I. The Word: Titus 3:4-5

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, –

Reflection Questions

1. Why and how did God save us?
2. How does this fundamental truth free you from having a “saved by works” mentality?

One of the most powerful and sustaining truths I’ve discovered is that God saved me according to his own mercy and not according to any of my works.  This liberating truth has anchored me deeper in my faith year after year even as I’ve watched friends turn and walk away from God for various reasons.

This wasn’t always the case in in the beginning of my faith as I swung like a pendulum from “grace resulting in works” to “works resulting in grace”.  This was very similar to what the Galatian church was guilty of.  Paul wrote asking “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” – Galatians 3:2-3

Before you dismiss this as pure semantics, let’s look at another story that’ll drive this point home.  Remember in the movie Lord of the Rings when the Ring of Power is finally cast into the mountain and destroyed.  All of middle earth is in the thralls of war and battle.  It looks like there is no hope for those fighting against evil until the ring is destroyed.  Once the ring is gone, suddenly the whole world, by no effort of its own, is set free from bondage.  Someone else saved them, namely Frodo and Sam.  The work that Frodo and Sam did for them, apart from them, was their saving grace.  (Click here to watch LOTR clip)

My prayer is that we would always cling hold of this saving grace.  I pray that the very work that Christ began in you and me will continue until its very end.