«For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works» (Titus 2:11—14).
GOD’S GRACE has been manifested in Christ’s incarnation. Paul always reaffirmed it because he exalted the Savior. That grace transforms lives. The ideal of victory is only possible if it is sheltered in the grace of Christ. The apostle mentions the pros and cons. To empty ourselves in order to be filled up. To die in order to live. Renouncing ungodliness and worldly desires means abandoning everything that we would not want to tell God and that we cannot take to heaven.
However, it is not enough to renounce. We must live soberly, righteously, and devoutly, that is, wisely, responsibly, in the light of the Word, genuinely, and without pretense. It is through the incarnate Christ who has already come, and through the Christ who is coming. It is through what happened on the cross that grace is offered to us. It is through the One who is coming in the clouds that glory will be granted to us.
He gave Himself for us. We wait and hurry. Our destiny is not our remains in a cemetery, but our lives in paradise.
Ellen G. White said people can be judged by their «desires.» Paul said we should renounce the desires of this world The messenger of the Lord reiterated her desires: I want to be like Him. I want to practice His virtues. I want to beamong those who will have their names written in the book and who will be rescued. I want the reward of the conqueror. I want my treasure to be in heaven. I wantto be with Him for the ceaseless ages of eternity. I want to know more and more about the Word of God. I want to have a home with the blessed and I want you to have a home there.
In the last years of her life, Ellen G. White still played.an active role in the preparation of books. She often sang an old Adventist hymn «The Better Land,» written by William H. Hyde, who composed the lyrics after hearing Ellen describe a vision she had received in the spring of 1845 (see Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, pp. 69—71). «She would often stop at the last line,» said Brother Hyde. We’ll be there, we’ll be there in a little while, we’ll join the pure and the blest; we’ll have the palm, the robe, the crown, and forever be at rest.»
If we really want to go to heaven, let us exchange our worldly desires and behaviors for heavenly desires and behaviors.