miracle of God’s grace. The same grace that brought his mother to pray for him is the same grace that saved him, sustained him, and made him into an incredible force and witness to the glorious Gospel of Christ. Truly, as Charles H. Spurgeon, a Baptist with an Augustinian theology, said, “Grace is the first and last moving cause of salvation… the fountain and the stream.”⁸ Salvation is All of Grace, so let’s explore God’s grace together.

Please turn with me in your Bibles to Titus 2:11-15. While you’re getting there, let’s pray together: Father in heaven, we know you are so graceful and have so gracefully given us Your Holy Word. Holy Spirit, open our minds and hearts to the revelation of God’s grace for us, to us, and through us. It’s in Jesus’ gracious name that we pray. Amen.

Titus 2:11–15 says,

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. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Overall, this passage teaches us about God’s grace and its effects in our lives, including saving us, shaping us, stirring the hope within us, and sending us to proclaim the gracious Gospel.

Body

Before we dive into this passage, we must go over some of the background.⁹ Titus was written by the Apostle Paul to his disciple, Titus, who resided in the church of Crete. It contains vital instructions regarding church offices and their qualifications, and the administration of the Church as a whole. Therefore, alongside 1 and 2 Timothy, it is called a Pastoral Epistle. It is Paul’s goal to write Titus to establish order in a dishonest, immoral, and lazy community of believers (1:5, 12).

In Titus 1, the Apostle Paul begins with an introduction (1:1-4) and personal instructions to Titus (1:5-16). Fundamentally, the first chapter addresses the primary goal of the Letter, to “appoint elders in every town” (1:5), explains qualifications for such an office (1:6-9), and addresses specific problems and sins the church of Crete faces (1:10-16). Such an exposition leads Paul to provide instructions for the church of Crete as a whole in chapter 2. He begins the chapter by telling Titus how older men, older women, younger women, younger men, and bondservants should conduct themselves in light of what follows in this sermon text.

Then, in Titus 2:11-15, Paul presents the reality that undergirds and serves as the foundation for the conduct he spoke of previously: that Christ has shown the Church the glorious grace of God and taught them to be holy while they wait for His return. With this background established, we can turn to our passage and see the effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

I. Grace Saves Us (v. 11)

In Titus 2:11, the Apostle Paul writes, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,” and this demonstrates our first point: God’s grace saves us. It is salvific. Moreover, Paul’s language here, that Christ “appeared,” reflects the Incarnation, or the moment in which God took on human flesh and a human nature to Himself in Christ Jesus. The lemma or dictionary form for “appeared” here is “ἐπιφαίνω” (epiphainō), and from it we get the word “epiphany.” “ἐπιφαίνω” (epiphainō) can mean “to show to or upon, to bring to light, to appear, to become visible,” and especially in the context of this passage, “to become clearly known, [or] to show one’s self.”¹⁰ And this is Incarnational language because “in [Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,” and “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Col. 1:15; 2:9).

Furthermore, Hebrews 1:3 says, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” In other words, the Incarnation allowed God Himself to “appear.” And not only to appear but to save. He became Incarnate for a task: taking on humanity so he could die as the perfect substitute and representative for all who place their faith in Him. Thus, the early church posited “The unassumed is the unhealed, but what is united with God is also being saved.”¹¹ So just as “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins,” so also if God did not become man, you are still in your sins (1 Cor. 15:17). The Incarnation, Perfect Life, Death, Burial, Resurrection, Ascension of Christ to heaven, and His eventual Second Coming are all crucial elements of the Gospel that saves. And these elements are the means by which God’s grace has saved us. The Gospel is grace, and Christ is the embodiment of that grace.

A closer look at the word “epiphany” reveals the meaning of the rest of verse 11: that Christ brings “salvation for all people.” Some denominations of the Christian Faith celebrate the Feast of Epiphany each year on January 6th. What exactly does this day celebrate? The day the baby King Jesus “appeared” to the wise men shortly after His Incarnation. And who were the wise men? They were Gentiles from the far East. But Jesus was a Jew, right? Yet, even then, God’s grace appeared to those men so that salvation is both for the Jews and the Gentiles. Therefore, when Paul writes “all people,” he means all types of people, Jews and Gentiles. Truly, Grace saves us, but not just us; Grace saves the whole world.

