Today we are looking at the Grace of God and how it offers salvation, teaches us to say no, and promises us the Blessed Hope, the return of Jesus Christ.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Watch the video of this teaching at https://www.celllifechurch.tv/the-grace-of-god/ or on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/aJQcDz9_5_4
It is very easy to get wrapped up in the things of this world. We are constantly bombarded with entertainment, ideas, opinions, and practices that are contrary to faith in Jesus Christ and the ways of God.
The noise and busyness of this world can take over our lives and we can lose sight of God’s plan and purpose for each one of us individually and all of us collectively as his Church and people. We must remember the grace of God and that we focus more on what is good and holy than the things of this world.
A great passage of scripture is found in Titus 2:11-13 which says:
(11) For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. (12) It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, (13) while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Today we are looking at the Grace of God and how it offers salvation, teaches us to say no, and promises us the Blessed Hope, the return of Jesus Christ.
Paul writes this letter to Titus after leaving him in Crete to lead the church there. Paul is giving Titus many instructions to help him lead and build up the body of believers. There are great instructions throughout the three chapters of Titus for Christian leaders in the church and in business.
Focusing on the verse found in Titus 2:11 which says:
(11) For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
Paul is referring to the first appearance of Jesus and the reason he came. God’s grace was revealed to all mankind when Jesus was born. God’s grace is perfectly revealed by the Apostle John in John 3:16 which says:
(16) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
It is by God’s grace we are saved from eternity in Hell. It is by God’s grace that we are adopted into the family of God and become co-heirs with Jesus Christ. God’s grace through the sacrifice of His son is what bridges the gap between us and God and allows us to return to Him and sit at His table. The grace of God brings us salvation, forgiving all of our sins, and allows us to return to God good as new.
There is more to the grace of God. Paul goes on to tell Titus in Titus 2:12:
(12) It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
This is the part of this passage of scripture that we apply to life today. The grace of God teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions. Ungodliness is avoiding or defying God’s plans and purposes for you and for mankind. Disobeying God’s law and commandments is ungodliness.
Jesus tells us the two greatest commandments are to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul and to love our neighbors as ourselves. He teaches us that all of the law and the prophets hang on these two simple commands. We fall into ungodliness when we start to stray from these two very simple commands.
God’s grace also teaches us to say no to worldy passions. This world is a wicked place. The devil has corrupted it so much that worldy passions are difficult to avoid, but God’s grace teaches us to. I’ve recently been reading in the books of Kings and Chronicles. It is interesting the things that the kings of Israel and Judah did and did not do. It amazes me how many did evil in the sight of the Lord. So many fell to worship other gods made by human hands.
Today we are no different. We may not burn incense to some of the things we create with our own hands, but nonetheless, we worship them. We seek out a legacy to leave behind and then build monuments to that legacy. We take on possessions in the form of money, homes, cars, mobile phones, televisions, and more and make them the focal point of our existence in place of God. These are worldly passions that the Christian has no purpose in focusing on or worshipping. Cast off these worldly passions. Focus on the Lord and use these worldy things to further preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Grace of God teaches us to live self-controlled and upright godly lives. Allow the grace of God to soak into you. This is how you repel the allure of the rich and famous. We can take entertainment at face value and be entertained without worshipping the entertainers. We do not need to make entertainers our royalty. We have but one true king, and that is Jesus Christ. He is the only royalty we need to focus on and worship as we travel through this life the Lord has given us to live.
Finally, we read in Titus 2:13:
(13) while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
The blessed hope is the return of Jesus Christ in all His glory to reign here on earth. John 14:1-3 records Jesus saying:
(1) “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. (2) My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Acts 1:11 says:
(11) “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
This is the blessed hope and the grace of God teaches us to wait patiently for it. Jesus will return. He has promised us he would. While we wait for his return we are to share his love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness with everyone. We are to share the good news of Jesus Christ and make disciples.
We can wait with great anticipation for his return and do mighty things in his name when we rely on and learn from the grace of God. The key is to keep our focus on Jesus and be ready for his return. Jesus tells us he will come like a thief in the night. We will not know the hour or the time. We must be ready.
The grace of God is based in his love for us; each one of us. It is by his grace we are saved, through Jesus Christ. His grace is what teaches us to see the world for what it is and love others even when they don’t deserve it. We can forgive others as he has forgiven us even before we asked for it and did not deserve it. God’s grace is what gives us the hope of a better future with Jesus reigning supreme over all of creation. That is the grace of God.
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