I invite you to turn with me this morning to Titus, chapter 2. Titus, chapter 2, as we read that chapter together. Titus, chapter 2. And also, if you would turn in the back of the Psalter hymnal as we continue our consideration of the teaching of Scripture as summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism, page 44, Lord's Day 32, which begins the third and final section of the Catechism. Page 44 in the back of the Psalter hymnal, Lord's Day 32, questions and answers 86 and 87. We read together, first of all, Titus chapter 2, beginning at verse 1, as we now give our attention to the Word of God. You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the Word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything, set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. Teach slaves to be subject to their masters and everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. 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 this present age while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. These then are the things you should teach, encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. And turning to Lord's Day 32, page 44 in the back of the Psalter, hymnal as I read the question and we confess together what we believe as we recite these answers together. Question 86. We have been delivered from our misery by God's grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it. Why then must we still do good? To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by His blood. But we do good because Christ by His Spirit is also renewing us to be like Himself so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all He has done for us and so that He may be praised through us and we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. Can those be saved who do not turn to God from their ungrateful and impenitent ways? By no means. Scripture tells us that no unchaste person, no idolater, adulterer, thief, no covetous person, no drunkard, slanderer, robber, or the like is going to inherit the kingdom of God. Dear people of God, unless you should happen to have an unlisted telephone number or maybe have no telephone at all, then like us in our household, no doubt you have received numerous solicitation, phone calls, offering something like a free getaway to some resort somewhere. And of course you know the drill. The resort vacation is yours free if you will only spend an hour or two or maybe three listening to someone try to convince you to buy that piece of lakefront property or that condominium or maybe even a vacation timeshare or whatever the case may be. But there's absolutely no obligation. All you have to do is give of your time. No other obligation but the resort vacation, well, you know, that's going to be yours free. Or maybe, like with my wife and myself, you'll get a free prize like a cheap digital camera. That doesn't work. It sits in the cupboard. Yet there's no obligation. You don't have to do anything. But do you know what? That can't be said about salvation, can it? Now that I've got your attention, yes, salvation is a free gift. But the saved believer has an obligation. Question 86 makes this clear. The first part, of course, being a statement of fact. We have been delivered from our misery by God's grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it. Why then must we still do good? Why then must we still do good? You see, the believer has an obligation to perform good works. This obligation is to be fulfilled through the believer's response to such a great salvation. You see, with this Lord's Day, we now make the transition from the second part of the catechism, that section dealing with salvation, redemption, deliverance. Making a transition to the third and the final section which deals with gratitude, thankfulness, or service. So the question now is, how do we understand this obligation? What does this mean that we still must do good works? Question 86, and again, specifically the statement of fact before the actual question, it points back to and it summarizes the section on deliverance. And it makes it clear that this obligation is not in order to earn our deliverance. Our deliverance from our misery is by God's grace alone, the Catechism rightly says, through Christ and not because we have earned it. Salvation is absolutely free. It is the work of God and there is nothing we are able to add to it or contribute toward it. But this obligation to perform good works is the necessary response to this deliverance. God's people are saved from sin in order to serve. Our salvation is unto grateful obedience. Jeremiah 31 verse 33 says, But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people. And Paul says in the familiar Ephesians 2 verse 10, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. And look again at Titus chapter 2. Actually every chapter in Titus, all three of these chapters, there Paul points to doing what is good and right. specifically chapter 2, and notice again verses 11 to 14. 