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, serving vari-ous lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one an-other. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man ap-peared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit."Observe where we are, outside of Christ: totally lost, and self-righteous. See what happens when God's love in Jesus appears on the scene of our hearts: we are regenerated, washed, and renewed. What role did our "works of righ-teousness" have in this process? None. What role did the God's mercy have in this process? Everything.
Do we see why our God disdains self-righteousness? May we treasure the Gift of Jesus; and loathe our own vile claims of "righteousness."
[Puritan quote of the day: "For want of hearts full of love for God, men have heads full of error.” —Thomas Watson, in, "All Things for Good"]
