Amen. Be seated and take your Bibles and go to Titus chapter 3, getting fairly close to the end of the exposition of this New Testament book. Once again, Titus is a younger minister who's been commissioned by the Apostle Paul to tour the island of Crete, or the large island there at GNC, and go into the churches and straighten things out, get things back in order. You got to understand that in this day, and it's certainly true the island of Crete, that these local churches were little islands of sound doctrine and hopefully good behavior in a world of wickedness and paganism and corruption. But, evidently, a lot of the Christian churches had backslidden. Things were out of order.
There were things being tolerated and allowed that should not be tolerated and allowed. And it's Titus' job under Paul to straighten these things out in the churches. And we come now to a chapter 3 verses 5 through 8. Actually, I'll skip verse 7 because the last phrases of verse 8 give you the reason for what he says previously in these verses we've been preaching on and preaching on again today. Verse 5, Titus chapter 3.
Paul writes to Titus and says, he saved us not on the basis of deeds which we've done in righteousness, but according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Verse 8, this is a trustworthy statement. And concerning these things, I want you, that is Titus, to speak confidently so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds.
These things are good and profitable for men. Now that's the phrase I want you to look at. Be careful to engage in good deeds. Christians should be people who do good deeds. It's been a blessing in my life to hear many, many times through the years, maybe a public leader, a man who owns a company, I've heard it from the school leaders, who have often said, you know pastor, grace life people are different.
They're different. Now we all know there's exceptions of bad behavior here and there, but I've heard that a lot and that's greatly blessed me. And here the Apostle Paul writes to Titus and gives Titus the most important thing he can do to help the Christian church members get back to living right, get back to functioning in good deeds, or as he says in this phrase in verse 8, engaging in good deeds.
But before I go forward, I want to look back on last time's message out of Titus because it just grabs you so strongly. It's that conjunctive word in verse 4, look at it again, but go back to verse 3, we were foolish, we were disobedient, we were deceived, we were enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, we were spending our life in malice, envy, hateful, hating one another. Then the conjunctive word, verse 4, but when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared. Notice the abruptness here. Notice the uninvited nature. There we were in all of those things like the Christian believers, malice and disobedience and just ugliness and selfishness and hating and hating one another.
That was just commonplace in the culture. But God showed up and he says this God is a God of kindness and a God of love and he's the saving God and he makes a difference. The point is, if he's changed you, you ought to act like he's changed you. That's where Paul's going as he says this to Titus and where Titus is going to be going as he turns around and teaches these same things to the Christian believers. So in our outline here today, we want to point out that he's addressing believers.
He says he saved you. Now Paul is not naive. He knows there are a lot of false professors in these congregations.
A lot of those who have slept in are sneaked in rather unaware. There are tares among the wheat, but nevertheless they claim to be Christians and he's writing to those who are in these churches who are truly born again, children of God, and he's saying here's the way you ought to act and behave. But what we're gonna look at in our text today is another installment on what gets us there. What is the main means you might say that God will use to get Christians to live like Christians, all right? All right, Roman number one, we want to talk about that which does not save. If you want a title for this, it's Engaged in Good Deeds, part two, all right?
We had part one last time, now we're talking about continually engaging in good deeds, part two. And the thing which Paul wants to talk about here is the glorious doctrine of salvation. And the first thing he points out is that which cannot save us. Now, we look at it there in verse 5, the first phrase, he saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness. Well, first of all, Paul says very clearly, very plainly, very pointedly, the deeds that you may have done in righteousness will never cause you to gain a right standing before the Holy God.
Those things cannot save you. Now, all the works that a person may do before they're truly converted are not righteous works at all. Matter of fact, brothers and sisters, everything you did that you presumed was good or pleasing to God or righteous before you're saved was actually an unrighteous work because it flowed out of a polluted fountainhead.
It flowed from a corrupt source. And so whatever it did, whatever you did, or however it came out, whatever you performed that you thought was righteous, it was marred, it was corrupted, it was polluted. March 7, verses 18 through 23, teaches a principle that speaks to this very clearly.
Mark 7, beginning in verse 18, he said to them, are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into a man from the outside cannot defile him? Now, they're talking about all of the laws about what you eat.
Can't eat this. If you eat this, you're defiled and spiritually unacceptable to God and unrighteous before God. Jesus said, get rid of all those laws, get rid of all that thinking.
It's not one on the outside that can in any way defile you. Because look at verse 19, because it does not go into his heart. In fact, his heart doesn't change his real nature is what he's saying. Because these foods you call unclean, they just go into the stomach and they're eliminated.
