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Titus 2:12
12 Teaching [paideuo] us [hemas] that [hina], denying [arneomai] ungodliness [asebeia] and [kai] worldly [kosmikos] lusts [epithumia], we should live [zao] soberly [sophronos], [kai] righteously [dikaios], and [kai] godly [eusebos], in [en] this present [nun] world [aion]; KJV-Interlinear
12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, NASB
Grace is the favor of God. Grace comes in three forms. The first is common grace which applies to all of humanity. The second is salvation grace which applies to believers only. The third is greater grace, which applies to mature believers only.
If you are to advance to the pinnacle of your life, you can only accomplish that through Spiritual growth.
Spiritual growth produces discernment and wisdom within you. And spiritual growth comes only through instruction, and instruction comes only by means of the grace of God.
Once you have been saved, then you become an infant spiritually and the infant has to grow up sooner or later. That growth comes through instruction, from learning on a daily basis, the content of the scriptures.
But learning must be accomplished within the fellowship sphere. Fellowship is the environment that you acquire when you confess your sins to God the Father.
Fellowship is the state of sinlessness (ungodliness and worldly desires). The sin nature has two areas within it. An area of strength which we call human good (worldly desires whether noble or otherwise), and the area of weakness which we call sin (social or criminal).
And once these characteristics are squeezed out of your life, then you are to live a life of sensibleness, of sound thought, of common sense, of adjustment and orientation to reality. You are to live a life of righteousness (function in fellowship). You are to live a godly life (live in accordance with the principles, standards, and mandates taught within the Bible.
And note this. Your spiritual life has nothing to do with your culture, the color of the clothes you wear, the style of car that you drive, the type of home that you live in, the work you do in life, the things you possess, or anything else that you can think of, from this world.
Your spiritual growth is accomplished while living in this world. Once you leave this world, then a whole new set of rules will guide your life.
It is here and now that you demonstrate your worthiness for grace. And your reception of grace is dependent on the level of instruction you are willing to submit yourself to, in this life.
You were not born physically into this world just to remain a baby all of your life, and likewise, you were not born-again into salvation just to remain a spiritual infant.
Babies have benefits, but adults have the growth, capacity and inner resources to receive far, far more.
