Entirely overlooked in the Christian realm today.

"Today grace is our teacher. Tit 2:11-13, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. IT TEACHES US to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." I want you to notice that "grace" teaches us. Not the Mosaic Law, not the laws of morality and ethics, but grace. These three verses contain one of the most neglected truths of the Bible. No other passage in all of the Word of God so completely summarizes the subject of Christian conduct. Titus 2:11-13 contains three areas of Christian conduct.

(A). Christian living denies "ungodliness and worldly passions." The Christian realm of today teaches that certain acts are ungodly and worldly. That type of teaching is surface and superficial at best, and legalistic and apostate at worse. Simply put, anything done apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit is ungodly, no matter how good it may appear to be. Working in a church can be an ungodly act if it is done apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit. "Ungodly" simply refers to anything that God cannot honor or accept. And He cannot honor or accept anything done apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit. As far as "worldly passions" go, the knowledge of the Word of God is the only thing that can keep them out of the Christian life.

(B). The Christian life should be lived in "self-control, uprightness, and godliness." Again, the knowledge of the Word of God and the filling of the Holy Spirit is the key, not the legalistic teaching of many churches. Morality is not the issue, the controlling ministry of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of Bible doctrine is the real issue.

(C). The Christian life should be lived in the "great expectation of the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ." The knowledge of the Word of God and the filling of the Holy Spirit is the only way to obtain this attitude of "great expectation." and all of this is the product of grace.

There is a lack of emphasis upon that which constitutes true Christian conduct. There is even a greater lack of emphasis upon that which teaches the believer how to live the true Christian life. The fact is, it is the grace of God, the very same grace which brings salvation that teaches us who are saved how to live a life pleasing to God. But this concept has been entirely overlooked in the Christian realm today."