Grace Can Teach
Category: Grace
Key Passage: Titus 2
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 2, 2025
Titus, chapter number two, if you would please. Chapter number two. He asked me one time something like this: “Now, if I’m putting it down, please don’t get on to me. I’m at fault. God gave me a song, I’m putting it down because you lose it.” And I kind of get that. I know for sermons, I’ll say, “Well, I’ll remember that later on,” and I don’t. So he’s just putting it down real quickly. If you see him on his phone, we think he’s writing a song, but he’s really on eBay ordering something.
Titus chapter 2. The first Sunday of the month this year, we have been going to the subject of grace. Our theme this year is “By Grace.” I want you to work at memorizing that verse; it’s 2 Corinthians 8:9. Tell you what, once you find Titus, put a finger in there—don’t cut it off, just put it in there, all right?
Put your finger in there, and then go over to 2nd Corinthians 8:9, and we’ll say that together, if you would. I want to get that verse memorized. It’s a great verse, and it’s kind of my theme for this year—that verse, in many ways, is the best one-verse definition of the subject of grace in all the Bible. Have you got 2nd Corinthians 8:9? You got that one?
Good deal. Let’s read that one out loud together, then we’ll get to our text here in a minute. Second Corinthians 8:9, here we go: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” Good, good. Anybody standing to quote right now?
You can, but you don’t want to. Mr. Jennifer could do it. We’ll put it off some other time. Now, I appreciate you being willing to do it. I appreciate that. Help me out. We gave a definition for grace: G-R-A-C-E. Here we go. Say it out loud if you know it: “God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” It’s a great definition for it. Some of you use “unmerited favor.” It’s a good one, but “God’s riches at Christ’s expense” is for grace.
Now, here we’re getting a little different angle on grace. We’ve touched on it this year, but we’ve not really talked much about it from Titus. The book of Titus is a short book, just three chapters. Paul calls Titus in the beginning of this book, “Mine own son in the common faith.” We think about Timothy a lot, but Paul really emphasizes his personal dealings with Titus, “mine own son in the common faith.” Paul probably led him to the Lord and whatnot. There was this island of Crete—a pretty good-sized island. It is bigger than our smaller states, but smaller than, of course, Texas and whatnot. I don’t know how it compares to Tennessee, but it’s an island. It looks like there were a lot of smaller churches there, and they were out of order. Paul put Titus there to put those churches in order. Much of the book is about Titus getting some things right. Apparently, they had things going on in that day and time that we have going on in our day and time about this subject of grace.
All right. Some when they hear the subject of grace, they think, “Well, you know, we’re not under the law, we’re under grace, so I can go curse if I really want to, drink, smoke, curse, watch bad movies, poke my spouse in the eyeballs when they need it, and be disrespectful of them.” And of course, they’ll go hit back, and as long as you duck quick, you’re good on that one there. They just kind of get this idea that grace means you can do whatever you want to because we’re under grace. Titus, through the inspiration of God, is getting this thing right about this subject of grace. We want to deal with that. I don’t want to say everything we’ve preached is obsolete about grace; every bit of that’s been perfect, been right, biblical.
But there’s a different angle. I’ll try to blend those two a little bit this morning. I would think it will be one of those mornings where you’re going to have to pay attention a little bit more on purpose than typical. So I’d ask that you do that as we try to dive into the subject of grace. Does it mean I can just, as Romans said, “Continue in sin that grace may abound?” I’m going to try to cover that subject a little bit this morning. Would you please stand if you are able to?
As we read God’s Word, we do it just trying to honor the Bible. It is worthy of it. They did that in the book of Nehemiah, and he exalted His Word above all his name. So we want to exalt the Bible, God’s Word, for sure. Titus 2. We’re going to start in verse number 11. If you’re there, would you say amen? Good deal. Here we go. He says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to…” What’s the next two words? Now, these folks that say God’s picked someone to go to heaven, some to go to hell—no, no. The Bible says right there, “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” You put that verse up, and it’ll blow their formula, friend. Now everybody has a chance to get saved. It’s not that you can’t get saved; it’s that you won’t get saved. But God, in his foreknowledge, does know the choice that they’re going to make. God doesn’t make it for them. It’s appeared to all men. I just had to point that out. That was sermon number one, the free one right now.
