Preschool
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel. Mark 16:15
Living in the Grace of God
Memory Verses
Primary
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
Junior
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
Background Scripture: Titus 1-3
Lesson Scripture: Titus 2:11-15; 3:1-8
Introduction
Grace is the free, unmerited love and favor of God, the fountainhead of all the benefits men receive from Him. Grace and mercy are often used interchangeably. The difference has been explained as God’s mercy saves us from eternal punishment, while his grace offers us a way to reach heaven. The Lord extends his grace because He loves each one of us and desires us to daily live for Him. What part does grace play in our daily lives? How do we live within the grace of God? Grace is of utmost importance for a victorious Christian life, so let us open our mind and explore the wonder of grace by studying this lesson.
Key Verse
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you (1 Pet. 5:10).
Lesson Scripture
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Studying the Lesson
Titus was a Greek gentile converted to the Christian faith through the preaching of Paul. He was a capable young man who became a trusted fellow minister and church leader. In his letter to Titus, Paul instructs him to continue establishing the churches on the island of Crete. Paul had preached the gospel there but left before the church could be established with leadership. Paul encourages Titus to continue building and strengthening the congregations. The qualifications of the elders are laid out clearly. Exhortations are given to aged men and women, young men and women, and servants.
The final chapter encourages the duty of Christians toward civil authority. They should be subject to the government and its magistrates, living blameless lives, avoiding contention, and not speaking ill of others.
As Christians look back and remember how it used to be before conversion, God’s grace can be recognized as the power that changes people.
Practical Truths for Today
Profound thankfulness for the grace of God is only possible when we are able to understand our hopelessness without it. Man’s sin has separated him from God; the only hope of deliverance is through grace extended by the Father. Man is subject to eternal death and damnation, and it is only through the loving mercy of God upon each soul that Jesus came to pay the ultimate price for sin—his blood and death on the cross.
God’s grace is freely given, offered by a loving Father to undeserving mankind. To think that we can do something to gain salvation insinuates that we believe God’s provision for sin is not adequate. Our salvation is accomplished through the blood of the Lamb of God alone and his acceptance of our penitent heart. We can never be good enough to overcome the original sin. God, through his grace, accepts our plea for salvation on the merits of his Son Jesus Christ and not because of our merits.
“Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). Without grace we are subject to the law and are required to answer for our evil nature and its deeds. Every misstep breaks the law and requires atonement. Fear of error and judgment create a life filled with apprehension, for we cannot live perfectly. Living in the grace of God frees us from fear and gives us a lively hope that puts joy in our hearts. The law condemns, but grace is salvation. We are free—not to sin, but to live in obedience to God. This is freedom from the bondage of helplessly following the desires of the flesh. Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). The Lord does not require or expect us to live perfect lives by following stringent rules or laws. When the Lord has accepted us and dwells within our heart, we can trust his grace to teach us how to live. Our tendency may be to strive for perfection according to our own definition, but this brings an unbearable burden upon us. We can try so hard to live right only to end up making mistakes because of our humanity. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me” (Matt. 11:29). He knows and understands our burdens and wants us to allow Him to bear them for us. When we accept his yoke, we accept his grace and his leadership in our lives.
As we commit our lives to the Lord, the Holy Spirit becomes our inner guide, and we become acquainted with his direction. When we err, the Spirit does not only condemn us but gently reminds us, pointing out our heart’s needs. God is our loving Father, not a demanding taskmaster. The confining world of self-life becomes a large meadow watered by life-giving rivers that refresh our daily lives. Those impossible, apathetic, and discouraging expectations are replaced by the joy and warmth of God’s undeserved grace.
Not only does the grace of our Lord give us courage and victory in our daily lives, but we also can trust the future into his hands. We are incapable of seeing the future, and although we certainly try to imagine it, our Creator sees it clearly and prepares us for it. We can try to figure it out by using our own intellect, or we can commit the future into the Lord’s hands and follow the Spirit’s guidance. Committing our future to the Lord does not bind us to the road we suppose to be right but keeps us on the road that ultimately leads to heaven.
The grace of our Lord is wonderful, and the freedom is indescribable; however, we must be careful to maintain a relationship with our heavenly Father. The writer to the Hebrews says, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10:26). We live in the grace of our Lord, set free from the sin nature that lives within. However, to purposely, willfully take our own way in disobedience takes us outside the grace of God. The Lord does not cast us away immediately, but he does ask us to repent of our sin. Many, if not all, Christians will experience the realization of having stepped away from the Savior and will also experience the joy of repenting and returning to his grace.
Peter was the disciple of the Lord who vowed to be faithful unto death. When he was tested, he blatantly denied his Master not once but three times. When he heard the cock crow, he realized what he had done and wept bitter tears of repentance. He became a changed man, and God accepted his repentance. Grace enabled Peter to live as a mighty Christian warrior. At the end of his life, he stood boldly for Christ and died a martyr’s death. Saul was a zealous Pharisee, obedient to the law, who stood by while Stephen was stoned. He hunted and imprisoned the followers of Christ, causing havoc in the church. Meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus changed his life. The persecutor became the persecuted. Paul was freed from the unforgiving law and lived joyfully in the grace of the Lord. His physical life included imprisonment, torture, and finally death, but his spirit was at liberty.
Let us treasure the wonderful grace of God. Truly, our tongue is incapable of describing the glory of his grace. Through God’s grace our lives will magnify the precious name of Jesus.
Questions
- Why is it so difficult to simply accept salvation as a work of grace?
- Why does it seem easier to live by the law at times than in the freedom of God’s grace?
- We pray for direction in our life and experience conflicting thoughts. How do we identify the Holy Spirit’s guidance?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).