God is the ultimate philanthropist, because the the ultimate act of philanthropy is not just giving money away, but giving your life away. It's one thing to give somebody something; it's another thing to love somebody and give them your life. His kindness and his love appeared. The word "epiphany" it's a reference to the incarnation. He he loved us and he appeared.
He came to give his life. That's how generous he was. An unforgettable event occurred in the lives of three graduating seniors from Azusa Pacific University, a Christian school college in Southern California. A pastor and his wife had been invited to a special reception. The pastor would write about it a little later on.
John Wallace, the university president, had invited three graduating seniors to attend this reception. These particular students had signed on to spend the following two years overseas in India, serving among the Untouchables. The students assumed that they had been invited to the reception to be blessed and encouraged and prayed over, and they would be. But then something happened that they did not know was coming. Doctor Wallace, at some point in this reception, turned to them and said, "I have some news for you.
There's somebody you don't know, but they've appreciated your plan to." To go to India for the next two years, and so they have given a gift to the school, in your name and your behalf. Then he turned to the first graduating senior and said, "On behalf of this donor, you are forgiven your one hundred and five thousand dollar debt to this institution." That student immediately began to weep. He turned to the second student and said, "And you are forgiven your debt of seventy thousand dollars to this university." And to the third student, he said, "And you are forgiven your debt of one hundred and thirty thousand dollars to this university." The pastor writes that everyone in the room by now was weeping, especially these students who had no idea this was coming. The author writes, "They were ambushed by grace." Blown away that someone they didn't even know would pay off their debt. I like the way he wrote that.
Ambushed by grace. That's the theme of our text today. Ambushed by the grace, the love, the kindness of God.
Now, by the way, the only difference, of course, would be that we didn't sign up for two years in India to become the benefactors of His goodness, did we? We didn't deserve it in any way, shape, or. But the truth remains: the more we learn about our redemption in Christ, the more we are blown away by His grace. The more dumbfounded we become by the goodness of God.
Now, in our last few sessions, we have been expounding on these remarkable Christians living on the island of Crete; these descendants of pirates in the first century. We have also been exploring what it means to be a remarkable Christian in the 21st century.
So let me invite you again to Titus and Chapter Three, where Paul reveals that we, pirates and rebels at heart, are we are actually nothing more than the benefactors of a remarkable gift. We have been ambushed by goodness and grace. Let's pick it up where we left off at verse four. But when the kindness of God, our Savior, and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us. Not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace, we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
That's one sentence. I'm convinced the apostle Paul was always running out of ink, and parchment. This is one long, uninterrupted sentence, and I want to deal with the entire sentence in our study today.
Now, let me remind you that it began with that little. Contrastive conjunction. We just briefly looked at it because we got through all of the the sewage of our depravity, and I wanted us to end with with this thought. But let's go back there. This little contrastive conjunction, but one of my favorite words in the English Bible because it changes everything.
In fact, back up to the last part of verse two. Remember this: for we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But, in other words, in spite of everything that we were and struggle with today, something happened. That little word, but, that that tells us everything is about to change dramatically, remarkably. In fact, if you're listening to someone talk, you know that whatever they say after that little word matters quite a bit, doesn't it?
I mean, how many. Applicants to a job have heard the company representative say, "Well, you know your resume really looks good, and I like your experience, but how about a real estate agent who said the buyer really likes your house, believes it's worth every penny you're asking, but how many of you guys have heard a girl say, 'I like you, and I think you're really nice and all, but'?" None of you guys, I'm sure, forget what came in front of that conjunction, and really pay attention to what comes after. Charles Hughes served as Secretary of State in 1921 under President Harding, and later as a justice on the Supreme Court benches. As Secretary of State, he once attended a Pan-American conference where he would have to depend entirely upon the translator. Because these men would be speaking in Spanish and Portuguese, he told his translator this, and I quote: "Listen, while a running translation is important to me, what I really want is for you to give me every word after the speaker says 'but,' because that will probably change everything." That's the idea here.
We have nothing to offer God. Paul ran us through the list, nothing but sin. But there's something that changes everything. And verse four opens with the fact that we happen to have a remarkable redeemer. Would you notice?
But when the kindness of God, our Savior, and His love appeared, He saved us. But what Paul does is make special note of several key words. This word kindness is one of them. It's the only word, or it's a word only used by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. It refers to the goodness of God, and it has the the feeling of generosity.
He's kind, and he doesn't hold back. He's kind, and in his kindness, he is. He's generous. Think of it in in terms of of generosity.
So it's not a surprise that the very next noun would follow here in the text. Not only is the goodness of God remarkable and generous, but His love is overwhelming. He doesn't hold back. The kindness of God, our Savior, and His love. For mankind, the word for love is a compound word combining filia or love and anthropos.
We talk about anthropology, the study of man and man. This is the love for mankind. Philanthropia is the Greek word. In fact, it gives us our transliterated word philanthropy. Mankind has always been impressed.