Now I ask you, dear friends, have you had an epiphany of the Lord like Augustine did, or even like Paul did on the road to Damascus? Have you trusted Him as Savior and believed in His finishing work on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead? If you have not, I hope and pray that the Lord would appear to you and you would be changed forever.

I also ask you, dear brothers and sisters, if you have had that initial epiphany of Christ your Savior, has he profoundly appeared to you since then? Can you remember it and how it made you feel? I can. When I first set off for seminary to learn about Jesus, “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), I knew I was doing what the Lord would have me do for His glory. Yet, I had hesitations; I’m only human after all. Then something unexpected happened. Driving down the interstate towards Kansas City, I saw a sheep slaughtered on the side of the road, and I immediately knew it was a sign. Of course, roadkill is an ordinary thing, but I knew God’s grace was breaking in through providence. I had an epiphany, an appearing or a revealing that God was with me, and seminary and ministry were His plan for me. In other words, God appeared to me just as I needed Him in that very moment. He appeared to me in a way that shaped my life, which leads me to our next point.

II. Grace Shapes and Sustains Us (v. 12)

Paul, in verse 12, writes that grace is “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” In other words, Grace shapes us and sustains us. While we have already been declared righteous by God, we are slowly becoming more like Jesus through the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification. Christ’s righteousness, thanks to His Perfect Life, was assigned to us so that we can stand before the Lord clean and white as snow, but that Grace is also working on us day in and day out to make us righteous and holy, loving and kind, upright and godly. Returning to my epiphany on the road to Kansas City, although I had already been justified by God and trusted in Christ’s saving work, that appearance of the blood-soaked sheep sanctified and edified me to my core. It made me more like Jesus, for I recognized my sin and hesitation while simultaneously trusting God more in His plan for my life. It transformed me and comforted me; it shaped me and sustained me.

Moreover, had I not been saved by grace, then I would have thought nothing else about that slaughtered sheep than that it simply was roadkill. But, because of grace, I knew better than that. The Lord’s grace opened my eyes not only to believe initially but also to see the grace of God in the Gospel continually. Again, my dear friends, have you seen that? Has the Lord sustained you and shaped you in key ways and crucial moments? I am sure He has, and I would love for us to share those things. When we share, we will be further built up together, becoming more and more like Christ as His unified body.

As I finish my seminary education and begin vocational ministry, I am surrounded by many people dear to my heart, and these wonderful people that God has given me have been an incredible resource to me. One of these is my friend and Christian Fiction author, Nan Rinella. Naturally, I often share some of the things I am working on with her. When I shared the content of this sermon, she asked a truly insightful question: “Have you ever thought what it was like for Jesus’s siblings [whether they were actual siblings, half siblings, or cousins] to grow up alongside a perfect brother?”¹² Now, I never had a brother growing up, but I did have a sister, and often I felt like I lived in the shadow of her accomplishments. Maybe I just looked up to her. I imagine that’s how Jesus’s siblings felt. They were constantly in the midst of perfection while they themselves were far from it. However, there was good news for them. They did not have a selfish brother. In fact, selfishness would make Him less than perfect. Instead, they had a brother who lovingly gave Himself for them first to save them and then to transform them. Likewise, Christ, our brother, has done the same for us. Our brother, the Savior Jesus Christ, does not keep His perfection to Himself, but by grace He transforms us and makes us perfect like Him. Still, we will never be perfect in this life, yet there is hope.

III. Grace Stirs Our Hope (vv. 13-14)

In verses 13-14, grace affects us by preparing us as we wait “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.” In other words, the grace that appeared in the Incarnation of Jesus and culminated in His Death and Resurrection to “redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify” us, is the same grace that saves, shapes and sustains, and is also the same grace that now stirs us to the hope of the future. Namely, that Christ will appear to consummate His kingdom and that same grace will be manifested once again. This is what we all long for. This is what the Advent season is all about: Not only do we celebrate Christ’s Incarnation, but we prepare our hearts, minds, and indeed all of our lives, for the coming of our Savior once again.

