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Titus 2:11-14 ESV
In America, where I live, many professers of faith in Jesus Christ have this idea of God’s grace as though it is just forgiveness of sins and the promise of heaven when they die. But is that all there is to it? No! God’s grace, which sent Jesus Christ to the cross to die for our sins is about delivering us out of our slavery to sin so that we can now be servants of God and of his righteousness.
We, who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, died with Christ to sin, and we were raised with him that we might walk in newness of life in him, not like our old lives of living in sin. For our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Therefore, we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, and if obedience is not what we obey, it leads to death, not to life everlasting.
For the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For if we walk according to the flesh, it ends in death, not in eternal life with God. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. And, yes, it is required of us that we live to please God, regardless of those who are saying that we are already pleasing him and that we don’t have to do anything.
[Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 2 Co 5:9; Gal 6:8; Eph 5:10; Col 1:9-11; 1 Thes 2:4; 1 Thes 4:1; 2 Tim 2:4; Heb 11:6; Heb 13:6; 1 Jn 3:22]
Also, a lot of people professing faith in Jesus Christ have this idea that our salvation is secured for us based off a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of how we live from that moment forward. But is that biblical faith? No! And is that biblical salvation? No! For God’s grace is bringing us salvation, and it is training us to renounce ungodliness, etc., while we wait for our Lord’s return. Our salvation is to be continuous until the day we die or until our Lord returns and takes us to be with him.
For the Scriptures teach that we are saved (past), and we are being saved (present active), and that we will be saved (future) when Jesus Christ returns for his bride, which is when our salvation will be completed, and not until then. But this is all conditional on us walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, and us walking in holiness and in righteousness, in obedience to our Lord, and us not making sin our practice. And it is conditional on us continuing steadfast in that faith until the very end.
[Matt 24:9-14; Rom 8:24; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Jn 8:31-32; Jn 15:1-12; Rom 11:17-24; 1 Co 15:2; Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim 2:10-13; Heb 3:6,14-15; 2 Pet 1:5-11; 2 Pet 2:20-22; 1 Jn 2:24-25]
There are a lot of verbs in the Scriptures which are continuing verbs which are not always clear in our English translations. For example John 3:16 should read “.. that whoever believing in him..” This is ongoing faith, not a one-time profession of faith. And this isn’t the only example. There are many. And belief in Jesus comes from God, and it is gifted to us by God, and it is not of our own doing. And biblical faith involves repentance and obedience to our Lord.
[Eph 2:8-10; Heb 12:1-2; Jn 6:44; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Acts 5:32; Tit 2:11-14; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Eph 4:17-32; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Lu 9:23-26; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15,21; Matt 7:21-23]
For Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. And, yes, works are required of us, but they are the works of God which he prepared in advance that we would walk in them (See Titus 2:14; Ephesians 2:10).
[Eph 2:8-10; 1 Co 15:58; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:21; Tit 2:11-14; Jn 15:1-11; Tit 3:8; Jas 2:17]
So, just know that a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ is not enough to secure you salvation from sin and eternal life with God. We are all required of God that we walk no longer according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, and that we no longer walk in sin, in practice, but that now righteousness, holiness, and obedience to our Lord are what we practice. For how we live in this life matters for eternity with regard to where we spend eternity. But all this is only possible in God’s power and strength.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Full Release
An Original Work / April 15, 2012
Walking daily with my Savior
brings me joy.
Loving Father; precious Jesus;
He’s my Savior and my Lord.
Gently leads me; follow Him.
I’ve invited Him within.
Now abiding in His presence,
oh, what peace.
From my self-life
He has brought me,
By His mercy, full release.
Hope and comfort,
peace and safety Jesus brings
When I daily bow before Him;
Obey freely; do His will.
Follow Him where’er He leads.
Listen to Him; His words heed.
Now obeying his words fully,
oh, what love
That He gives me
through salvation,
By His Spirit, from above.
Loving Father; precious Jesus,
He’s my friend.
With my Savior, by His Spirit,
I will endure to the end.
Share the gospel, tell what’s true.
Witness daily; His will do.
Tell the world of how their Savior
bled and died.
On a cruel cross He suffered
So that we might be alive.