By philanthropy, and we certainly ought to be. These are acts of of generosity, of of kindness toward mankind. I've got something that I could keep, but I'm going to give it away to somebody who might need it more. In fact, this idea. Of philanthropy was considered by the Greeks in Paul's day.
It was one of those highly valued virtues. In fact, it was considered one of the highest virtues any person could ever demonstrate to anybody else. I could keep this, but I'm going to give it to you. They they understood that that emanated from. From the character of a higher being, they called it the highest virtue of their gods, and so it is indeed a high virtue.
Perhaps you've read in the news about the recent pact made by several billionaires to give away half of their fortune. I read that Bill Gates. I did a little research into this, and certainly found it to be true. He's promised to give away half his fortune. He's going to give away some thirty billion.
Dollars, and with the remaining thirty billion, eke out an existence. I'm not sure he'll be able to do that, but I'm sure he'll be able to.
Well, frankly, I'm cynical, but actually admire that. I think it's wonderful. He could keep that thirty billion, and just give it to a slew of heirs. Whether he knows it or not, he's actually reflecting the virtue of God. God is the ultimate philanthropist.
In fact, it's even deeper, because the the ultimate act of philanthropy is not just giving money away, but giving your life away. Right? It's one thing to give somebody something. It's another thing to to love somebody and give them your life. His kindness and his love appeared.
The word "epiphany" it's a reference to the incarnation. He he loved us and he appeared. He came to give his life. That's how generous he was with this ultimate act of philanthropy. John Phillips writes about an incident in his commentary through Ephesians when he visited a friend of his.
This man's daughter was an alcoholic, and Phillips writes, "I was visiting in his home one day when she was delivered to the door." She had drunk almost an entire bottle of whiskey. Her temper was flaming and abusive. Her face was flushed. Her manner, beligerent. Her actions, violent.
I, I happened to look up at the picture of the young, unspoiled girl that still hung on the wall of this man's home, and I pitied the poor girl with all my heart for the terrible shipwreck she had made of her life, and for her slavery to such a cruel and relentless tyrant. Yet I watched as her father took her gently by the arm, ignoring her abusive language. He steered her unsteady footsteps outside to his car. He carefully settled her in, his face drawn and his eyes filled with pain. He patiently strapped her into the seatbelt and then.
Drove her home and put her into bed. John Phillips wrote, "I pitied her. He loved her. Multiply that young woman's slavery and wretchedness and abusiveness by ten thousand, and the love of that father by infinity, and you have." The generous kindness and love of our Redeemer, who did not just pity us from galaxies away, he appeared. He came and he pitched his tent in the sewer right alongside us, so that he could die, giving us the ultimate gift of philanthropy.
To atone for our sin, past, present, and future, He ambushed us by His goodness and grace. We happen to have a remarkable Redeemer. Amen. Secondly, we have been given a remarkable redemption. I mean, listen.
How do you ever pay your way out of the sewer? How are you ever going to come out with enough to buy yourself out of the the slave market of sin and the dominion of of darkness?
Well, Paul clarifies for us the answer in the next phrase. Notice, verse five, as he writes, "He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy." In the original New Testament language, the words "not on the basis of deeds" appears first in the sentence to show the emphasis of his statement. Literally, "not from works," he saved us, which means genuine, true biblical salvation is not only freely given, but then it would lead us. To reflect back to him gratitude for he alone has given it. We had nothing to offer, not from our works of righteousness.
That is not the best thing you've ever done. No, none of that. You see, for by grace you have been saved through faith, not of yourselves. It is the what. Gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should what boast.
Why say that? Because that's exactly what we would do. Lest any of us should boast, if we could sew one stitch of righteousness into our garments of splendor, which we will one day wear, we would spend all of eternity admiring that one stitch. Beautiful robe, huh? Look at that.
See this? I, I did that. Think about the gospel. In its biblical sense, and discard the empty religion of fig leaves that you try to sew together to make yourself presentable. Think about what you do with your young children.
Some of you are right in the middle of it.
Some of you can just sit there and smile because you're past it. But you remember how it was the day comes to an end, and you say, "Okay, kids, you know it's time to clean up the playroom. Get all your toys and bring them over here and put them in the toy box. No, don't throw them from that side of the room. Bring them all the way over here and put them carefully in here." Go pick up all the Cheerios you stacked up there in the foyer, and and you get all the Legos off the stairway that you built, you know, some some monument of of ingenuity, and take your tricycle off the piano bench.
And I don't know; those memories are still there. But you know, let's go, kids. You you know you know they're not going to be able to get it done perfectly, but you want them to make the effort. And you know full well that when you finally tuck them into bed, you're going to go back through the house and take care of everything they didn't do. A lot of people think that's how salvation works.
