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,
Titus 3:4,5
I know that there are some people that think that they’d like to be in more than one place at a time. And they run around like a chicken with it’s head cutoff trying to prove it. They’re in a rush all the time, afraid that they might miss out on something.
But the truth is that we can only be one place at a time. And that place is right, smack dab in the middle of the present. Not the past. And not the future. We’re kinds stuck right here in the moment of the now.
And since we live here in the present, it makes sense that we spend most of our time and energy living in the right here and now. It takes all our attention just living today. Living through each and every hour. Every minute.
So, when Paul tells Titus about God’s kindness and love, he describes it in a way that we can understand in the present. God’s kind of love didn’t just pop up like a Jack in the Box, coming from nothing. It doesn’t suddenly appear brightly in the middle of the night and then disappears just as quickly. His love’s no camera flash.
No, God showed his affection towards us. He showed that he’s fond of us. Yes, that happened in the past, but we experience it in the present. We know his lovingkindness and grace right here. Right now.
It’s like our wedding anniversary. It happened on a day in the past. The photos are starting to fade, and our wedding rings are scratched. But we experience being married in the present.
Yes, we can and do look back with grateful appreciation and joy to our wedding day. We celebrate the yearly anniversary on November 29th with flowers, cards, and a special meal. But if that was all there was, then we’re really missing the point.
When we got married, something happened that changed everything. Did you notice that the word “we” is connected to “married?” From the moment that we said “I do,” the “I” that I always had lived with was changed into a “we.”
And the same thing happens when we come to God. The lonely “I” becomes an eternal “we.” But not a we that’s dependent on my being faithful. Not dependent on me following God each and every step of the day. Oh no. Our present relationship with God is wholly and totally dependent on who God is what he did for us in Jesus.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
How does Paul explain God’s saving us? It’s all based on his mercy. We separated ourselves from our loving and kind creator. We were the ones who turned away. Walked away. Ran away. And even though we were living and acting lives in hurtful rebellion, God came down and made the one-time sacrifice for all our sins. Past. Present. And future.
And to prove that we’re forgiven to himself, ourselves, and the world, God came to live in us through his Holy Spirit. Jesus is gone from this world, but he promised another helper. Another comforter. Someone different and equal with God the Father and Jesus himself[1]
Think about every other religion or faith. All the people that started them are dead. Gone. There’s nothing left behind from them. Their words might be written down and read, but the person themselves are gone for good.
But not Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus is living in us[2]. He gives us strength for the present day. Power to live for him as we walk through this life. He’s always, always, always with us[3]. He’ll never abandon us[4].
With everything going on in this crazy, mixed-up world, isn’t this exactly the message we need to hear and accept? Isn’t this the truth that we need to live through this present day? Isn’t this the hopeful message that we’ve been longing for all our lives? We wished that it was true, and now we find it to be absolutely true in Jesus.
So, what’s holding us back from accepting and receiving him? I’ll tell you what’s holding us back. The tight grip that our fingers have on controlling the present. We won’t let go because we’re afraid of being disappointed again. Of being hurt again. Of being abandoned again.
But in this present life, and in the life to come, Jesus never fails[5].
Noodling Questions
Do you tend to live in the past? The present? Or the future? Explain.
Why was it necessary for God to pay for our sins while we we’re still sinners?
How does God want us to change and stop being afraid and disappointed?
[1] John 14:16
[2] Romans 8:11
[3] Psalm 139:7-12
[4] Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5
[5] 1 Corinthians 1:9
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