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
In America, where I live, many professers of faith in Jesus Christ have this idea of God’s grace as though it is just forgiveness of sins and the promise of heaven when they die. But is that all there is to it? No! God’s grace, which sent Jesus Christ to the cross to die for our sins is about delivering us out of our slavery to sin so that we can now be servants of God and of his righteousness.
We, who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, died with Christ to sin, and we were raised with him that we might walk in newness of life in him, not like our old lives of living in sin. For our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Therefore, we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, and if obedience is not what we obey, it leads to death, not to life everlasting.
For the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For if we walk according to the flesh, it ends in death, not in eternal life with God. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. And, yes, it is required of us that we live to please God, regardless of those who are saying that we are already pleasing him and that we don’t have to do anything.
[Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 2 Co 5:9; Gal 6:8; Eph 5:10; Col 1:9-11; 1 Thes 2:4; 1 Thes 4:1; 2 Tim 2:4; Heb 11:6; Heb 13:6; 1 Jn 3:22]
Also, a lot of people professing faith in Jesus Christ have this idea that our salvation is secured for us based off a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of how we live from that moment forward. But is that biblical faith? No! And is that biblical salvation? No! For God’s grace is bringing us salvation, and it is training us to renounce ungodliness, etc., while we wait for our Lord’s return. Our salvation is to be continuous until the day we die or until our Lord returns and takes us to be with him.
For the Scriptures teach that we are saved (past), and we are being saved (present active), and that we will be saved (future) when Jesus Christ returns for his bride, which is when our salvation will be completed, and not until then. But this is all conditional on us walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, and us walking in holiness and in righteousness, in obedience to our Lord, and us not making sin our practice. And it is conditional on us continuing steadfast in that faith until the very end.
[Matt 24:9-14; Rom 8:24; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Jn 8:31-32; Jn 15:1-12; Rom 11:17-24; 1 Co 15:2; Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim 2:10-13; Heb 3:6,14-15; 2 Pet 1:5-11; 2 Pet 2:20-22; 1 Jn 2:24-25]
There are a lot of verbs in the Scriptures which are continuing verbs which are not always clear in our English translations. For example John 3:16 should read “.. that whoever believing in him..” This is ongoing faith, not a one-time profession of faith. And this isn’t the only example. There are many. And belief in Jesus comes from God, and it is gifted to us by God, and it is not of our own doing. And biblical faith involves repentance and obedience to our Lord.
[Eph 2:8-10; Heb 12:1-2; Jn 6:44; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Acts 5:32; Tit 2:11-14; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Eph 4:17-32; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Lu 9:23-26; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15,21; Matt 7:21-23]
For Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. And, yes, works are required of us, but they are the works of God which he prepared in advance that we would walk in them (See Titus 2:14; Ephesians 2:10).
[Eph 2:8-10; 1 Co 15:58; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:21; Tit 2:11-14; Jn 15:1-11; Tit 3:8; Jas 2:17]
So, just know that a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ is not enough to secure you salvation from sin and eternal life with God. We are all required of God that we walk no longer according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, and that we no longer walk in sin, in practice, but that now righteousness, holiness, and obedience to our Lord are what we practice. For how we live in this life matters for eternity with regard to where we spend eternity. But all this is only possible in God’s power and strength.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Full Release
An Original Work / April 15, 2012
Walking daily with my Savior
brings me joy.
Loving Father; precious Jesus;
He’s my Savior and my Lord.
Gently leads me; follow Him.
I’ve invited Him within.
Now abiding in His presence,
oh, what peace.
From my self-life
He has brought me,
By His mercy, full release.
Hope and comfort,
peace and safety Jesus brings
When I daily bow before Him;
Obey freely; do His will.
Follow Him where’er He leads.
Listen to Him; His words heed.
Now obeying his words fully,
oh, what love
That He gives me
through salvation,
By His Spirit, from above.
Loving Father; precious Jesus,
He’s my friend.
With my Savior, by His Spirit,
I will endure to the end.
Share the gospel, tell what’s true.
Witness daily; His will do.
Tell the world of how their Savior
bled and died.
On a cruel cross He suffered
So that we might be alive.
