AUGUST GRACE
There’s rare occasion where the believer’s heart is not inspired when singing Newton’s beloved hymn, “Amazing Grace”. The words of the song bring back the wondrous moment when God called us to be His very own. That very moment in time was stunningly unexpected. The grace which presented itself to us at the moment of conversion was truly AMAZING. Today, as we consider some aspects of grace we also see grace is AUGUST. It is grand, majestic, and inspires reverence for the grace-giver.
Titus 2:11-14 describes so well this August Grace. It is in this passage we see august grace teaches us to deny, live, and look.
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.
August grace first teaches us to reject as untrue anything that fails to honor God as God. We must “live a life committed to the pure goodness and grace of God”. This august grace teaches us to believe, trust, fear, honor, love, and praise God. Grace creates in us a heart of faith which transforms ungodliness into godliness. If we were not ungodly grace would not be needed to teach us to deny our ungodliness. August grace teaches us to deny our ungodliness.
Grand, majestic, awe-inspiring grace teaches us to deny wordly-lusts. It can be said worldly lusts is the tendency in each of us to have “undue love and craving” for the things which lead to violation of ourselves or others. August grace teaches us not just to not participate in these violating behaviors but teaches us how to refuse and abandon them. “For whosoever is not subject to lusts is not called upon to forsake them.” We don’t have to flee worldly-lusts if we don’t give them place. August graces teaches us to deny worldly-lusts any place in our hearts and lives.
Secondly, august grace teaches us how to live. It is only through learning we can live in moderation, soberly, having complete control of our daily attitudes and habits. Grace teaches us to live righteous lives. We are taught by grace to be righteous by learning to fear and trust God. A godly life is only lives by the teacher of grace creating opportunity for us to progressively leook to God for everything with a heart confident in God’s care for our souls.
Finally, august grace teaches us to look. We look in hope for the fulfillment of what our eyes cannot see. We look expecting our Lord and Savior to manifest himself in all His glory. Majestic grace trains us to become the pure, genuine, undefiled people He desires us to be. August grace makes us enthusiastic about living a God-honoring life and ready to do any God-honoring duty.
August grace trains, informs, disciplines, and fits us to be and do all God would have for us to be and do. May God’s August Grace have it’s perfect work in every heart.
Written By: Anne Gurley
