A Prayer About a Gospel Tatoo
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 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, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7 Heavenly Father, if I was into tattoos and this Scripture wasn’t so long, I might consider having it inked onto my body. Because I want to keep this stunning summary of the gospel ever before my eyes. Better still is the knowledge that you have already tattooed this liberation manifesto onto my heart with the indelible ink of your love.
Indeed, how I praise you today for your outrageous generosity to me in the gospel. Your kindness and love appeared to me out of nowhere. I wasn’t seeking you, you were seeking me-running after me, not to reward me, but to rescue me from both my unrighteousness and my so wanna-be-righteousness. I praise you for your mercy!
And what a most glorious “bath” in the gospel you gave me-washing me, once and for all, through the new birth, and renewing, reviving, refreshing, re-forming me through the generous gift of the Holy Spirit-poured out abundantly like a waterfall, not dribbled and dripped down like a leaky faucet! All of these blessings come to me so freely only because you have given Jesus for me so fully.
Now that I have been presently and eternally justified by your grace, heir-ship and hope define the rest of my life… even in the times when I feel and act like a fatherless futureless orphan. Yes, Lord… help me to trust more in your faithfulness than I despair of my fickleness. It’s not what I feel but who you are that matters most. You will bring to completion the good gospel-work you have begun in me… in each of your children… and in your entire cosmos! So very Amen, I pray, in Jesus’ name.