Look at verse number 12. The subject is grace. Watch what he says about grace, verse number 12: “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Would you pray with me that God would speak to hearts about this subject of grace again this morning? Would you do that? Father, we come to you. Lord, help me to rightly divide your word. Lord, I pray if we’ve been taught wrong or shown wrong, that you would make very clear what you teach us about grace. Thank you for it, Lord. Without your grace, I’d be doomed. Thank you for it, Lord. But it happens to be grown and mature by your grace. Lord, thank you for what you do. Father, we ask this in the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
Well, we’ll start off this way. There’s a church in our area—it’s not a church anymore, unfortunately—but on their sign out front: “No rules, all grace.” Now just think about that. In fact, if there were no rules, that’s a Tennessee way of saying “rules,” all right? If there were no rules, I would not need grace because there are no rules. You see how the mindset of our day and time about this subject of grace just leads us to believe I can be a very worldly Christian. I don’t have to strive to be a better Christian. I can just kind of have an “anything goes” type Christianity under grace.
Y’all with me out there? Y’all know what I’m talking about? You understand where I’m coming down? I need to dwell on that longer. It’s just kind of a little bit of a philosophy in our day and time: when it comes to grace, well, you just do whatever you want to, and since we’re under grace, everything’s all right. In fact, it’s a sad thing, but sometimes—not all the time—but sometimes grace preachers, of course, they’re married, and I’ve seen them act so flirtatious with the opposite sex, and I think, wait a second. It is a sad thing; so many have fallen. Just very loose Christianity is what I’m talking about. And a sad thing is, in loose Christianity, no one ever really grows to maturity, which God wants us to be mature, full-grown Christians.
Sin wrecks havoc. Sin is like sandpaper on wood; it’s just always kind of rubbing against the good, solid Christian, and it just kind of wears them down. If I just tolerate that in my life and everything goes, it just kind of brings me down to a very weak Christian. It’s a sad thing. So for just a bit, let’s look at this thing here. I think you kind of get what I’m talking about there. But I want you to look back at verse number 12. We know the subject is grace, the grace of God.
And then verse number 12, what’s the first word of verse number 12? Would you say that out loud? Here we go: “Teaching.” Grace is a teacher. Very fitting on graduate Sunday. Well, the graduates say, “I don’t want to hear anything about a teacher right now. I’m getting a break right now,” you know. But grace teaches us. It’s a teacher. It’s seeking to put something in us. Yes, yes, we’ve said this, and it’s 100% correct. All the blessings come down from heaven. They travel down the road of grace, which is paid by the blood of Jesus. The packages are grace, and they’re all kind of different. I need that grace. But that grace, those packages that come from heaven into my life, are trying to teach me something. It’s trying to take me somewhere. It’s trying to instruct me.
By the way, a good teacher doesn’t just spout off facts. A good teacher transfers knowledge from the teacher to the pupil. It’s not that you leave the classroom saying, “Well, they’re very smart, they’re talented,” and all that. No, a good teacher—they leave the classroom saying, “I learned something; I’m retaining something.” That’s a good teacher. And grace, grace is a teacher, all right?
Now, what is grace trying to teach you and I? Let’s look at that. It’s very clear here in Scripture. Let’s just keep reading in verse number 12. He says, teaching us that denying—first thing he says—ungodliness. Now that’s pretty strong. People will define “ungodly” several different ways. Strong’s Concordance uses one of his words for it. It’s just wickedness. It could be just the absence of God—ungodliness. But it’s those that go against God; it’s anti-God. It’s the absence of God. And God says, “No, the grace that comes into your life—it’s God’s riches earned by Jesus—but as it comes into your life, it will teach you to walk away from, to deny ungodliness.”
You see, if you don’t understand grace, they’ll say, “There are no rules.” No, no. If you really understood grace, you would understand that grace is teaching you to walk away, to deny ungodliness. Is that what the Bible says or not? Is that clear in Scripture or not? This is not pastor-ology. This is Bible, friend. The grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness.
What’s the next thing in the grace that God’s trying to teach you and I? And what’s the next two words? “And worldly lusts.” Wow. That covers much, a whole lot. It’s sad, but sometimes the grace teachers are very, very worldly people. You ever see someone, and to me sometimes I’m just like thinking, they’re just too cool? Here’s my thought: If the world—the Bible says Satan is the prince of the power of the air, he’s the God of this world—if I’m just too cool in the world’s spectrum, I might not be real cool in God’s spectrum. You know what I mean? That’s the Bible. It does say, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father’s not in him.” That is Bible.
