What Saves Us AND Changes Us?

April 26

Read: Titus 2:1-15

What Saves Us AND Changes Us?

It is God’s GRACE that changes us… that transforms us… that is at the core of experiencing any victory over sin and living out of our “new life” in Christ. It is not our human effort combined with “rules” or any set of laws. Just God’s grace. Titus 2:11-14 reads:

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

You see that it is not just that God’s grace saves us (“appeared bringing salvation”) but it is also that God’s grace trains us to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions”. It is grace that is both saving and transforming! If we are to be “trained” to renounce anything in this world, it will be rooted in first remembering God’s grace and forgiveness for us.

At the very end of this section, we see that it is Jesus who is “purifying for himself a people for his own possession.”Jesus is doing the purifying, while we are experiencing the purifying. This transformation - this receiving and recognizing of God’s grace and purifying of Jesus - results in a people who are “zealous for good works”. When we lack zeal - it is because we have forgotten how radical and beautiful God’s grace is. When we lack zeal, we have begun to think WE are the agents who are changing ourselves… trusting our efforts… our flesh… our willpower. This ALWAYS leads to defeat; we know deep down our limitations!

Relishing the “once-and-for-all” forgiveness of Jesus which is the pouring out of God’s grace and love is what will train us to renounce ungodliness, give us victory over our worldly passions which destroy us, and will make us excited and “zealous” for the good works God has prepared for us. (cf. Eph. 2:10)

Start this day with REMEMBERING the grace of God! Ask the Lord today if you are “forgiven” and see what he says to you. Listen to the voice of the Lord… ask him to tell you what his GRACE is like. Ask that the Lord give you “eyes to see” his grace which has “appeared” now. Notice how grace has “appeared”? That means it is visible… able to be experienced and acknowledged. Ask for that today… start with God’s GRACE today. Love you guys. - JDP