‘Because the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying impiety and worldly desires, we must live soberly, justly and godly in the present age.’ (Titus 2: 11-12). In these verses, Paul says that the same grace that appeared to us at salvation also teaches us to live. The word translated ‘teach’ is paideuo, from where we get the word pedagogue, which means teacher.
This is very interesting, because in other places Paul compares the law to a pedagogue (see Galatians 3: 24-25). And it says that when a person comes to faith in Christ, he is no longer under the law; they no longer need this pedagogue. We are free from the law and the people who tell us what to do.
Here we see why. We have another pedagogue, the Holy Spirit.
But there is a big difference. Under the old covenant the pedagogue was external to us, but under the new covenant our pedagogue is internal. The Holy Spirit lives within us and teaches us to live. He leads us step by step, like a pedagogue.
When God saved us, he did not give us a law, he gave us a life; the life of Christ. And this life comes to us by the Holy Spirit to effect transformation.
It teaches us to say ‘no’ to:
- Impiety. Ungodliness is when we don’t take God seriously; when ignored. The strict meaning of an atheist is not one who does not believe in God, but one who lives without Him. Before we were saved, we were like that; we were ungodly. But now the Holy Spirit teaches us to live a God-conscious, God-centered, and God-dependent life.
- Worldliness. Worldliness means being absorbed in this material and temporal world without regard to the things of God. As natural, unredeemed people, this is how we once lived. But now the Holy Spirit teaches us to set our minds on the things of the Spirit, that is, our new life of creation in Christ (see Romans 8: 5-9).
The consequence of this is that we will live ‘soberly, justly and godly in the present age ‘ (Titus 2:12). All of this is the work of grace.
In my observation, some pastors, preachers, and church leaders are reluctant to embrace the teaching of grace because it means that they have to trust the Holy Spirit to do His work in God’s people. Some, apparently, think they can do the job better than He can. They want to be pedagogues!
It is true that Paul instructs Titus to teach others how to live, but there is a big difference between explaining God’s Word and trying to enforce it. It’s one thing to teach God’s people, it’s another thing to watch over them!
We must trust that the Holy Spirit will teach believers how to work out their salvation in the day-to-day details of their lives. He is much more capable than us. Jesus promised ‘But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and remind you of all the things I told you. (John 14:26).