And so the Bible says if I’m truly learning, if I’m truly getting what grace is trying to teach me, I’m going to walk away from ungodliness. I’m going to deny worldly lusts. I’m not going to spend my life focusing on the lust of the world, whether it be sexual, whether it be financial, whether it be just the pride of life, the house, all the rest of that. I’m not going to spend my life wrapped up in that. I’m going to deny that. That’s what the grace that God is trying to teach. That’s Bible for him. It’s teaching me to deny ungodliness, the worldly lusts.
What’s next? What’s the way? He goes on. What is the grace of God teaching me that we should live? What’s the next word? “Soberly.” Now, when the Bible uses this word soberly, it doesn’t just mean not being drunk—it means that for sure—but it’s more than that. It’s talking about someone that is serious about living for the Lord. They’re not playing games. They don’t have one foot in the world doing whatever they want to do and another foot in the church. If they do, and by the way, all of us fall, but they’re sincerely trying. They’re not going to justify it and playing games, saying, “Well, everything’s wonderful.” They’re going to say, “Yeah, I need to grow there.” They’re serious about the things they have. That’s what it means: serious about serving the Lord. Let’s talk about should live soberly.
What’s the next word? “Righteously.” Can I just say a word about that? It’s someone that they’re not perfect; none of us are. It’s why we need the righteousness of God on our account for salvation. Just about our personal righteousness, it’s just someone you say, “You know what? You can count on them.” They’re going to do the right thing. They’re just not perfect, but you pretty much bank on it. They’re going to do the right thing in business dealings or whatever maybe. They’re just going to do the right thing. Righteously, soberly, righteously.
And then it says, “And godly.” Well, that’s pretty strong. They have been hanging around God so much God’s rubbing off on them, if you will. This is what the grace of God is trying to teach us. Now watch this last part of verse number 12. He said, “in this present world.”
How many of you have ever saw there’s a movie? It’s been out for years now. It’s called Time Changer. Anyone ever seen that? We’ve shown it at the church here before, and I enjoy it. It’s from a preacher, I think, in 1890. And it’s a movie, so, you know, but it’s an old, old preacher back in 1890. And they invented a time-changing machine. It goes in there, and you know, however it is in the movies, you’re going to this time-changing machine—boom—all this stuff happening. It comes out smoking everywhere, and he ends up in this present time. Now, imagine a preacher from 1890 in 2025. And he just kind of lands in some big city. I can’t remember what it is; it’s been years since I’ve seen it. And he walks out on the streets of a major city, out of sync in time. He’s from 1890. He was a preacher. And he walks out, and the first thing he looks out, and he’s like, “Wow, the dress!” And he’s like, “Oh my goodness.” He sees like a young girl. “Hey, do you need more clothes? I’ll get you clothes. Do you need money to buy clothes?” She’s like, “What? Are you crazy?” He’s like, “Oh, I can’t believe people are dressed like that.” And he just… he just shocked.
And then someone walks along with one of those boxes. They don’t have to have—they don’t do boom boxes anymore; we’ve got the AirPods nowadays, you know. But back in the day, they had to, you know, and the heartbeat music, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, you know. And you say, “What are you talking about? You know, what did you say? Can’t hear anything.” I’ve been hearing that, bum, bum, bum, you know. And the music, and he’s like, “Wow, what in the world is that? Am I in a jungle or what? What’s going on?” His music, it’s like war music. And he just can’t believe it. He’s just like shocked, you know, where’s he at? What’s going on? And it just goes on and on. And he sees the language. He says, “Oh, don’t say that! You’re using the Lord’s name in vain.”
And that’s what God’s saying. He says, you’re soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. It’s like you don’t fit. How do you remember that song? “This world is not my home; I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” You don’t fit in this world. And he’s saying, you’re going to be a little bit odd if you really gain the teaching of grace. You’re not going to fit in some ways because you’re living soberly, righteously, godly, in this present world. Y’all with me out there? That’s the grace of God. That’s what it is teaching us.
