Are You Enjoying Grace?

Titus 2:11-12 (ESV) For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

Jude and James were prayer partners. They often confessed their sins to one another and prayed for one another. In one of their prayer meetings, Jude told James how he had been lusting after a certain lady in the neighborhood and they prayed about the matter. But Jude later came in contact with a preacher who told him that confession of sins was for those under the law, and since Christ has redeemed him from the curse of the law, he is completely free and has no need to do anything further but simply enjoy what God has already done. Jude who had always wanted to indulge his lust now found a good reason to do so. He cut off from James and joined the preacher’s fellowship.

When James discovered all these, he tried his best to convince Jude against this new gospel but Jude was adamant. This new preacher had told Jude that all his sins whether past, present, or future were forgiven when he confessed Jesus, and anything he does after confessing Christ is no longer regarded as a sin because he is now living under grace.

This preacher preached a different Gospel, a gospel that is contrary to what the Holy Spirit is saying in today’s scripture.

According to Titus 2:11, Grace gives us the ability to renounce ungodliness and worldliness, thus, we are able to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. If your daily living lacks self-control, uprightness, and godliness, what you claim to have is not grace.

Grace is that which enables us to live in this world and not be polluted by it (John 17:16). Grace is that which makes us strong and empowers us for exploits in the midst of a corrupt world (Daniel 11:32).

Go into today knowing that a man who lives by grace will have the literal ability to say no to sin. Such a man’s outlook on life will be changed through the word of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please help me by your grace to live above sin, stay strong, and do exploits for you. Amen!