​Week 39, Day 3

​Week 39, Day 3
September 28, 2022
Scripture: Titus 3
 
“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.” (Titus 3:4–7)
 
Jesus is our Savior. We are made new, because of Him!
If you have been reading along with me in the New Testament, this is not new news. But as I’ve been reading along in the book of Romans in other studies, this passage is startingly clear. It is a succinct phrasing of much of Paul’s writing. Jesus is Lord and has rescued us from sin and death. 
 
It has me thinking today, “why does Paul need to clarify this point to the degree he does in almost all of his writing?”
 
There is, I think, the temptation and trouble for us to think that our righteousness comes from our religious activity. There is, perhaps also, the temptation or trouble of thinking that salvation comes by some other person, by some other way.
 
Paul must know, inspired by the Spirit, that the generations of God’s people will be challenged in their faith, and tempted to compromise their faith. It appears so in Titus, that people are denigrating the name of Jesus and his sacrifice. There are those who believe that they can be made righteous through their religious activity.
 
Yet Paul clears up any notion of where our righteousness comes, through Jesus alone.
 
Remind yourself of this foundational truth today: Christ is Lord, through his great mercy you are redeemed, renewed and righteous.