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The Cross Transformed by Grace PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

Titus 2:11-14
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For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, 12 training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, 13 awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Summary and Function

Summary: We are saved by God’s grace. God offers this grace to everyone. All we have to do is receive it. Once we receive it, we are forgiven of sins and have a restored love relationship with God. As we walk with God, God’s grace will change us and make us more like Christ. We’ll find ourselves sinning less and less while becoming more and more holy.

So, what is this grace? It is God’s undeserved love for us. This love is mediated to us by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:5) So, we are saved by God’s love that is made known to us by the Holy Spirit.

All this was made possible by the life, death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. He paid the penalty for our sins and this made it possible for us to receive God’s forgiveness and love. It was God’s undeserved love for us that motivated Jesus to die on our behalf.  When Jesus rose from the dead, he proved he was God in the flesh and was able to be the only necessary sacrifice for our sins.

In this way, God transformed the cross from being an instrument of death to a symbol of hope. We have hope in our eternal salvation, the transformation of our characters and the imminent return of Christ. Lets pin our hopes on the cross.

Purpose: To encourage people to accept God’s grace and look to the cross for their hope.   

The Sermon

 

I. Introduction: Examples of grace

1.  You’re speeding and a police officer stops you. Instead of giving you a ticket, the
officer lets you off with a warning. This is an example of grace
  • You did nothing to deserve getting off with a warning.
  • All you have to do is accept it.

2. You receive presents on Christmas and birthdays

  • You did nothing to deserve presents
  • All you have to do is accept them
3. I give you $100.00 for no apparent reason. I love you and simply want to bless
you.
  • You did nothing to earn the money
  • All you have to do is accept the money
4. All of these are wonderful examples of grace. God’s grace, however, is infinitely
better. We are saved by God’s grace.
  • We did nothing to earn God’s grace and be saved
  • All we have to do is accept it in faith
  • Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God -- not because of works, lest any man should boast.”

II. God’s grace: What is it? What does it do? How is this free offer of grace possible?

1. What is it?

  • God’s undeserved love for us. This love is mediated to us by the Holy Spirit
  • Romans 5:5 – “… hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.”
  • So, we are saved by God’s undeserved love that is made known to us by the Holy Spirit. We don’t earn this love, we simply accept it.

2. What does it do?

  • Answer found in Titus 2:11-13
  • Titus 2:11: Grace brings salvation which means forgiveness of sins
  • Titus 2:12-13: Grace changes and enables us to live Godly lives characterized by love. YOU ACCEPT THIS GRACE ONLY IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE AND TURN FROM SIN.

3. How is this free offer of grace possible?

  • Although we don’t pay the price for this grace, someone has to. That someone is Jesus Christ.
  • Jesus died on the cross as the necessary sacrifice for our sins. He paid the penalty for our sins.
  • When Jesus rose from the dead, he proved he was God in the flesh and able to pay the penalty for our sins.
  • With the penalty for our sins paid for, we can receive God’s love and forgiveness (God’s grace). This restores our relationship with God.
  • In this way, God transformed the cross from an instrument of death to a symbol of hope

III. Because Jesus died on the cross and then rose from the dead, we can have hope

1. Hope in eternal life

2. Hope in a transformed life

3. Hope in the imminent return of Christ

IV. Conclusion

1. During communion, we’ll place flowers on the cross to symbolize how God
transformed it into a symbol of hope.
2. As you receive communion, continue to accept God’s grace and continue to be
transformed into the person God created you to be.

 

As we partake of communion, receive God’s grace
 
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