Titus 2; Jeremiah 15-16; Psalm 126

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,” (Titus 2:11-12 NKJV)

The grace of God has come for all people. There is no one who is outside of His grace, no one for whom God says, “Sorry, this isn’t for you.” Some reject that grace, sadly. Others embrace God’s grace. When we do embrace God’s grace, it makes a difference in our lives. We begin by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts. Indicators of ungodliness are anything that pulls us away from our relationship with God. Worldly lusts are anything that make us more comfortable living in the world than with God’s people. Here’s a hint, if you can’t share it openly with your pastor and/or your Sunday School class, that action or attitude is probably ungodly or a form of worldly lust. As we get rid of those, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly. Soberly includes more than avoiding illegal drugs and legal ones designed to alter our perception. It also means not getting too excited about the latest “thing” in society or in the church. It means not getting too depressed about the problems of the world. (Note: I am NOT talking about people who have depression. That’s a different situation.) Righteously means living in a right relationship with God and with others, while godly speaks about a lifestyle that honors God and draws others to Him. There may be better definitions of each of these words but that’s how I understand it.

I don’t list indicators of ungodliness or following worldly lusts because I’ll probably leave mine, or yours out. I don’t want people to say, “Oh, he didn’t mention this one, so it’s ok.” If you’re seeking to follow God, your conscience will clue you in when you’re headed the wrong way. Those positive attributes reveal themselves as you continue to grow in Christ each day. You’ll recognize them in your life as you experience more peace and joy as you go through the days and draw closer to God. Some people worry about what they’ll have to give up if they want to follow Christ; the truth is that we gain so much peace in our relationship with God that we forget about the things we give up. Our lives are so much better when we commit them to living in God’s grace.

Lord, thank You for Your grace. Thank you that people who had experienced Your grace showed it in their lives and drew me to You. May people look at my joy as I experience Your grace and be drawn to You as well.