Then verse number 13. Verse number 13 is a wonderful verse. He says, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” How many out there are saying, “I’m looking forward to Jesus coming back?” Anybody out there? How many of you watch the news and say, “Man, it looks like it’s going to be pretty soon here,” you know? The imminent return of Christ means it could be any time, by the way. Everything has been fulfilled that needs to be fulfilled. Jesus could come back before we get home today. If you doubt that, go back and watch our series on the end times, friend. It’s done. It’s ready. He said, “Well, the gospel’s got to be spread around the world before Jesus comes back.” An old friend, that’ll happen. That’ll happen during the tribulation period. That’s before his second coming. His rapture could happen. Boom. Anytime. We’re ready. It’s all there. And he says, now the grace of God gets you—you’re not necessarily living for down here; you’re living for his return. Set your affection on things above. See, it’s a different mind. Grace that God gives you gets you a different mindset. We’re like, “Woo-hoo, I’m ready to go home,” because you’re laying up treasures in heaven. That’s the grace of God. This is the things it teaches.
By the way, wonderful, wonderful lesson there in verse number 13 about the deity of Christ. God’s not returning; Jesus is returning. He’s returning to get his bride, and he calls him the great God. Wonderful lesson there in that. By the way, Jesus is the great God. Amen?
Then look at verse number 14. Notice what he says. He says, “Who gave himself”—Jesus, who gave himself for us—“that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” So that we are peculiar. It’s very interesting. The word is found seven times in the Bible. Six of those times, it’s talking about God’s people, Israel, God’s people in the modern day, you know, God’s saved people, whatnot. But God’s talking about his people. I want you to be a peculiar people. One time it’s talking about Ecclesiastes; Solomon is going all over the world and getting peculiar treasures. I think it’s a wonderful illustration of God reaching out, getting his people, and he wants them to be peculiar people to him. And God has called us to be peculiar.
Now that doesn’t mean necessarily, you know, you’re obnoxious, or you walk down the street preaching, you know, you get right with God. No, not that. But you’re different. I know people try to really explain away the word peculiar, but God put it in his word in the Bible: peculiar people. That’s what it says. John Rice, you say, “We’ll talk about what it means later on; let’s talk about what it says right now.” And God does say, “Hey, why not be a little peculiar in the devil’s world? It’s a little different out there.”
I know this is a different angle on grace, but it’s Bible. You say, “Well, how do I rectify this grace teaching me that, and then the grace that free grace—all grace is free, Jesus has earned it—how do I put those two together?” Let’s try to do that for just a minute here, all right? Y’all stay with me out there. Let’s get a couple of thoughts, a couple of rules—four rules about grace this morning, all right? Y’all stay with me, don’t lose me here. If you want to write these down, you’d be welcome to do it.
Four rules about grace. Number one: Though grace does teach holiness—I’m kind of wrapping up that 12, 13, 14—holiness is separating from the world unto God. Though grace does teach holiness, it does not mean we must earn his favor in order to get grace.
Can I put it this way? We don’t try to earn his grace; we work for him because we have his grace. By my doing, by trying to obey verses 12, 13, and 14, living a holy life, I’m not trying to earn his favor. I’m trying to obey 13 and 14 because I have his favor by grace. There is a big difference, by the way, my friend.
Can I just put it this way: God’s not up in heaven with a big old baseball bat waiting for you to mess up and hit you over the head. That’s not him. He is a gracious God. But because he is so gracious, his grace teaches me, trying to lead me into living a holy life. Hang on, don’t get somewhere before I do. Can I put it this way? God doesn’t hold grudges. God doesn’t cut people off. By the way, if you’re a born-again Christian, you’re secure; you’ll be seeing Jesus. Once you are saved, nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. You always have a way back to our Heavenly Father. We’re still serving Him in grace. See, but that grace does teach me, trying to teach me to live a holy life. Even if I don’t get there like I ought to, I’m still under grace. I’ll still be loved.
An old illustration—somebody who has been around here forever—it’s illustration number 45. Remember that one there? But about the young man that was in court for murder, and he kept pleading not guilty. He didn’t do it, and his mom believed him, you know, and she just believed whatever he said, and yet he was guilty in court, and he went to prison. The day came for his execution, and the chaplain was kind of going to him and coming back to the mom back and forth. And she said, “Hey, son, did you really do it?” And the chaplain said, “Your mom will know if you really…” He said, “No, no, I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I’m innocent.”
And they’re coming to get him, going to take him down for execution. And the prisoner—the boy—said, “Hey, go tell my mom, ‘Really, I’m guilty.’” And the chaplain said, “Oh, man.” He ran to the mom and said, “Ma’am, I’m sorry to tell you, but your son just admitted he is guilty.” Boy, you can tell the effect on the mom, but Mom said, “Hey, get back to him. They’re about to take him. Get back as quick as you can over there and tell him, even though he’s guilty, I still love him.” Now that’s the grace of God.
