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, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 2:11-14

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, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14

Today, I continue a pause of my study of Zechariah as I prepare for leading worship at The Gardens and The Lodge this upcoming Sunday as part of a ministry outreach of my church Bay Leaf Baptist. Since the start of the new year, worship for this ministry is based on Tony Evans' booklet The Grace of God, and for this Sunday's worship specifically, we are using chapter 4 Set Free by Grace.  In reflecting on chapter 4 of the book here are additional thoughts on the logical flow of how grace works - building on my post yesterday:

1. God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah who became the spotless lamb and perfect sacrifice for all of the sins of all humanity throughout redemptive history.  The sacrificial system introduced in the Old Testament was a foretaste of things to come and Jesus fulfilled prophecy to both end a focus on external behaviors and ceremonial rituals as a path to God, and He became the amazing saving grace of God and the path to Him. There is not a single thing we can do to earn this saving grace - it is a gift and it is free.  Grace saves.
2. The appearing of God and His grace (Titus 2:11-14) not only saves but it trains and equips us for the works God has planned and predestined for us - see also Ephesians 2:10.  This training and equipping helps protect us from evil schemes designed to prevent us from falling prey to sin and from performing these good works - He gives us the full armor of God - see also Ephesians 6:10-20. We are also given hope and confidence to stand firm in our faith as we wait for Jesus' second coming.  We ultimately become zealous for His good works.
3. This equipping and training helps us remain laser focused on Him as we don't know when He will return and we must also stay focused on the mission He places before us.  
4. We gain greater assurance and confidence that we can persist in a fallen and broken world because of this equipping, because of the Holy Spirit who is always with us, and because we know that we have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and with this power we can do all things through Him.  He will protect us and see us through the challenges we will encounter.
5. We are liberated by a Christian freedom that helps us see the abundance of His blessings and in fulfilling His purpose - obedience to Him is no longer a burden.
6. We must always remember that the grace that works in all of this never runs out!

Be set free by the grace of God!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who dispenses an inexhaustible supply of grace that sets me free - and free indeed!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of this amazing grace and freedom.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 2:11-14

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, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14

Today, I continue a pause of my study of Zechariah as I prepare for leading worship at The Gardens and The Lodge this upcoming Sunday as part of a ministry outreach of my church Bay Leaf Baptist. Since the start of the new year, worship for this ministry is based on Tony Evans' booklet The Grace of God, and for this week specifically, we are using chapter 4 Set Free by Grace.

1. Grace saves; it is embodied in Christ (John 1:1-18), and in Christ we are released from condemnation (Romans 10:4); grace is free (Romans 8:32)
   
2. Grace enables us to fulfill God's instructions and call for us (Titus 2:11-14)
3. Grace inspires a constant focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) where he gives us a "war footing" and assumes Jesus could return at any moment (Matthew 25:14-30); our worship and our lives must reflect this readiness (Psalm 34:1-2)
   
4. Grace protects We can be assured that Jesus has faced everything we might ever encounter (Hebrews 4:14-16) and that there is nothing we cannot do with Jesus (Philippians 4:13)
5. Grace brings freedom (John 8:36) that is defined by finding abundance (John 10:10) in His purpose, through a desire for obedience to Him (1 John 5:3)
6. Never forget that God's grace is inexhaustible (James 4:6, Romans 5:20)

Live in God's grace!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are amazing and Your grace is amazing - thank You Jesus for Your inexhaustible supply of grace.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10-11:1

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1.  Here, Paul builds on his warnings against idolatry (1Corinthians 10:1-22) by stepping back and looking big picture at Christian freedom - theology that is unpacked here in detail at DesiringGod.com. In v23, Paul states clearly that our freedom from the law does not mean that we are free to do things that do not forward God's call for our lives both corporately and individually - we are to focus on those things that help the mission and build others up.  In v24, this is amplified with Paul's words that we not focus on selves but on others - demonstrating Christ's model to love God, then love others (most important commandments (Matthew 22:34-40).  In vv25-26, Paul elaborates on Christian freedom for believers by using Psalm 24:1 as scriptural support to describe how they are not shackled to Old Testament ceremonial law.   In vv27-30, Paul uses the example of being a dinner guest of an unbeliever who serves food offered as sacrifice (as part of an idol worship ritual) to hit home Christian freedom - our liberty should be directed towards God's mission for us.  This means we must be flexible as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.  This is made plain in vv31-33.  V11:1 hammers it home - be imitators of Christ.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me freedom from the law - so that I can be slave to Christ.  And this is a blessing and not a burden!  Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.