Thus he declared all foods clean. Verse 20, and he was saying that which proceeds out of the man, that's what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart, out of his very nature, proceed evil thoughts, fornication, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.
So here's what he's saying. He said, your heart is of a nature of sinful, corruption, pride, and an anti-God spirit. And so whatever you put on in your life before you're genuinely converted came out of that rotten, defiled, polluted, corrupted, sin-marred heart. There's no way you can do a righteous deed before you're converted.
Then you might do things that make you a better neighbor. You might do things that make you a better person as far as culture is concerned, but not in the eyes of God can it be a righteous deed. The Bible, the text here in verse 5 says it this way, deeds done in righteousness. Actually, that's just a figure of speech because they're not deeds of righteousness before conversion. They can only be, again, deeds of unrighteousness. Only, I should say, the only way we can produce any deeds of true righteousness is after we are generally converted. Let me just run through some scriptures here that just back this up so strong, excuse me, so strongly. Isaiah 64 says, For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all of our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment. He said, take them all, all that you've ever done, everything you've ever performed that you think might please God or bring you some kind of acceptance or standing before God.
He said, pile it all up. And God looks at it and says, that's like a filthy, wretched rag to me. It's awful in my eyes. It's worthless in my eyes. You see, the reason why we can't never do a righteous deed is because righteousness doesn't come through your performance. Righteousness has to be given as a gift through Jesus Christ.
It has to be credited to you from one outside of you. It's a standing you gain as a gift given by someone else. Again, running quickly through this, Romans chapter 4, verses 5 to 11. But to the one who does not work, works of righteousness, law, ceremonies, sacraments, ritual, any of those works, but the one who does not do any of that, but believes in him, who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. Just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works, blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account. It's this blessing then on the circumcised and on the uncircumcised also, for we say faith was credited again to Abraham as righteousness.
Here's that word again, verse 10. How then was it credited? While he was circumcised or uncircumcised?
Well, not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. Abraham was called the righteous of God. God credited, viewed him as if he were righteous on the basis of his faith before he got the law and performed any kind of rituals or works. Now we continue on. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith, which he had while uncircumcised.
So he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised that righteousness might be credited to them. Now, Miss Pam has her own bank account where she can buy groceries and do certain things with them, and if I call her and I said, baby, I want you to know something, I credited $500 to your checking account. Well, she didn't do anything for that.
She didn't perform anything. Well, she might have been married to me for 40 years. That's worth something, okay? But nevertheless, there wasn't a particular thing I said, we're gonna have a little deal here.
You do this and I can put $500 in your account. No, if I just give her that, it's credited to her, not on the basis of anything she's done or not done. That's exactly what this means. The only way anyone is ever righteous is when God credits it to your account through the merits and works of Jesus Christ, and we'll talk about that in just a moment. Romans 9, 32-33.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith. But Israel, that is in contrast, pursued a law of righteousness and did not arrive at that law.
Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works, and they stumbled over the stumbling stone. Just as it is written, behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in him will not be disappointed. The stumbling stone is Jesus.
The stumbling stone is the message of Jesus that I'm going to the cross, I'm paying for your sins, I'm providing everything, and you have to turn your back and throw away all hopes and all thoughts and all trust in anything and everything else, including any rituals, ceremonies, or works, or good deeds of righteousness. Get rid of all of that and trust me, and then it will be credited to you to be obtaining the very righteousness that I have myself. You see, you don't go to God with your righteousness, you can only God bearing Christ's righteousness.
So the first thing he points out here very clearly here is that which does not save. Paul writes to Titus, it says, Titus, I want you to teach these churches the glorious wonder of salvation by grace through faith, if their right standing before a holy God has been credited to them as a gift, and anything and everything they might have done matters not at all as far as gaining a right standing before God. Now, Roman numeral two, let's talk about that which does save us, that which does save us. Verse five again, Titus chapter 3, he saved us not on the basis of deeds which we've done in righteousness, but according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Now I'm gonna break this down into three separate things here of that which does save us. Number one, it's a mercy saturated motive.
We've not been saved by works we've done in righteousness, but according to his mercy he saved us. A mercy that motivated God, now listen to me, to do good toward the most unworthy. To show love toward the most unlovable.
To show pity to the most miserable. That's what mercy is, according to his mercy. You see, from the very beginning point when there was the plan of salvation decided, if you will, in the heart and wisdom of the Godhead, all the way through to the man of salvation, Jesus Christ, who provided for our salvation on the cross and to the procurer of our salvation, the Holy Spirit of God, whose spirit comes in us and brings us new life, all of that was 100% driven, every part of it, by God's rich mercy. God who has mercy for the most miserable.
