Titus: Spikes

Read Titus 3:4-7


The spike had a word on it and I tried hard to read it as the soldier drew back his mallet to pound it in. I wish I hadn't looked:

Foolishness

That’s what the spike said.

More spikes lay close by, ready for use. There were words on them, too:

disobedience

deceived

I was getting a little uncomfortable.

There were more spikes ready to be driven:

selfish pleasures

malice

envy

hate

These nails were, one by one, being driven through flesh, pinning the man to the wood.

I knew the man was Jesus and I knew the nails were mine. Those were my pegs holding him to the cross.

Why would he allow the soldiers to pierce him with the nails meant for me? I was standing free and unpierced while he took my punishment.

Why would he do that? I lived a life of foolishness and disobedience and envy and hate…. All the things written on those spikes.

We weren't saved because of our clean living. Paul reminded Titus that God saved, not because of the righteous things we've done, but because of his mercy.

We forget about mercy sometimes as we pursue moral living. There's nothing wrong with righteous living until we trust it to get us to God.

We are heirs of eternal life, not because of anything we've done. We stood on the sidelines while Jesus did the hard work and we walk in victory by his grace.

that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:7