Grace 2012

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you (Titus 2:11-15, ESV).

The announced theme of the Pastors’ Conference this year has been the grace of God. Since last year the subject was the law of God, the elders felt it would be part of a balanced approach to these great biblical themes, if they were to assign to this conference, the subject of the grace of God. With such a wonderful theme, it’s to be fully expected among the men who are sitting in the daytime sessions, that the various speakers will either allude to or carefully expound some of those texts that are rich in their teaching concerning the grace of God—such passages as Ephesians 2:8-10, Ephesians 1:3-10, Romans 3:24-25, and perhaps many others as well. However, when it became evident that my health was going to allow me to be present for this conference (a matter which was not at all settled till just a few weeks ago), and that I might be given the opportunity to preach in one of the evening sessions, there was a text that immediately impressed itself powerfully upon my own mind and heart. It stood before me, as it were, with blinking neon lights, saying to me, “Preacher if you preach at all, preach me”; and that text was Titus 2:11-15.

—Excerpt from “The Manifestation and Training of the Saving Grace of God,” preached by Albert N. Martin.