Text: Titus 2: 11-13
Memory verse:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
II Corinthians 3:18
“From Glory To Glory He’s Changing Me, He’s Changing Me, He’s Changing Me.
His Likeness And Image To Perfect In Me. The Love Of God Shown To The World.
He’s Changing,He’s Changing Me, From Earthly Things To The Heavenly. …”
This song, which is fading out among believers today, was a very familiar song at Christian youth gatherings years ago. It speaks of the transforming power of grace in the life of a believer. Cheap grace demands forgiveness without repentance. John Pipper quipped, “Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon”. Grace delivers from the slavery to sin and empowers to ‘go and sin no more’. (John 8:11; John 5:14).
Grace transforms our whole being. It transforms a sinner to a saint and the weak character to strong. For example, the fearful Peter at the trial of Jesus was afterwards transformed to the bold Peter on the day of Pentecost. So also was John (Acts 2; 4:13 ). Your desires, taste, passion, friendship, dressing and temperament can all be transformed if you will willingly submit them to the influence of grace.
The word of God is a means of grace. It is called the word of His grace (Acts 20:32). The Holy Spirit imparts the grace of the word through teaching. Every revelation that the Holy Spirit brings to you from the word releases a measure of grace (2 Pet 1:4). According to our text today, the Holy Spirit, through the word of grace, teaches us to deny, to live and to look forward. As we yield to this teaching, we are being transformed.
Friends, whenever you give excuses for any ungodly attitude by saying things like these, “It is just me. It’s my nature. There is nothing I can do about it”, it’s a simple sign that you haven’t yielded to the transforming power of the word of grace.
Prayer points
1. Father, please, as I submit to the word of grace, transform me from earthly things to the heavenly in Jesus name.
2. Father, I hold no part of my life back from you and I joyfully receive the transforming power of Your grace in Jesus name.
Today’s declarations
1. I submit to the teaching of the word of grace and I don’t deny it’s power to transform me.
2. Grace is God’s leniency when I sin and not my license to sin; my pardon from sin and power to sin no more.
Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng