Eager

DEVOTION
TITUS
EAGER
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 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.
NIV
God’s gracious act of sending Jesus to die on the cross has appeared to all men, and all of them have the choice to accept that gracious act for salvation or to refuse to accept it. No question about that at all. This grace, Jesus, the gospel message does itself teaches me to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions. It is the self within my which presses toward those things, therefore I like all others who consider themselves believers must learn to control the self and live self-controlled, upright and a godly life in this wicked age. The most difficult part of being a follower of Christ is to control the self. I believe it is the strongest of temptations. I cannot blame this one on the devil for it is within my own being. God knows all about that for he has declared that my heart is deceitfully wicked and is bent toward evil. True, I am a new creature, a new being having been born again, but that old self fights so hard to continue its reign over me. Therefore that is the reason I am to control my own self, to bring an end to its reign and to control it instead of it controlling me. All else pales in comparison to this action of controlling self for outward actions can be judged by others, but the self can only be judged by God and by me. Now I believe it is true that is the self is so far out of control it will result in outward action which certainly will be noticed and judged by others as doing wrong. So it is the inward struggle, the war which wages within which stands as the hardest to battle. The need of the Holy spirit in this battle is absolutely essential,l for how can the self battle against itself and win? It is also wonderful to know that Jesus redeemed me from all wickedness and he has purified me for himself, to be his people and to be eager to do what is good. It is through the actions of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that I am who I am and that I am eager to please him, and to live a life doing what is good in his sight. I will never attain perfection until I step into eternity, but I can still control those forces which fight against my being all that he intents for me to be with the help of the Holy Spirit. I know without question to that end I am eager.