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 this present age while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. Beloved, I preach to you this Word of God. The grace of redemption renews the believer's whole life toward good works. I know that's a long one. A long thing. Let me say it again. The grace of redemption renews the believer's whole life toward good works. Good works which express thankfulness through confession and life. to the praise of God, good works which give personal assurance of faith, and good works that witness to others for Christ. Now the very idea and performing of good works has been misunderstood and has resulted in predominantly two major errors throughout history, of course, which all kinds of other errors spring from. And the first is called antinomianism. And that simply means without law or no law or against law. And this idea says since we are saved by grace and Christ paid for our sins and also fulfilled the law, then we don't have to worry. We don't have to worry about how we live because we are forgiven anyway and anything we do doesn't matter. And God's law, particularly the Ten Commandments, are meaningless for us. Some of you I know read from Table Talk a couple of months ago an article by R.C. Sproul where he talks about this. And he puts in his article, he writes what he calls the hymn of the antinomian, which says, Freed from the law, O blessed condition, we can sin all we want and still have remission. And of course we know, beloved, it's false. It's a lie. It's simply not true. Trinomianism is, in a sense, a way of saying that we must remove all temptation to think that our works save us. And therefore, you know, we might be able to say, well, the law is a temptation. When we consider the law, we might begin to think, well, you know, I've got to do this to earn something. And therefore, the law is a temptation that must be avoided. But this is unbiblical. It is unchristian. It is an insult to Christ, whose work was to restore us to the image of God with the desire for and the purpose of keeping the law. In fact, in Titus 2, verse 14, Paul speaks of Christ redeeming us from all wickedness, or as another version says, from every lawless deed. Now the other error, which is on the other side of the coin, we might say, is in line with the Pelagian error. the Pelagian error, which emphasizes good works and de-emphasizes sin. Pelagius taught that man is not born corrupted, that we learn to sin by imitation, and therefore we are able, we are able to earn our salvation. This error shows then what man can do for God. The idea here that then it is the opposite of antinomianism in that the idea is now that we must do our part for salvation. And we can put it this way. Gratitude then is my work through which I now pay God back for what He did for me. You see, this too is dangerous because it's false. It's unbiblical. But the Bible combats, goes to war against both of these errors as the catechism beautifully shows us. The catechism, true to Scripture, a summary of Scripture's teaching, does not deny a place for good works on the one hand. But on the other hand, it clearly denies any merit or any earning power from them. Yet at the same time, it powerfully proclaims the necessity of good works. Even as Scripture teaches us that good works are necessary, the question is for why. If you think about it again, question 86, that first part, is a confession of redemption. And as a confession of redemption, it is already a part of thanksgiving. It is the fruit of our lips. It's so beautiful that this section on gratitude does not begin with a lament or a wish that says, if only I were saved or delivered then. But it begins with a song of triumph. It begins with a beautiful confession of faith. A song of triumph. We have been delivered from our misery. It's a done deal. This is a hymn of thanksgiving just as the four living creatures and the 24 elders sang as they fell down before the Lamb in Revelation 5. And they sang a new song saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, For you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and have made us kings and priests to our God. And we shall reign on the earth. But as we've been reminded really throughout the entire catechism, but especially at the end of the second section, doctrine or confession and life or conduct must be in agreement. The heart and the mouth and the hands must go together because as Proverbs 4, verse 23 says, keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life. Not only does our mouth reflect what's in our heart, but also our actions give expression to what's in our heart. And therefore, the confession of salvation, the one who is able to confess, I am saved, must also necessarily ask with Paul, as he did on the road to Damascus, Lord, what do you want me to do? You see, a life of gratitude must be clothed with flesh and blood. But how does this take place? Answer 86 begins, To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by His blood. But we do good because Christ by His Spirit is also renewing us to be like Himself so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all that He has done for us and so that He may be praised through us. You see, this means that doing good works is not, first of all, what we do for God. Our gratitude to God is also His work inside of us. Salvation is a package deal. God the Son redeems us. God the Holy Spirit renews us. Redemption and renewal go together. Yes, of course, we cooperate in this renewal because the Holy Spirit of God makes us able and willing to perform good works. Jesus Christ redeems us by His blood and purifies us by His Spirit. And do you know what that means, congregation? That means that it is impossible to have Jesus as your Savior but not have Him as the Lord and the Master of your life. It is impossible to say, I'm saved by Christ but I don't have to do anything special. I'm the master of my own fate. I make the rules for me. Oh, I guess it's not impossible to say that. Anybody can say that. But it's impossible for that to be true. Because one who has Jesus Christ as His Savior from sin and death and hell cannot help but to have Him as the Lord and the Master of our life, the One who directs us and shows us the way and leads us on the way. You see, from the moment that we are justified by the grace of God, we are in Christ. and no longer outside of Him. And therefore, as Paul says in Romans 6, verse 2, how shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? And he expects the