As we look to the manger, we look to the skies, and as we look to the skies, we will inevitably and someday soon see our God, the Savior Jesus Christ, returning on the clouds. He will set all things right, and when heaven and earth collide and are remade, this is our hope. Revelation 21:3–7 and 22:3-5 say, and this is a little bit of a longer passage, but bear with me,

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is our hope! Christ will return, and it will be oh so glorious! Let the grace of God stir this hope within you and look forward to it with great expectations, for it will be far better than you or I could even imagine. A quote from Will Esler, my friend and pastor, does this justice: “In Christ, you can overcome [suffering] and enjoy. You can hold on to it with open hands, knowing that the joy is just a foretaste, and you can let that stir your longing for a joy that will never end.”¹³

Now, to those of you who have yet to have that saving epiphany of Christ’s grace, I leave a stark warning. This day will not be your best. It is the day that will be your introduction to an eternity of pain and suffering. I beg you, repent of your sin now and turn to Jesus. Trust in Him to save your soul, for He deeply cares for you!

Dear church, we have seen that grace saves us, shapes and sustains us, and stirs our hope, but what are we to do in the meantime? The end of our passage provides the answer.

IV. Grace Sends Us (v. 15)

Verse 15 says, “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” While this imperative was for Titus specifically, we can draw some conclusions from it for our own lives and ministries. First, we must declare these things: that Grace has appeared in Jesus Christ, that He appeared to us personally to save us, that He continues to appear to us to transform us, and that He will appear again to glorify us in Himself. Second, no matter the context, we are to exhort people to repentance and rebuke sin and false teaching. Most of us do not have the authority that Titus possessed, but in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have a mandate to stand firm in the faith. We call out sin, but we do so lovingly, full of grace and truth. Third, and finally, we are not to let anyone disregard us. We carry the most important, the most relevant, and the most hopeful message of all: The grace of God appeared to save, shape, and stir our hope. That same grace now sends us out with this message.

Conclusion

In conclusion, brothers and sisters, God has appeared to us, showing us His grace in fullness. This incredible grace of God is found only in the Gospel which Saves, Shapes or Sanctifies, Stirs our Hope, and Sends us out. Have you experienced it? Have you encountered the Lord God Jesus Christ, as Augustine did? Or such as the wise men? If you have, praise God! If not, I pray that God would appear to you personally and that you would make the glorious decision of following Him. I guarantee you, He will not let you down. In Him, there is fullness of joy and hope for a new world. Come and believe in Him.

As you all leave here, I want you to ask yourselves these questions. These are taken from a parallel sermon in Hebrews 9 from Kim Talley, my mentor, friend, and pastor: (1) Has God appeared to you? (2) If so, how does He continue to appear? (3) How will he appear again? (4) Are you ready for that Return?¹⁴

Let’s pray: “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we thank You for the grace that You have shown us in the Gospel. Thank you for saving us, shaping us, stirring our hope, and sending us out for your glory. We pray that our work will be worthwhile. Moreover, we know it will be for you are with us. You are always with us. We love you, Lord, and are so grateful for all you have done. It’s in Christ’s name that we pray. Amen and amen.”

Blessings, dear friends, brothers, and sisters.

Footnotes

1. St. Augustine, Confessions, 2.4.9-6.12. ↩

2. Ibid., 4.2.2. ↩

3. Ibid., 8.7.17. ↩

4. Ibid., 8.12.28. ↩

5. Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references in this manuscript are to the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016). ↩

6. Augustine, Confessions, 8.12.29. ↩

7. Ibid., 8.12.30. ↩

8. Charles H. Spurgeon, All of Grace (Chicago, IL: Moody, 2010), 45-46. Nook Ebook. ↩

9. Unless otherwise specified, all subsequent information concerning the book context and prior literary context are derived from the Scriptures themselves or from Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum, and Charles L. Quarles, “The Letters to Timothy and Titus: 1-2 Timothy, Titus” in The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown, 2nd Edition (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2016), 715-758. ↩

10. Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1889), 245. Logos Bible Software. ↩

11. Gregory of Nazianzus, “Letter 101: The First Letter to Cledonius the Presbyter,” in On God and Christ: The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius, Popular Patristics Series, ed. John Behr (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2002), 158. ↩

12. Nan Rinella, Christian Fiction Author, interview by author, December 1, 2025. ↩

13. Will Esler, “Advent Hope,” sermon, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Amarillo, TX, November 30, 2025. ↩

14. Kim Talley, “Hebrews 9,” sermon, Canyon Missional Community, Canyon, TX, December 1, 2025. ↩