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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Daniel Calaguas

According to His Working

If you'll turn your Bibles with me to the book of Titus.

And we have talked at length, for those of you who have been at our discussions before, we have talked at length about how it is we are to abide in Christ.

The manner in which the third angel's message works, the manner in which we are in Christ is that we do not get more righteous once we give our hearts to Jesus, he gives us his righteousness, and we are then just learning.

We are learning what we had already received.

And in the book of Titus, we have another component to what we have been talking about, this whole issue of righteousness by faith.

He gives counsel to those that are looking for the second coming of Jesus.

The Bible says, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

Verse 13, it goes on to say, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

When we consider this text, we see here that Titus, In the book of Titus, it counsels those who are looking for the second coming of Jesus to understand what this grace of God is.

It brings salvation to all men, but the Bible says here that it is a teacher.

It teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and goes on to say these kinds of things.

Now if you'll turn your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 4.

We're talking about according to his working this morning, and we wanna set a foundation for the study in Ephesians chapter 4 in verse 7.

The Bible says here, but unto every 1 of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Every single person in this room is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Now that brings up a question, because what does that really mean?

How do we quantify this grace that we are given?

How do we quantify what it is that brings us salvation and teaches us to deny ungodliness?

The Bible says precept upon precept, precept upon precept, and we find the answer in Colossians.

Turn 2 books back, I'm sorry, 2 books forward to Colossians chapter 2 in verse 8 and 9 as we continue to set a foundation for what we are speaking about this morning.

Every single person, individual in this room is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Now what is the measure of the gift of Christ?

The Bible says in chapter 2, verse 8, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

The Bible says in verse 9, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Now when the Bible says we are given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, and the Bible says again that in Christ is a measure of the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Individually, how much grace do you think we receive?

It's like we can't even quantify that amount of grace.

And yet, a lot of times we think that when we come into Christ and that when we receive this grace that teaches us to deny ungodliness and prepares us for the second coming of Jesus, that this Grace just gives us a little bit of an advantage.

We think as though when we come into Christ, yes, he gives us his grace and I'll barely make it through.

No, brothers and sisters, when the Bible says we receive grace, it's a blowout.

Because naturally, no human being ever found it difficult to do wrong.

No human being ever found it difficult to do wrong.

The human being's struggle is always what to do right.

That's what we struggle with, quote unquote.

But the reason why we struggle with that, the reason why it's so easy for us to do wrong is simply because we're under the direction of sin.

But if we were to change masters, if another power would have the sway over us, it would be just as easy for us to do right than it is in this state for us to do wrong.

But too often, we believe that, well, we're just giving a little, you know, we're just giving a little bit of grace to just barely get us through, but the Bible says where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

You know, when I look at these texts and when we consider these texts, sometimes I wonder.

It's like how can we believe that we will simply just be the same or sinning until the second coming.

Brothers and sisters, we are receiving grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

And the reason why we might not be experiencing this grace.

The reason why we might not be fazed by how much grace that we receive is simply because of 1 reason.

It's because we don't know what Jesus Christ is doing on our behalf.

The Bible says in Colossians chapter 1, verse 27 through 29, It says here, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

Paul says here in verse 29, whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Not only does Jesus work in you, he works in you mightily, the Bible says.

Did you know that in Isaiah chapter 26, The Bible describes Jesus' strength as being everlasting.

And yet here we are, struggling, hoping just to get by.

The struggle is with self to believe that we've received the grace of God.

Now when we talk about striving according to His working, you know that's what Jesus did?

Jesus, in the book of John, chapter 5, let's turn there, let's let the Lord lead here.

I hope you don't mind looking at scripture this morning.

John, chapter 5, I want you to see what Jesus says here in verse 19.

John chapter 5 in verse 19, as we continue to establish this foundation.

Brothers and sisters, I want to show you from the Bible what Jesus is doing in your behalf.

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do how much?

Nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do, for what thingsoever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

In other words, when Jesus was living on this earth, he said he could do nothing.

The same Jesus that says he has everlasting strength says here that he can do nothing except for what he sees the Father do, except for what he sees the Father do.

And so the same way Jesus works, we are to work.

Because we can imagine, or we can see, or guess or stipulate what is righteousness.

But unless we see Jesus doing it, we don't have any business doing that thing.

Let me make that a little bit more clear.

In Jesus' life, never did He follow His own impulse, even though it seemed like a righteous thing to do.

When he was 12 and he went to the Passover for the first time, and for those 12 years, the desire of ages says all he was doing was helping his parents.

Every single day, 24 hours, he was determined to help his parents.

Now on Passover, remember how Jesus stayed behind?

Wouldn't it seem like the righteous thing to do, to just follow your parents back?

The impulse would say, well, I need to help my parents, you know, we're gonna go back to our home now, I can't stay behind.

Wouldn't that seem like the righteous thing to do?

But Jesus works according to what his Father is working.

So even though it seemed righteous to him, he said, what thy will is, Father, I will do.

According to His Working

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