The Product of Grace

A good campfire begins with a spark. That spark creates a small flame. If you work with it, that small flame can be coaxed into a roaring fire that will warm cold bodies and light up the night.

In my latest read-through of the pastoral epistles, a passage in Titus grabbed me by the shoulders and demanded my attention. I can’t say how many times I’ve read it, but this time I was struck by how well it speaks to our generation.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the 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 wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)

The second sentence says “it teaches us.” What is “it”? The grace of God. So we can write it: “[The grace of God] teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age....”

Is this passage teaching that we earn our salvation? Not at all! Later in Titus, he will say God saved us “not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (3:5). The same author has said, “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9).

But this grace transforms us and teaches us how to live. It teaches us to “live self-controlled, upright and godly lives” because Jesus, who gave himself for us, wants a people “eager to do what is good.”

This speaks to our day’s easy-believism. In parts of the Bible belt, it has been all too common to act like walking the aisle, praying a “sinners prayer,” or even just signing a commitment card is all you need. You’ve got your fire insurance; now you can live your life however you please. But Jesus gave himself to create people who are “purified,” people who live differently because of what he did for them.

This should reinvigorate our discipleship. It’s not legalism to teach people how God wants them to live; it is by the grace of God that we teach them. New believers must be taught that God expects them to follow Jesus because “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Eph 2:10).

This also speaks to the supposed conflict between James and Paul. When we are saved by grace through faith, the grace of God is effective, bringing forth good works. James was right to be appalled by someone who “claims to have faith but has no deeds” (2:14) because Jesus was creating a people “eager to do what is good” by teaching us to live “self-controlled, upright and godly lives.”

God is not content with a small flame. The grace of God in Christ Jesus is a spark he intends to fan into a roaring fire. With this fire he shines his light into the world and warms those around us.


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