Say "No"

Image via Wikipedia

___________ teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age... 

Titus 2:12

Can you fill in the blank in the Scripture above? This summer I went on a retreat where this question was asked of a large group or Christians. It may have been a sign of our lack of Bible knowledge, but no-one gave the correct answer. There are many possibles of course. Love, the Holy Spirit, Scripture... What was your first thought, honestly? 

The answer is GRACE. There are of course many definitions of the word, including that which I sometimes say before meals :) but here the grace referred to is that unmerited favour of God through Jesus Christ. That gift that is free and full of love and mercy. That experience of His Amazing Grace is the thing that teaches me to say "No" to sin and live for Him who died for me.

So perhaps when I am struggling in sin, the answer is not to 'try harder next time' but to run to the cross and see again how much love and grace is poured out for me. I cannot imagine anyone on this earth dying for me, but I can tell you if someone did that for me I would never forget it and it would change my life! And so it is with Jesus; my friend who died in my place, went through agony that I might be free. Now there is a little motivation to say 'No' to the very thing that put Him through that awful death.