And even though he’s trying to teach you holiness, it doesn’t mean you have to earn his favor for it. Y’all with me out there?
Number two. As I experience his grace—all these blessings he gave me when I don’t deserve them, honestly—as I experience his grace, I will feel grace’s teaching to be holy. If I’m truly experiencing and listening and not hardened, I’m going to experience some of this pull, this teaching to be holy. “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance,” the Bible says. Remember, grace is a teacher. A teacher has many tools. Hey, we just quoted that: “For the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” (that’s verse 11), “for the grace of God.” It’s God’s grace.
And teachers have a lot of tools. First-year teachers are always interesting. Y’all listen. If you have students, if you have a first-year teacher, that’s always interesting. Typically, typically they’re either going to be super-duper strict and hard, boom, laying the law out, or they’re going to be like a pushover, big time. Don’t want me out there? And typically, if they’re a pushover, they’re going to have to learn to be—Abby and them are over at their laugh, and I don’t know which one she is; she’s a teacher. I’m not sure about Abby. But whichever way, the real pushover, then they have to get a little bit stronger and stricter, and they’re like super-duper strict. They’ve got to ease up. And typically, in a couple of years, they balance out if they stay teaching. Now, grace is a teacher.
And here’s the thing about grace as a teacher: If you don’t have quite a big classroom—very hard for our teachers nowadays; they have so many students in their classrooms, it’s hard for them to do it—but if you don’t have quite a big classroom, you can kind of use different techniques on some students. You know, we just have our school: kindergarten, first, second, third grade, you know. And so typically for discipline, they’ll move something. “Well, you’re talking out of turn. I told you three times not to talk, so you’ve got to move your fish or move your frog, whatever.” One of our students one year, school was out, and I can’t remember what it was that year, but they said, “Praise the Lord, no more frogs getting moved now. We’re through the school year.” And some teachers, you know, they’ll never move it. No, I thought, well, you’ve got to move the frog sometimes. You’re just going to have to do it, and you’re going to be an effective teacher. And then some teachers are moving them all the time; you’ve got nowhere else to move them. It’s out the chimney, out of the roof. I mean, where are you going to move it to next? And then teachers, as they grow sometimes, they realize, “You know what? Moving the frog for so-and-so doesn’t do that much. I let them know I’m disappointed in them,” or you can build a relationship with that student, and you just give them the look, and that changes them. Now, some—a lot of times boys—you’re going to have to move that frog, friend. Not always boys, but some people, there’s just going to have to be some consequences for it. And every student’s a little different, but here’s the good thing about it: It’s the grace of God, and he’s the greatest teacher in all the world. And for him to teach you, he knows very well what I need. And he’s trying to grow me. Sometimes I say, “Hey, Paul, we’re going to have to move your frog today.” And sometimes God just gives me the look, if you will, and it breaks my heart. You see, grace is always trying to teach you. He’s a very gracious teacher, but he’s a teacher. Teaching us, the Bible says the grace of God does. Oh, how very, very important it is. And what a teacher he is.
Can I say this? The beginning, often, of God’s teaching is the fear of the Lord; it is the beginning of wisdom. Twice the Bible says that. The fear of the Lord, the beginning of wisdom. Twice. One time it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Now notice the fear of the Lord. Sometimes God—I don’t want him to take me out in the woodshed. I don’t like to get whipped, you know what I’m saying? And God does chase his children; that’s biblical, Hebrews 12. I mean, I can’t take that out of the Bible. That’s there. But as I grow, the Bible says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” And the technique isn’t so much about fear anymore. It’s at that point, I don’t want to disappoint him. I didn’t live like I wanted to. He’s trying to teach me, and I wanted to get here. And I feel like I disappointed God, and I’m not the servant I want to be. And boy, it just breaks your heart. Fear is way out of the question. You don’t care about fear anymore. You just love him. You want to please him.
But it’s a teacher. And the grace of God is teaching me. And he’s always trying to lead me to this life of holiness. See, grace does that. He’s teaching. And if I try to just justify and stay where I’m at, I never want to grow because I’m under grace. Then the Bible does talk about those who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness. So what in the world was “the sybiousness”? I don’t know. I just thought I was happy I could say the word. That’s in the book of Jude, but it’s talking about turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. It’s talking about when you’re always wanting something you know you ought not to want or have. And you just know you ought not to want all those things, but you just turn the grace of God: “Well, I want whatever I want. There are no rules. Everything’s acceptable.” And you make the grace of God in vain. The Bible says in Corinthians, turning it into licentiousness. Well, the grace of God is always trying to teach you. He’ll use a lot of different things on all of us students, just trying to teach me.
