GRACE – It’s Beyond Amazing

Titus 2:11-13 Amplified Bible (AMP)
11 For the [remarkable, undeserved] grace of God that[a]brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly (immoral) desires, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives [lives with a purpose that reflect spiritual maturity] in this present age, 13 awaiting and confidently expecting the [fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

GRACE (the favor of God) is difficult for many believers to receive. That is because it does not require anything of us. GRACE is a free gift. Our natural minds have a hard time accepting that. The natural world around us is performance-based; the one who performs the best gets the most. The foundation of GRACE is not based on performance but on love. GRACE is not about you and me, but about our loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. GRACE cost us nothing, but it cost Father God and Jesus everything.

The devil, through religious tradition and the traditions of men, has helped to bring confusion to the Body of Christ over the gift of GRACE. Because of the warnings that placing too much of an emphasis on GRACE may give some people a license to sin or cause others to somehow take advantage of God, some believers have been hesitant to receive this amazing gift from God.

How do we protect ourselves from well-meaning but misinformed teachings about GRACE?
We let God’s Word define GRACE, which it does in Titus 2:11-13. GRACE…1) teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly desires, 2) teaches us to live right and grow in spiritual maturity, and 3) it teaches us to live confidently expecting the appearing of the Lord. If we allow ourselves to be guided by Titus 2:11-13 we will never find ourselves misusing GRACE.

The Truth is that the Word of God is the “gospel of GRACE” (Acts. 20:24). It is not an add-on to God’s will to heal, prosper, and deliver; GRACE is the foundation from which each flows. This divine favor has appeared to all men – no strings attached. Sadly, many feel that because GRACE requires nothing of a believer except to receive it, it is almost too good to be true. Therein, however, lies the beauty of GRACE for the believer. When a believer gets a revelation of the simplicity of GRACE, all the pressure to perform disappears. What unfolds in a believer’s life is a desire to simply worship and serve God with a heart of thanksgiving and to live in a way that honors Jesus. The Easy-to-Read translation says GRACE teaches us “a way that shows true devotion to God”. Ultimately, GRACE brings the very change that effort and performance could not. And, that, is truly beyond amazing! 

Titus 2:11-13 (ERV)
¹¹ That is the way we should live, because God’s grace has come. That grace can save everyone. ¹² It teaches us not to live against God and not to do the bad things the world wants to do. It teaches us to live on earth now in a wise and right way—a way that shows true devotion to God. ¹³ We should live like that while we are waiting for the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our great hope, and he will come with glory.

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