September 26, 2023 | Be On Mission
Godly Living Among the Believers
Scripture: Titus 2(NIV)
1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Devotional
Grace is a word that is often used in the Bible. It denotes God’s unmerited, undeserved favor. We can’t earn it. It is simply God’s gift to us.
When speaking of the Jewish Christians compared to the uncircumcised Gentiles, Paul stated, “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are” (Acts 15:11). Elsewhere he wrote, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Here in Titus 2:11, Paul repeats those sentiments saying, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” So far, so good. We are not saved BY being good, period.
But we are saved TO be good. The next verse in the passage quoted above from Ephesians clearly states, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” And the next verse here in Titus 2 agrees: “It (the grace of God) teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (v. 12).
Becoming a follower of Jesus means getting rid of our ungodly ways and striving to live godly lives. While salvation may appear to be a get out of hell free card, it is not a license to live as if hell still has a hold on us!
As Paul says in another letter, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21).
Spend some time with the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to reveal to you any ways that are not in the center of God’s will. Listen as He shows you how to “say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions.” Pay attention as He gives you a glimpse of how He wants you to live a “self-controlled, upright and godly” life. Share your discoveries with a few mature believers so that they can pray for you and offer you encouragement along the way.
Poem
Just Say "No!"
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14
When sin comes a-knocking at the door of your mind
When tempted to slander, share gossip unkind
When others, with pressure, come up with cruel joke
When bullies wreak havoc the weak to provoke
When smut tries to sneak in your temple’s back door
When envy is whispering, “You just need more!”
When pride, lust is inching close by in your race
When apathy, sloth seem to slow down your pace
When anger gets heated, when tempers do blow
When Satan is lying, do this: Just say “No!”
