July 23, 2022 LOOKING AND DOING
Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”
There are two instructions and admonitions that are found throughout the New Testament. You simply cannot get around these two instructions; they are core to the life of one who claims to be a follower of Jesus. First, it’s as clear as can be; we are to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age.” We do not need to know the Greek meaning of these words-the message is loud and clear. If it’s ungodly, don’t do it! If you have worldly desires, (things not pleasing to the Lord) change you desires! Do the things, speak the words, and have thoughts that are righteous-that please the Lord and are like Him. This all sounds so simplistic-but yet, it is so powerful. After all-Jesus came to “redeem us from every lawless deed and purify us for Himself.” Reject the lie that says we are just sinners who sin-we can live righteously because of what Jesus has done. Second, we are to be “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” We work and live in this world and go about our daily chores and routines, but as we do, our heart should be longing and looking for His return. If the things of this world have captured our hearts, then we have missed a clear teaching of the scriptures and we are living beneath our privilege as those belonging to God. In 2 Corinthians chapter four, Paul admonished us to ‘fix our eyes on not what is seen, but on what is not seen’ and he viewed life on earth and living is an ‘earthly tent.’ For us to live as Paul described, we must have a firm belief that we have a fantastic inheritance that will be revealed when the Lord returns-so we have every reason to be looking forward to the blessed hope and the appearing of our Lord. We enjoy the Lord now, but we only have a taste of what it will be like when He suddenly returns. Jesus has redeemed us from every lawless deed, is purifying us as His own possession; and as His people, we are to be zealous for good deeds. So, let us be looking and doing!
Colossians 1:11-13 “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,”
Blessings,
Buddy
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