Transformed by Grace

Transformed Lives Validate The Gospel

Posted on by Mike Lacaze

This morning, we are in a sermon series called “Transformed by Grace.”

Today our guest preacher, Steve Davidson, has titled today’s message “Transformed Lives Validate the Gospel.”

Titus 1:5 (CSB)

The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town.

Titus 2:1–10 (CSB)

But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching. 2 Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance. 3 In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered. 6 In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled 7 in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. 8 Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that any opponent will be ashamed, because he doesn’t have anything bad to say about us. 9 Slaves are to submit to their masters in everything, and to be well-pleasing, not talking back 10 or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

1. Your Transformed Life Validates the Gospel

… so that God’s word will not be slandered. (v 5)
… so that any opponent will be ashamed, because he doesn’t have anything bad to say about us. (v 8)
… so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything. (v 10)

2. Focus Your Efforts on Changing You, Not on Changing Others

    • Older men … (v 2)
    • older women … (v 3)
    • young women … (v 3) 
    • young men … (v 6)
    • Slaves … (v 9)
2 Timothy 2:24–25 (NIV)

The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,

Transformed Lives Make the Best Life Mentors

… older women … are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women … (vs 3-4)

… Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. (v 7)

“The proper way to fix the world isn’t to fix the world.  There’s no reason to assume that you’re even up to such a task. But you can fix yourself. You’ll do no one harm by doing so, and in that manner at least, You will make the world a better place.”

3. A Gospel-Transformed Life Is Opposed to Earning, Not to Effort

Proclaim things consistent with sound teaching. (v 1)

Teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. (NIV)

Ephesians 2:8–9

You are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. 

“The truth of God’s grace is that we never merit the good that is done to us. Grace is opposed to earning, but it is not opposed to effort, because effort is action and earning is attitude. That point is important. You cannot do justice to the teachings of Scripture unless you understand that if you do not rise and go after God’s blessing, God will rarely just give it to you.” – Dallas Willard

1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)

By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.