Day 35 - Been There, Done That

Where the Spirit is, there is freedom and life.

In order to really appreciate freedom, one must (to a certain extent) have experienced some of slavery or imprisonment. Those who have been baptized into Christ know that we were once slaves to a life of sin. The blood of Christ washes away our sins and frees us from that bondage (Romans 6:1-7).

In Titus 3:1-11, Paul is mentoring Titus, giving him tips and thoughts on what to tell the Christians on the island of Crete, where Titus was serving. He wants Titus to remind those Christians about their former lives of slavery to sin. He wants to remind them of the sickening ways they used to behave. But he doesn’t want them to dwell on that time. In verses 4-7, he says:

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we have 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.

This is such a heartening thing to hear and read even today. It’s sometimes easy to forget where we’ve been and how we’ve changed. It’s sometimes easy to forget some of the terrible things we’ve done and said. It’s also sometimes easy to dwell too long on those sinful things and let ourselves spiral downward, getting stuck in the past. We need reminding of how Christ came and gave His life so that our sins would be forgiven. We need to be reminded of the gift of grace that God has so generously lavished on us. We need to be reminded of how the Spirit renews us and empowers us to live a life reflecting the glory of God to others.

People who have sailed for a very long time can hardly remember a time when they didn’t know how to sail. They have practiced correct sailing every time the opportunity presented itself. When they weren’t able to go out on the water, they thought about sailing, they read about sailing, they talked with others about sailing.

I often hear believers reflect on their missed opportunities to witness. It is almost like they feel guilty about not sharing the message of Jesus with others. But maybe the sailing metaphors can serve us here. Those who allow themselves to get totally wrapped up in a particular focus in life seem to have little trouble sharing that passion with others.

Is your Christianity like that? Do you practice it constantly?

Is it a way of life for you? How can you make it so?