Pursuit of righteousness

Martha Olawale

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age.” Titus 2:11-12.

It seems impossible to live right in our world today, where everything seems acceptable, yet nothing makes sense. When you think you’ve seen the worst things, something happens that dwarfs the mountain of wickedness, injustice, and immorality you experienced the day before. Every day comes with the desperate cry of God’s elect to Heaven, praying for help to live right in a world that has clouded our understanding of right and wrong.

The jumbled definition of living right has left many scratching their heads. Our pride and self-imposed glory put us at odds with God's sovereignty, and the closer He draws close to us, the farther we move away from His call to live godly. We have convinced ourselves that the righteous God, who gave up His own Son for the sins of all, will have to live with our lack of remorse and dirt.

We cannot achieve Godliness by our own machinations and good works. It takes the grace of God to choose right over wrong each moment of our life here on earth. It is a daily adventure ride on the wings of grace. Titus 2:11 says that God's grace, which offered us salvation, teaches us to say “No.” And it is only by that grace that we can stand, consistent in our pursuit of righteousness, regardless of what the world throws at us.

Denying ungodliness is not a one-time deal but a consistent evaluation of each moment of our life, weighing our decisions, actions, and reactions on the scale of God’s word. Saying no when God says no and yes when God says yes. Leaving nothing to our corrupt mortal minds to decide but sifting the norms through Heaven’s filter and looking at everything through the lens of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.