Remember… He Saved Us!
Sometimes we have to be reminded where we have come from. Whether it is through old photographs of our childhood and upbringing, or a ride through the neighborhood that we once grew up in. It is healthy sometimes, as a reality check and motivation for moving forward, to remember (with gratitude) what and where we’ve come from. In Titus 3:3-11, Paul instructed Titus to remind the Christians at the church in Crete of what they were before their salvation and who it was who saved them. It was God that saved them, in His great mercy! And their reasonable response should be to serve Him, doing good works. May we never forget who it was who saved us, and may we forever serve God in gratitude for His grace and mercy! Amen.
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. (Titus 3:3) Further instructing Titus, Paul characterizes the, unbeliever’s actions and state of being in their lives before we were saved. It is a reminder that we are not so far removed from our fallen state and we must be on guard to remain in the Lord.
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:4-8) In His great kindness and love, God was merciful to forgive our sins (see v3). And although we were not righteous, God’s grace saved us (we did not save ourselves by our own actions). And God welcomed us into His family as His children, and made us heirs in His kingdom. God also gave us His Holy Spirit to dwell in us, which gave us new life. Paul reminded Titus to stress in his teaching that God’s grace justified us, saved us and provided us with the Holy Spirit which leads all Christians into new lives. We are to be devoted to serving Him, in gratitude and with good works.
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned. (Titus 3:9-11) After instructing Titus to stress proper teaching about our salvation of God, Paul warned Titus to avoid engaging in arguments that would only serve to divide Christians. The things mentioned would only serve to divert the attention and energies of believers from growing in their faith and service to God. Titus was to warn those who engaged in such divisiveness and to have nothing to do with them if they continued to ignore godly teaching and correction. This is still wise counsel for all pastors and church leaders.
Paul told Titus to remind Christians that our salvation was initiated by and wholly an act of God’s grace. He saved us! God not only had mercy on us to save us while we were still in our unrighteousness, but in His grace He made us His children and a part of His family. And He gave us new life, filled with the Holy Spirit. He did all of these things for us that we could have never done for ourselves. So what should be our response to all that God has done for us? We should serve God, doing good works and avoiding divisiveness in the body of Christ. It is so easy for us to forget where we came from and how we got to where we are. But Paul calls on us to remember… God saved us (and not we ourselves)! Hallelujah and Amen!
Blessings, Rev. Glenn
