It Starts Small

Our first requirement for pursuing godliness is Salvation and our second requirement is God’s grace. Paul is explaining this to Titus in our scripture for today. Grace is the vehicle of salvation and it imparts godliness to us. God’s Grace teaches us:

¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Titus 2:12-13

Paul gives us a list we need to closely examine when we look within ourselves for ungodliness:

Are there ungodly behaviors and worldly passion we are pursing? Are we living with self control?
Are we living to an upright standard?

The grace of God, mentioned in verse 11, brings salvation as well as changed actions. Two main areas are presented here in verse 12. First, God’s grace is involved in teaching us to turn away from worldly, unrestrained, godless behaviors. The Greek of this verse uses two words with similar meanings. One is translated as “ungodliness,” or “godlessness,” the other as “worldly passions,” or “worldly lusts.” Ungodliness is simply anything which contradicts God’s will or God’s nature. God’s grace helps believers in Christ to reject ungodly living. God’s grace helps us reject sinful desires. God’s grace trains or teaches us to avoid behaviors that are sinful.

The second major point made in verse 12 involves living with self-control, morality, and godliness. “Self-control” is an idea frequently mentioned in Paul’s letter to Titus.

but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

Titus 1:8

Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

Titus 2:2-6

¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Titus 2:12

These scriptures emphasize the importance of a disciplined life. This attitude was in sharp contrast to the lazy, self-focused lifestyle of many people in Crete.

One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

Titus 1:12-13

In our scriptures we have read, what stands out to you as a characteristic that is not godly in your behavior?

What characteristics do we need God’s grace?

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