Monday, August 11, 2008

How much of your work or effort is involved in this?

Take a look at Titus 3:4-7 and tell me how much of YOUR effort/work is involved:
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, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Better yet, don't tell ME! Rather, remind YOURSELF of the true source of all this! Perhaps go to your Bible, or print out this verse, or even just with your eyes on your monitor - highlight the words and phrases that show the source of all the work that has made it possible for us to become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Here's what that looks like to me:
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, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

6 comments:

  1. Hey. It just struck me how much richer that passage is when justification and regeneration are organically related. I mean,I used to think of justification just a forensic declaration - equal either to just forgiveness,or that plus the imputation of Christ's record of law-keeping. Now,I understand that the indwelling Christ himself relationally joined in one with our new spirits, means at new birth we were made righteous by identity,to function by grace expressing Christ's life-as we were intended. Just a thought.

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  2. Philip,

    Yes I agree that we need to look at this passage and really all of the new covenant in that light. It's truly a declaration of our having become righteous, but it is indeed much more than just a declaration. It's truth about our new identity, and it's all wrapped up in us having become one spirit with God (1 Cor 6:17) and having become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), etc.

    I have a follow up post in the works that sort of talks about this.

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  3. Wonderful post :)

    Shalom,
    http://bestchristianblogoftheweek.blogspot.com/

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  4. "How much of your work or effort is involved in this?"

    I went to church
    I responded to the 'altar call'
    I confessed my sins
    I cried out to God to save me
    I fasted
    I prayed
    I read/studied Bible
    I tithed
    I did charity
    I shared Gospel
    I preached
    I 'committed' myself to Christ
    I 'served' God
    I obeyed law's
    I took baptism
    I spoke in tongues
    I sowed seed
    I committed myself to the 'local church'
    I submitted to the 'authority' of my pastor
    I boycotted Ford
    I condemned homosexual
    I voted republican
    I have 'pro-life' bumper sticker

    But...

    I am still not sure...if I make it..

    Oh LORD!

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  5. Look forward to coming back here when I can, Joel, and learning from what I find. I wrote a long post at Tim Challies' blog entry "open mind, closed bible" recently - comment 87 was the big one - on these things - but I still mixed with legal fear, and need to appropriate them.

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  6. Cyberanger,

    Thanks!

    Bino,

    All you have to do it just try a little bit harder and I'm sure you can do it. Just double your efforts. No, triple them.

    Philip,

    I searched for Tim Challies' blog and found that entry, but I don't have time right now to read it. I'm a little backed up because of some household fix-it projects that have suddenly come up. :) However, I've bookmarked it and I'll take a look at it later.

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