Number three, we’ve got to hurry along here. As I live in His grace, there are still some conditional promises. Look over in Psalm 1, if you would, please. Yes, I have access to this grace; Jesus has earned it for me on the cross of Calvary. But inside this grace, as I’m living in grace, there are some conditional promises in the Word of God. This is one of those, Psalm 1. And we’ll just read a little bit here over in Psalm 1. He gives some conditional promises here. Psalm 1:1, you’re there? Amen? Good deal. He says, “Blessed is the man…” That sits around and does anything? It depends on the grace of God? No, there’s a conditional promise here. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” That’s a conditional promise. This fellow is blessed if he doesn’t listen to the ungodly counsel, he doesn’t stand around with a bunch of sinners, and he doesn’t sit around and criticize. By the way, sitting in the seat of the scornful, typically the one doing the most rowing is not the one rowing the boat. It’s always easy to tell somebody how to do something. Get out there and go do it yourself. Stop all that sitting in a seat of the scornful. This is a conditional promise.
Verse number two, he goes on with more conditions for better promises: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law does he meditate day and night.” One of the deacons yesterday brought up Joshua 1:8, and it’s a wonderful promise: you’ll be successful if you’re meditating in the Bible day and night. I just read yesterday morning—I was thinking, I didn’t say anything, but I thought in Deacon, Psalm 134, verse number one. It talks about praising him in the day and the night. And that morning the Lord spoke to me: I need to work at nighttime praise. The Lord. Well, he’s teaching me, but also there are conditional promises inside of grace. He finishes that verse, number three: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Wow.
As I live in His grace, there are some conditional promises. Number four, we’re going to move along. Number four: His grace will teach you, and His grace will also enable you to claim the conditional promises. Hebrews 12:28 says, “Let us have grace whereby we may serve God, but grow in grace.” I don’t pull myself up by my bootstraps. Every time I do that, I’m either going to have a messed-up back, a slipped disc, or broken shoelaces. Something’s going to happen. It’s just not going to happen for him. No, I’m able to claim some of these blessings by his grace. I serve him by grace. He’ll equip you; he’ll enable you to serve him by grace.
Hey, I’m going to be done, y’all listen. We’re almost done. Let me ask it and think with me. Don’t debate. No, I’m not trying to. Just think: What is the grace of God trying to teach you? What is the grace of God trying to teach you? He’s always teaching us. I’m not saying you earned the favor of God. There are some conditional promises. We’re not going to change the Bible. But he gives you that grace, but that grace, it’s free. Jesus earned it for you, but it’s always teaching you. Now, what is the grace of God trying to teach you? How many of you say, in the honest, simple truth, I experience grace every day of my life? Anybody out there? All of us, friends. What is it teaching you? It’s a teacher: those things—deny ungodliness and worldly lusts—and live righteously, soberly, and godly in the present world. None of us are perfect at that. None of us. But what is it teaching you today? It’s trying to teach you something.
One last question: Have you accepted the grace of God?
Years ago, we were witnessing to Miss Tammy’s grandmother, Nan. I can’t remember—my wife will remember the details better than I—but the best I remember, she’d been witnessed to before or whatnot. But she was in a nursing home. And we went there, and we gave her the gospel of Jesus Christ: loved her, died for her on the cross, and on and on. And she felt she could not be good enough to go to heaven. If he paid for her sin debt, she can go to heaven if she accepted the grace of God through Jesus Christ. No, no. And she said, if I remember right—these are her words—“Well, I just feel like, you know, you need to pay for what you’ve done; you need to work hard; you need to pay for what you get.” It’s an old mindset. You’ll never pay your sin debt.
“Nan, if we’re standing here with a million dollars and we just want to give it to you, would you take it?” Her eyes got real big. “Bring it on,” you know. I’m teasing, something on that line. And finally, Nan said, “I’ll accept that grace that Jesus paid for.” She asked Jesus Christ to be her Savior that day.
