Letters From PaulMinta

PREPARE

Take a moment to quiet your heart as you set aside today’s distractions.

Ask God to prepare you to read and receive his holy Word.

READ: Titus 3:1–9

Dear Friend,

Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way. Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude toward everyone. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us. God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for. This is a true saying.

I want you to give special emphasis to these matters, so that those who believe in God may be concerned with giving their time to doing good deeds, which are good and useful for everyone. But avoid stupid arguments, long lists of ancestors, quarrels, and fights about the Law. They are useless and worthless.

In God’s grace,

Paul

REFLECT

This letter was written to Titus, a Greek man who worked closely with Paul during his ministry. Paul asked Titus to travel to the island of Crete, where several household churches had fallen into disorder. In addition to instructions on how to help these churches, Paul’s letter includes insight on how the gospel of Jesus Christ could restore the community. Consider your own church and community. Where do you see the need for Jesus’s restorative work? How could God be calling you to be a part of that work?

Paul cautions us to give our time to good deeds instead of quarrels and fights. What are some good deeds you can give your time to today?

PRAY

Paul tells us that God did not save us “because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy.” With this in mind, pray and dedicate all your good deeds to God. Ask him to use your good works done for his glory to point other people to the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ.