“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone. It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”
Titus 2:11-12
It occurred to me as I meditated on this passage that I have a fundamental understanding of grace and what I have been taught about it through the years. But do I have a deep, heart-felt, experiential understanding of the grace God has given me personally?
I can give the standard definition of grace which is:
- “God’s unmerited favor” and
- “God giving us what we don’t deserve” while mercy is “God not giving us what we do deserve.”
I can give the acrostic of GRACE:
- God’s
- Riches
- At
- Christ’s
- Expense.
These are good to know but I realized there is soooo much more to God’s grace than a few trite sayings:
It is by God’s grace that creation came into existence.
It is by God’s grace He created mankind in His image.
It is by God’s grace that He made a covering for Adam and Eve when they sinned and fell.
It is by God’s grace that He gave the protoevangelium in Gen. 3:15 showing the way of salvation through the coming of Christ Jesus to be the 2nd Adam, die on a cross, raise from the dead, making atonement for the sin of all who would call on His name – the name of Jesus; that every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord; for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.
It is by God’s grace he foreknew me, predestined me, called me, justified me, and glorified me.
It is by God’s grace I am saved through faith and this not of myself, it is the gift of God lest I should boast.
Grace brought me to salvation. Grace strengthens me when I am weak. Grace teaches me when I lack wisdom. Grace instructs me how to live a life pleasing to God.
There is so much more to grace than I realize. Grace comes from a God that loves me, sacrificed Himself for me, made atonement for my sins, makes intercession for me, and will never leave me nor forsake me.
As Christians, sometimes the “Christianese” words and terminology becomes mundane and matter-of-fact losing their awe and life changing power.
I need to daily come before my God in humility and submission, with true thanksgiving in my heart for what He’s done in the past, the present, and will do in the future, kneeling in awe before Him knowing that I am His because He chose me and made a way for me to be with Him despite my failures, shortcomings, and even my successes. All glory, honor, and praise belong to Him!
What struck me in Titus 2:11-12 is that it says not only did grace bring me salvation but that it instructs me how to live: to renounce or say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions which is living a life of repentance – turning from sin to the grace He provides. Through the salvation grace provides and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of salvation, grace enables me to live a self-controlled, upright, and godly life in this present age of growing darkness. A life lived this way can only be done by grace that provides salvation, living by the power of the Holy Spirit. It can’t be done in my own strength and power. It’s All Him and All praise belongs to God!
Amen!!
Scripture References
Grace in Creation: Gen. 1:1-5, 31; Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:20; Col. 1:16-17
Grace in Creating Mankind: Gen. 1:26-28, 31; Gen. 2:7-9, 15-25
Grace in Casting them from the Garden after the Fall so to not Eat of the Tree of Life and Live Eternally in a Fallen State: Gen. 3:22-24
Grace in Making a Covering after the Fall: Gen. 3:21
Grace in Providing Salvation (the Protoevangelium, the first prophecy of Christ and the Cross): Gen. 3:15
Grace in the Atoning Sacrifice of Christ Jesus: 1 John 2:2 (NIV); Rom. 3:25 (NIV), Is. 53:5 (NIV)
Grace in Christ Jesus as the 2nd Adam (second man, last Adam, man of heaven): 1 Cor. 15:20-22, 45-49; Rom. 5:12-21
Grace in the Name of Jesus: Rom. 10:9-10, 13
Grace in the Supremacy of the Name of Jesus: Phil. 2:9-11; Acts 4:12
Grace in God’s Foreknowledge: Rom. 8:29-30
Grace in God’s Personal Plan of Salvation for Me: Eph. 2:8-10
Grace in my weakness: 2 Cor. 12:19; Matt. 11:28; Phil. 4:13; Rom. 8:26; 2 Tim. 2:1
Grace in wisdom: James 1:5; Prov. 2:3-6
Grace in godliness: Titus 2:11-12; 1Tim. 6:6; 2 Pet. 1:3; 1 Tim. 4:8
Who Do You Say I AM? 
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