Titus 2:12
12 Teaching [paideuo] us [hemas] that [hina], denying [arneomai] ungodliness [asebeia] and [kai] worldly [kosmikos] lusts [epithumia], we should live [zao]
soberly [sophronos], [kai] righteously [dikaios], and [kai] godly [eusebos], in [en] this present [nun] world [aion]; KJV-Interlinear
12 instructing us to deny
ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in
the present age, NASB
Grace is the favor of
God.Grace comes in three forms. The first is common grace which applies to
all of humanity. The second is salvation
grace which applies to believers only.
The third is greater grace, which applies to mature believers only.
If you are to advance
to the pinnacle of your life, you can only accomplish that through Spiritual
growth.
Spiritual growth produces
discernment and wisdom within you.And
spiritual growth comes only through instruction, and instruction comes only by
means of the grace of God.
Once you have been
saved, then you become an infant spiritually and the infant has to grow up
sooner or later.That growth comes
through instruction, from learning on a daily basis, the content of the scriptures.
But learning must be
accomplished within the fellowship sphere.
Fellowship is the environment that you acquire when you confess your
sins to God the Father.
Fellowship is the state
of sinlessness (ungodliness and worldly desires). The sin nature has two areas within it. An area of strength which we call human good
(worldly desires whether noble or otherwise), and the area of weakness which we
call sin (social or criminal).
And once these
characteristics are squeezed out of your life, then
you are to live a life of sensibleness, of sound thought, of common sense, of
adjustment and orientation to reality.
You are to live a life of righteousness (function in fellowship). You are to live a godly life (live in
accordance with the principles, standards, and mandates taught within the Bible.
And note this. Your spiritual life has nothing to do with
your culture, the color of the clothes you wear, the style of car that you
drive, the type of home that you live in, the work you do in life, the things
you possess, or anything else that you can think of, from this world.
Your spiritual growth
is accomplished while living in this world.
Once you leave this world, then a whole new set of rules will guide your
life.
It is here and now that
you demonstrate your worthiness for grace.
And your reception of grace is dependent on the level of instruction you
are willing to submit yourself to, in this life.
You were not born
physically into this world just to remain a baby all of your life, and
likewise, you were not born-again into salvation just to remain a spiritual
infant.
Babies have benefits,
but adults have the growth, capacity and inner resources to receive far, far
more.