David P. Kautt
Sunday Morning, February 14, 2010
Titus 3:3-7: “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient,Today is February the 14th – Valentine's Day – as we call it. And, since the subject of love is on our minds, I couldn't help but think that it would be most appropriate to open up with you and to you that marvelous subject of the love of God. Alongside the holiness of God and the glory and power of God, and the providential plan and purpose of God, perhaps the theme – the central message of this Book is that theme and message of God's love for those whom He has made...
deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy,
hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our
Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ
our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.”
What do you think of – what comes to your mind – when you meditate on the love of God? Poets and songwriters the world over have used some very beautiful and poetic-sounding words to describe the love of God. For example, hymn writer Frederick Lehman described God's love like this:
“The love of God is greater far than tongue of pen can ever tell,What do you think of when you begin to contemplate that grand theme – the Love of God? Beloved, I don't know where your thoughts lead you, as you consider this subject – but to me, it's interesting, and very helpful to note that the divinely-inspired writers of Scripture. Folks like the author of this passage, the apostle Paul, these Biblical writers often begin what they have to say about God's love, not with the beautiful, but with the ugly. The love of God, oh how we want to hear about it! Oh, how we love to read about it! But, look! Look at the love of God, first - against its backdrop! What is it that makes the love of God so beautiful, so meaningful?
it goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell;
the guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His son to win:
His erring child He reconciled and pardoned from his sin.
When years of time shall pass away and earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
when men, who here refuse to pray, on rocks and hills and mountains call,
God's love so sure shall still endure, all measureless and strong:
redeeming grace to Adam's race- the saints' and angels' song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made,
were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade,
to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry,
nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky.
O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure- the saints' and angels' song.”
One of the things that makes it so beautiful, so meaningful – so powerful – is to see it against its backdrop. Theological question for you and me to wrestle with for a moment, in light of Paul's words here in Titus 3, verses 3 and 4. When did the love of God our Saviour toward man appear?
Consider what the Holy Spirit is saying to us here through the apostle Paul in verses 3 and 4. He's saying that that focal point of our faith – the precious Cross, the saving sacrificial death of Christ, His love gift to us – right here, in these powerful and profound words of Scripture, the Holy Spirit is saying that the beauty and majesty of God's great love can only be fully and rightly understood against the ugly backdrop of our sin and hostility toward God! “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, HATEFUL, and HATING one another,...”
“Oh, if you only knew...” Have you ever thought those words? Ever said them out loud after someone complimented you or your family? “You're such a nice person – so sweet, so kind, so patient...” “Oh, if you only knew...” Listen, my friends, listen – God knows! There's nothing that you or I can hide from His all-seeing eyes! There's nothing about us that He doesn't know, yes, even better that we know! “If you only knew...” God knows! Yes, He does! But, listen – God knows, and yet, He loves! And, yet He loves! Talking about God's love in that way, brings up something else from this passage that we need to see about God's love – and that is the BECAUSE of God's love. Along the dark backdrop of the ugliness of our sin and the loveliness – the beauty – of God's love, stands another sharp contrast we must surely observe and understand. And that is the contrast underscored by this idea of the BECAUSE of God's love...
You know it, don't you? The word “because” - our English word “because” - implies yet another word. What is that other word? It's the word, “Why?” Why did God choose to love you and me? Lots of people buying lots of candy, and pretty flowers for people they love – why? You know why... because those people – the people who will receive the candy boxes and the bouquets - have loved them. In other words, the candy makers and flower shops are cashing in on this 2-way street thing. This, “I scratch your back, you scratch my back,” kind of thing we call 'love'! But, listen and look at the text – is the love of God toward folks like us, at it's heart and center, a two-way street thing? “But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, NOT by works of righteousness which we have done...” Not because WE had first scratched God's back – NO! But because of and in accordance with His mercy He saved us. In Ephesians 2, Paul says it like this, “For it is by grace that you have been saved, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God...” This beautiful theme – this mighty and majestic message – of the love of God, fundamentally at it's foundation, it is NOT a two-way street thing! No! It is all, I mean, ALL one way! It is according to HIS mercy – He withholds from us what we deserve! It is by means of His free grace – He freely and abundantly gives to us what we don't deserve and could never earn!
