Julian Stoltzfus 0:10

Welcome to the Theological Touchpoints podcast . I'm Julian . The focus for this episode is touchpoints at the intersection of biblical theology and everyday life . What do you think of when you hear the words the gospel ? Do you think of a way of life , the plan of salvation ? of terms like justification , sanctification and glorification ? Do you think of a set of biblical truths set forth in Scripture ? All of these are certainly a part of the gospel , but I believe that when we hear the words the gospel , we should not think first of truth or ideas , but rather of a person , specifically of God himself . The gospel is not first about truths that exist outside of God . Rather , it is first about God himself , his desire to save sinners and the work he has done to accomplish that desire .

Julian Stoltzfus 1:02

Too often , the gospel gets detached from the character of God . What I mean by this is not that we think of the gospel as having nothing to do with God , but we begin to think of the gospel as something that exists outside of him rather than as something that flows from his very character . When this happens , the gospel becomes a set of truth claims , not a story of God's redemption . Grace becomes an impersonal force rather than the effectual workings of a loving God . But the gospel must not be detached from the character of God . Rather , we need to think of it as the expression of his character . Salvation is the application of God's love . God saves sinners because he loves them . In fact , the gospel is a reality because God himself is good , loving , merciful and gracious . Grace exists because God is gracious . He is first gracious . Grace is the expression of that grace , and so he saves , not begrudgingly , not from duty , but because he loves us . God's divine action in the gospel is a result of his goodwill toward mankind . He first of all wills to save . From his divine goodness comes divine action , the salvation of sinners . As Grace is rightly understood as connected to God's character , so too sin must be seen as that which opposes God's righteous character .

Julian Stoltzfus 2:26

Sin is not merely the violation of an objective moral code . It is an offense against God himself . The law we break when we sin is not arbitrary . Rather , it is the revelation of God's own character . When we sin , disobeying God's law , we sin against the very person of God . We have not just broken some universal code of honor , we have rebelled against God himself . Sin is rebellion against God himself . Sin's offense doubles when we realize that we have done more than just break God's law . When we sin , we use God's provisions against him . We curse him with the breath he gave us . We worship the creation but reject the Creator . We take pleasure in the gifts he gives while refusing to take pleasure in the giver of those gifts . So again , sin is more than just breaking an arbitrary law . It is an offense against God himself .

Julian Stoltzfus 3:23

Similarly , grace is not merely the experience of transforming power , a power that works outside or disconnected from God himself . Grace is God himself working in our lives . Grace is not just a tap to turn on . Grace is God's redemptive power at work in us . We need to live by grace . That means we live in relationship with God , receiving what he offers us . Grace is amazing because it is God himself at work to save sinners . God gladly meets us in our need and redeems us from our sin .

Julian Stoltzfus 4:01

The apostle Paul describes this in Titus 3 , 4 , when the kindness and the love of God , our Savior , toward man appeared , not by works of righteousness , which we have done , but according to his mercy , he saved us . Paul here describes the gospel as the appearance of God's kindness and love . God's kindness , his character , compels him to save us . Kindness translates the Greek Christates , which is used nine other times in the New Testament . It speaks of good will , favor or generosity toward others . God is kindly disposed toward us , desiring to bless us , to do good for us . The phrase love toward man which follows kindness , the kindness and the love of God , our Savior , toward man . This phrase love toward man translates philanthropy . From this comes the English philanthropy , benevolence or goodness toward others . Interestingly , the other time philanthropy is used in Acts 28 , verse 2 , it is translated kindness . But translating it that way here in Titus would read the kindness and the kindness of God . That translation lends an awkward reading , but it does underscore the emphasis .

Julian Stoltzfus 5:16

The appearance of God's mercy seen in the Gospel is a result of His kindness toward us . The kindness and the love of God toward man appeared in Christ . God loves us , therefore He acts . God desires to bless us , therefore He moves to action , redeeming us through Christ . It's helpful to see this in its progression from God's nature to His desire , to His action .

Julian Stoltzfus 5:46

God is kind in nature . It's who He is . Because His character is kind , he desires to do what is kind . His nature informs and shapes His desires . Because He desires to do what is kind , he acts in kindness , his desire motivates Him to action . The second and third movements in this progression are before us here in Titus 3 .

