A Glimpse – The Gambia

Do you know God’s grace? Here are 7 Bible verses to inspire you to understand this grace.

Romans 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

To understand God’s grace, we have to acknowledge that we have done what is wrong in God’s eyes. We have sinned. We are in need of forgiveness and redemption.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

God’s grace is a free gift that doesn’t depend on any good deeds you have done. God’s grace is for all who believe in Jesus Christ.

James 4:6-7 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

In humility we turn to God and confess that we have done wrong. In humility we receive God’s grace and he will lift us up.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

God isn’t a distant God. He came to us and lived among us as one of us. Jesus is full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

You can come to Jesus, just as you are. He knows our weaknesses. Because of the grace of God, we are forgiven our sins.

Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We don’t earn or deserve God’s grace by our good deeds, but it’s given according to God’s own mercy. By grace we are saved through our faith and even become heirs to the kingdom of God.

Revelation 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

This is the very last verse of the Bible and it reminds and expresses the wish for God’s grace be with you. “Amen” means “surely”, “truly” or “so be it.” We live by the hope and trust in God’s grace every day.

Kontondiroo

1 Nte Pawulu, Alla la dookuulaa aniŋ Yeesu Kiristu* la kiilaa*, m be ite, Titus, kontoŋ na. N loota ka Alla la tomboŋ moolu la lannoo yiriwandi, aniŋ ka ì maakoyi ka londi koyoo soto tooñaa to, meŋ sotota Alla la siloo kaŋ. 2 Wo tooñaa le ka jikoo dii ì la badaa-badaa baluwo to. Alla meŋ buka faniyaa fo, ate le ye laahidoo dii wo kuwo to, janniŋ jamaanoolu be dati la, 3 aduŋ saayiŋ wo laahidoo naata yitandi a waatoo la le, a la kumoo kono. Wo kumoo kawandoo karafata nte le ma, ko Alla, ǹ na Kiisandirilaa, ye a yaamari ñaameŋ.

4 M be ite, Titus, kontoŋ na, meŋ mu n dinkee tooñaa ti lanna kiliŋo kono. Hiinoo niŋ kayiroo be i fee ka bo Alla bulu, m̀ Faamaa, aniŋ Kiristu Yeesu, ǹ na Kiisandirilaa.

Yeesu la kafoo alifaalu

5 Ñiŋ daliiloo faŋo le ye a tinna, ŋa i tu Kireti jooyoo to, fo i si kuwolu tembendi jee, mennu tuta, aniŋ ì si alifaalu londi Yeesu la kafoo ye saatewolu kono taariŋ, ko ŋa i yaamari a la ñaameŋ. 6 Alifaa ñanta ke la kewo le ti, meŋ maŋ sootaaroo soto, aniŋ meŋ foroyaata a la musoo ma. A diŋolu ñanta ke la lannamoolu le ti, moo te mennu tuumi noo la faŋ mutabaliyaa la, waraŋ yaamari mutabaliyaa. 7 Yeesu la kafoo la kantarilaa mu Alla la dookuulaa kuntiyo le ti. Wo to, a ñanta ke la moo le ti, meŋ maŋ sootaaroo soto. A maŋ ñaŋ na ke la faŋ wara moo ti, moo jusu sutuŋo, dolominnaa, waraŋ fitinamoo. A maŋ ñaŋ na tinewo ñini la tapaleeyaa kono, 8 bari a ñanta ke la moo le ti, meŋ ka luntaŋolu jiyaa, aniŋ meŋ ye kuu betoolu kanu. A ñanta ke la hakilimaa le ti, meŋ tilinta, a seneyaata, aniŋ a ka a faŋ muta noo. 9 A ñanta tooñaa kumoo muta la niŋ a bulu fuloo le la, ko a karandita ñaameŋ. Wo to le a be doolu yaamari noo la bambandinke niŋ karandiri tooñaa la, aduŋ a si moolu la boyidaa yitandi ì la, mennu balanta wo kumoo la.

Yaamaroo faniyaa karandirilaalu la kuwo to

10 Moo jamaa le be jee, mennu be marabaliyaa kono, ì ka doolu neenee ì la kuma fuuriŋolu la. Ñinnu siyaata le sako wo Yahuudoolu kono, mennu ye sunnoo kuwo kummaayandi. 11 Ì daalu ñanta soroŋ na le, kaatu ì be dimbaayaalu muumewo le la lannoo kasaara kaŋ niŋ karandiroo la, ì maŋ ñaŋ na meŋ ke la. Ì ka a ke tinewo le kamma, meŋ maŋ bo niŋ tiliŋo la. 12 Moo kiliŋ meŋ bota ì faŋolu kono, ì la annabiyomoo, ye ñiŋ ne fo nuŋ ko:

“Kiretinkoolu ye i tuuku faniyaa foo le la,

ì mu beeyaŋ jawu baalu le ti,

konomoolu, ì baloo diyaata ì ye.”

13 Wo seedeyaa mu tooñaa le ti ì la kuwo to! Wo kamma la, ì jalayi kendeke fo ì si muru naŋ lannoo sila kendoo kaŋ. 14 Ì kana tara tuukuriŋ kotenke Yahuudoolu la taaliŋ kenseŋolu la, aniŋ moolu la luwaalu, mennu ye ì koo dii tooñaa la.

15 Feŋo bee seneyaata moo le ye, meŋ seneyaata, bari feŋ maŋ seneyaa moo kosoriŋolu niŋ lannabaloolu ye, kaatu ì hakiloolu niŋ ì sondomoolu bee nakarita le. 16 Ì ka a fo le ko, ì ye Alla loŋ ne, bari ì ka balaŋ a ma niŋ ì la kebaaroolu le la. Ì mu jutunnamoolu le ti, aniŋ yaamari mutabaloolu mennu nene buka kuu betoo ke noo.

1 From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I was chosen and sent to help the faith of God's chosen people and to lead them to the truth taught by our religion, 2 which is based on the hope for eternal life. God, who does not lie, promised us this life before the beginning of time, 3 and at the right time he revealed it in his message. This was entrusted to me, and I proclaim it by order of God our Savior.

4 I write to Titus, my true son in the faith that we have in common.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.

Titus' Work in Crete

5 I left you in Crete, so that you could put in order the things that still needed doing and appoint church elders in every town. Remember my instructions: 6 an elder must be without fault; he must have only one wife, and his children must be believers and not have the reputation of being wild or disobedient. 7 For since a church leader is in charge of God's work, he should be without fault. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered, or a drunkard or violent or greedy for money. 8 He must be hospitable and love what is good. He must be self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the message which can be trusted and which agrees with the doctrine. In this way he will be able to encourage others with the true teaching and also to show the error of those who are opposed to it.

10 For there are many, especially the converts from Judaism, who rebel and deceive others with their nonsense. 11 It is necessary to stop their talk, because they are upsetting whole families by teaching what they should not, and all for the shameful purpose of making money. 12-13 It was a Cretan himself, one of their own prophets, who spoke the truth when he said, “Cretans are always liars, wicked beasts, and lazy gluttons.” For this reason you must rebuke them sharply, so that they may have a healthy faith 14 and no longer hold on to Jewish legends and to human commandments which come from people who have rejected the truth. 15 Everything is pure to those who are themselves pure; but nothing is pure to those who are defiled and unbelieving, for their minds and consciences have been defiled. 16 They claim that they know God, but their actions deny it. They are hateful and disobedient, not fit to do anything good.

Titus 1