Mon., 11/4/13 Devotion (Titus 3:3-5)

Today's encouragement comes from Titus 3:3-5.  There, the apostle wrote these words to his fellow minister:

"For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serv-ing various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the wash-ing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit."

Observe where we are, outside of Christ: totally lost, and self-right-eous. See what happens when God's love appears on the scene of our hearts: we are regenerated, washed, and renewed. What role did our "works of righteousness" have in this process? None. What role did the God's mercy have in this process? Everything.

Do we see why God despises self-righteousness? May we treasure the Gift of Jesus; and loathe our own vile claims of "righteousness."

[Puritan quote of the day: "Many men in opposing sin are like the Frenchmen in battle . . . if they meet with a good repulse from the ene-my, then their courage is cooled and daunted and no men are more cowardly and fearful than they." --Christopher Love, in, "The Mortified Christian"]