Judy Webb
Jun 132 min
by Judy Webb
"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)
If you, like me, can pinpoint the moment of your salvation, then these verses above probably speak loudly to you. Mercy is a great big word with an even bigger result. God's mercy saves, God's mercy speaks of love and life everlasting. The moment you or I turned to God was probably the biggest moment of our lives. The moment we were transformed and renewed by the Blood of Jesus.
Four points to ponder when studying these words of scripture:
It is not good people who get to heaven; it is sinners who have been saved by God's grace and mercy.
Good works do not earn salvation, they are a result of it. But wherever there is true salvation, there will also be good works.
Salvation is a work of mercy - not justice. Justice demands that the deserved punishment be administered; mercy provides a righteous way by which the punishment is averted.
God saved us by the washing of regeneration. (Spiritual renewal or revival) We became A new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17). The day we recognized our helplessness because of the sin we were entangled in, is the day Christ made us a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.
Water represents the Word of God - the proclamation of Jesus and His Kingdom, that we hear about throughout the Bible.
Final thought: The Holy Spirit is the agent in regeneration and the Word of God is the instrument.
Dear Jesus, thank you for saving us, for giving us a way to know you better and to share your love with others who need it. Teach us to go to your Word for direction and instruction every day. Amen.