Jump Start # 194

Titus 3:3-5a “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending out life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior had His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy…”

  The language of the apostle Paul is vivid and expressive. He doesn’t sugar coat things. Their start wasn’t stellar. In fact, it’s hard to imagine such a “before” and “after” difference. Consider some of these words. Remember, Paul includes himself, Titus and the readers in these words:

• We were foolish
• We were disobedient
• We were deceived
• We were enslaved to various lusts and pleasures (the word today would be “addicted”)
• We spent our life in malice, envy and hatefulness.

  Can you imagine what attitudes would come from people like that? Can you imagine how hard it would be to change and become Christ like? Their minds as well as their behavior was messed up. From this came people like the apostle Paul, the preacher Titus and other brethren.

  There are lessons for us here:

1. Don’t give up on people. Sometimes it is easy to “type-cast” a person and think there is no way such a person can become a Christian. Jesus is about love. These people were about hate. Jesus is about obedience. These people were about disobedience.

2. What turned them was the kindness of God. While they were selfish, God wasn’t. Why they were godless, God wasn’t. God was kind. He sent His beloved Son to save them. He delivered the good news (the gospel) from Heaven. It wasn’t  a self help book that helped them. It wasn’t a 12 step program that turned them. It wasn’t therapy, or counseling—it was the gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s kindness, God’s salvation is what made them change. There is a place for therapy, programs and self –help books, but none of them can do what God can do and none of them can make us right with God. There comes a time when a person must sit down with his Bible open and see what God has done for him.

3. God is kind. We don’t say that enough. Peter said the same thing in 1 Pet 2:3 (tasted the kindness of the Lord). Have you had a taste of that? Some would say they have felt the hand of God or their experiences have made them angry or bitter towards God, but to taste of the kindness of God, what a wonderful experience that is. God is good to each of us. Do you believe that? God hasn’t given up on you. Everyday blessings come from God. It’s rather difficult to be hard and mean when the other person is being kind and loving. God treats us better than we deserve. Understanding this leads to salvation. Grasping this leads to the changed life. How can I hate, when God loves me? How can I be selfish when God is so generous. Tasting the goodness of God has an effect upon us.

4. We are not much different than these people were. That’s why we need Jesus. Without God we default to sinfulness and selfishness. It’s easy to point the fingers at others. It’s easy to judge others. But this list is really our list. Without Jesus, that’s where we would be. Before Jesus, that’s where we came from. Not pretty. But much to be thankful for.

  Paul told the Corinthians, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”

Roger