I’ve suggested in some of my recent blog posts that multiplying church regulations isn’t the solution for producing holiness. And I’ve said that the gospel of grace is the solution. Grace trains us in holiness:
For the grace of God has appeared… training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. (Tit. 2:11-12; compare Tit. 2:11-15 with Tit. 3:3-8)
It’s always a delight to sense God’s grace operating in our own lives! Here’s a small example from today: A piano student (actually, the student’s parents) failed today for the umpteenth time to come for the scheduled lesson. I’ve decided I’ll adjust my policies to require a minimum of four pre-paid lessons per month, with no same-day cancellations offered. But meanwhile, I’m thankful that I don’t feel angry. Why not?
Because I am keenly aware that my own offenses have been far greater, yet I’ve been given grace! What a wonder! Having received this grace, I am equipped and motivated to offer it to others, too.
Sanctification isn’t always as easy or immediate as this (and, believe me, I certainly do still struggle with impatience). But the basic path to victory is always the same: lean more heavily on the grace of God shown to us in Christ Jesus.
Takeaway: Meditate deeply on the grace of God to you–past, present, and promised for the future–and you are sure to grow in holiness. That’s a guarantee that I’ll never make if you only meditate on a set of rules.
Do you have a testimony of how you have been trained by grace? Share it below, to the glory of God in Christ!
