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. Tit. 3:4-7 (NIV)
Heavenly Father, if this passage was a violin, it’d be a Stradivarius; if it was a painting, a Rembrandt; if it was a destination, it’d be Banff National Park, Canada.
These verses declare you to be kinder than we imagine, more loving than we “get,” and more sovereign than we believe.
As Paul states, your “kindness and love” come to us as a shocking surprise. Kicking down the door of our unbelief, the Gospel entered our lives as measureless mercy, sovereign grace, and Fatherly tenderness. We didn’t “show promise” or potential when you saved us. You demonstrated the deepest affection and resurrection power.
And how liberal you are with the gift of your Spirit. You didn’t just “dribble” a little Holy Spirit on us. As Paul writes, you poured Him out on us “generously through Jesus”—copious amounts of heart washing, soul-enlivening, whole-person transforming goodness.
By your grace, we’ve been justified freely and fully. Our guilt is gone, our shame is shattered, and our fears are tamed. The saints in heaven are more joyful than us; but they aren’t more justified, loved, and secure.
Heir-ship, hope, and mission now define our lives in this broken world. Because the Gospel is this good and this true, may we live for the good of our neighbors and the gathering of the nations into the New Jerusalem.
We have nothing left to prove or earn. We are who you say we are—who you declare us to be in Jesus. Awesomeness, on steroids! So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ wonderful and merciful name.