Willingly Doing Your Will (Titus 2:11-14; LD 49)

Reformed & Expository Preaching

Understanding Our Desire for God’s Will

Human beings naturally struggle with making God in our image, seeking to bend Him to our desires rather than aligning with His will. Our praying that the Lord’s will be done is not about getting God to serve us, but about reshaping our hearts to celebrate and obey His good will. Even in the presence of temptation, sin, and our natural rebellion, God calls us to consciously discern what is righteous, putting aside desires contrary to Christ while nurturing those aligned with Him. True obedience, then, comes from a place of humility and vulnerability before God, recognizing that growth in faith is a lifelong process of being shaped and refined.

Trained in Obedience and Motivated by Grace

The text highlights that living according to God’s will requires training and discipline, but it is not about guilt or legalism. Through the epiphany of Christ, the manifestation of God’s plan of redemption, we are reminded that God’s work in us is both sovereign and gracious. Our obedience is empowered by the Spirit, transforming our desires from self-serving to God-centered. This transformation is ongoing: God purifies, sanctifies, and motivates us to pursue good works, not for human approval, but to reflect Christ’s glory in our lives.

Living Between Two Epiphanies

Finally, believers exist “between two epiphanies”: the first being Christ’s initial appearance, which secured redemption, and the second being His ultimate return, which will consummate glory. In this in-between period, our task is to live faithfully under God’s guidance, desiring His will, discerning righteousness, and relying on His Spirit. Our obedience is not passive but active, joyful, and empowered by grace. As we anticipate the next epiphany, we are called to embrace our identity as redeemed people, longing to see the full revelation of God’s glory while faithfully walking in His present guidance.