When you hear, “She’s living the good life!” who comes to mind? Our thoughts readily race toward a big-stage star or big-money influencer.

Let’s dare to think beyond stuff, power, and fame.

What about the good life that shapes someone into a tremendously empowering boss, the kind you deeply enjoy at work? How about a truly nurturing grandparent, or a character-shaping coach for your kid’s ball team?

Across his New Testament letters, Paul paints an intriguing picture of graciously good living. Our devilish faults and foibles are mercifully forgiven; our character is transformed. Good life grows, so our values are strong, patience is long, love is lasting, and our kindness is consistently crafting better connections. 

Goodness Gracious

Writing to Titus, his faithful ministry coworker, Paul tells how:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Tit. 2:11-14 ESV).  

Titus led Christians on the island of Crete. Paul assigned Titus to continue mobilizing the mission and appointing qualified church leaders (Tit. 1:5). Paul was concerned that they encounter clarity about grace, salvation, and good works.

In the opening ten verses of Titus 2, Paul emphasized intergenerational relationships. He addressed older people, younger people, and those working in households as bond-servants. The first-century household enterprise was a very common working arrangement. In their first-century context, Paul was delineating the relational flourishing of the truly good life. 

How is this possible? God’s grace trains us for good works!

Grace is God’s lavish generosity, unmerited favor, and his loving kindness that appeared in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. He rescued us from sin and the grave. Cleansing from sins, peace with God, and the promise of eternal life are available to all people, no matter their race, economic makeup, or previous religious profile.

Next in Titus 2, Paul’s spotlight on grace gets extra-fascinating. 

How Sweet the Sound

In Paul’s ancient Greek grammar, grace is the trainer. Our teacher is named Grace. You’ve heard about amazing, saving grace. What if we learn to sing, “training grace, how sweet the sound?” 

Grace teaches, leads, and guides us—like Yoda with Luke Skywalker, Gandalf with the dwarves and hobbits, or Mr. Miyagi with Daniel-son. In Titus’ era, training is the lingo used by a mom or dad, grandmother or grandfather with a young person. In our day, think of training a child to ride a bike. 

Paul declared two training objectives: “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (vs. 12).

First, it’s the demolition of what’s unhealthy and ungodly. 

Several years ago, our house desperately needed new flooring. Old tile and carpet in our kitchen and family room were sad, sorry, and horribly worn out. While getting quotes, we came across a contractor who thought it would be smart to just go right overtop the old tile with new plank. The carpet in the family room would get torn out, and more subfloor would be added to supposedly match the tile height in the kitchen. He wanted to leave the old tile underneath. 

At first, this seemed like an innovative idea, a way of saving a lot of back-breaking labor. However, the more we consulted with knowledgeable people, the more professionals who said, “No way, you do not want that old messy tile and grout just living under there.” 

Over time, broken tile and grimy grout would prove counterproductive. Of course, we struggled to find someone who wanted the nasty work of hammering and chiseling the old tile out, so guess who got to do the dirty job? My boys and I got after it! As we slogged and sweated, more than once I had to use the good ole dad comment, “Builds character, sons. Builds character!”

A similar character-shaping discipline, grace training, is essential for our growth in the Christlike good life. What worldly, self-indulgent, “old tiles” have you demoed lately? If your answer is, “nothing, really,” it’s time to demo something old in order to make room for what’s graciously good and new.

In keeping with Christ’s heart for us, the good life is not simply “Quit the bad stuff! Stop that!” Paul supplies another objective. 

Second, it’s about redemptive renovation. 

Verse 12 urges us “to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” During that present season, full of turbulence, temptation, heartache, and harrowing trials, Paul called Jesus’ followers in corrupt Crete—and us today—to renovate with good, Jesus-like actions. These good life qualities get built anew in us, positively replacing what’s filthy, worthless, ungodly, that stuff we set out to demo.

Zeal & the Good Life

If you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath! Pause to ponder and reflect. Grace training is not instantaneous. We don’t microwave it. Instead, gracious growth simmers like a crockpot. Out with the old, in with the new, slowly over time. John Mark Comer reminds us: “Over a long period of time—through training—you change.” 

Again, God’s grace trains us for good works! Full of blessed hope, we live and work actively watching for Christ’s second epiphany. Motivated by grace training, we keep reflecting on his selfless gift of himself for us (vs. 13-14). Our redemptive ransom was paid with the blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19). We belong to him, his very own people. Jesus willingly gave himself for us, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Note the wondrous outcome (Tit. 2:14). Reminding ourselves we are his blood-bought, redeemed, cleansed people, we become zealous. We grow fired up for good works. 

Trained by grace, let’s live the truly good life!