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Day 13 • February 16
Let the Truth Set You Free Titus 3:3-5 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 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. There is an old Gospel song written by Dottie Rambo and made famous by the Happy Goodman family, called “Remind Me.” The second verse and chorus go like this: Nothing good have I done to deserve God’s own Son, I’m not worthy of the scars in His hands, Yet He chose the road to Calvary to die in my stead, Why He loved me, I can’t understand. Chorus Roll back the curtain of memory now and then, Show me where you brought me from And where I could have been, Oh, remember I’m human and human’s forget, So remind me, remind me dear Lord. Looking back is often a very helpful way to reflect on God’s will and leading in our lives. Titus had been left in Crete for a specific purpose– “to straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint Elders…” (Titus 1:5). It was not an easy task. Not only did the Church face opposition from the outside, but they also struggled to leave behind a lifestyle that all but discredited their faith. Titus 1:12 explains it: “Even one of their own prophets has said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.’” Without question they had a checkered past. Of course, if we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we all do, too. In the passage we read today, Paul reinforced this idea by reminding Titus just where they had been in their own lives. He used the term “WE”, which not only included himself, but also includes you and me. Look back at Verses 3-5. Notice the strong words that Paul uses: foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by passion (desires) and pleasures, filled with malice and hatred. Wow, what a scathing indictment! Shame
on you Paul, Shame on you Titus, Shame on you Cretans, Shame on you… uh… ME! Granted, every word may not apply to every one of us, but we identify with many (if not most). We were enslaved by our passions and pleasures. We couldn’t do any better. We needed help. You couldn’t help me and I surely couldn’t help you. Remember the old song, “Looking for love in all the wrong places”? That was our plight. No matter what we tried – politics, drugs, alcohol, food – it never provided relief. No matter how many times we pledged to turn over a new leaf, (like I used to do every Monday morning), it never worked. The search for significance and relief from the slavery of sin always leads down a winding path to destruction, until we learn where deliverance truly lies. Paul reminded Titus where to look – just behind the little conjunction in Verse 4: “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 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.” Do you see that? God has taken the initiative in setting us free. In His kindness and love, He reached out to us and made a way for salvation. What we couldn’t do for ourselves, He did on our behalf! That’s why, as you read through our passage, you realize that everything is about God. He did the work through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. He provided our salvation, He justified us (balanced the books), He has made us heirs to all things through Jesus Christ. He has offered us eternal life, and He has given us hope!
R
Never lose the wonder of God’s mercy and grace. Never forget what God invested in us to secure our
Let the Truth Set You Free • Day 13 salvation. He alone freed us from enslavement to sin. So how should we respond? We are to live a life of devotion to doing what is good. Before our salvation we couldn’t do enough good to get to heaven, but after He has saved us, our lives should reflect the excellent and profitable nature of our relationship with our Lord. Let’s live as people who have been set free! •
Prayer for the Day Holy Father, while I don’t want to dwell or linger in my past, please help me to never forget where I was when You found me. Help me never to forget Your selfless sacrifice for me and the infinite Grace offered to me since that moment. Oh, Father, may my life consistently demonstrate whose I am. I commit my life to You fresh and new. I commit my hands to showing others this same Grace. I commit to You all that I am and have. I pray this in the glorious name of Jesus Christ! Amen.
P.S.– Smile A-While!! I was shocked, confused, bewildered As I entered Heaven’s door, Not by the beauty of it all, Nor the lights or its decor. But it was the folks in Heaven Who made me sputter and gasp— The thieves, the liars, the sinners, The alcoholics and the trash. There stood the kid from 7th grade Who swiped my lunch money twice; Next to him was my old neighbor Who never said anything nice. Herb, who I always thought Would rot away in Hell, Was sitting pretty on cloud nine, Looking incredibly well. So I nudged Jesus, “What’s the deal? I would love to hear your take. How’d all these sinners get up here? God must’ve made a mistake. And why is everyone so quiet, So somber… give me a clue.” “Hush, child,” Christ said, “they’re all in shock. No one thought they’d be seeing you!”
