trained by grace

Titus 2:11-12:

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

In Titus 2:11-12 I encountered an interesting thought communicated by Paul. In verse 11 Paul says "For the grace of God appeared" This statement works as a transition in the letter, and more immediately a new chain of thought regarding the foundation for a godly life, and its manifestation through good works.

What stopped me in this passage was the verb that begins verse 12. Paul uses the term "training" in reference to the work of the grace of God in our lives. What an amazing and humbling thought. It is not the fear of the Lord, though that is the beginning of wisdom, or the judgment of God which trains us, but rather the grace of God. The tool which the Lord sharpens our desires for him is his grace.

The grace of God trains us to resist "worldly passions", but how? Paul makes it clear in the verses which follow describing the majesty of the work of 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. (2:14)

Our understanding of this majestic rescue of our souls by Jesus Christ is a constant reminder to the us that we are desperately in need of the grace of the Lord. It is not that the grace of the Lord is always a pleasurable training, in that we are often forced to see our own filthiness, to smell the stench of our sinful behavior, but to the one who has tasted and seen that the Lord is good, the grace of the Lord is a sweet deliverance to the soul.

Finally the wonderful grace of the Lord trains us not only for our lives in the "present age", but for our future with Him.

Maranatha! Our Lord Comes!

quiet before the STORM!

The World Series starts in a few short hours. I am ancy and excited. The Sox have a chance to win this one, but it will not be easy. Who cares man we made it to the series! We were all but cleared out by the Indians, and they climbed out of the basement to emerge victorious.

Back again for the first time!

I am terrible at getting excited about something and then not following up on it, but I am going to try the blogosphere once again.

Mike says hi to himself as he is the only one reading this right now.

God-willing that will change