“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” (Titus 3:4-5).
In this chapter Paul describes the remarkable change that takes place when we believe in Jesus. “At 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” (vv. 3-4).
That is what life was but now we have changed. What happened to us? Our transformation didn’t begin with something we did, but it began in the heart of God. He is kind and loving. He loved us too much to leave us as we were. He sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us.
He still reaches out to us in kindness and love. He still saves those who trust Him. He doesn’t save us because of our good deeds; He saves us because He is good, loving, kind and merciful. He took every step to close the gap between us but one. It is our responsibility to believe in Him.
The benefit for us when we believe is life-changing. He washes us! Let’s be honest—we all need washing. He gives us the gift of rebirth. That means we get a fresh start in life. What an amazing deal. God gives us the ultimate do-over. He does all that because of His love, kindness and mercy. It still puzzles me that anyone could refuse to believe in a God like that.
