OceanSide church of Christ
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RIGHTEOUS LIVING
Titus
2:11-12
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
There appears to be a
contradiction between our text for this meeting and Romans
3:10.
1.
In Titus 2:12, we are
commanded to live righteously.
2.
Romans
3:10
As it is
written, There is none righteous, no, no one.
3.
Answer:
a.
In Romans 3, Paul was speaking to Jews and Gentiles prior to their
obedience to the gospel of Christ.
1)
Prior to the gospel, the Gentiles were not
righteous.
2)
Prior to the gospel, The Jews were not righteous.
3)
Both, therefore, stood in need of the righteousness afforded by the
gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16-17).
For I am
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that
believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righeousness of God revealed from
faith to
faith: as it is written, The just
shall live by faith.
b.
In Titus 2:12, Paul is
addressing those who are in Christ.
They are to live righteously.
B.
Living righteously is
the topic of this lesson. We want
to come to an understanding of what this means.
I.
THE MEANING OF RIGHTEOUS
A.
Thayer
(1342):
1.
Observing divine
laws
2.
Use of him whose way
of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of
God.
B.
We are righteous when we obey divine laws.
1.
Psalm 119:172
My tongue
shall speak of thy word: for all
thy commandments are righteousness.
2.
This helps us to understand I John 3:7.
Little
children, let no man deceive you:
he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is
righteous.
a.
John says that we are to do “righteousness.”
b.
Since God’s commandments are righteousness, we “do righteousness” when we
obey the commands of God.
3.
We are righteous when:
a.
We attend the worship services (Heb. 10:25).
b.
We study the Word of God (II Tim. 2:15).
c.
We give as we have been prospered (I Cor. 16:1-2).
d.
We abstain from all appearance of evil (I Thess.
5:22).
e.
We shun evil companions (I Cor. 15:33).
f.
We restore the erring (Gal. 6:1-2).
g.
We withdraw from the disorderly (II Thess. 3:6).
C. It
must be emphasized that the outer act of obedience alone is not
enough.
1.
The inner man can be corrupt even though the outside seems to be
righteous.
2.
Example: The Pharisees
(Matt. 23:27-28)
Woe unto
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful
outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear
righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and
iniquity.
a.
Youth attend church services and are active in a youth program, but they
smoke, drink, do drugs, watch porn, and have premarital sex,
etc.
b.
Members give generously, but they steal from their work, cheat on their
taxes, exploit their customers, etc.
c.
Some say the gospel is for all, but despise other races and classes of
people.
d.
Others worship with a sound church, but when among others deny the
oneness of the church, promote the use of instrumental music in worship, and
question the necessity of baptism for the remission of
sins.
II.
EXAMPLES OF RIGHTEOUS LIVES
A.
Zacharias and Elisabeth (Luke 1:6)
And they
were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances
of the Lord blameless.
B.
Abel (Heb. 11:4)
By faith
Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet
speaketh.
C. Noah
(Heb. 11:7)
By faith
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared
an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and
became the heir of righteousness which is by faith.
D. Lot
(II Peter 2:7-8)
And delivered just
III.
REWARD OF RIGHTEOUS LIVING
A.
One of the rewards of righteous living is answered
prayer.
1.
I Peter 3:12
For the
eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their
prayers: but the face of the Lord
is against them that do evil.
2.
James 5:16
Confess
your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
healed. The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
B.
Another reward of the righteous is life
everlasting.
1.
Matthew 25:46
And these
shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but the righteous into life eternal.
2.
Matthew 13:41-43
The Son of
man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all
things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a
furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then
shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him
hear.
CONCLUSION
A.
By means of the gospel, we are made righteous in the sight of
God.
B.
Having been made righteous, we are to continue to live righteously by
submitting ourselves to the will of God.
C.
In so doing, we can be
saved in the last day.
1.
Peter teaches us that
we are saved, but scarcely saved (I Pet. 4:18).
And if the
righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner
appear?
2.
The psalmist answers
the latter part of this question (Ps. 1:5-6).
Therefore
the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of
the righteous. For the Lord knoweth
the way of the righteous: but the
way of the ungodly shall perish.
RIGHTEOUS
LIVING
Titus
2:11-12
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
There appears to be a contradiction between our text for this meeting and
Romans 3:10.
1.
In Titus 2:12, we are commanded to live
righteously.
2.
Romans 3:10
3.
Answer:
a.
In Romans 3, Paul was speaking to Jews and Gentiles prior to their
obedience to the gospel of Christ.
1)
Prior to the gospel, the Gentiles were not
righteous.
2)
Prior to the gospel, The Jews were not righteous.
3)
Both, therefore, stood in need of the righteousness afforded by the
gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16-17).
b.
In Titus 2:12, Paul is addressing those who are in Christ. They are to live
righteously.
B.
Living righteously is the topic of this lesson. We want to understand what this
means.
I.
THE MEANING OF RIGHTEOUS
A.
Thayer (1342):
1.
Observing divine laws
2.
Those whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to
the will of God.
B.
We are righteous when we obey divine laws.
1.
Psalm 119:172
2.
This helps us to understand I John 3:7.
a.
John says that we are to do “righteousness.”
b.
Since God’s commandments are righteousness, we “do righteousness” when we
obey the commands of God.
