How Grace Teaches Us
God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone. This same grace teaches us how to live each day as we turn our backs on ungodliness and indulgent lifestyles, and it equips us to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age. [Titus 2:11-12, TPT]
To understand this passage correctly, we need to know what is meant by a “godly life”. Legalism would define it by outward behavior, but Grace defines it by the Fruit of the Spirit. God cares a lot more that you have love, joy and peace in your heart, than whether you smoke, drink or cuss. So primarily Grace teaches us the way of God or the Fruit of the Spirit. We can tell a little about how it’s done by looking at the Greek word for “teach” used in the scripture above:
Paideuo (gr.): shaping a person's mind and character by passing on knowledge and values.
As God shapes our mind and passes on His values, we find ourselves drawn towards love and even being healed of inner wounds as our thoughts are enlightened.
… for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. [Philippians 2:13, NKJV]
So God is working in us, doing a restorative healing work in our souls. How does He do this? For one thing, He removes the shame. He dismantles the lie that our woundings are our own fault.
The Bible says that Jesus came to cleanse our conscience. Grace teaches us that we are worthy of love, that we belong with God, and that we are valuable.
As Grace is healing us, it is ending our search for validation because we find our value in being just who we are with God. We live with weak flesh and frailties, but Grace teaches us that it does not affect our value nor our lovability. We are always worthy of love simply because we are God’s child. Nothing will ever change that.
As the Teacher in us persuades us of these things, we experience wholeness. And this is the manifestation of the children of God that creation is longing to see.
This beautiful inner working is not a theology. It goes way beyond that. This is a beautiful, supernatural, living experience with our very Source of life, God Himself. As we are persuaded of absolute love and validation, our heart falls more and more in love with God and with people. And when that happens, we have fulfilled the greatest commandment that is greater than any of all the other commandments put together.
This is what it is to be a child of God, gently and lovingly taught by our Father. I guess you could say we are being homeschooled.
Paideuo is not an instant fix. We don’t need one and after awhile, you really don’t want one. This is a walk of embracing your authentic, unique, quirky, wonderful self. You are awesomely and wonderfully made. You are tremendously loved and you always will be. That is how Grace teaches us godliness.
Have a great day!