If Not For The Grace of God There Go I


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Titus 3:1-5 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. 3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy
As Paul ends his letter to Titus and the church in Crete, he gives them ethical guidelines for how they should behave now that they have become Christians.  He includes obeying the governing authorities, doing what is good, slandering no one, but being considerate and kind to those around them.  He seems to be pointing to their relationships with those outside the church. 
And then he gives the rationale for his call to living this way.  He says, "At one time we to were..."  Then he gives a laundry list of what their lives looked like before they met Christ.  He knew that it wouldn't be easy to treat outsiders like this, but if they remembered what they used to be like, it would help them to be more compassionate and merciful to others.  Jesus even said it is easy to love those who do good to you, but true love is when we love those who aredifficult to love.  This shows the love of God.
Paul reminds them that they never did anything to deserve God's loving kindness and mercy.  It was God who reached out to them when they were lost and without a rudder.  Mercy is getting what we don't deserve.  One of the worst things you can see in this life is when someone is given mercy and then they are unmerciful to others.  We wonder, "How could this be? How could someone who have been let off the hook, turn around a nail someone to the wall?"  Well, that is exactly what we are like when we receive God's mercy and then judge someone else.  If we see truly understand God's mercy and grace it is hard to be harsh or judgmental toward others.  As we say, "If not for the grace of God there go I!" 

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