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God's Grace Appeared and Saved and Trains
by Pastor Jeffrey Miskus
Text: Luke 2:8-14 and Titus 2:11-14
Titus 2:11 reads, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.”
Luke 2:8-14 tells us, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
God’s grace appeared to humanity 2000 years ago. God’s love appeared to us in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son. God’s love appeared as he took on our flesh and blood and dwelt among us.
1 John 1:1-2 reads, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”
Picture Mary, staring with wonder into the face of her baby boy. He has no human father. He was conceived in her womb by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Now he is born, and he lays in her arms. The Son of God has come from eternity into time. The Holy One of God, without sin, the pure, spotless lamb. What is left for us to do but worship in awe and wonder?
God’s grace appeared as he came from heaven to save us from our dreadful enemies of sin, death, and hell. God’s love appeared as He came to save our human race – a human race that was in complete rebellion from Him. Our sins had earned God’s righteous wrath and damnation. God sent us His Son to save us. THAT’S GRACE.
This is why the angels sing, “Glory to God in the highest!” The grace of God appears! God’s love becomes flesh and blood! The angels erupt in glorious praise at the revelation of God’s gracious heart. Notice only one angel came to the shepherds – but once he gave his message to them, heaven exploded with praise! The multitude of the heavenly host broke out in praise! And heaven simply couldn’t contain the worship, the joy, the absolute exaltation as God’s incredible grace burst into time. Heaven’s glorious worship spilled into the night sky, overwhelming the poor shepherds.
When we received that grace from God in our baptisms, the same thing happened to us. We were born again to a new and living hope – we became a holy priesthood, and we exploded with worship and love for God, proclaiming the glorious deeds of our God who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We became a new creation able to offer our lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God through Christ. We became good trees able to produce good fruit because we were united with Christ in His resurrected life lived for God. Glory to God in the highest for making sinners like us into Spirit-filled saints and a holy priesthood!
However, God’s grace doesn’t merely save us from our enemies. God’s grace teaches and trains us…
Titus 2:11-12 tells us, “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.”
God’s love trains us…To renounce ungodliness and worldly passions… This training is a process that continues throughout our lives. God’s grace teaches us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions. God’s grace teaches us to renounce whatever is ‘unlike’ God in our lives. God’s grace trains us to renounce what the world loves.
God’s grace has made us His children. We are to be like Him. Lies and hatred are ungodly. Lust and sex outside of a man/woman marriage are ungodly. Coveting and greed are worldly passions. God’s love is actively training us to renounce these things. Worldly passions are all about self. They lead to a life that is praised by the world but despised by God.
Notice the word "renounce." It means to reject, abandon, repudiate, relinquish, and disavow. God’s grace teaches us to renounce worldly passions… it trains us to desire to please God and put His kingdom and His righteousness first in our lives.
The child born in the manger came not for himself but to save you. He came to use his power to save, serve, heal, and feed others. He lived not for his own glory but for God’s glory. The child in the manger could have had all the wealth in the world, but instead chose to grow up as a carpenter, work for his support, and give everything to others. He came to give his very life on a cross to pay for all the times when we lived ungodly lives and gave into our worldly passions.
The child in the manger calls us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow him. God’s grace trains us to be like Him. This is the repentance that Jesus calls us to practice every day. The life of repentance is a "living out of Christmas" every day. It’s what we call “Living our baptized life in Christ.”
Titus 2:11-12 tells us, “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."
The resurrection side of the grace of God is that it trains us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. A godly life is one that looks like God. It loves as God loves, forgives as God forgives, and has mercy on others as God has had mercy upon us. Jesus loved his enemies and prayed for them. Jesus loved what God loved.
Here are some gift suggestions for this Christmas… forgive others as you have been forgiven… love someone who doesn’t deserve your love… have mercy on the needy in your life. Seek to be compassionate and patient with others as God is with you each day. Strive to live a self-controlled and righteous life – which is nothing less than a life lived trusting that we are united with God, we are not our own, we are His, and we serve Him.
God came from heaven in Jesus and made us His own, to live with Him in His Kingdom and serve Him. That child in the manger fits you for God’s presence. That child in the manger unites you with God. That child in the manger fills you with God’s Holy Spirit. That child in the manger is your King, your Lord, and your Savior. God’s grace teaches and trains us to live like He is all those things.
Titus 2:11-14 tells us, “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.”
God’s grace trains us to wait for Jesus to come again to restore paradise. Until then, God’s grace teaches us to be passionate, zealous, and excited to do that which pleases him. We’ve been redeemed from lawlessness. We are God’s own people – His treasured possession. We have been purified by Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for us. Live your Baptized life in Christ and you will be living Christmas every day.
Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Jeffrey Miskus
Rev. Jeffrey Miskus
Bishop and President
English District LCMS
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
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