answer, we can't. It's not possible. We cannot separate the true fact that Christ saves us from the guilt and punishment of sin from the true fact that He also saves us from the power and the influence of sin, from the state of sin and the condition and the pollution of sin. Christ's redemption is necessarily followed by a new life in the power of the Holy Spirit. James makes this clear when he says, faith without works is dead. In other words, it's not faith at all. We as believers are called to necessarily work out the salvation which Christ works in us through His Spirit. You see, this renewal in the believer's life is a most wonderful miracle of God worked by the Holy Spirit. He takes, as it were, the redemption of Christ and permeates or infiltrates or saturates our whole life with it. Boys and girls, just like a sponge, is full of water, saturated with water. In the same way, the Spirit takes that redemption and fills our whole life with it. And therefore, as Daphne beautifully played for the offertory, we are to sing, fill thou my life, O Lord my God, in every part with praise. You see, redemption being bought by Christ has absolutely no meaning for us unless it changes everything about us. God's people are changed with a new way of thinking, thinking God's thoughts after Him, a new way of feeling, a new way of willing, not selfish, but selfless. so that our thoughts and words and actions and motives and desires and everything about us is changed from enmity against God to harmony with God. As Paul says in Titus 2, verse 12, beginning at verse 11, 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 this present age. This renewal is demonstrated through good works which express thankfulness through confession of mouth and conduct of life to the praise of God. You see, this is the first purpose for doing good works, to thank and praise God for all of His benefits to me for His free gift of salvation. And we know that thankfulness must be demonstrated. It doesn't do any good to say thank you to someone for something. you don't show them by your actions that you are genuinely thankful. Or the actions that we don't act on. For example, if someone gives you a precious gift, you don't say thank you with your mouth and turn around and say, well, I want something else and steal from them. Words without actions are meaningless. And God is thanked when I demonstrate Christ living in me. And our good works demonstrate the renewal of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And this renewed life lived for Jesus Christ says, thank you to God. But this is not, this is not as some think. It is not a going above and beyond the call of duty. Good works are not something extra that we do. But these are to characterize the Christian's lifestyle. The Christian's lifestyle and good works are to be connected, synonymous. The renewing work of the Holy Spirit is a complete life change with a style of living molded by good works. As someone has said, one does not perform good works in order to be saved, but one is saved in order to do good works. Or to say it another way, one does not do good works to get saved, but one does them because that one is saved. And this life of thankfulness and good works is then shaped by what God commands. Next time, with Lord's Day 33, the Lord willing, we will deal with what good works are more specifically. But suffice it to say now, question and answer 91 of the Catechism tells us that good works arise out of true faith and conform to God's law. A life of good works is a life of faith and obedience to the law of God, to the revealed will of God, what He has clearly given to us in His Word. Shaped again, of course, by Paul's question, Lord, what do you want me to do? And this isn't just talking about once in a while on Sunday or in things connected with the church. It's talking about our ordinary daily course of life. The believer's whole life really is or is to be a good work. This life, as the explanation, the exposition of the fourth commandment points out in the catechism, is a rest from my evil work all the days of the week. And therefore, this life is to be a life of contentment, content with what God has given. and said, therefore, we do not steal from our neighbor. We do not covet what our neighbor has. This life, then, is a life of honesty. We do not bear false witness against our neighbor. We do not lie. This life, then, is also a life of devotion to God alone so that we have no other gods before Him. We do not set up anything else or anyone else before Him. And our good works also include things that might seem mundane like eating and drinking or whatever we do being done to the glory of God. This new life characterized by good works demonstrates the truth of our confession that I with body and soul both in life and in death am not my own but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. And because of all of His benefits to me, His Holy Spirit makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live unto Him. But not only do true good works express thanksgiving and praise to God, but by His grace, they also give personal assurance of faith. You see, in this life with sin and temptation constantly knocking at the door of our lives in our weakness, we need the assurance of God's grace. Let's admit it. We need assurance daily. And good works serve to strengthen the believer's assurance. Our good works are evidence to us of the genuineness of our faith. Now, it's true that the believer does not perform good works so that he will be noticed. Good works are not done to promote the one doing them. Good works are to be so natural and are to flow so freely that one day the sheep will say, Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you something to eat? