A Trustworthy Saying on Salvation

I've been looking forward to Paul's last "trustworthy saying," and it's one that is especially appropriate for reflection at Easter.

"[W]hen 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).

I broke the passage up into meaty lines, each of which could be an Easter sermon. Read over those verses a few times and soak it in. When you're ready to start shoutin', we'll move on.

In the interest of time, let's focus on two things:

"[God] saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."
Why "mercy?" Our society doesn't like this part. Why does God need to show me mercy? I'm a pretty good guy. I don't cheat on my taxes or beat my wife or kids. I'm not perfect, but I'm alright. So what's the big deal?

We don't understand that our righteous acts are all filthy rags in God's sight. Every "good deed" we've ever done has been tainted by self-interest. It was an attempt to silence our guilt, or we secretly hoped people would notice our good deeds. We want to make sure someone thanks us or admires us. So our good deeds are worthless.

But our bad deeds are legion. We've been sinning since we could walk. No one ever has to be taught to lie or be selfish. Violence comes to us naturally, as do greed and jealousy. Paul says in verse 3 we are "foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another."

It's not that we didn't quite measure up, weren't quite good enough. We were wicked, rebellious, and obstinate. We didn't just not deserve mercy; we deserved wrath.

But God, who is rich in mercy, loved us and took upon himself the penalty for our sins. He made a way so that we could be reconciled to him. He “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions" (Eph 2:4-5). (Here's some mood music to help you reflect on this truth.)

The second thing is that ...

"He saved us ... so that ... we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
I never get tired of talking about our adoption in Christ. God did not save us solely to rescue us from hell. He did not intend that we should become servants in his kingdom. No, his plan was that Christ should be "the firstborn among many brothers and sisters" (Rom 8:29). How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called children of God! (Here's another song reflecting on the grace of God.)

God saved us so that we could be adopted into his family and through that have the hope of eternal life. That promise is something we should always cherish, but this very odd Easter season it should hold a special power. None of us is promised tomorrow, but right now many people are wondering if they will see another Easter. People are confined to their homes hoping to see their relatives again. But Christians have a hope that transcends this life, and the world needs to see that we do not fear death because we know that death has already been defeated.

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And there's something else the world needs to see. If we focus only on our justification and our hope in Christ, we'll miss the point Paul was trying to make here. As he did in other places, Paul rolled out this powerful theological teaching to drive home a very mundane lesson.

"Remind the people ... to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always gentle toward everyone. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived ...

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done..." (3:1-5).

Reflecting on our salvation should produce humility. We were not saved by the good things we did but in spite of what we were, and we should respond to the people around us as people of grace, people who know that everything we have is a gift. Are the people around you acting like panicky, selfish children? "And such were some of you." Are people around you lashing out in fear or anger? "There but for the grace of God go I." Reflect on the grace you have been shown and respond to the sinners around you with the love of Christ and the patience of, well, a saint.

Paul ends this passage with "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" (3:8).

God did not save us because of the good deeds we have done, but he saved us to do good deeds. He wants us to live like children of the King.

So in this crazy time, whether you're watching the news from the safety of your couch, venturing out of your home to forage for food, or having to go to work, "be gentle toward everyone". Remember what you were and would still be were it not for the grace of God. And "love your neighbor as yourself." Remember most of all that the lost around you need to hear about the hope that you have in Christ Jesus.