Regenerated and renewed by grace!
Scripture reading for July 13th: 1st Kings 15, 2nd Chronicles 13-14, Titus 3
Titus 3: 3-8 “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.”
Paul was always careful to emphasize God’s great mercy and goodness and grace shown in Jesus Christ. It is never our good works that save us. All our works done in the flesh are useless. We can only be justified by faith through the gift of God’s grace. Through that grace we become heirs of eternal life in God’s forever family. After salvation, we begin to walk with God and He shows us good works to do in response to His direction and love for all people. We who devoted ourselves to pleasing ourselves before salvation now devote ourselves to pleasing God through holy and loving obedience!
Titus 3:14 “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your gift of grace through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior! Thank You for renewing my spirit and soul by the indwelling Holy Spirit to love You and to love those You place in my path today. Open my eyes to the good works and urgent needs You want me to help with and direct me to learn to be devoted to these ‘good works’ in response to Your amazing grace!
2nd Chronicles 14:2-4 “And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers and to keep the law and the commandments.”
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