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, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Tit. 3:4-7 (NIV)
Heavenly Father, if this passage was a piano, it’d be a Bösendorfer; if it was a painting, a Michelangelo; if it was a destination, it’d be the Swiss Alps. This Scripture declares you to be much kinder than we ever imagined, more loving than we ever hoped, and more sovereign than we comprehend.
As Paul states, your “kindness and love” were revealed to us as a complete surprise. It was entirely your action of measureless mercy, sovereign grace, and Fatherly power. We didn’t “show promise” or potential when you saved us. You simply made good on your promise to redeem a family as numerous as the numberless stars, grains of sand, and particles of dust (Gen. 12-17). We are grateful for the mathematics of your mercy.
And how generous you are with the gift of your Spirit. You didn’t just “dribble” a little Holy Spirit on us. As Paul writes, you poured Him out on us “liberally through Jesus”—copious amounts of heart washing, soul-enlivening, whole-person transforming goodness.
By your grace, we’ve been justified freely and fully. Our guilt is gone, our shame is shattered, and our fears are tamed. The saints in heaven are more joyful than us; but they aren’t more justified, loved, and secure.
Heir-ship, hope, and mission now define our life in this broken world. Because the gospel is this good and this true, free us to live for the good of our neighbors and the gathering of the nations into the New Jerusalem.
We have nothing left to prove or earn. We are who you say we are—who you declare us to be in Christ. Hallelujah! So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ wonderful and merciful name.