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or naked and clothe you? Or a stranger and take you? And when did we do these things? You see, they were natural. Yet we are also not to be unconscious of doing good. It is to be our delight and our desire to do good. and the greatest blessing is spiritual gain in the form of assurance of faith. Now let me quickly add that this is not to say though that the fruit of our lives, that the fruit itself convinces us of our faith in the first place. After all, many do what are called many good things. But it is the Word of God which tells us that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. that word applied to our heart by the Holy Spirit is that which convinces us that we have true faith. I might as well get it over with. I need a drink. Excuse me. You see, the truth is, beloved, the fruit of our faith is not always so convincing. Since even our best works, as the Bible says, are as filthy rags, they are stained with sin. Yet as our fruitfulness increases by the grace of God, the assurance of our faith also increases. And this means that the way of the obedience of faith is also the way to the assurance of faith, at least in part. You see, doubt grows on the infertile field of an unfruitful life. And a lack of good works is evidence of a lack of communion with God. But by the grace of God, the believer's assurance grows along with the fruit of doing good works. Faithful obedience and the assurance of faith go together. I hope you see by now that doing good works is not an option for the believer. It is natural. It is to be automatic, just like a fruit tree brings forth fruit naturally. season after season unfruitfulness is a great sin you recall in the parable of our Lord that the unfruitful fig tree that occupies the land without any profit without any return will be cut down and thrown into the fire but the truth is it is impossible for one who is implanted into Christ by a true faith it is impossible for that one not to bring forth fruits of thankfulness because Christ's life-giving sap will produce fruit in the believer. James says, I will show you my faith by my works. Again, the believer's fruit will not be perfect. It will not be flawless in this life, but it will be there. The good that he wishes to do, he often does not do, but the miracle is that I even wish to do good. And this is why question and answer 87 can be so bold. Can those be saved who do not turn to God from their ungrateful and impenitent ways? By no means. Scripture tells us that no unchaste person, no idolater, adulterer, thief, no covetous person, no drunkard, slanderer, robber, or the like is going to inherit the kingdom of God. Now there are many, many, countless numbers who deceive themselves into thinking that they are saved for any number of reasons because I've done this or because I've done that or because I haven't done this or I haven't done that. But those who do not turn to God but continue in their wicked and ungrateful lives of sin have no place in God's kingdom. Without faith, there can and will be no good works. And without good works, there will be no assurance because the evidence is against them. Understand, it is not the lack of good works that keeps one from being saved, but a lack of faith. Yet faith is not faith without good works. Many believers have read this answer 87 and they see themselves there. Then they wonder, well, who then can be saved? And we must recognize ourselves there to be sure, Yet it does not say that sinners cannot be saved. That would be anti-gospel. Heaven is for sinners. Sinners saved by grace. But those who continue in their wicked and ungrateful lives can by no means be saved. You see, beloved, impenitence, not repenting to God is the sin unto death. The difference between believers and unbelievers is not that believers are holy except they are in Christ and that unbelievers are sinners. All are sinners, we know. The difference is that believers sometimes through weakness fall into sin. While unbelievers continue in their sins, believers find comfort in the eternal covenant of God, but unbelievers, while they continue in such sin, make their judgment and condemnation the heavier. Believers are those who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of God. Unbelievers are those who reject the truth and unbelieve. Finally then, the believer's good works must reach out and witness to others for Christ. The very last phrase of answer 86 says, and so that by our godly living, our neighbors may be won over to Christ. You see, by living out of the wealth of Christ's redemption, and it is indeed a wealth, by living out of the wealth of Christ's redemption, through our good works of faith and obedience, believers make the hungry and poverty-stricken world jealous. Now, we might say, I don't see that. I make them mad, but I don't see that I make them jealous. But this is something that should take place, and really it does. It will take place. Jesus said in Matthew 5, You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. And good salt flavors whatever it touches and makes one thirsty. And shining light gets the attention of those who are in the darkness. Now we know that the usual means of witnessing for Christ is through the proclamation of the Word of God. This is first and foremost. That's the tool God has given to us. But as believers in our everyday life, the catechism rightly points the finger at our godly walk. And Paul gives us directions, wonderful directions in Titus chapter 2. I encourage you to take more time today to consider and meditate on that chapter, even all three chapters. But you see, Christians are watched by the world. We know that. If you don't know that, there's a problem. But Christians are watched by the world. Not first of