READ: Ezekiel 3,4; Psalms 124; Titus 2
SCRIPTURE: Titus 2: 11 For the
grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
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 appearing of the glory 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.
OBSERVATION: When Christians tell their testimony, many of
them vividly narrate the details of their past (godless/sinful/rebellious)
life. Only a few say about their present transformed life. Some Christians
think their salvation experience is of past tense. They neither relate it to
their current/present life nor their future. Titus 2 is an excellent chapter of
the bible that speaks of Christian ethics and faith. It gives an idea of three
tenses of salvation: Past (v.11), Present (v.12), and Future tense (v.13). These
verses remind us about our justification, sanctification, and glorification (Rom.5:1; Eph.2:8,9; 1Cor 1:18; 1Thes
5:9; Rom. 8:11). Verse 13 says, “the appearing of the glory of our
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” is
our blessed hope.
Here, the title attributed to Jesus
as “great God” explicitly refers to his divinity. “Wait for that blessed hope” means
waiting with the expectation of Jesus’ coming. It is “a spiritual attitude” of
a true follower of Christ. A Bible commentary writer says it is “the antidote
to worldly lusts, and the stimulus to “live in this present world” conformably
to this expectation.” We may think, why
is it the blessed hope? We have the hope that we will be taken up and will be
with the Lord forever when Jesus comes again (1 Thes.4:13-18). The grace of God
that saved us teaches us to live holy and trains us to wait for the blessed
hope. C.S. Lewis says, “The doctrine of
the Second Coming teaches us that we do not and cannot know when the world
drama will end. The curtain may be rung down any moment: say, before you have
finished reading this paragraph.” Let us examine ourselves: If Christ comes
today, will we be with him? When we wait for the blessed hope, we will live as
noted hymn writer Fanny Crosby writes, “Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.” Do we expectantly wait for this
blessed hope?
APPLICATION: The bible
repeatedly says of Jesus’ second coming. As a follower of Christ, I must be
ready for Jesus, whatever time he comes. Christ is my blessed hope. When he
comes, I will “will appear with him in glory” and “shall be like him” (Col.3:4;
1 Jn.3:2). How blessed is it, both in the world and heaven, to be like Jesus? I
am patiently and expectantly wait for Jesus.
PRAYER: Almighty God, thank you for your grace and
abundant love that saved me. Jesus, help me to say “no” to sinful temptations
and worldly lusts and live holy. Holy Spirit, strengthen me to live a
Christ-controlled life with an expectation of Jesus’ imminent return. Amen.
- Arputharaj Samuel
+91 9538328573
Day - 307
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