11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
Salvation is solely by God’s goodness gifted to us (grace). This good news, this gospel, has been shown to all that some will be delivered from the due wrath of God and unending punishment for our sin. This grace teaches us to flee from doing evil as defined by God in His word, and teaches us instead to live in ways pleasing to His standards of righteousness from the heart into actions (Colossians 2:6-7). We are called to live with clear thinking toward righteousness in godliness, not for our own fleeting pleasure as if still under condemnation. We look to His glory as He returns to judge the world in righteousness, full of hope in this certainty in which we stand by grace of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, and His righteousness alone. Jesus laid down His life to pay our sin’s dues that He might buy us back from sin’s captivity and cleanse us so that we, as His people, are driven by the desire to please Him and not earn the pleasing of Him for salvation. We are bought at such a price which we could never pay, and this grace in which we stand motivates us to live for Him now, not our own sinful and self pleasing desires. These things we are to clearly speak, holding nothing back, to stir each other up to follow as Christ’s disciples, and correct those not following rightly that they may be restored to living in and for this great grace.
No comments:
Post a Comment