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Grace


For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, (Titus 2:11-12)
          Grace is among the many abstract concepts that I don’t think we understand. I know I don’t. One of the best illustrations I can come up with is the donation of blood. An injured person’s blood supply is drained. Several other people’s blood is put in its place, filling him back up and keeping him alive. That’s grace – making up for what we lack. Jesus’ death was grace in that it supplies us with salvation if we accept it. 
         The next sentence in today’s passage begins with an ambiguous pronoun, “it.” According to English convention, “it” should refer to the closest preceding noun, which would be people, but “it” can’t refer to people because people is plural. Therefore, “it” refers either to salvation, or to the grace of God, or, perhaps, “it” is part of a natural progression, with grace offering salvation which teaches us.
          I’m not expert enough to know that part, but what is clear is that either the grace of God, or the salvation that grace makes available teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions. We aren’t supposed to live according to the world’s rules. We are supposed to life self-controlled, upright and godly lives.  God’s grace fills the gap, but it also guides us to live in a way that reduces those gaps until they don’t exist. That is our call, our duty, our hope, and our joy.

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