Julian Stoltzfus 6:10

God is kindly disposed toward mankind . That is His attitude toward us , or His desire for us is good . His attitude toward us is kindness , this desire to do what is right , to do what is good , to do what is kind to us . This is manifested in His mercy through Christ . His kindness appeared , it says , in Christ . And so God the Son became flesh and dwelt among us . He appeared among us , demonstrating , showing us God's love , everything God offers us in the Gospel . His kindness in action results from His nature as kind and His desire to show kindness . So , again , because of who God is as kind , he desires to do what is kind and therefore He does what is kind . And we can look at this in other aspects as well . God's grace is motivated by His character as gracious . Because He's gracious , he desires to do what is gracious to us and therefore He acts in grace toward us . His provision of that which we don't deserve , primarily in the Gospel . We're really in all of life , every good thing we enjoy being a result of God's graciousness , his giving love toward us . So , again , because God is kind , he desires to do what is kind and therefore He has done what is kind . And this kindness , this goodwill , this desire for good for us has appeared to us in and through Christ , and Titus goes on to speak about the Gospel and the things we enjoy in and through Christ .

Julian Stoltzfus 7:53

It's also helpful for us to think about the fact that the Gospel as we know it is not the only story God could have written . God did not have to redeem sinners . He is under no obligations to anyone or anything which dictates what He can and cannot do . Though He did not have to , he did redeem us , for which we will be eternally grateful . But if He were not good , if He were not kind in nature , in who He is , scripture might be no more than just an account of God's righteous judgment against rebellious sinners , and we do need to recognize that there's nothing unjust about that picture . God is not obligated to show us grace , but He does show us grace , and this is because God is good , because He is kind , he acts to save us , he meets us in our need , deals with our sin and redeems us to Himself . His kindness compels Him to show us grace , and the grace we experience in the Gospel is a result of God's love , of God's grace , of God's kindness toward us . This kindness is cause for glory . We glorify God for His love . But in fact God the Father glorifies God the Son for His love and God the Son glorifies God the Father for His love .

Julian Stoltzfus 9:17

The Gospel John records the Father and the Son glorying in each other because of the Gospel . In John 10 , we read that the Father loves Jesus because Jesus gave Himself for us . It says , therefore my Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again . The Father glories in the Son's atoning , death and victorious resurrection . Likewise , jesus gives his life not to glorify himself but to bring glory to the Father . He says in the same passage Now my soul is troubled , and what shall I say ? Father , save me from this hour , but for this purpose I came to this hour . Father , glorify your name .

Julian Stoltzfus 10:05

Jesus went to the cross to bring glory to the Father . The Father desires to save and he delights in what the Son has done to accomplish that salvation . The Son desires to save and he submits himself to the Father's will that he could make salvation possible . And so the Godhead takes joy in the Gospel because through it , god's kindness becomes grace , grace through which we are saved . God does not save because he has to . He saves because he wants to , and it is his joy . He does not save begrudgingly . God loves to save sinners .

Julian Stoltzfus 10:47

Hebrew says that Christ went willingly to the cross . In fact , he rejoiced , despite it , for the joy that was set before him . He endured the cross , despising the shame . Jesus gave his life willingly because of love . He wanted to save sinners and he freely gave his life to redeem us . This means that God wants you in his family . If you are saved , you are adopted as his child . He wanted covenant relationship with you and he sent Christ to redeem you to himself . If you are not saved , if you have not surrendered to Christ , god desires that you come to him and be saved .

Julian Stoltzfus 11:33

Christ came to save even the worst of sinners . God is not willing that any should perish , but that all come to repentance . Indeed , that is why Christ came , not to condemn sinners but to save them . God delights in saving all who come to him in faith , whether self-righteous , hypocritical , insecure , pretentious , rebellious or anything else . God loved us when we were his enemies . He redeemed us even in our sin . God's mercy is offered to all .

Julian Stoltzfus 12:07

God in his grace saves us from sin . Grace is God's benevolence , his good will , which reaches down and pulls us out of the muck of our sin . For the gospel is more than salvation from sin . It is also salvation to God , restored relationship with him . We are reconciled to him , adopted into his family , joint heirs with Christ , as his brothers and sisters . Grace is far more than a force . Grace is God's action .

Julian Stoltzfus 12:38

In the gospel , god reconciles us to himself . We were wounded , but he has healed us . We were sinners , but he saved us . He has washed us . We were orphans , but now we belong to him . He adopted us .

Julian Stoltzfus 12:55

We are the privileged ones who live in relationship with the living God . This is ours because of God's kindness , because of God's love , because of God's grace , because of who he is and what he desires and what he has done . These privileges are ours by that grace . This grace is ours because of God's kindness . God loves to save sinners . It is his joy to meet filthy sinners in their need and redeem them , drawing them to himself in love , cleansing them through Christ and adopting them into his family . God is kind . His kindness is ours to enjoy in Christ . Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Theological Touchpoints podcast . This podcast is a production of Sword and Trumpet Ministries . For more information , visit wwwswordandtrumpetorg or theologicaltouchpointscom . If you have thoughts or questions , you can contact us at podcast at theologicaltouchpointscom . Now may the God of peace himself thank you completely and may your whole spirit , soul and body be preserved , blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ . He who calls you is faithful , who also will do it .