The doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel

[Jillo]

For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. Titus 2: 11-14 ASV





The doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel, is for all ranks and conditions of men. It teaches to forsake sin; to have no more to do with it. An earthly, sensual conversation suits not a heavenly calling. It teaches to make conscience of that which is good. We must look to God in Christ, as the object of our hope and worship. A gospel conversation must be a godly conversation. See our duty in a very few words; denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, notwithstanding all snares, temptations, corrupt examples, ill usage, and what remains of sin in the believer's heart, with all their hinderances. It teaches to look for the glories of another world. At, and in, the glorious appearing of Christ, the blessed hope of Christians will be complete: To bring us to holiness and happiness was the end of Christ's death. Jesus Christ, that great God and our Saviour, who saves not only as God, much less as Man alone; but as God-man, two natures in one person. He loved us, and gave himself for us; and what can we do less than love and give up ourselves to him! Redemption from sin and sanctification of the nature go together, and make a peculiar people unto God, free from guilt and condemnation, and purified by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is profitable. Here is what will furnish for all parts of duty, and the right discharge of them. Let us inquire whether our whole dependence is placed upon that grace which saves the lost, pardons the guilty, and sanctifies the unclean. And the further we are removed from boasting of fancied good works, or trusting in them, so that we glory in Christ alone, the more zealous shall we be to abound in real good works.



Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

 

[Josheb]

For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. Titus 2: 11-14 ASV





The doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel, is for all ranks and conditions of men. It teaches to forsake sin; to have no more to do with it. An earthly, sensual conversation suits not a heavenly calling. It teaches to make conscience of that which is good. We must look to God in Christ, as the object of our hope and worship. A gospel conversation must be a godly conversation. See our duty in a very few words; denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, notwithstanding all snares, temptations, corrupt examples, ill usage, and what remains of sin in the believer's heart, with all their hinderances. It teaches to look for the glories of another world. At, and in, the glorious appearing of Christ, the blessed hope of Christians will be complete: To bring us to holiness and happiness was the end of Christ's death. Jesus Christ, that great God and our Saviour, who saves not only as God, much less as Man alone; but as God-man, two natures in one person. He loved us, and gave himself for us; and what can we do less than love and give up ourselves to him! Redemption from sin and sanctification of the nature go together, and make a peculiar people unto God, free from guilt and condemnation, and purified by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is profitable. Here is what will furnish for all parts of duty, and the right discharge of them. Let us inquire whether our whole dependence is placed upon that grace which saves the lost, pardons the guilty, and sanctifies the unclean. And the further we are removed from boasting of fancied good works, or trusting in them, so that we glory in Christ alone, the more zealous shall we be to abound in real good works.



Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

That's a curious commentary Henry has written. The people about whom and to whom Paul was writing were people who were already saved and the word "gospel" is nowhere to be found in the Titus 2 text. While I agree the gospel is "for" all "ranks and conditions of men," that is not what the Titus 2 portion quoted states. In point of fact the "us" and "we" of the passage is a very small and selected (elect) portion of people. Salvation was brought to all men, but not all men are saved. Furthermore, while it is true the gospel teaches "us" to forsake sin, the very same gospel that is the power of God that brings salvation (Rom. 1:16) is also the exact same standard by which many more will be sentenced to destruction (Gal. 6:8).

 

[Red Baker]

The Gospel~so little is truly preached today that resembles the gospel preached by Paul and the other apostles.

What is the gospel that Paul preached and defended and the other gospel that he pronounced a curse upon?

First, and we will be short with our first post~the gospel Paul warned the churches of Galatia against is a gospel that is work based, a gospel whereby man has an active part in, be it ever so little, yet if any works are included in a man's preaching as far as being saved from sin and condemnation, then that man is preaching another gospel, other than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Salvation from sin and condemnation of God's law is of pure grace through the faith and obedience of ONE~Jesus Christ. Folks are fallen from grace, or the doctrine thereof, if they add even one work on man's part of being born again. Such preachers make void the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Galatians 2:21~"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." If righteousness, comes by the law~meaning any and all works man has a active part in, then Christ's life, death, and resurrection becomes meaningless~but, the truth is, God's imputed righteousness is all of grace without ANY work on man's part, since man is unable to render unto God. The law of God demands perfection before it can declare a man justified.

Only on the behalf of Christ's perfect faith and obedience does God imputes his righteousness unto a person, if first chosen in Christ and given to him to redeem. Romans 3: 21-24~"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"

The gospel of Christ when faithfully preached reveals God's righteousness is freely imputeth on his elect for whom Christ stood as their surety before the law of God. The elect's salvation from the curse of the law basically was finished before the foundation of the world as far as God's eternal purposes were concerned in reference to Christ and his elect body. Ephesians 1:3-10; 2nd Timothy 1:9; etc.

If one truly desires to preach the pure gospel of Jesus Christ that person must start with Galatians 2:16, just where Paul started.

We will come back and begin with that one scripture which is the gospel in a nutshell. It is not John 3:16, but Galatians 2:16!

 

[Josheb]

The Gospel~so little is truly preached today that resembles the gospel preached by Paul and the other apostles.........................

I am a bit alarmed by this statement and the content that followed because 1) the statement indicts the majority for not teaching an accurate gospel and then 2) the post proceeds to preach an inaccurate gospel!!!!!

Post #3 leaves out at least three of the most fundamental necessities of the gospel! Most of it rags on the Church! It also teaches something incorrectly because Galatians 2:16 is NOT "the gospel in a nutshell." I am encouraged to read the gospel is not John 3:16, but it's not Galatians 2:16, either. If there were a single statement nutshelling the gospel then it would be 2 Timothy 9-10...

2 Timothy 1:8-11
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

The words for "good news" in Greek are akoe kalon, NOT euangelion. An evangelion, or gospel, is a very specific kind of good news. A gospel was the good news of a great victory, and usually a great victory involving death. A gospel would be announced when a general one a great victory (killing the enemy) or when a Caesar was deified (no longer having to live in the realm of hades).

The Gospel~so little is truly preached today that resembles the gospel preached by Paul and the other apostles.

Anyone who does not start with the victory inherent in the life, death and resurrection and (re-)enthronement of the Son of God has left out one of the most fundamental, foundational, and critically necessary aspects of the gospel.

If one truly desires to preach the pure gospel of Jesus Christ that person must start with Galatians 2:16, just where Paul started.

Not a word of that sentence is true because Galatians 2:16 states nothing about the work by which Galatians 2:16 is accomplished.

We will come back and begin with that one scripture which is the gospel in a nutshell. It is not John 3:16, but Galatians 2:16!

And if you start with Galatians 2:16 I'll probably refute the post because Galatians says nothing about the victory of Christ, and nothing specifically about....


GRACE


This op is specifically about the "doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel." There's only one sentence of yours in Post 3 that mentions grace.

Salvation from sin and condemnation of God's law is of pure grace through the faith and obedience of ONE~Jesus Christ.

I trust the absence of grace-relevant content was not intentional and not intended as a forerunner to hijacking Jillo's op.


I encourage everyone to look up the word "grace" (Gk.: charis) in the New Testament. It is often conjugated as an action word, a deliberate action of power by God. One such action is the incarnation. Another is Calvary. Neither had anything to do with us - other than the sin from which He was saving us without our knowledge.