Titus 2:12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
“I’m OK just the way I am.” “God made me this way, so why change.” “God loves me like this.”
I have been amazed when I have heard people say these kinds of things. Even some people who claim to follow Jesus have made these types of claims. They must think that the emphasis in Scripture on holy living doesn’t exist, as they redefine what behaviors are acceptable to God. They want everything in their personal “Get out of Jail Free” list to be approved.
Inherent in the list is the understanding that people are the ultimate arbiters of right and wrong, if right and wrong even exist. They have removed God’s authority from their lives and replaced it with human authority. Talk about idolatry!
When we say “Yes” to God’s “Yes” in Jesus, then that is the beginning of a journey toward holiness. It is true that the LORD accepts us right where we are. We can’t improved our standing before Him. We stand by grace.
But that is the first moment. God saves us to move us away from attitudes and behaviors that are out of sync with His character and design. He saves us to change us.
The role of grace is change. Grace teaches us. And in our text, grace is said to teach us to say “No”. The dreaded word coming out of every toddler at a certain point in their development, is the very word we must learn to say to ourselves. And this is a lifelong word.
Notice that we say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions. We don’t say “No” to God. We are saying “Yes” to Him when we say “No” to their other desires. We can’t say “Yes” to both and have a relationship with Him. He expects and empowers these changes in His children.
We must learn to say “Yes” to self-control, upright and godly lives. This means that there are some things are bad for us and our relationship with Him and with others. We must get control of ourselves. Discipline, especially self-discipline, is optimal in God’s economy.
Now the way and the timing of that self-disciple in our lives gets worked out in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. He will work on us in His own timing and purpose. The LORD has a personal development plan for every believer. We get cleaned up, learning to live upright and godly lives in a unique pacing and training program. None of us follow the same plan.
But there are things that are included in the goals of every Jesus-follower. In the end, holiness looks the same for every person, because He is holy and He calls us to be like Him.
Grace prepares us for the coming age. Jesus is returning, and when He returns, He wants a people eager to do His will. He wants willing, enthusiast followers. He wants obedient followers, who know His voice and obey His commands. He wants people willing to change.
What is keeping us from changing to be more prepared for His return? What is the next step in our spiritual development plan?
The Arnold Journey 