That God says, "Look, you do. I want to see you make an effort here. You give it your best shot. And since I know you can't do it perfectly, whatever you leave undone, I'll take care of." It's not the gospel. Paul writes, "Apart from works, he saved us." The reason you put your toys away is not so you'll be saved, but because you have been, and you want to present a kind of testimony of gratitude that would cause others to look at your Lord and take note.
See, remarkable Christianity, which happens to be the genuine item, delivers the truth of this remarkable redemption. It's paid in full by Jesus Christ Himself, with no help from us. No help from us. In fact, Paul adds at the end of this phrase. It's like he wants to make sure we have no loophole around this thing.
He adds, "According to his mercy, he saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, the best things we could do, but according to his mercy." Paul writes the same progression to the Ephesian church. He says, "Among them, we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, there it is again, but God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us." Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ by grace. You have been saved. That's how He saved us.
There's no scale in heaven, and the and hopefully the good will outweigh the bad, and God will say, "Well, I'll just take care of the things you couldn't do. I see everything you've done. Come on in." I can't begin to tell you how thrilling it is to clarify the gospel, certainly from this pulpit, but in individual meetings. And just this past week, to meet with a couple in their mid to late sixties and attending our Green House class, have been coming since this past Christmas. Sweet, he said to me as we met in my office.
He said, "You know, I wasn't raised in a church that talked about the gospel, and certainly never used the word 'saved.'" He said, "But I hear that a lot around here." And he said, "It's piqued my interest." He said, "I've been going back through the New Testament, and he says I'm seeing that word 'saved' all over the place." I explained to him what the word meant and the gospel, how Christ alone would redeem us. We had to be saved from outside ourselves, like a man drowning in the ocean. He has to have somebody swim out to him and save him. Because he can't save himself, and he bowed his head and prayed in his own words, "Lord Jesus, I am asking you right now to save me." Sixty-eight years old. To reflect, Christianity does not give any of us room to gloat, but God has given us all of eternity to be grateful.
We have been ambushed by goodness and grace. We have a remarkable Redeemer. Secondly, we have been given a remarkable redemption. Thirdly, we are under a remarkable reconstruction. Notice the middle part of verse five: by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that being justified by His grace.
And He continues on. Let's stop here and just unpack that particular part of His sentence: by the washing of Regeneration. There are those who would say that the ordinance of baptism saves, or it's sort of like the last thing. You're not really saved until you do that. They've spilled a lot of ink over the fact that you you can't become a Christian until you've been baptized.
That our sister Erin was not completely saved; it wasn't really fully ratified until she was, as my son said, dunked under the water.
Well, all you have to do is read the phrase and notice the agent doing the baptizing. Would you notice that by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the college pastor? Oh, wait. Maybe it ought to say the senior pastor. No, not even close.
Who's doing the action? Who's doing the baptizing? The Holy Spirit. He's the agent. Which means this is a reference to an internal spiritual cleansing of the heart, pictured externally after the fact by water, water baptism.
In fact, I'll take for a moment the argument of those who believe in baptismal regeneration—that is, that. You got to be baptized to be saved, and I'll take one portion of their argument, which I agree with. That in the mind of the apostles and in the early church, there was no such thing as a non-baptized believer. One followed the other. I mean, they couldn't even conceive of such a thing.
Why would anybody follow Jesus Christ and not want to identify through the ordinance he instituted, which pictures identification with his death, burial. And resurrection.
Somebody says, "Well, you know, I get nervous in front of people. I understand that. I don't like public speaking. I understand that. I don't want to be seen, you know, with my hair all wet, you know, by a thousand people.
Okay, I understand that. What if what if water gets up my, you know, my nose or something? What if they forget to bring me back up? Listen, the physical demonstration of of washing, which illustrates the internal." Act of cleansing is wonderful, but let's not back the physical into the spiritual and redefine regeneration. Because if we do, we have added something we do for God in order to be saved, and we were just told it isn't anything we could do—not the best thing we could do—saves us.
In fact, if you have to be baptized in order to be saved, you're actually going to have to depend on somebody to baptize you, which means now you're depending on another human being. What if he doesn't show up? The word Paul uses here for washing is not baptizo, baptism, which means to immerse, but lutron. It's a reference to a bath. A spiritual internal bath, and we use it for an external bath—the kind you take on Saturday night, whether you need it or not.
Right? That's how vile we are. We don't need a little washing. We don't need them to take our heart and just maybe spot clean here and there. We need the entire thing entirely cleansed, bathed.
That's how vile and sinful we are. The Holy Spirit gave us the whole bath. The idea here, the other, in fact, the only other time this word washing appears in the New Testament, the only other time, is by the Apostle Paul when he refers to the bathing of the water of the Word. See, we don't need the Bible to just spot clean us. We we need a a total reconstruction.
And this is the spiritual truth of a deep cleansing, and the Holy Spirit is the agent who is effectively, by means of the truth of the Word, hosing us down.
