What Have You Done?

“Why do you deserve to be saved by God?”

Having been a Christian for more than a few years, I know the ‘right way’ to answer this question: “I don’t deserve to be saved by God. Nobody does. That’s why Jesus came.” In spite of that, my first instinct is to pull up the looong list of good things I’ve done as proof that I am worthy of being saved.

What is your initial response to this question? What does your list look like?

Just before verse 5, Paul shares a list of ways that “we” have offended and disobeyed God. Of course, Paul wasn’t specifically talking about you and me, but I’m sure you can think of moments, maybe even seasons, of your life when you “were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures… living in malice and envy.” If our behavior was the basis upon which God saved us, we definitely would not deserve to be saved.

I encourage you to read on (the book of Titus is just three chapters long). Paul reminds us that God’s very own Spirit is his generous gift to us. Generosity cannot be earned; it is an outpouring of the love one has for the other. How much more is this true of God! He does not only save us because of his mercy (undeserved forgiveness), but because of his justice, too. Verse 6 reminds us that without Jesus Christ as Savior we would not be justified by his grace, nor would we have the hope of eternal life.

Verse 8 says: “this is a trustworthy saying”. If we really trusted these words and the God behind them, imagine the great freedom we would experience — freedom from the pressure that we put on ourselves to live godly lives in our own strength. We can run to God just as we are, and if we trust in Jesus as the substitute for the punishment we deserve, we will find great joy in depending on God’s Spirit. Even more, we will do good things not because we feel we need to but because we can, in God’s strength.

Generous God, there are so many times that I’ve failed to obey you. I need your forgiveness because I know that no amount of good things I do will measure up to your perfection and holiness. Thank you for sending Jesus as my Saviour and for generously giving me your Holy Spirit whom I can depend on completely to do your will. In my Savior’s name I pray. Amen.

Throughout This Day: Whenever you start thinking that you have to follow certain rules to be loved by God, remember that it is by faith alone that you are forgiven, loved, and endowed with the Spirit's power so that you can obey God out of a grateful heart, knowing all of life is lived by grace.