Easter is coming. Celebrated this year on the last Sunday in March, Christians around the world gather to praise and acknowledge our Risen Lord. Or do we? Are we a part of the CEO group (Christmas Easter Only) who literally choose those two holidays to show up at church? Or, in my book, worse, are we part of the group who shows up pretty much every Sunday but showing up is all we do?
Dr. Page has led us in an intensive study of Titus over the past several weeks. I confess, until now I have skimmed Titus but not much else. I had missed a significant point (in addition to the one that the books of the Bible are not there by chance). Add to that, in our Precepts study of Amos, Titus came up as reinforcing scripture! I must pay closer attention!
Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age.”
Embedded in these two short verses are some really significant points. First, salvation is available to all men through God’s grace. It is God’s universal offer to us – to all of us! It is our choice to accept that offer or not. But it is a choice that God makes available to every person. When we make the choice, we have other things we have to do – we are to deny the ways of the world and live in ways that honor God.
I believe in the precept of “once saved always saved”, but that does not free me to join again in the ways of the world. Everything around us has become so gray and we are so easily drawn into acceptance of those things which are disobedient to Him. We need to call on His grace daily to deny the things of the world and live today as God expects.
Long ago I realized that the only time someone may see Jesus is when they look at me. Grace teaches us to say YES to living sensibly, righteously, and godly and NO to the ways of the world.
As we prepare for Easter this year, His Grace Still Amazes Me. Let it amaze you, too.
Cille Litchfield 