As Christians, we know we should live for the one who saved us, Jesus Christ. Some days we even want to do it. Here’s a hint: you can’t do it without grace.
Grace is the hidden gem of Christianity. People quote verses about the remaining spiritual gifts of faith, hope and charity (love). We all know love is the greatest of these (1 Corin. 13:13).
But we can’t even love without God’s gift of grace.
And that, my friends, is why grace is so amazing. It has dozens of songs written to proclaim its worth. And Jesus sits on a throne made out of it (Hebrews 4:16), waiting to help us when we finally show up and seek his input.
Recently, my pastor preached a series of sermons on the sufficiency of grace. He used a text in Titus 2 that spelled out exactly how grace works for our past, present, and future. Check out the first sermon here (and find the other two sermons in the videos tab on the church Facebook page).
Titus is my second favorite book in the New Testament. If you know the first, leave the answer in the comments.
I especially love the second chapter of Paul’s letter to a preacher he trained. I’ve written lessons on verses three through five and taught it to women on several occasions. There’s so much useful stuff in this book, and since it’s short (only 46 verses) it can be easily devoured in a single sitting.
The truths presented therein? Those could take a lifetime to assimilate into our daily walk.
The three sermons focused on verses eleven through fourteen of the second chapter.
Grace for the Past
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Titus 2:11
Without grace, we our destined for eternity in Hell. Thankfully, God’s grace is free for all and hidden from none.
Jesus gave his life to redeem us from the debt of sin (Titus 2:14). That’s what salvation is about. Yes, we get eternal life as a side benefit, but our sin is blotted out.
Hallelujah!
Grace for the Present
Grace is an essential ingredient for life after salvation, too.
Grace teaches us (Titus 2:12, 14):
- What not to do, namely ungodly and lustful actions
- How to live – soberly, righteously, godly
- Why this is important: so we can be purified
If you’re like me, you’ve tried to power through all these things in your strength. We know the rules and we keep them. We read our Bible, pray, go to church, and put on the face of Christianity.
But without grace, it’s a wasted effort. Only in the power of Christ can we be truly zealous of good works and perform them with the right attitude and motivation.
Grace for the Future
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ
Titus 2:14
The best news in a world full of bad news is that God’s grace has our future covered, too.
I’m at the age where I think too often about funding my Roth IRA every year and what retirement will look like. If I live to be 100 like my great-grandmother, I don’t have enough money saved.
That look at the future can be overwhelming. But if I look beyond retirement to the day Christ returns, I can have true hope.
That promise rests on grace. We don’t deserve a glorious future with the perfect Son of God.
Good thing there’s grace: getting something good we don’t deserve.
Jesus is our hope. Jesus is great. Jesus is coming back. Soon.
How will you let grace empower your life today?
A Pew Perspective 