Paul says to Titus, for Titus to tell these churches, tell them again that's how they're saved. Mercy is the outward manifestation of pity. You see, God's heart moved him to do something about our situation. God didn't just feel mercy, he acted saturated with a driving mercy toward us. Really God's wrath said we deserved judgment, but his mercy held back what we deserved and his grace pours on us that which we do not deserve salvation by grace through faith. God in his integrity, that is in fidelity and consistent to his very nature, acts in mercy toward us. He doesn't just feel it, he acted, he pursued with mercy those who are most miserable. His mercy drives him to save us.
We were in such a dire need of mercy, but this, again back up to the previous verse, this kind, loving, saving God has more than adequate mercy to save us. I wish you grasped the holiness of God like you ought to grasp it. I wish I grasped the holiness of God like I ought to grasp it. Then the mercy of God would mean more to you. Then the mercy of God would humble you. Then the mercy of God would fill you more with joy. The mercy of God will fill you more with gladness and gratitude. Ephesians 2-4 reminds us that God being rich in mercy, I use the word saturated motive of mercy, he's saturated with mercy toward us and this verse says he's rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us.
Now let's go a step further. How does this salvation become mine? How do I become one of those who is truly God's, truly converted, truly a member of the family of God? Well Paul is going to tell Titus to teach these people heavily from the viewpoint of God because we see nothing of man's response and nothing of man's responsibility here. This is a monotheistic expression in this text that is God and God alone is seen as acting because he's the initiator and apart from his work and his initiation, there can be no repentance and no faith on our part. Now there are those who would say, well if you're going to teach the doctrines of sovereign grace, you know, Reformed theology, Calvinism, whatever it is, you only teach that rarely and you only teach it to the most mature and the most spiritual ones in your congregation.
Well this is a group of very immature churches and very carnal churches and Paul tells Titus to thunder to them these glorious truths because these are the things that will change their hearts and lives. So not only a mercy, how did I word it there, a mercy saturated motive that God had. Secondly, a spirit wrought miracle is essential concerning that which does save us.
Notice how he words it here. Verse 5 again, chapter 3, he saved us not on the basis of deeds which we've done in righteousness, because that's a figure of speech, we can't do any deeds in righteousness before we're saved. But according to his mercy, here it is, by washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Now first of all, he talks about the washing that is a part of the regenerating work of the Spirit in our hearts. The word washing here is a word that sometimes translated bath.
It's sometimes translated laver, it's like the laver that was in the outer court of the temple. So the temple priests would come into the outer court before they went into the holy place and certainly before they went back into the Holy of Holies and they would have to wash in this laver, this bath, to be clean enough, if you will, to cleanse themselves so they could go face God back in the holy place and in the Holy of Holies. That's I think what ought to come to our mind when we see this washing of regeneration. Now some scholars say it's important to view this word washing as meaning not just the bath or the laver but the actual act of washing.
So it's the actual action of the Holy Spirit watching us that brings us to a saving position, a righteous standing before a holy God. But regardless of how you want to look at it, one thing I think is crystal clear and that is the word washing here and the pictures it brings to mind of a bath or a laver is a metaphor. It's a picture of the Holy Spirit's work. It's a picture of the cleansing of the Holy Spirit that comes into our lives at the point of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit of God. The word regeneration where he says the washing of regeneration, the word regeneration means a birthing, a generating, a coming to life. And one aspect of when God comes into us in the person of the Holy Spirit is a cleansing element. We've had some painting being done and I was really impressed at how the painters came out with pressure washers and pressure washed the outside before they painted anything and I mean buddy they pressure washed, they cleaned that thing. And so that came to my mind the Holy Spirit of God when the sovereign work of God is at work he comes into your life washing you as if he's got the Holy Spirit pressure washer on the inside of your soul just cleaning it up good. You know how isn't it rewarding?
Have you ever run a pressure washer? You got that black mold and that mildew and it just goes away. That's what God does. The Holy Spirit comes into your soul and says whoa it's dark in here. This is a mess. And when he gets through he cleans it all up.
That's what comes to my mind when I see this. God does that. A miracle of the Holy Spirit of God. The washing of regeneration cleaning us up. The point is that he cleans you so well when he comes in through that what the Bible calls regeneration. That there can be no claim of guilt or dirtiness any longer between you and God. That's over now.
It's all cleaned up. So that's one aspect of regeneration. But maybe there's two phrases here because these are two sides of the same coin. Look at the two phrases by the washing of regeneration. This is all into the miracle work of the Spirit. The washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
And we can't be dogmatic here. Perhaps the washing is one thing and the renewing is another. The washing is the removing of guilt and defilement as far as how we stand before God. And the renewing is the presence and the birthing of new life that stays with you forever. The abundant life. That's why Jesus said if you'll drink the water that I'll give you, out of your heart will flow rivers of living water.
