Daily Lenten Devotion for 2/28

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” – Titus 3:4-7

What a wonderful Wesleyan text for the first Saturday of Lent! As our congregation begins a study of the theology of John and Charles Wesley this week, we will start with reflection on faith and works, justification and sanctification.

The only way that salvation comes to us is by what God does – sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross. Our faith in Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension is the one and only thing necessary to become “heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” We are justified by our faith in the grace of God, and nothing else. No acts we do can save us. Only God can save us.

Yet, as the three verses immediately preceding this text tell us, Paul charges us “to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone” (Titus 3:1-2).

With these words as a context, we are certain that faith in God is no lazy affair. It is not an excuse to sit on our butts and twiddle our thumbs until Christ comes again in glory. It is proof that true faith in God necessarily leads to good works – works such as the ones listed above. If we are really in love with the God who we believe saved us, then we will necessarily be compelled to act out that love toward others. In this we are drawn into a cycle of faith producing works, which in turn increases our faith, which increases our passion for works, and on and on. The further we are drawn into this cycle, the more passionately in love with God we become. Let us allow ourselves to get caught up in the cycle found here in Titus, today and every day.