THINK TOGETHER
Who do you think about the most? Yourself? Others? Jesus?
READ TOGETHER
The biggest mistake that most Christians make is that they think about themselves way too much. But if we want to become more like Jesus we have to think about Jesus more and more and ourselves less and less. Listen to what Paul tells Titus to focus on here:
Titus 2:11-14. 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our 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 lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Now I know there’s a lot here. But Paul is telling Pastor Titus that if people want to be godly, if they want to be like Jesus, then they have to look at Jesus.
When Paul says that, “The grace of God has appeared” he’s talking about Jesus. Jesus appeared on earth and showed us the grace of God in his life. And it is the grace of Jesus that teaches us how to be godly. What we mean is that knowing that we are loved by God is what makes us want to obey God.
But how does Jesus show us the grace of God?
Paul talks about the “blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Paul is telling us to look forward to when Jesus will come back to earth to rescue us. He will appear again for a second time. And all will be made good and right.
But we don’t only look forward, we also look backward. Paul says, “Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us.” Here Paul tells us to look backwards to what Jesus did on the cross when he died for our sins and freed us from our sin.
So in summary: LOOK AT JESUS! Look back at his death for you, and look forward to his return for you.
And then, when we’ve learned to look at Jesus instead of ourselves we will be “zealous for good works.” We will want to do good. Why? Because we know we aren’t being scored for our works and we aren’t being loved based on how good we are. We are just being loved by God. We are just living in his grace and kindness. And when we look at Jesus and live in his grace we will want to do good from a pure heart of love for him.
Because of Jesus we are God’s “pure possession.”
With Jesus we can live godly by his grace.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Here’s a great hymn to sing together.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus,
Help me keep looking at you instead of at myself.
Amen.
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