Good Morning
Friends,
“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, while we wait for the blessed hope -- the
glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who 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.” (Titus 2:11-14)
Christians are
waiting for something. Actually, we’re waiting for Someone! Jesus is coming
again. His coming will be the fulfillment of our hopes.
In the meantime,
we face temptations to sin. The grace we have received is working in our lives
to give us the power to say ‘no’ to the temptations we face. Still it is a
struggle. Grace hasn’t had its full impact on our lives, none of us will let
it. Though we have the power to change, we still struggle with ungodliness and
give in to our passions.
In the
meantime, we live in a world that is against us. It is not that the world
attacks us for our faith. Rather, the world is wicked and its influence goes
against where God desires to take us. The world has tremendous pull on us. It’s
a constant battle within us between the world on one side and God on the other.
It won’t always
be this way. Temptation will be gone when we are ushered into eternity. It
won’t be a struggle anymore. We’ll be released from ungodliness in our own
hearts and freed from our passions toward evil. The world will be gone, too, or
at least radically changed. Its pull will no longer be toward wickedness and its
influence will no longer be away from God. The battle will be over.
That’s the
hope. That’s what we’re waiting for. It’s coming, He’s coming! It will, indeed,
be a great and glorious appearing!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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