Now, friend, have you accepted the grace? Oh, once you’re saved, you’ve accepted it. It’ll be teaching. He’s always trying to teach us. Yes, but you’re accepted by faith.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Our heads are bowed, eyes are closed. You hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, you know, I believe the grace of God is trying to teach me something. He’ll teach you so many things.” You say, “I believe it. I can feel him. As I experience his grace every single day in my life, I believe he’s trying to teach me something. And I want to listen to it. God’s speaking to my heart, and I want to be better about listening to the lessons and the teaching of the grace of God.” God spoke to my heart about that this morning. That’s you this morning? Preacher, that’s me. Many hands, many hands. I’m with you, friend. It’s amazing what all he will teach us by the Spirit of Grace, the Holy Spirit. He’ll teach all things, wonderful things. God bless you. Many hands, many hands. Thank you so very much. You can put them down.
Maybe you hear this morning, you said, “Preacher, there’s been a time, a moment in my life when I accepted the grace of God that Jesus Christ has extended to me. I’ve accepted it. I put all of my faith, 100%, in the blood of Jesus Christ, paid for my sins, and I’ve accepted Jesus’ grace. I’m a born-again Christian. I’m saved.” I know that you this morning. Just lift your hand up. “Preacher, I know I’m saved. I know I’m saved. I’ve accepted the grace of God through Jesus Christ.” Many hands, many, many hands. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. You can put them down.
Thank you so much. Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I’m not really accepted it. I mean, just by faith, just accept what Jesus did on the cross to pay for my sin debt. I’ve never accepted it. I don’t know that I’ve accepted the grace of God.” That’s you right there where you said it, right there in your heart. “Well, I know I’m a sinner. I believe Jesus died and rose again. I want to accept that grace that Jesus earned for me—forgiveness of my sin and a home in heaven.” Right now, that’s you. In your heart, would you call on him? Maybe these exact words or something like it, but in your heart, would you go to him? “Oh, Jesus, I am a sinner. Be merciful to me. I’m asking you to pay for all my sin debt. Would you come into my heart? Would you be my Savior? I accept that grace that Jesus earned for me. Now help me to grow as you teach me.” In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
With our heads bowed and eyes closed, you said, “Preacher, I’ve never asked Jesus to be my Savior, but I just did that. Never have, but I just asked Jesus to be my Savior.” Anybody like to just slip up a hand? Just slip up a hand. Anybody? “Never have, but I just asked Jesus to be my personal Savior.”
As Christians, he’s always going to be teaching. Let’s listen. Let’s grow in grace. Would you stand, please? We have a word of prayer. Would you be obedient as he’s just trying to teach us? If you just want to come to an old-fashioned altar, you do. But let’s be obedient as he’s teaching us all. Father, thank you for your amazing grace. Thank you for the lessons, how it’s trying to teach us to listen and learn and grow. And Lord, thank you for what you do. Please speak to hearts in a special way in the next five minutes. In Jesus’ name I ask. Amen.
Would you be obedient? Would you do that? Spend some time with him. Come to an old-fashioned altar if he’s tugging at your heart to do so. You’ll be obedient. Whatever he’s teaching—teaching us is a gracious teacher, but he knows what I need. There’s a huge gamut. It could be the fear of the Lord is the beginning, but it’s wonderful to grow beyond. Perfect love casts out fear. You just love him. You realize from that grace, it’s a great teacher about this subject here: no matter what I am, he still loves me, and I love him back. He said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” That may be the main blessing of grace, that then we try to keep verses 12, 13, and 14 out of love. As I can comprehend his love so much more through his grace. Sometimes, oh, love, he chases us. “For the Lord loveth, he chasteneth.” That’s Bible.
Amen. So glad you’re in church this morning. How do you say, “I want to learn from grace teaching”? Do you not like that? And I want to get it. He can teach us so much and grow us to maturity where he can work into us even more. And that’s what he wants to do. He’s a great, great teacher, the grace of God. Good to have you in church. Make sure you’re back tonight, five o’clock choir practice, six o’clock service. Got to all of you soloists. I think Brother Chip says he’s going to sing a solo next Sunday. I’m looking forward to that. And he could probably do it, though. He’d probably could. But anyway, anyone’s interested—if you’re interested in being involved in our music, please be in that meeting. We need you to use your talent for the Lord. We’d appreciate it. Meet Brother Adam real quick up front here. Brother Chip, would you dismiss with a word of prayer, please?
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar ＂Grace can teach＂ - Sunday AM 06⧸01⧸2025 [sycFojPLaZc]