The Other Side of Grace

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14 NIV)

Grace is often thought of in terms of escaping punishment.  “I know I sin, but, whew, thankfully I am covered by God’s grace!”  This is indeed a correct view, but there is another side to it.  While we are wholly dependent on God’s grace, it doesn’t just come into play when we sin.  It also is to lead us into a purer, more godly life.  As Paul says, grace is to teach us how to avoid ungodliness and giving into worldly passions. 

If we are destined to eternal judgment because of our rebellion against God, then is our only response to Him to be a “Hey God, thanks. Appreciate it.”?  God does not show us grace just to let us off the hook. He shows us grace in order to give us the opportunity to draw nearer to Him and to become the man or woman He created us to be.  He is not obligated to do it; He does it out of His deep love for us.  But He will not be satisfied if His grace is accepted but there is no transformation in our lives.  

God’s intent for His grace is two-fold: to bring salvation and, secondly, to bring transformation.  They were never intended to be separated.  

Today, know that if you have accepted God’s grace and received salvation, that is not the end of the story.  He fully expects His grace to bring about a transformation in your life, where you are consistently and eagerly are saying “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions.  That is the other side of grace and it cannot be separated from the first.

© Jim Musser 2012