PURIFIED FOR GOD'S USE

 

 "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:13-14)

By age fourteen, I had already given my life to Jesus and was attending regular bible studies and prayer meetings. At 17, I attended a youth evangelism school and started preaching the Gospel and winning souls for Jesus. One of the many valuable things I learned over the years was about the need for every Christian to grow in the spirit. 

So, one day, I asked my older brother Paul, who was then my mentor, "how do you know you are maturing in the Spirit?" He told me basically, "you know you are growing spiritually when you are bearing the fruit of the Spirit" (such as self-control, gentleness, and godliness). Wow! 

I had thought he would say when you begin to manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as seeing visions, prophesying, and healing the sick. I was totally shocked, but reflecting on my life, I was relieved to realize that without much effort, I had overcome certain moral challenges that used to be my main worries. Hallelujah! I hadn't realized it until then.  

Reading Titus 2:11–15 you will realize that the grace of God is what enables believers toward right behavior and right-thinking (true repentance). This aspect of the Christian walk can be attested to by many who have truly repented in Christ and have seen significant spiritual growth. 

You will understand this better if you've ever fallen deeply in love with someone of the opposite sex. You just want to please them all the time. As it is by grace that we are saved from the powers of sin and hell, and not by one's own good works, you just fall crazily in love with this God who first loved you and offered His own Son Jesus a sacrifice for the forgiveness of your sins. Pleasing God becomes much easier.

Paul, the early apostle, who wrote the above-quoted verse in a letter to Titus, commands him to teach it to the church boldly, and with authority: an indication that those values are very relevant in our Christian walk and to the fulfillment of the promises of God in Jesus to his followers. 

It is needful for one to seek Good diligently to grow and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit such as self-control, gentleness, and godliness so as to see and benefit from God's promises of a "blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for the world to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify us for Himself; a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."

He appeared on earth in the person of Jesus when he walked the earth in human form. He also appeared to many of his disciples after He rose from the dead, having been killed by His people for no wrong done and buried in a tomb. 

Jesus, after rising from the dead, also ascended to heaven. But He promised to appear again when he comes to take His followers to be with Him. This third appearance of Jesus, according to the above verse will be glorious. It will be in a show of divine power and great glamour. It is beyond human imagination: unlike anything ever seen on earth.

 

But the unfortunate thing is those who do not submit to be saved from the power of sin will not benefit from this coming of the Lord Jesus. Only His true followers who give their lives to him and benefit from His saving grace will be taken by Him to be with Him in God's heavenly Kingdom which is so, so, real and beautiful beyond description. 

Meanwhile, all are invited to benefit from God's grace, Irrespective of what you've ever done. God loves you and wants you by his side. If you haven't already taken this step, I promise you, you only stand to gain. You can be redeemed from the power of sin and hell. If you'd accept Jesus as your Saviour, he will redeem you from every sinful deed, and purify you for Himself. You will be added to millions of  God's own people, set apart for His own possession, and zealous for good deeds.

Invitation

Would you accept God's gracious gift of forgiveness through His Son Jesus? He wants to be a friend who is closer than a brother to you. If you'd open the door of your heart to God, He will come into your life and change your life for the better. He will fill every emptiness and give you satisfaction and meaning to life. Your sins will be blotted out, they'd not be remembered anymore, and you'd become a brand new person in Jesus. 

Prayer

You may invite Jesus into your life, saying the following to Him in prayer:

Thank you, God, for letting Jesus die for me a sinner. I repent from my sins. Come into my life and take over. Be my Lord and savior. Today, I commit my life to you. To live for you, and die for you. Turn my life around for the better. Amen.

If you prayed the above prayer from your heart to God, I want to assure you that He has forgiven your former ways and all of heaven (God and His billions of angels) are rejoicing because of you this very moment, according to His own Word.

 

Please do not hesitate to call the following number/s for further assistance: +233 (0)549 179 299 / +233 (0)545 409 639

APPEAL FOR FUND

At EmCity Christian Publishing (EmCCP), we intend to continue posting effective Christian literature and other forms of media for use by kingdom-seeking churches and individuals for purposes of evangelism globally. We realize this is a huge task we have taken upon ourselves. Considering the sacrifices of time, money, and commitment, we have decided it is just appropriate to solicit your help and support so that our activities can run smoothly without interruption.

You may want to send us your support via any mobile money app (TapTap for example) to our number: +233 (0)545 409 639. Thank you, and may God bless every good work of your hand.