Titus 3:3-8 – “He saved us … through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit”
Remember what you were like before you met Jesus? The Apostle Paul remembers and he prompts Titus to remember. “We too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.” All of us were quite sinful when we lived with a heart bent towards sin, but…“But when the goodness of God and His love for mankind appeared.” By now I hope that you have realized that God desires your heart and God desires to give you a clean heart. God is good and God has great love for you. God is holy and can’t associate Himself with sin. Yet because He loves you, He is not willing to leave you where you are. Paul is reminding Titus that God gave them a clean heart through the washing of Christ’s shed blood on the cross and God wants to do the same for others. God has poured out His Spirit on them and given them the hope of eternal life and God wants to do the same for others. This is not something we keep to ourselves. This is the message that Paul wanted Titus to talk about with certainty so that it would stimulate those who believe to go out and do good in this world. These teachings about what God desires is good and beneficial for everyone. It’s not just a special message for special people. It’s a message that can resonate with anyone. People will respond to God’s message when we teach them that God is a tester of the heart, that God wants your heart, that God wants a believing heart, and that God will create and clean a new heart for anyone. People will respond to God’s message when we live out that message by doing good. Once we were foolish. Let us no longer live foolishly. Once we were enslaved by various passions and pleasures. Let us no longer live being enslaved by various passions and pleasures. Let us devote ourselves to living out our new clean heart. Let us dedicate our lives to reaching our communities with Christ and to serve the world in love.
Prayer Starter: To the One who changed me, I thank You that You changed me. I thank You that I did not have to do anything to earn Your gift of salvation. I have given You my heart and You have freely cleaned it. Even though I didn’t have to do anything to earn it, You do desire that I live out my changed heart by telling others and doing good in this world. Forgive me if I go through my day without that in the forefront of my thoughts and motivations. Help me to see that no one is beyond Your reach. You were able to reach me and so use me to let someone else know You are reaching for them. I would like to pray for the salvation of ___________________. In the name of Jesus Christ, my command-in-chief, amen.
You’re reading a devotion from the Easter Devotional Plan 2016. For the rest of the 40 day plan, visit here.