Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
He saved us through … renewal by the Holy Spirit …
Summary: Like a TV show where a contractor completely makes over an old house into something brand new, the Holy Spirit renews us.
Continue reading “Titus 3:5 (e) — Renovation”
He saved us through the washing of rebirth …
Summary: What is going on? Today’s passage is key to understanding what the Bible is all about. Paul explains the who, what, when, where, why, and how of salvation by God.
Continue reading “Titus 3:5 (d) — Six Little Words”
He saved us … because of his mercy.
Summary: Putting ourselves in God’s place for a moment feels weird. Yet there is something to be learned in making the attempt. We discover that creating humanity also created the possibility of family.
Continue reading “Titus 3:5 (c) — God’s Dilemma”
He saved us … not because of righteous things we had done …
Summary: Knowing why God saves us is important. Knowing why he should not save us is also important.
Continue reading “Titus 3:5 (b) — The Laugh Test”
When … God our Savior appeared … he saved us …
Summary: Paul speaks from a godly perspective. If we see his words only from a human perspective, we risk losing everything worth having.
Continue reading “Titus 3:5 (a) — Tortoise and Hare”
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared …
Summary: The word “kindness” is sometimes misunderstood to refer to someone who never says a mean word. As we look at today’s passage, we discover that what is important is the moral quality of the person or being the word refers to.
Continue reading “Titus 3:4 — A Kind of Kindness”
We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Summary: Malice and envy are at the root of hating others. Paul explains this so we remember and understand what our Lord has saved us from.
Continue reading “Titus 3:3 (f) — Two Towns in Hell”
At one time we too were … enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.
Summary: The road to freedom is a beautiful adventure. The end of the road is the beginning of a new life in heaven. Meanwhile, here on earth, we can be free of the shackles of the desires of the flesh.
Continue reading “Titus 3:3 (e) — The Road to Freedom”
At one time we too were … deceived …
Summary: Being a demon is hard work. You cannot force people to leave God’s Light, you have to tempt them. Fortunately for the demons, their work is made easier when we turn our back on God.
Continue reading “Titus 3:3 (d) — Going Astray”
At one time we too were … disobedient …
Summary: Obedience is hard for humans. It requires us to submit to God’s authority and we tend not to like doing that. Yet God’s rules are not all that hard to comply with, if only we would.
Continue reading “Titus 3:3 (c) — God’s Rules”