Today we finish the short letter to Titus and read in Titus 3:4-7, "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
This theme is a common one with Paul and no wonder; he was one who benefited quite dramatically from the Holy Spirit through his conversion on the road to Damascus. Paul knew that the only way to salvation was by the grace of God, which came to us through Jesus Christ. It's the same thought he passed along to the church in Ephesus "For by grace you have been saved...". Paul tells Titus this same idea, but compares it to the defiled works that man was and is involved in, that the cleansing of man by the Holy Spirit is what is required. And with that cleansing comes the desire to do good works, and that will stand out to people around us.
The other point that really stands out here is we are justified by His grace. The term justified means to prove or show to be right or reasonable or to show to have sufficient legal reason. So Paul is saying that it is not only right for us to be God's heirs to eternal life, it is reasonable for us, and there is sufficient legal reason for this. We have a legal right to be God's heirs to eternal life.
I don't know about you, but I find that very comforting knowing there is the solid backing of God's court regarding my salvation, and that no one, not even Satan, can take this away from me.
Blessings to all
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