The love of God. So far we have looked at God's love against it's backdrop – that canvas splashed with the bleakness and blackness of our sin and it's degradation. And, we have considered the REASONS why - “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy...” Now, let's examine it's goal. What is the purpose, the outcome – the goal – of God's great love?
Before we explore this third aspect of God's great love, I want you to notice something with me here in the text. It may seem like a small thing – actually, in terms of words, in terms of letters it IS a small thing. Only two words, only nine letters. But, listen. When it comes to you and me, and everyone else who's ever lived, it is a HUGE thin. What am I talking about? Verse 4 – Look closely at this verse with me, and imagine what it would be like if this verse instead of reading as it does read, instead it read something like this? “But when the kindness and love of God appeared...” What's mission? From the way I just read verse 4, what's missing? Two words, 9 letters – the words toward man. Listen, my loved ones, when you and I set out to study this grandest of grand subjects – The Love of God – let's not overlook or neglect or forget those 2 words. The outcome, the purpose, the goal of God's great love – all of it is aimed and targeted toward you and me! Verse 5, number one – we were perishing. Like the disciples on the Sea of Galilee in that storm tossed boat, we were perishing. But, because of God's great love in Christ He saved us! He rescued us! Hallelujah! Number two – verse 5 also – we were dead! That's right! You heard me right! We were dead in our sins and trespasses! But, because of God's great love what did He do? He made us alive again! He regenerated us through the washing of rebirth (baptism) and He renewed us. Talking about OLD, talking about FEEBLE – there's nothing older and more feeble than a lost sinner! What was God's goal in pouring out His love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit? His goal was to make us new! New lives for old – that's what the outcome was!
Verse 7 – Why did God love us? How did God love us? Take a look at verse 7 and consider the awful fact that before God and apart from His love for you in Christ, you are guilty - you are condemned and sentenced to an eternity of punishment in hell. “Toward man” - only two words, only 9 short letters, the goal of God's great love toward guilty men and women and children like us is what? To justify us! To remove from us the accusation, the verdict, the sentence and the penalty of our sin and to replace all of that with the amazing and overwhelming gift of His righteousness.
The love of God – He gave it, He showed it – to save us when we were perishing, to make us new and alive – when we were dead, to justify us - when we were guilty and condemned, and then number 4 – notice the last half of verse 7 – what is the goal of God's love? Once again it is toward us – for us! I know they are Old Testament examples, but I'd like to point you to them right now. In the Old Testament we are introduced to two women, two Gentile women - who, according to the Sovereign plan of God, are included in the Nation of Israel and are utilized by Him to bring His Son into the world. I'm talking about the Canaanite harlot, Rahab, and the Moabite woman, Ruth. Listen, form an Israelite's perspective, those women were as far as far can be from being a part of God's people. They were – as Paul says in Ephesians chapter two - “Without hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12) Having no hope, estranged and separated from God in the world – MY name is Rahab, your name is Ruth. Listen, my friends, that bleak spiritual background and outlook is ours, except for one thing! Except for the great, great love of God!
When we were without hope, without God in the world – in His great love in Christ – God chose us, He chose to ADOPT us and include us, so that now - guess what? We are His heirs! We have inherited His greatest love gift of all, the hope of eternal life!
The love of God – I'm not an artist, and certainly not much of a poet – but God is. And on this most important of canvases, He has begun this marvelous masterpiece with the dark backdrop of our lives as He knows them – in all the blackness and ugliness of our sin – and on this canvas, He has highlighted HIS mercy over against OUR works, which ALWAYS fall short. And the fact that we were excluded, guilty, perishing – yes, my friends, the fact that we were dead – but also, the amazing, good news that He has chosen to justify, to regenerate, to adopt, and to save you and me...
Now, my friends, stop and think it through with me – this beautiful painting, this marvelous masterpiece painted so wondrously by God Himself - what's at the center of it? Whose face is in the foreground? In the center of this marvelous masterpiece we call the Love of God is the majestic face of our dear Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Read it again with me, would you please?
Titus 3:3-7: “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient,“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared...” When God determined it was times for His love and kindness toward man to be manifested fully and finally what did it look like? The Cross!
deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy,
hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our
Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ
our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.”
“Through Jesus Christ our Savior!”
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