Why is living for our own passions and pleasures so deceitful? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Paul warns us that living this way is a form of “enslavement”. Why do you think “lost” people outside of Christ think to pursue passions and pleasures are an established freedom (guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence!) instead of enslavement? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How does a group of people seeking their own passions and pleasures eventually lead to disunity and total chaos? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is the cure, according to Paul? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Daily Scripture Reading: Titus 3:3-8
Let the Truth Set You Free Titus 3:3-5 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 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. There is an old Gospel song written by Dottie Rambo and made famous by the Happy Goodman family, called “Remind Me.” The second verse and chorus go like this: Nothing good have I done to deserve God’s own Son, I’m not worthy of the scars in His hands, Yet He chose the road to Calvary to die in my stead, Why He loved me, I can’t understand. Chorus Roll back the curtain of memory now and then, Show me where you brought me from And where I could have been, Oh, remember I’m human and human’s forget, So remind me, remind me dear Lord. Looking back is often a very helpful way to reflect on God’s will and leading in our lives. Titus had been left in Crete for a specific purpose– “to straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint Elders…” (Titus 1:5). It was not an easy task. Not only did the Church face opposition from the outside, but they also struggled to leave behind a lifestyle that all but discredited their faith. Titus 1:12 explains it: “Even one of their own prophets has said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.’” Without question they had a checkered past. Of course, if we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we all do, too. In the passage we read today, Paul reinforced this idea by reminding Titus just where they had been in their own lives. He used the term “WE”, which not only included himself, but also includes you and me. Look back at Verses 3-5. Notice the strong words that Paul uses: foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by passion (desires) and pleasures, filled with malice and hatred. Wow, what a scathing indictment! Shame
on you Paul, Shame on you Titus, Shame on you Cretans, Shame on you… uh… ME! Granted, every word may not apply to every one of us, but we identify with many (if not most). We were enslaved by our passions and pleasures. We couldn’t do any better. We needed help. You couldn’t help me and I surely couldn’t help you. Remember the old song, “Looking for love in all the wrong places”? That was our plight. No matter what we tried – politics, drugs, alcohol, food – it never provided relief. No matter how many times we pledged to turn over a new leaf, (like I used to do every Monday morning), it never worked. The search for significance and relief from the slavery of sin always leads down a winding path to destruction, until we learn where deliverance truly lies. Paul reminded Titus where to look – just behind the little conjunction in Verse 4: “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 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.” Do you see that? God has taken the initiative in setting us free. In His kindness and love, He reached out to us and made a way for salvation. What we couldn’t do for ourselves, He did on our behalf! That’s why, as you read through our passage, you realize that everything is about God. He did the work through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. He provided our salvation, He justified us (balanced the books), He has made us heirs to all things through Jesus Christ. He has offered us eternal life, and He has given us hope!
R
Never lose the wonder of God’s mercy and grace. Never forget what God invested in us to secure our
Let the Truth Set You Free • Day 13 salvation. He alone freed us from enslavement to sin. So how should we respond? We are to live a life of devotion to doing what is good. Before our salvation we couldn’t do enough good to get to heaven, but after He has saved us, our lives should reflect the excellent and profitable nature of our relationship with our Lord. Let’s live as people who have been set free! •
Prayer for the Day Holy Father, while I don’t want to dwell or linger in my past, please help me to never forget where I was when You found me. Help me never to forget Your selfless sacrifice for me and the infinite Grace offered to me since that moment. Oh, Father, may my life consistently demonstrate whose I am. I commit my life to You fresh and new. I commit my hands to showing others this same Grace. I commit to You all that I am and have. I pray this in the glorious name of Jesus Christ! Amen.
P.S.– Smile A-While!! I was shocked, confused, bewildered As I entered Heaven’s door, Not by the beauty of it all, Nor the lights or its decor. But it was the folks in Heaven Who made me sputter and gasp— The thieves, the liars, the sinners, The alcoholics and the trash. There stood the kid from 7th grade Who swiped my lunch money twice; Next to him was my old neighbor Who never said anything nice. Herb, who I always thought Would rot away in Hell, Was sitting pretty on cloud nine, Looking incredibly well. So I nudged Jesus, “What’s the deal? I would love to hear your take. How’d all these sinners get up here? God must’ve made a mistake. And why is everyone so quiet, So somber… give me a clue.” “Hush, child,” Christ said, “they’re all in shock. No one thought they’d be seeing you!”
Why is living for our own passions and pleasures so deceitful? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Paul warns us that living this way is a form of “enslavement”. Why do you think “lost” people outside of Christ think to pursue passions and pleasures are an established freedom (guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence!) instead of enslavement? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How does a group of people seeking their own passions and pleasures eventually lead to disunity and total chaos? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is the cure, according to Paul? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Daily Scripture Reading: Titus 3:3-8
