Verse of the Day 3/27
Titus 3:4-5 But God, the One Who saves, showed how kind He was and how He loved us 5 by saving us from the punishment of sin. It was not because we worked to be right with God. It was because of His loving-kindness that He washed our sins away. At the same time He gave us new life when the Holy Spirit came into our lives. New Life Version (NLV)
Yesterday we considered our "hope of eternal salvation" which we have because of the great gift of God, our blessed Redeemer. Today's verses carry on with that theme, reminding us that His love is shown for us by His saving us from the punishment of our own sins. The Message (below) tells us that we were "dupes of sin", with chips on our shoulder, hated and hating back." Paul could look back in his life when he was persecuting the church and can definitely relate to what he's writing.
Today's verses start with those two great words that should always catch our attention "but God". We, like Paul were headed in the course of this world, but at some point He stepped in. Stepped in by sending His Son, stepped in by calling us, drawing us to faith in His Son and providing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct in the New Life we've been given. We don't deserve, can't take the credit, it is all God, to Him be the glory.
John MacArthur writes, "Salvation brings divine cleansing from sin and the gift of a new Spirit-generated, Spirit-empowered, and Spirit- protected life as God's own children and heirs." I'm reminded of the chorus that we used to sing "New Life".
New Life in Christ abundant and free!
What glories shine, what joys are mine,
What wondrous blessings I see!
My past with its sin, the searching and strife,
Forever gone -- There's a bright new dawn!
For in Christ I have found new life.
If we have it may we live out our Spirit-generated, Spirit-empowered, and Spirit- protected life today. If you don't, God, the One who saves, offers a change of course, a cleansing, a renewal, if you will turn to Him.
In Christ,
Mike
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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Titus 3:3-11
The Message (MSG)
3-8 It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God's gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.
8-11 I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. It's obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God. By persisting in divisiveness he cuts himself off.
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