June 25, 2021: A Wonderful Gift
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11–14, KJV).
God’s grace, in the person of Jesus Christ, brought us salvation. Jesus also came to teach us how we should live. His grace does not free us to live in sin, giving in to the temptations of this world and go against His will.
Instead, we should live just and godly lives in such a way that shows the rest of the world that we serve God and belong to Him. We should live this way now, today, as we wait for our Savior’s return to take us home. And this is possible, because Christ died to pay the price for our sins, and, when we accept Him as our Savior, He works in us to purify us to make us His own.
This should get us excited to do good works, not in order to save ourselves, but to express our sincere love for Jesus and appreciation for the gift He has given to us.
Lord, when You died on the cross, You gave us hope. May we accept Your love and grace and live according to Your Word. Amen.
Rich Fullmer is an elder at the Parkersburg church and the school board chair at Parkersburg Academy in West Virginia.
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To help you dig deeper into God’s Holy Word this year, we’re offering:
- Every Day—Read our Words of Life daily devotional book that features favorite Bible verses from members, pastors, students and leaders from across the Columbia Union. You can also read the devotionals on the Columbia Union app, and interact with the verses in our instagram stories.
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- Every Month—This calendar, themed “Words of Life,” coincides with the devotional book and videos. It features a biblical topic and verse each month, with additional passages for further exploration, study and ideas on how to apply the concepts in your daily life.