SCRIPTURE
Titus 3:5 {NIV}
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,
OBSERVATION
Two key points for me are:
- “he saved us not because of the righteous things we had done, but because f his mercy”: Romans 3:23 {NIV} says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” so it wasn’t our works or the goodness in our hearts that caused God to save us, it was His mercy. Mercy can be defined as compassion that’s shown towards an offender {sinner} or the offering of divine favor, so God has shown divine favor on us sinners and given us the opportunity to be renewed
- “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”: “rebirth” and “renewal” implies that we are new again and it is through the cleansing of the Holy Spirit that we are made so
APPLICATION
One of my biggest faults is my temper. I have to constantly remind myself to “be angry and sin not” {Ephesians 4:26}. I’ve gotten better about not letting the sun go down on my anger but, let me tell ya, there are times when it’s truly a struggle. That’s when I have to think back over my life and all of the mean and nasty things that I’ve done and/or said to people and remember that God looked at all that, read the thoughts passing through my head, saw the darkness in my heart and said “I love Daenel. I’m going to have to do something to help her out. Jesus, I need you to go down there, make some friends, preach for a little while and then die. But it won’t be a quick and easy death. See, I’m gonna need you to get betrayed by one of your friends, lied on, beat up and spit on. Wait, there’s more. You’re gonna have to get nailed to a cross, pierced in the side with a sword and then die a slow and agonizingly painful death… But, and this is the important part, I’m going to need you rise up in 3 days!”
PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for the gifts of your love and mercy that were shown to me even before I came to be. Thank you for sending your son as the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. Please help me to show the same grace, mercy, love and kindness to those who are with me. Help me to forgive even when it hurts. Amen.
