May 16, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Judges and Titus? Here’s today’s reading:
Titus 3 (NIV)
Saved in Order to Do Good
1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.……Continue Reading
”For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,“
Titus 3:3-5
It is good to keep in mind that the gospel is/was a kindness towards us and when we share it with others it should be in a spirit of kindness, not an argument to be won, although blatant rejection of someone to this expression of kindness (if relayed sincerely that way!) demonstrates a hardness of heart. We continue to pray for fruit.
We were rescued by the kindness and the love of God and we can be assured our salvation isn’t based on any works of righteousness which we have done. But the reminder here from Paul is that yes we were saved by grace and not by our works, however, we were saved “so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good”. We should desire to live good lives, to helping others, and to disciple others in the faith. We do not do it because it is required for salvation but rather in appreciation for that salvation, because when God gives us new life, He also gives us new purpose to step away from what this world considers success or of importance and into the things that God does!
How merciful God was to save us. We were lost on every level and trying to figure things out in all the wrong ways. There is nothing we could have done to solve the problem. We were too much wrapped up in it. But then our Savior appeared and He did the work that only He could do, and asked us to do the only thing we could do, which was to believe, and then the Spirit came in and washed us and made us new. He then welcomed us into His kingdom and into His plan. And His plan was that we would turn from our selfish and evil ways and do what is good. Paul emphasizes doing good 3 times in the chapter. We are to bring benefit and light to people, not hurt and darkness. We are not to be promoting controversy and we are not to be divisive. We are to warn people like that in fact. We are to let the truth and reality of God guide our conduct so everyone will be benefited by what we bring to the table.
Our last day in Florida. Yesterday walked up the pool. Notice a young man in the pool with a book at the edge of the pool. Reading. The Bible. Started a conversation and for the next hour like being taken from this earth as we were locked in a divine appointment. His name was Alex. His birthday yesterday 29 years old. I’m in Stuart Florida and Alex is from Narragansett RI. And he’s visited living hope. What’s the odds. The Holy Spirit was in complete control. I will spare you the details. But suffice to say. Alex was overwhelmed with peace and joy. As he shared the battle he had been losing but decided yesterday on his birthday to change his ways. There is no better way to spend an afternoon then sharing what Jesus means to us how we were stuck in sin and our Father heard our cries and filled us with the Holy Spirit. Connecting us into the trinity. That was yesterday conversation. Still beaming this morning at 5am. What an awesome living God we are one with.!!!!!!!
That is awesome, Mark. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully we will see Alex at Living Hope again!
Titus 3
Titus 3
Yes! Do good things because we have been saved, not in order to be saved. When we are filled with the Spirit and walking with God it will be easy for us to be good, positive, uplifting, serving, and naturally focused on the things of the Lord.
We often quote Titus 3:5 {Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.} This in demonstrating to unbelievers that we cannot save ourselves. For it is by God`s mercy. In verse 7 it shows that we are justified by His grace. {That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.} It is only by God`s grace and mercy that we can ever get saved. We have only one thing to do and that is to repent of our sins and put our complete trust in our Living Savior for what He has done for us. It is when we come to faith in Christ that we are made heirs with Him. After we have come to Christ, we are to follow Him and live the way He wants us to live. Our own works are useless for salvation. Seek Him, Serve Him.
Judges 2, 3
Titus 3
Titus 2 and 3
After we are saved, we don’t just rest on our laurels and do nothing. Instead, with thanksgiving and praise for all the blessings God gives us, we devote ourselves to doing what pleases the Lord. I appreciate all the comments!