Paul says that this grace teaches us “to renounce ungodliness… and to live
self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” (Titus 2:12).
A sort of tagline at my church is that “Grace Transforms.” I’ll frequently say
that God’s favour not only forgives, but actually changes us. That’s
because at the centre of this grace we find our union with Christ. As the
Holy Spirit effectually calls us and draws us to the Saviour, He unites us to
Christ, and (to use Calvin’s term) the “double-grace” of justification and
sanctification is ours. Both of these flow from our union to the Saviour.
Both are distinguishable, but they are not separable. It’s not possible to
be declared right with God without taking on newness of life.
This grace, which comes to us entirely from Christ as the Spirit unites us to
Him, inevitably leads to sanctification. Every aspect of our life is altered,
from the way we act as a spouse and parent, to the way we engage
outsiders in the community, the way we go about our daily work. Each of
these categories has been change because we have been made alive,
raised with Christ. These benefits come to us by union with Christ.
— Sean Lucas
The grace that saves is also the grace that instructs and motivates
us toward greater godliness. – Jeffrey Stivason