Memory Lane
We have a Google Home Hub in our Kitchen that rotates pictures of our family. Yeah, we use it for music, timers and misc web searches, but the rotating photos are one of our favorite features. I have it playing a dynamic album that shows any pictures of our family. So, many times when we walk by there are really old pictures of the girls when they were really young, or Robin and I traveling to Europe, or a picture of me with some wild hair phase. The memories are great, and the can take us back immediately to a place in time. Memories, often a joyous occasion but some other times memories can take us to some deep and darker places as well.
In Titus 3, Paul is doing the same thing with Titus, he is reminding Titus and himself of a very important part of being a Christ follower...to remember where we came from.
“At one time we too were ______________.”
How would you fill in that blank. Take yourself back, back before your journey with Christ began, back before transformation started to occur. Were you foolish? Disobedient, enslaved to passions or pleasures, or just deceived and living a life that modeled it well? I don’t know about you, but I absolutely was. I can jump into memory lane and go back and this completely describes me.
“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.” - Titus 3:3 NIV
Paul is reminding himself, and Titus that its important to remember who we once were. This memory can serve us well to see what is possible in those we are reaching out to, and ministering to. You see, we can not expect those who are not Christ followers to act like one, and we can not expect those who are early into their journey to walk in a way that a mature and long time disciple might. We must remember, and our own personal journey can serve us well if we really take the time to recall it.
Paul then makes sure that we remember that this glorious gift, the gift of transformation and being saved is nothing we deserve and nothing we can take credit for.
“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. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,” - Titus 3:4-6 NIV
A wonderful and generous gift that is, and came from Jesus Christ our Savior. Grace! Mercy! Don’t forget who you were before this free gift came. Don’t forget who you once were he was saying. This really connects with me, reminds me to be more patience, to be more empathetic, to use my past as a tool to connect with those who are still in that place I once was. I can relate to alcoholics, I can relate to world chasing, money hungry and pride filled thrill seekers. Why, because I was at one time that person. How about you?
Paul throws in his famous transition “so that”...the phrase that we should be looking for that give us the key message. Do this, so that this happens. If = then. This = that. What this;
“so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.” - Titus 3:7-11 NIV
Let me show you a few other translations, I often love comparing to the Amplified Bible.
“so that we would be justified [made free of the guilt of sin] by His [compassionate, undeserved] grace, and that we would be [acknowledged as acceptable to Him and] made heirs of eternal life [actually experiencing it] according to our hope (His guarantee).” - Titus 3:7 AMP
Here is The Passion Translation.
“So as a gift of his love, and since we are faultless— innocent before his face— we can now become heirs of all things, all because of an overflowing hope of eternal life. How true and faithful is this message! I want you to especially emphasize these truths, so that those who believe in God will be careful to devote themselves to doing good works. It is always beautiful and profitable for believers to do good works.” - Titus 3:7-8 TPT
There is the big idea, the key point I believe Paul is making. Faith produces good works. Walk it out, live it out, DO GOOD THINGS. The love, and grace we have received is a wonderful and free gift and it should not be bottled up...it should flow from us and come out of us as good works.
We have been transformed by Jesus and are a new creation in Him, but we should not forget who we once were. Those memories will serve us well to use for God’s glory, to share our story and our message with others, so that others can be inspired to do the same. Model it, because our faith should produce good works.