Opening Prayer
Lord God, thank you for the hope that is mine because Jesus came for me, died for me, and is returning for me!
Read TITUS 2:11–15
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, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
In what ways does the reality of God’s grace affect how you serve him?
Think Further
In this passage we are faced with the tension between the grace of God, which, by definition, we don’t deserve, and our responsibility to choose to live a godly lifestyle. Paul makes it very clear that we cannot simply live as we like while relying on grace to save us.1 At the same time, we are not saved by the things we do.2 Put simply, the grace through which we are saved ‘teaches’ (v. 12) us to live for God and to turn away from an ungodly lifestyle.
No matter how far someone has gone from God, everyone is included in God’s offer of salvation. How wonderful to know that no one is exempt from this offer. All sorts of people can turn up in church, with all sorts of views and all sorts of lifestyles. Sometimes we can feel put out or put off by them—perhaps they don’t fit our mold—but we need to remind ourselves that Jesus came to redeem and purify, not just us, but them too. It is because of him that diverse people can be united in faith, hope, and love.
Saying ‘No’ to the things that tempt us is part of our growth and maturity in following Jesus. There are lots of things in the world that want to draw our attention and entice us from our walk of faith. Some of them are big and obvious, others are subtle and can creep up on us. We have to remain open to hearing the Holy Spirit prompt us and direct our choices. We are reassured that if we do mess up we can turn back to Jesus, saying ‘No’ once again to temptation and finding the help that we need to live for him.3
Apply
Allow God to inspect your life. Are there areas that are ungodly? If you need to get right with God today, you can be encouraged that you will find help.
Closing prayer
Holy Spirit, continue your work in my life; help me to be more like Jesus in all that I think and do.
Last Updated on March 9, 2024 by kingstar
