Praise God Who Saves His Dirty Kids

Paul, in his letter to Titus, writes:

"For we ourselves were once foolish, obedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Tit. 3:3-7)."

Often the Word is so clear that it speaks for itself with a piercing tone.  This is one of those instances.  Paul states it clearly, that we who have been saved by the blood of Christ were once hostile and fleshly.  And it was nothing good in us or any good that we had done to earn or cause God to offer us grace.  Rather, it was God's good mercy and compassion that washed over us who have faith in Christ who receive His grace.

This is comforting to know that God does not require sinners to get clean and healthy before He will come to save them.  Instead, God takes our degraded, our diseased, our dilapidated, and our dysfunctional.  He saves us during our despair and in the midst of our depression and sickness.  This is beautiful and we should never lose sight of it.  God loves us so much that He is willing to pick us up from the mire and bog of our messy lives and to cleanse us in Jesus' blood.  Let us then always keep this in mind whenever we feel unworthy or too-dirty for God, for He is a God who loves us!