30 January Titus 2

We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God

Titus 2:11-14(NLT) For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.The Message says in Titus 2:11-14(MSG) God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. This reflects the idea that, despite the existence of evil in the world, Believers should strive to live wisely, righteously, and faithfully towards God.Living wisely, righteously, and being devoted to God in this world, means aligning our thoughts, actions, and values with God's Word. It involves seeking wisdom, practicing moral integrity, and cultivating a deep relationship with God through prayer, worship, and obedience. Here are some practical ways to apply these principles in our daily lives:- Living wisely: Ephesians 5:15(NLT) So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.Proverbs 9:10(NET) The beginning of wisdom is to fear the LORD, and acknowledging the Holy One is understanding.Wisdom is accepting the reality that God is God and using that truth to navigate well in the world. Wise living means getting in alignment with the reality that God knows what’s best for our lives.- Living righteously, Matthew 5:6(NIV) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.Romans 6:13(NIV) Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.As Christians, we are called to emulate God’s righteousness and live a life that is pleasing to Him. As Christians, we are called to live in the world but not of the world. This means that we are to be in the world, but we are not to adopt the ways of the world. To live a righteous life, we must rely on God’s strength, avoid temptation, renew our minds with God’s Word, and surround ourselves with other Believers. - Be devoted to God, the Bible teaches that we should be devout followers of the Lord Jesus. Those who do not follow Jesus wholeheartedly are devoting themselves to something else and are thereby rejecting God.Luke 9:23-24(ESV) And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.We are called to commit our lives wholeheartedly to the God who loves us and gave everything for us.I conclude with: Live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.