Title: God's Grace That Saved Us
(Titus 3:3-7)
Paul makes an impressive reference to the grace of God revealed to us. Regarding what our life was like before we were saved, Paul said, "We too were once fools, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, abominations, hated one another." He tells us about the grace of God who saved us.
1. God's Grace Revealed to Us
The grace of God that saved us means that God gave us salvation as a gift even though we had no goodness or righteousness to be saved. We had nothing to receive God's love, mercy, or salvation, but, nevertheless, God accepted us and gave us salvation through compassion. This is God's grace. If salvation is given to those who are qualified, it cannot be grace. Regarding this, Paul said in Romans 4:4, 'To those who work, their wages are not counted as grace, but as debts'. Then, what kind of person were we before we received God's grace?
(1) It was said that he was a fool in the past. The word foolish is the view from God's point of view. At that time, we lived a life of denying God. I looked down on the cross. I was zealous only for world affairs. These things are very stupid.
(2) He was called disobedient. They did not believe in the Son of God, who was given by love. Rather, he was against his son and had no interest in him. To not believe in the Son of God is to disobey God.
(3) It was said that he was a deceived person. He was deceived by Satan's delusions. They lived deceived by sin, and while running to hell, they were deceived by happiness and lived knowing money as God.
(4) Next, it is said that he was a slave to various lusts and pleasures. He has lived a life of following what his flesh tells him to do. I knew that enjoyment was the supreme happiness in life, and I lived by it.
(5) It is said that he was a man who lived through malice and envy. In the past, we have lived a life marked by envy, plotting, fighting, and hatred.
(6) It was said that he was an abomination. Our lives are different from the inside like hypocrites, and we have lived the lives of others on the outside, and our hearts were more ugliness and dirtier than the dregs of all things.
(7) It was said that they hated each other. I couldn't be reconciled with love. The enemies of each other have lived with our hearts and minds. I have lived like an enemy with little things. Because we were such people, there was no room for mercy from God. There was no hope of salvation.
2. God's Salvation by Grace
Paul speaks of this in verse 5: “He saved us, not because of the works of righteousness we have done, but according to his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” It is not salvation by righteousness that we have done. There is no one who will become righteous by doing what is right. It tells us that this work of salvation was accomplished only through God's mercy. Mercy comes from love with a compassionate heart. We were sinners and we were enemies of God, but God loved us and accomplished our salvation by sending His only begotten Son into the world. Such love is an absolute love that cannot be understood through human knowledge, experience, or emotions. His love was so great that he showed us his true love by sending his only begotten Son.
Paul talks about the way of salvation in verse 5 and a half. It is said that it was done by the washing of sentient beings. It is the answer to how our sins are washed away. The washing of regeneration means that God has forgiven our sins by His power. And it was through the renewing of the Holy Spirit. It was through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that he renewed me from my sins and trespasses by making me alive. To show this love of God, He poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us. By this grace, we were justified, we were given the hope of eternal life, and we became heirs of God together with Christ.
Conclusion: We must not forget this wonderful grace of God. We know God's grace and live in it
I must become a saint. The realization of grace comes from the knowledge of Christ.