3:4,5
We have a deep rooted tendency to look within ourselves for some reason that God chose to save us. There is none! It is the “kindness and love of God our saviour” that appeared. And He saved us not because of any righteous things that we have done, but purely because of His mercy. We are saved by grace and grace alone. We were saved “through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”. If we look at what Paul says there are two key elements. We are saved by grace alone, we absolutely did not deserve to be saved. We come just as we are, but we absolutely do not stay as we are. We are born again, we become a new creation, and we are renewed by the Holy Spirit, so we are changed to become ever more Christlike. This is an ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
3:6,7
God poured out the Holy Spirit on us generously. The Holy Spirit was not given grudgingly, but generously. Why did He do this? “So that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life”. The Holy Spirit speaks life to us, and leads us in the ways of life. Becoming a Christian means dedicating ourselves to becoming Christlike, submitting to Christ’s authority over our lives. Subjecting ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit, who will be working to transform us from one degree of glory to the next. The idea of being a Christian and staying as we are is a notion that the Bible knows nothing of, and that Christ knows nothing of.
No comments:
Post a Comment