Gracious and Glorious Appearings

Titus 2:11-15 consists of two "appearings' that train us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly lusts. They also train us to live soberly in self-control, righteously toward others, and godly in this present age.

1. The grace of God appeared in the past.

2. The glory of God is the coming appearing we are looking forward to. In the Greek original, grace and glory (ious) are both nouns. In some English versions, glorious is translated as an adjective describing "appearing" of our God and Savior.

   1. Discussion: How does that past appearance of God's grace on the cross train us to say "no" to sinning? When you trusted Christ as Savior, you experienced the undeserved favor of God's grace as well. How does meditation on that "spiritual epiphany" lead us to live for God? Remember "appearing" is from "epiphany"-a startling, magnificent, life-changing manifestation, appearance, observation, experience, and light-bulb moment. How has an experience of sustaining grace in your past taught you to live for God and to stop sinning?

3. The grace of God is training us (on how to live in this age) simultaneously while we are looking for that blessed hope of the appearing of Christ in all His glory at His second coming.

   1. Discussion: What is exciting and anticipatory about seeing our God and Savior's glory? How is His grace and glory so directly connected to us being trained to live right?

   2. Grace trains us to live and being known for sober self-control. Sober-minded has to do with seeing self and life from God's perspective. What about grace causes us to be humble and reasonable about who we are and what we have accomplished for God and others? What are the wrong views of God's grace that lead to lives of ungodliness and worldly lusts?

   3. God's glory will be manifested soon in His appearing. This trains us to live righteously, justly and fairly in our treatment and relationships with others. How does Christ's second coming motivate you to do right by others, especially lost people?

God's grace and glory train us to live godly, which is living in light of God's reality, presence, power, and ways; living mindful of our relationship with Him. Let's pray for lives motivated and trained by godliness rather than by empty religion and it's man-made rules.