Titus 3:5 According to His Mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
God desires that we are fully consecrated to Him. This means that we are totally dedicated to Him and set apart from the world. This should be the goal of every born-again Christian.
The Holy Spirit of God does this Work in the heart and life of believers. When we put our faith and trust in the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross of Calvary, the Holy Spirit of God joins with our spirit and we become one. At that point, we are joined together thus being “The Bride of Christ.”
At that point, the Holy Spirit begins His transforming work in us. His goal is to see us totally consecrated to the Father in every way. Nothing of the world should have any influence on us. The Holy Spirit of God gives to each of us Discernment of Spirits which enables us to determine Righteousness from evil. He then prompts us to choose Righteousness in every case.
The Holy Spirit is that still small voice that guides us in our decision-making. The Apostle Paul wrote For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 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. (Titus 3:3-7)
The above Passage of Scripture is quite the run-on sentence but when we dissect it we find the true meaning and intention of the Apostle Paul. Verse 3 simply means that we were all once foolish, disobedient, and deceived by the enemy. We served the world and lust and worldly pleasures ruled our lives causing us to be jealous and hate one another.
Verses 4-7 describe God’s remedy for man’s problem which is sin. Basically, Paul said that the Love God has for us is so great that He offered His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. This was an act of Mercy on God’s part and not due to anything we did to deserve it. Our faith in Jesus’ Finished Work on the Cross of Calvary allows us to be Justified in the eyes of God. Our sin debt has been paid!
At that point, the Holy Spirit begins His Work of cleaning us up. Little by little, one thing at a time, the regeneration process takes place in our spiritual being. The Holy Spirit actually changes us from the inside out and we find ourselves not wanting to talk the way we used to. Addictions just fall away. We don’t want to associate with the same people and go where they go.
This is the Grace of God at work in our lives consecrating us to Himself. The more time we spend in prayer and the reading of His Word, the faster this transformation takes place. This is what Paul was saying when he wrote I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the Mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)
Give yourself over to Him and He will……….turn the tide……….in your life.
A living sacrifice, Doreen
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