Titus 3:3-7

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.  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.

The Gospel is both glorious and transformative.  We were saved from a life of terrible sin and darkness to an eternal life of hope.  The reason we need to patiently remind people to submit, serve, and speak in a way that honors God is because we remember the mess from which we were saved and are thankful for the results of that salvation.  When ministers of the Gospel forget about their own miraculous transformation, it is easy for them to become impatient in their ministries.  A frequent and faithful review of the Gospel is necessary for all of us.

WE ARE SAVED FROM HATRED: Believers may forget what life was like before they came to know Christ.  As time passes after our conversion to Christ, we can become used to the radical changes that have taken place in our thinking and actions.  The foolishness of our thinking, disobedience to the Word of God, enslavement to sin, and broken relationships can all begin to fade from our memories.  Before Christ, our lives were marked by hatred in the sense that we were hated by others and had hatred in our hearts towards others.  Selfishness leads to hatred, and only the Spirit of God can set us free from the love of self that causes so much hatred.

WE ARE SAVED BECAUSE OF LOVE: Salvation transforms us from being slaves of hatred because it is wrought out of the loving kindness of the Lord.  The motive behind our salvation was never our works because nobody could ever achieve God’s standard.  However, the love and mercy of God motivated Him to make a way to provide forgiveness and freedom from sin to all who believe.  That way was the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who took on flesh so that He could satisfy the wrath of God by paying the price for our sin. The reason believers are supposed to be marked by our love for one another and for the lost world around us is because we have experienced the unconditional and underserved love of God.

WE ARE SAVED BY RECONCILIATION: We, who were at war with God in our sin, have been regenerated through faith in Christ.  We are given a new life that has been completely washed free of sin by the blood of Jesus.  This new life in Christ is renewed and energized by the supernatural power of the Spirit of God.  He gives us new desires and enables us to gain victory over sin and walk in a new way that pleases God.  We have been declared righteous based on the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf.  We stand before God in the righteousness of Christ and have been fully reconciled to the Father through faith in the Son by the power of the Spirit. 

WE ARE SAVED UNTO ABUNDANCE: The gift of salvation goes beyond the provision of forgiveness to a life of hope.  We are adopted into the family of God, and as family members, we become heirs of the riches of Christ.  We can face the difficulties of serving the Lord in a sin-cursed world because we know that there is an eternal life completely free from sin and its consequences awaiting us.  This gives us courage to face trails on earth with hope.  Joy, peace, love, forgiveness, patience, kindness, submission, service, and speaking kindly all flow from the hope we have in Christ.

APPLICATION: Remember the depths of our sin from which we have been saved so we will be more patient with those who are still lost.  Love others the way we have been loved by God.  Rejoice in the forgiveness and freedom from sin through the work of Christ and the power of the Spirit.  Live a hope filled life in anticipation of the eternal life that lies ahead.

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