LIVING TO ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
or the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good.
Titus 2:11-14 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
There is a lot to digest in this passage today. First, it is God’s grace that has brought us salvation. Grace is the desire and ability to please God. It is freely given and never earned. We can’t be good enough to deserve grace and we can’t be so bad that God doesn’t offer grace. We accept His grace by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Because of God’s grace in our lives, we “turn from godless living and sinful pleasures.” Sin is attractive—for a season. It is like the bait on the hook to catch the fish. It looks good and taste good but there is a hook that will trap us and destroy us.
We are told that in this evil world we need “wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.” I believe wisdom is the ability to discern truth from lies. Our flesh and Satan work overtime to create false narratives. Our flesh wants immediate gratification and obscures the consequences of selfish choices. Satan wants to “kill, steal, and destroy” our lives because we are made in the image of God.
We need wisdom to avoid the lies and deception that attacks us every day from so many sources. What looks so “fun” and “exciting” can be a scam to get us in bondage to behavior that will destroy God’s plan and desire for our lives.
We also need righteousness. This is right standing with God. We need to know that we are made right with God through Jesus Christ. We are forgiven. We are made holy in the eyes of God.
Knowing we are righteousness in the eyes of God removes the guilt and shame of our sin and failures. We can live with confidence and assurance of God’s presence, provision, and protection in our lives.
Then comes the “devotion to God.” This is when we realize God’s grace has made us righteousness, we have trained our mind to know right from wrong, and now we choose to devote ourselves to honoring God with our lives.
I try to pause and think about my life. How I spend my time, talent, and treasure. Am I spending my life in a way that honors God? Do people look at my life and realize I am devoted to God? Is my relationship with God just a weekend connection on Sunday mornings? Am I “all in” with my devotion to God?
Jesus gave His life to free us from the control and consequences of sin. He has called us His children. Now we should be living to do good deeds for others that will advance His kingdom.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit help me to live in wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. Help me to receive Your grace and be empowered to live with a daily reminder of Your presence, provision, and protection. May my life be marked with a pure devotion to You.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”
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