The Grace of God

In this sermon celebrating thirty years of pastoral ministry at New Covenant Church, Pastor Robert McNutt exposits Titus 2:11-14 to demonstrate the comprehensive work of God's grace in the believer's life. He structures his teaching around three functions of saving grace: first, grace saves us from the penalty of sin through the finished work of Christ; second, grace trains us to renounce ungodliness and pursue godly living through the sanctifying process of putting off the old man and putting on the new; and third, grace sustains us as we wait for our blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Drawing on Philippians 2:12-13, Ephesians 4, and 1 John 3:2-3, Pastor McNutt emphasizes that sanctification is impossible in our own strength but is accomplished by divine grace working in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. He illustrates the put-off/put-on principle with Paul's instruction that a thief is not truly reformed until he not only stops stealing but labors to give to those in need. The sermon concludes with a personal testimony of Pastor McNutt's conversion through the hymn "And Can It Be," an exhortation to unbelievers to recognize their need for a Savior, and an encouragement to struggling believers that one day Christ will complete His purifying work in them—so they must keep fighting the battle, knowing that because of Jesus alone, we win in the end.