3.
We are righteous when:
a.
We attend the worship services (Heb. 10:25).
b.
We study the Word of God (II Tim. 2:15).
c.
We give as we have been prospered (I Cor. 16:1-2).
d.
We abstain from all appearance of evil (I Thess.
5:22).
e.
We shun evil companions (I Cor. 15:33).
f.
We restore the erring (Gal. 6:1-2).
g.
We withdraw from the disorderly (II Thess. 3:6).
C.
It must be emphasized that the outer act of obedience alone is not
enough.
1.
The inner man can be corrupt even though the outside seems to be
righteous.
2.
Example: The Pharisees
(Matt. 23:27-28)
a.
Youth attend church services and are active in a youth program, but they
smoke, drink, do drugs, watch porn, and have premarital sex,
etc.
b.
Members give generously, but they steal from their work, cheat on their
taxes, exploit their customers, etc.
c.
Some say the gospel is for all, but despise other races and classes of
people.
d.
Others worship with a sound church, but when among others deny the
oneness of the church, promote the use of instrumental music in worship, and
question the necessity of baptism for the remission of
sins.
II.
EXAMPLES OF RIGHTEOUS LIVES
A.
Zacharias and Elisabeth (Luke 1:6)
B.
Abel (Heb. 11:4)
C.
Noah (Heb. 11:7)
D.
Lot (II Peter 2:7-8)
III.
REWARD OF RIGHTEOUS LIVING
A.
One of the rewards of righteous living is answered prayer (I Pet. 3:12;
James 5:16).
B.
Another reward of the righteous is life everlasting (Matt. 25:46;
13:41-43).
CONCLUSION
A.
By means of the gospel, we are made righteous in the sight of
God.
B.
Having been made righteous, we are to continue to live righteously by
submitting ourselves to the will of God.
C.
In so doing, we can be saved in the last day.
1.
Peter teaches us that we are saved, but scarcely saved (I Pet.
4:18).
2.
The psalmist answers the latter part of this question (Ps.
1:5-6).
RIGHTEOUS
LIVING
Titus
2:11-12
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
There appears to be a _______________ between our text for this meeting
and Romans 3:10.
1.
In Titus 2:12, we are commanded to live
righteously.
2.
Romans 3:10 reveals that there is ___________
righteous.
3.
Answer:
a.
In Romans 3, Paul was speaking to Jews and Gentiles _________ to their
obedience to the gospel of Christ.
1)
Prior to the gospel, the Gentiles were not
righteous.
2)
Prior to the gospel, The Jews were not righteous.
3)
Both, therefore, stood in need of the righteousness afforded by the
____________ of Christ (Rom. 1:16-17).
c.
In Titus 2:12, Paul is
addressing those who are _____ Christ.
They are to live righteously.
B.
Living righteously is the topic of this lesson. We want to understand what this
means.
I.
THE MEANING OF RIGHTEOUS
A.
Thayer (1342):
1.
Observing divine __________
2.
Those whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is ______ conformed to
the will of God.
B.
We are righteous when we __________ divine laws.
1.
Psalm 119:172
2.
This helps us to understand I John 3:7.
a.
John says that we are to _______ “righteousness.”
b.
Since God’s commandments are righteousness, we “do righteousness” when we
obey the commands of God.
3.
We are righteous when:
a.
We _____________ the worship services (Heb. 10:25).
b.
We _____________ the Word of God (II Tim. 2:15).
c.
We give as we have been prospered (I Cor. 16:1-2).
d.
We abstain from all appearance of evil (I Thess.
5:22).
e.
We _____________ evil companions (I Cor. 15:33).
f.
We restore the erring (Gal. 6:1-2).
g.
We _____________ from the disorderly (II Thess.
3:6).
C.
It must be emphasized that the ___________ act of obedience alone is not
enough.
1.
The ______ man can be __________ even though the outside seems to be
righteous.
2.
Example: The Pharisees
(Matt. 23:27-28)
a.
Youth attend church services and are active in a youth program, but they
smoke, drink, do drugs, watch porn, and have premarital sex,
etc.
b.
Members give generously, but they steal from their work, cheat on their
taxes, exploit their customers, etc.
c.
Some say the gospel is for all, but despise other races and classes of
people.
d.
Others worship with a sound church, but when among others deny the
oneness of the church, promote the use of instrumental music in worship, and
question the necessity of baptism for the remission of
sins.
II.
EXAMPLES OF RIGHTEOUS LIVES
A.
_______________ and ____________ (Luke 1:6)
B.
_____________ (Heb. 11:4)
C.
_____________ (Heb. 11:7)
D.
________ (II Peter 2:7-8)
III.
____________________ OF RIGHTEOUS LIVING
A.
One of the rewards of righteous living is ____________ ___________ (I Pet. 3:12; James
5:16).
B.
Another reward of the righteous is ________ _________________ (Matt. 25:46;
13:41-43).
CONCLUSION
A.
By means of the gospel, we are made righteous in the sight of
God.
B.
Having been made righteous, we are to continue to live righteously by
submitting ourselves to the will of God.
C.
In so doing, we can be saved in the last day.
1.
Peter teaches us that we are saved, but ____________ saved (I Pet.
4:18).
2. The ____________ answers the latter part of this question (Ps. 1:5-6).