3At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he 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, 6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
OBSERVATION
When Paul writes to Titus about the essence of our journey with Christ, he clearly points out that our past should not interfere with our present or future because the saving work of Christ in us. In the past we were dominated by our sinful cravings. When we accept God's love and freedom secured by the cross, we are born again so we don't follow the same pattern of the past. We used to follow the pattern of selfishness of the flesh, but now we follow the pattern of godliness by the Holy Spirit. However, we must be careful that our new pattern is not altered by the old pattern. We must devote ourselves to do what s good. We need to be intentional about nurturing the new seeds of righteousness, otherwise the old weeds of destruction will grow and ruin what God wants to do in our lives.
APPLICATION
In a very simple way, our relationship with God is like a beautiful Garden. On our own, our hearts grow wild, selfishness overgrows everything, chaos reigns, and dangerous creatures find a home. But when the Holy Spirit comes to reveal the love and grace of God, trees are pruned, beauty is nurtured, and order is welcomed and restored. But it doesn't stay that way. That's why we must be careful to keep doing what is good, especially, by never neglecting our interaction with the Holy Spirit. Doing daily devotions is one of the most effective ways to keep our garden in good shape. We may not see huge positive results everyday, but we keep ourselves from feeding what once destroyed our lives. This lifestyle requires also lots of faith on our behalf. We need to believe that as wee seek the Lord and focus in godliness, our selfish nature becomes weaker, even dormant.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many opportunities I have wasted, not nurturing my relationship with you, neglecting seeking you, and allowing the things from the past to start growing again. Let me take care of the garden of my heart by constantly seeking friendship and companionship with your Holy Spirit. Help me to be diligent in my devotions, in doing things that edify me, and by avoiding things that distract me from this purpose. I love you Lord. Amen!
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