Food for Thought Tuesday

How do you view grace? Do you see it as a free pass to do whatever you want, is it a gift that you really don't value, or is it a living and active act of God in your life?

Titus 2:11-12

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,"

This verse says that grace is a tool that teaches. And based upon what it is teaching I would have to believe that this is not a once and done lesson. At least based on my life it seems to be a continual process.

I often think that as contemporary Christ followers we put too much emphasis on grace and not enough on truth. Specifically the fact that grace is necessary to save us from something. If we didn't need to be saved we wouldn't need grace.

I think also that often times we look at ourselves and see ourselves as much better than we truly are. We will look at other's sins and measure ours against theirs believing ours to be "not so bad". Sin is sin-no two ways around it. For some of us the daily grace we need is to resist gossipping, or the temptation to go back to the fridge one more time, or to say no to the addiction in our life. No matter what, we all have sin issues and we daily need grace to teach us to say "no".

But be encouraged "for the grace of God... has appeared to all men." Verse 14 says, "Jesus Christ, gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."