Hello Soyeong, I agree with some of what you've said, but not all (unless I am misunderstanding you, that is, which is certainly possible ).
For instance, "trained by grace" is an interesting thought. Is that your way of saying (or describing) "sanctification", or do you mean something else by it than that (or perhaps something more)?
In Titus 2:11-14, it states that is speaking about "salvation", through it would be appropriate to also refer that aspect of our salvation as "sanctification". The Bible refers to our salvation in the past, present, and future tenses, so we have been saved from the penalty of our sin (Ephesians 2:8), we are being saved from continuing to live in sin (Philippians 2:12), and we will be saved from God's wrath on the day of the Lord (Romans 5:9-10), so sanctification refers to the aspect of our salvation that is being made to be more like Christ, which is ingoing in the present tense. In addition to being trained by grace, Titus 2:11-14 says that Jesus gave himself both to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession who are zealous for doing good works, so that is speak about both a past and a present aspect of our salvation.
As far as 'my' salvation is concerned, and the works that I did both prior to it and afterwards, while there is no question that the fruit of the Spirit (e.g. Galatians 5:22-23) is more evident in my walk now than it was 36+ years ago (when I came to saving faith in Christ), and that the deeds of the flesh from my (former) life outside of Christ (e.g. Galatians 5:19-21) are further diminished (or perhaps better, far more often under control), MANY of the most profound changes that I have experienced since becoming a believer happened back then, when God saved me and declared me just (at the very moment that I came to saving faith).
IOW, I was made a "new creature/creation" at that moment .. e.g. 2 Corinthians 5:17. I came to possess a new self with a new nature (that replaced my old self/old nature). This resulted in an immediate paradigm shift in my former, lifelong way of thinking such I no longer looked to please myself (in all things) but instead, sought to please Him in all that I do/say/think instead (first and foremost/above all others .. including myself).
As the Bible tells us, God changes us by quickening/regenerating us/by causing us to be "born again". The Bible tells us that He gives us a new heart and a new spirit, as well the (now) permanent indwelling of Holy Spirit. It tells us that He removes our old stony (dead) heart and that He gives us a new, fleshy (lively) one in its place. The result is that we are caused to walk in His statutes and enabled by Him to willingly/happily observe/obey all of His ordinances and commandments .. e.g. Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 3:3; Ephesians 2:1-5.
In Ezekiel 36:26-27, the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey both the mishpatim and the chukim, however, there are a lot of Christians who just want to obey the mishpatim and consider the chukim to only be for Jews. Christ followed the chukim and our sanctification is about being made to be more like him. God's game plan is to teach the Jews how to be blessed so that Jews so that Jews can be equipped to go out into the world to teach the nations how to be blessed, which is the way to multiply the children of Abraham and of God in accordance with being heirs of the promise through faith, which is also known as spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom. God wants to bless us and He blesses us by teaching us how to live blessed lives, which is how we re to bless others in accordance with the promise.
All that I experienced that day (November 2nd, 1986) resulted from Him "changing" me, not "training" me (or so it seems to me anyway), since much of what has happened to me (much of what is truly different about me) happened back then in a moment of time. In that moment He made me, "His workmanship/masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus FOR good works", works that were prepared for me to do beforehand .. e.g. Ephesians 2:10.
So, while I KNOW that I was "saved" by His grace/by His gracious choice to do so (by His "UN-merited favor" towards me), I also know that He gave me His "sanctifying grace" at that time, as well (that enabled/enables me to come alongside of Him and join Him, to the degree that I am able, in the ongoing process of my sanctification/of my growing up in Christlikeness, my "working out"/expressing in action the salvation that I already possess, that He had already worked "into" me all those years ago .. e.g. Philippians 1:6, 2:12-13.
Thanks for your help with this! Hopefully some of what I just said will help you understand where my confusion lies with the idea of being, "trained by grace".
God bless you!!
--David
I agree that there is an immediate change when we accept the truth of the Gospel of the Kingdom, though there is also an ongoing change as we mature in our faith, which is the aspect of our salvation that Titus 2:11-14 describes as being trained by grace to do those works. In Psalms 119:29-30, David want to put false ways far from him, for God to be gracious to him him by teaching him to obey His law, and he chose the way of faithfulness, so this has always been the one and only means of salvation by grace through faith. In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him His way that he might know Him and Israel too, in Matthew 7:23, Jesus said that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them, so knowing God and Jesus is the goal of the law, which is eternal life (John 17:3), and which again is salvation by grace through faith.