Song(s) of the Day
“Our God Saves” by Paul Baloche; and “For God So Loved” by We the Kingdom
Devotional thought
But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us…”
Titus 3:4-5 (Partial)
This passage found in Titus 3 is an incredible one in regard to explaining who we once were and how we got saved from that by the kindness and love of God our Savior! And when you pair Titus 3 with John 3 the full scope of salvation becomes evident (not to mention Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10, etc.,).
“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
It is the kindness of God our Savior and His love toward us that compelled Him to gift us with His Son so that all who will believe in Him can receive eternal life! That is great news for everyone and I hope that you have received this precious gift of salvation!
Making the personal connection
As it says in Titus 3:3, we WERE; “foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another.”
I know my own failures and that part that says “enslaved to passions and desires” really reminds me of the old man I used to be! So given to what pleased my flesh, exactly what is opposite of what pleases the Spirit of God.
So, when the Apostle Paul begins verse 4 with, “But, when the kindness of God our Savior and His love…appeared…”, I begin to feel an immense sense of gratitude for the love and salvation that has been granted to me! He saved me, by His grace and love and kindness – He saved me!
It goes on to say in Titus 3:7 that I am actually justified by His grace! That means that in a court of law, those sins (or lawless deeds) that I once was guilty of are now forgiven and it is “just-if-I’de-not-sinned“! Hallelujah, I am justified!
Questions for Reflection
- Have you received the salvation God our Savior freely offers you in Jesus Christ?
- If so, has that changed you from what you once were to a new creation that seeks to please the Holy Spirit?
- Have you thanked God for the gracious gift of salvation and eternal life you have received by His kindness and loving grace? In what ways?
Action Steps
Come to God
Our song called, For God So Loved, does a great job of inviting us to bring all our failures and addictions to God for salvation and freedom in those areas of our life! So, let’s do that.
Maybe you would like to ask Jesus to save you right now. Well, I’m glad you have made that decision and I would like to facilitate a prayer between you and God right now that will invite Him into your life for salvation.
You can pray with me something like this:
Well, if that was the first time you’ve prayed for Jesus to save you, CONGRATULATIONS! Because it says in His word that you are saved, and when you ask for forgiveness He will forgive you!
So, congratulations and welcome to the family of God!
See, God’s love and grace doesn’t only provide eternal salvation, it provides daily salvation! We all struggle with our vices, and the only way to overcome those areas of sin is through God’s grace (see Titus 2:11-12).
Worship God
I have found that having a worshipful and reverent heart is one of the most effective means by which I overcome temptation! So, that takes on many forms and it is up to you to discover what form of worship is most effective to fix your mind on Jesus.
It may be worship music, reading the Bible, journaling about God, serving somewhere, fellowshipping with other believers, etc. The point is to do whatever it takes to get your mind off the temptation and onto Jesus!
Like our song says;
“Praise God, Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, Praise Him, for the wonders of His love!”
For God So Loved (Bridge)
Tell others of God’s free gift of salvation
One of the best ways to show your appreciation to God for the work of salvation He has applied to your life is simply to tell someone else about it! He loves when we help others understand their need for a Savior, how to receive that salvation, and how that salvation will impact their life forever!
Believe me, you do not have to be a Pastor or have gone to seminary to accomplish this step! It’s as easy as a personal testimony of how you brought your failures, addictions, and life of sin to the Cross of Christ and received forgiveness for all of it when you asked Jesus to save you.
People respond to personal testimonies, and if you have received Christ YOU HAVE ONE!
Our God truly does save! And others need to know how to receive that salvation. How will they know if we don’t tell them?
Prayer
Thank You God for being my Savior! For justifying me by Your grace and loving me enough to forgive my sins and give me eternal life in Christ! I love You and am so grateful to know that I have eternal life because of Your gracious gift of salvation.
Please give me the courage to tell others about this gracious gift. Help me to boldly proclaim my testimony to others and to help them come to You Lord for salvation. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scripture to reflect upon
(Please hover, or click onto, the Scriptures to read the specified text!)
- John 3:16-18,
- Titus 3:3-7,
- Romans 10:9-10,
- Ephesians 2:8-9,
Memory Verse
