Wednesdays in the Word

I've been camping out in the book of Titus lately.
Paul left Titus in Crete to choose elders for the churches there. It lines out the godly character that people in leadership need to have and this got me thinking about leaders who have comprimised.

I'm a Type A, rule-follower by nature, but the Holy Spirit convicted me this week of something I do that is against the rules. Not illegal or anything -LOL. Just something dumb, really. But we can't ever get to a place where we think 'the rules' don't apply to us. Especially, when we claim to follow Christ. Small compromises lead to larger ones. I doubt that moral failures are instantaneous. They happen over a series of compromises.

Titus 2:11-14 says:
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

This passage tells us that God's grace teaches us to say 'no' to ungodliness and lust. And the cost of this powerful means of self control, came to us at the price of His life, which is so humbling.
To be able to make us His "own special people" He had to "purify us." And then He put His passion on the inside of us and made us "zealous for good works."

We get to wear His jersey, so to speak, and do what He would do. Acts 10:38 tells us that
"He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil because God was with him." I love that!
As we wait for His "glorious appearing" we get to be His special people and do all the good we can.
Our lives are to be "righteous and godly." We've got to be the people whose talk lines up with their walk. Not the folks who "profess to know God but in works deny Him." We should be the most honest employees and the best citizens. The ones who exemplify excellent character and self control
 because we are His. -And who remember that He paid the ultimate price to make us so.

~Becky