The Amazing Grace

The Amazing Grace
Words of Faith 9-11-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Titus 2
[11] For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. [12] It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, [14] 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. [15] These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

At the core of his instruction for Titus, Paul was focused on grace. It all boils down to this. The entire plan of redemption is rooted in the grace of God. Everything that God does is grounded in His free favor and spontaneous action toward needy sinners to deliver and transform them. This grace "has appeared" to all men, that is, grace has been manifested as a historical reality, literally an "epiphany." It did not come from any human source or thinking.
But this grace is not only powerful in saving us, it is powerful in changing us. It is the grace that is at work powerfully to teach us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions. Grace is at work in the process called sanctification. It is through the sanctifying work of Christ that we become more like Him.
It is by grace that we learn to live a self-controlled life. We grow in ways that are evident in a godly life. But all this looks forward earnestly to the "blessed hope." What is that blessed hope? It is the glorious return of our Lord Jesus.
He is the one who gave himself for us to redeem us from wickedness. He is the one who gave himself so that we might be purified in Him. He is the one who purchased us so that we might become a people eager to do good.
Now, this is the core teaching of the Gospel. Such redemption is beyond our comprehension. Yet, this is the redemption proclaimed by the Gospel of Grace.
There is authority in this Gospel. There is power in this gospel. And Paul urged Titus to both exhort and rebuke with authority because of the power of this Gospel and never to allow anyone to despise him.
How are you expressing this core of the Gospel of Christ? Are you being shaped and changed by the amazing power of His grace? Are you saying "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions? Are you living an upright and Godly life as you await the blessed hope of His coming?
Are you also standing in the authority of the Gospel of Grace? It is not an authority of your own. It is the powerful authority to teach, encourage, and rebuke.
Some will attempt to "despise" you for the Gospel. Don't let them do this. The Gospel is the most glorious message in all of eternity. They may despise our personal failures and shortcomings but as we stand in the righteousness of Christ and in the authority of His grace, this shall not be despised.

Father God, I sing of the amazing grace of God. I worship within the amazing and wonderful grace of God. Strip aside anything that is of me so that those I encounter will see only You and Your grace and mercy. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.