all because believers are appreciated, but because the world is examining believers to see if indeed our walk matches our talk. And we must watch our step because it only takes one small stumble to undo a whole lot of testimony. We've all seen that throughout our lives, especially when it comes to a well-known tele-evangelist or something like that. But it can happen here in the privacy of our own church and community as well. The Christian's godly walk in many respects is the beating heart of evangelism. You see, the world wants to know, do you support with your life the testimony that flows from your lips? Or I'd put it another way, do you support with your life that which others know to be true about you? Young people, when others know that you go to church and you claim to be a Christian, Then in the crowd, in the mall, or at a ball game, can they see that you are different? Can they see that there is something distinctive about you? When you are at your daily work, working with your fellow employers, and they know that you claim to be a believer, that on the Lord's Day you come to the house of God and not to the big game, do they also see then that you work ethically? That indeed, the way that you work, as verse 10 says, that the teaching about God, our Savior, that you make it attractive to them? Do they see that you put in an honest day's work for an honest day's pay and you do what you are asked? Or do others see you confess God with your lips, but the secret truth is that your heart is far from Him? We need to understand that we may think that that's a secret in our heart. But it's very visible to those around us. You see, congregation, a confession and life that flow together, that are in harmony with each other and with God will get the attention of our neighbor. Again, maybe not always a favorable reaction. But only when they see something different, exciting and real, will they then be ready to hear where that comes from. Our neighbor is to see that the joy of the Lord is our strength in whatever circumstance of life that God places in our way, whether in health or in sickness, whether in life or in death. They must see that God's peace that passes understanding guards our thoughts and our words and our actions. And they must see that contentment governs our hearts and all of this because Jesus Christ has redeemed us with His blood and renews us with His Spirit. Again, a careless walk that contradicts our talk does untold spiritual damage by discrediting Christ and His church, by casting shame on our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore, each one of us must ask, am I an obstacle to Christ, rather than a means of drawing others to Him? And notice again, the gain is to be for Christ, not our own personal gain. So many boast, I've heard them, you have too. So many boast about how many they have led to Christ, as if they're keeping track by putting notches on their belt. But the focus is to be on Him. Or at other times, we want our neighbors to like us. So we are tempted to disguise our faith in the fear of turning our neighbor off. But you see, the most wonderful thing, the most precious gift we can give to our neighbor is the message of Jesus Christ. Showing them love does not mean tolerating the ways of the world. But a true demonstration of love for our neighbor is telling them the truth in love. And to be renewed after His own image means that the trait of the Savior is not to be lacking in us. What is that trait? To desire to seek and save the lost. Beloved, perish even the thought of some who would find their souls in hell one day and look to you and me and cry out, why didn't you tell me? You knew all along. Why didn't you tell me? You see, our calling is clear. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. The grace of redemption renews the believer's whole life toward good works. Good works are evidence of God's grace in the believer's life. And they say so much. They say thank you to God. They speak to us of the assurance of our faith. And they say to the world that Jesus Christ is the only way, truth, and life. Again, does that mean that all of our works are perfect? Not at all, but by the grace of God, they are real. But those who do not do good works do not know the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and their works do earn them something, namely, hell. The redemption of Christ is for those who repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Only in Him can you experience forgiveness and that eternal life change unto new obedience. Beloved, we are not obligated to do good works to get saved. In fact, it's impossible. But good works are the obligation of the saved. We are not to glory in our good works, but find comfort in them of God's redeeming work in us. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, in Jesus' name, we bow before You again. We thank You and praise You for the greatest work ever done by our Lord Jesus Christ, taking away our punishment for sin, living that perfect life in our place and granting unto us freely not only the forgiveness of all of our sins, but also His righteousness, full and free. Father, thank You for the new hearts You've given to us. Help us to desire to do that which is pleasing to You. Help us more and more every day to be more faithful servants, more obedient servants of the Most High God in order to say thank You and to praise Your Holy Name that You would give to us assurance of Your gift of faith in our lives. And as well, that if it is your will, you would be pleased to use us even in some small way to cause someone somewhere to take a look and desire to know what it is you've given to us. Father, continue your powerful work in our lives. Hear our prayer for Jesus' sake and in His name, Amen.