Appropriating the Grace of God 2

Titus 2:11-12 (NET) For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age

After Preston received God’s salvation by putting his faith in Jesus, he found that the grace of God was now at work in his life. This manifested in power over sin, demons, diseases, etc. He realized that the more he put his faith in Christ’s faithfulness as the reason he would be saved, the more the grace of God found expression in his life. Sadly, a time came that he adopted some strict rules and regulations, and unknowingly started trusting in them and his ability to keep them as the reason why he would be saved- he stopped trusting in the faithfulness of Christ. He noticed that the grace he enjoyed that made sin lose its power was no more present. He now lived a miserable life that was bedeviled by the power of sin, sin consciousness, and guilt. As he asked the Lord for mercy, he was reminded of the simplicity of the gospel he received when he first believed, and how joyful he was when his faith for salvation was in Christ alone and not in his works. He repented and started depending on Christ alone. He now did good works not because he wanted to earn salvation, but because he was sure that he had it through Christ, and wanted to please the one who is the reason He is saved.

We saw previously that in order for us to appropriate [the dividends of] grace, faith is necessary (Romans 4:16). We see from today’s Bible Text that grace teaches us to deny fleshly lusts, and empowers us to be godly, but in order for this to happen, we have to continually put our faith in Christ alone as the reason why we are saved. When we do this, we would find that the power and wisdom that practically keeps us from fleshly lusts would become part of us. But if we decide to begin to depend on rules and regulations as our way to salvation, we would do this at the expense of grace.

Go into today thanking the Lord for the grace that empowers you to live in this world as His son. Ask that the Lord will deliver you from the pitfall of legalism and self-righteousness.

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