Titus 3:4 But after that the kindness and LOVE of God our Saviour toward man appeared.
Greetings mih beautiful Friends in Christ! It’s Monday, that dreaded day for so many. But please, don’t you worry and don’t you fret, just be sure that you’re suitably attired in your complete spiritual armour, give the Lord some thanks and praise, ask for guidance, then go out there with heads held high, shoulders thrown back and bravely engage the enemy in battle to the death. Remember the Most High God Jehovah is your protector, and once He’s on your side, nothing or no one can harm you. ‘And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?’ (1 Pet.3:13) Now let’s play some riddle I this, riddle I that. (smile) In what part of the world can you have snow flurries at mid morning, then by the afternoon have temps reach around 8 degrees with bright, beautiful sunshine? Only in Canada! What a unique, eccentric, but beautiful land! That’s why we all LOVE it so much and everybody wants to come and enjoy its God–given delights. It’s the same way our God LOVED us when we were worthless, disobedient, undeserving sinners. In Chapter 3 of Titus, Bruh Paul deals with Christian citizenship, and in our particular section today, he enlightens Titus on the basis of the Christian ethic. ‘For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.’ (Titus 3:3) Bruh Paul would sure be surprised to see us still living that way, in fact worse, for now it’s spread on a broader, worldwide stage. I doubt if you had asked him to envision life two thousand years after Christ he would have predicted the evil, ungodly, demonic, envious, hateful, violent, inhumane societies that now populate our world. Certainly not ‘after that the kindness and LOVE of God our Saviour toward man appeared.’ His faith, trust and zeal would not have allowed him to picture such a sinful age as ours. He would expect most men by this time to have gladly and gratefully received God’s LOVE. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.’ (Titus 2:11-12) Yes my people, God’s saving grace brought universal salvation through the unlimited atonement of Christ; His death, resurrection and ascension. But obviously a great many of us have still not chosen to avail ourselves of that free, wonderful and redeeming gift. ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed (poured out) on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.’ (Titus 3:5-6) Oh mih breddren, who in their right mind would not accept such a moving, and emotionally satisfying gift eh? Who would refuse that wonderful, cleansing, free gift of regeneration that needed no righteous works on their part, just acceptance of God’s mercy? Regeneration in basic terms is simply being born again. That’s how Jesus termed it in His chat with Nicodemus. (John 3:3-7) It’s the part that the Holy Spirit plays in our call to salvation. The Holy Spirit creates a new nature in those who come to faith in Jesus. It washes us clean of all our old lustful, sinful ungodly nature and replaces it with one able to do the will of God. I like how the scholars liken the Holy Spirit to a workman in the regeneration process, citing His basic instrument as the Bible, which He uses as a multi-purpose tool: as a hammer for judging sin (Jer.23:29), also as a mirror that reveals sin (James 1:23), then it changes to a sword that defeats the evil Lucifer (Heb.4:12), and once more, chameleon-like, it changes and becomes a lamp that guides believers. (Ps.119:105) Oh Friends, what thought, planning, energy and selfless, unconditional LOVE our God put into our salvation, into bringing us back to a right relationship with Him! How can we refuse it eh, especially after we read the next verse in Bruh Paul’s missive to Titus? ‘That being justified (declared righteous) by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:7) Oh mih people, we don’t have to do anything but believe in Jesus and live by faith and we’re made righteous. All our sins are washed away, our souls cleansed and we become heirs with Christ in eternal life. Wow! There’s no better offer than that anywhere mih Friends, and we’d be very foolish not to accept it. But please note carefully, this salvation is free, but it’s not a free ride, you don’t just pass go and head straight to heaven. Like everything else in God’s world, we have certain responsibilities when we become new people in Christ. We need to accept and obey His rules, cooperate with the Holy Spirit and grow to maturity in God, just like children do in normal life. Friends, it’s no easy feat, but the beauty of it is that God helps us along every step of the way, whether it be rough and rugged or smooth and flat. As they say in legal circles, it’s an open and shut case, it merits no arguments. Jesus is the way, the truth, the light and also the life. I urge you to accept Him into your hearts; the sooner the better. Much LOVE!…oh what a wonderful, earth shattering experience…knowing Jesus brings to our lives…
SCRIP-BITS 