The personification of grace is seen in the life and ministry of Jesus on earth. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
The Bible teaches us through its pages that God’s supreme gift to sinful, fallen human beings is the gift of his Son. This gift of grace has appeared to all people through Christ’s death and resurrection, and our response to it be repentance – acknowledging our sins before God and turning away from them. This is what penitence is about. A constant recognition and submission to God’s grace to deal with our sin and sinful habits so that we fully embrace the fullness and blessings of God’s grace poured out to us.
When we hear the gospel, it makes us uncomfortable, because it exposes our sin, even our hidden sins and lays us bare before God. One can either pretend or resist, but not escape the confrontation that God’s grace has with sin in one’s life. Personal renewal begins with salvation by accepting Jesus Christ in your life as your Lord and Saviour and acknowledging your sin before Him.
Salvation is about having a living relationship with Jesus Christ. He has appeared to all men – young and old; rich and poor; people of high intellect and those of low intellect; European and African; the suffering and those who seem to have everything going their way; sick and healthy.
The second important issue about personal renewal is to develop passion in response to sanctification. Paul goes on to say that, [Grace] teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age (Tit 2:15).
Needless to say, passion is what you are enthusiastic about or what excites you. Instead of living lives dominated by ungodliness and worldly lusts, the grace of God cleanses us and purifies us to live sober (not intoxicated;
not having excess, exaggerated or speculative imagination; seriousness and
restraint), righteous (morally upright; acquitted of guilt) and godly (Christian character; the foundation on which our lives are built which is devotion to God or having a relationship with God and also means walking with God and pleasing God) lives in this present age.
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