Paul wrote Titus that the “grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Some scholars have written that the Grace of God is the theological basis for Christian behavior. We live Christian because of God’s Grace. We do not accomplish the task of Living Christian in this present world because we were born with an innate ability to do that or were smart enough to figure out how to do accomplish that. We were born with no ability to accomplish God’s will for our lives. We are not smart enough to figure out how to do that. In fact, as Paul wrote the Ephesians, we were “were dead in trespasses and sins” and God “made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:1, 5-6). Paul went on to write that the salvation of God can’t be earned or deserved. It is His free gift. (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Grace of God “that brings salvation” is the Greek word σωτήριος and means “brings saving, salvation” and has the idea of applied salvation. It is a saving that is applied to someone. 

The Grace of God that brings salvation “has appeared to all men.” What does that mean? 

The word “appeared” is Ἐπεφάνη and means “to show forth, shine upon, to appear.” We get the English word epiphany from the Greek word. If someone has an “epiphany,” it means they had “a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The “sudden manifestation” connected to the appearance of God’s Grace occurred when the Son of God became flesh.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. JOHN 1:14

This is significant to our understanding of how the Grace of God appeared to all men. The Apostle John went on to write this:

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. JOHN 1:17-18

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only One who can declare God to the world. No other religious teacher has ever lived or will ever live who can represent the God of Heaven. As Jesus said to one of His apostles:

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. JOHN 14:6

The “appearance” of Jesus Christ two-thousand years ago is what brings salvation to “all men.” The word ἀνθρώποις means “humans.” God in the Old Testament said through the prophets that He would save members of humanity who had become sinners and would do that through the appearing, dying and rising of His Anointed Son. 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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