That new life, that new water never ends. This is the renewing. So there's a washing or cleansing and then there's a renewing and an impartation of new life. Now I think it's very important that when you talk about conversion, the work of the Spirit, regenerating the heart, you don't look at it as two separate things. Here's the cleansing and then maybe five days later there's the renewing or the imparting of life.
No, it's one thing. What I think this is, it's two parts of one glorious event. Cleansing and renewing. Removing the defilement and implanting and imparting new spiritual life in your heart. Now, so we have the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit's miracle of conversion. We have the renewing of Holy Spirit and the giving and imparting of new life.
And here's a here's a verse that really parallels this truth of Titus 3 5 and it's James 1 18. In James 1 18, notice how James writes it here, in the exercise of man's will, no no no, and the exercise of his will, that's God's will, he brought us forth. Now the bringing us forth is the word in the great that means he begot us.
He produced, he generated, we were birthed forward, if you will. And the exercise of his will, he birthed us with new spiritual life. And it's by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits among his preachers. It's the miracle work of the Holy Spirit that takes the word of the gospel and makes it a powerful life-changing element in your life. This man over here can hear the gospel this morning and not be changed at all and the man over here may hear the gospel this morning and the Holy Spirit use it and powerfully it has an effect on his life forever.
It's the miracle work of the Holy Spirit taking the Word of God and bringing the renewal in our lives. He brings us forth, James said in James 1 18, that we would be a kind of firstfruits among his preachers. The point is, we are now a part of this new work God is doing. God did one creation back there in Genesis and now he's begun the firstfruits of a new order, a new world, a new people.
And if you're saved, you're the firstfruits of this new order, this new world that will last forever. Because he, by the exercise of his own will, really means that his own pleasure. Well, why would God do it that way, preacher? Why would God be sovereign that way? And why does it require the Spirit to do this work first? Because it gave him pleasure to do it that way.
Exercising his own pleasure, if you will, his own will, he does it this way. 1 Peter 1 23, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is through the living and enduring Word of God. Again, it's the miracle work of the Spirit that takes the Word, the preached Word of the Gospel, and it has a powerful, spiritual, miraculous change in your life where you become a part of this new creation with new priorities and new loves. You love things now you used to just ignore and not care much about. You have a new lifestyle now that you want to live right and do right.
There's new people you want to be around now. You want to be around people who are devoted to God and be a part of his church and on and on we could go. It changes you, but it took the miracle work of the Spirit to do that. You're the objects of this miracle work of the Spirit. Well, verse 6, he uses a phrase there, whom he poured out upon us richly. On the floor of the context, this washing of regeneration, this renewing of the Holy Spirit, i.e. the Holy Spirit, he poured out upon us richly. The word poured there means gusted out. It means greedily run it out to us. In other words, God didn't just say, I'm just gonna give you a little touch of the Spirit.
No, he's gusted upon us. It means he's fully and adequately and thoroughly and eternally done what is necessary for you to become a saved, forgiven child of God, which by the way, lasts forever and ever and ever. Now, see, as a sub point to that which does save us, it's this powerful motive of mercy God has for us.
It's this glorious, miraculous work of the Spirit of God that comes in in regeneration and renewing. And then thirdly, it's through the merit and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the one who makes all of this possible.
Apart from him, none of this is possible at all. Verse 6, last phrase, through Jesus Christ our Savior, by the means of Jesus Christ our Savior. I think this is powerfully illustrated in the Old Testament. The priest comes into the Old Testament temple and before he can perform any of the services in the inner court, he goes to the laborer and he has to be cleaned up. Now, we know that water in that bowl never cleaned any priest, but that was the ceremony. It was to picture something else that was more important. And then he goes back into the holy place and once a year into the Holy of Holies, where he can perform the sacrificial ministry which conferred the blessings and the benefits on the people.
What a picture that is. But you see, every bit of that was a type. The scholars call it Old Testament typologies. In other words, they didn't do anything, but it was a type of one who would come later Jesus Christ. He can perform the cleansing through the Holy Spirit.
He can confer the benefits through the power of the Holy Spirit and the work that he provided for us on the cross. So these things pointed to Christ. For example, John 2 19 through 21, Jesus answered them, destroy this temple and in three days I'll raise it up. Well, they thought he was talking about the physical temple. They put all their hope in that physical temple and those rites and rituals in that temple. Verse 20 though of John 2, the Jews then said it took 46 years to build this temple.
And will you raise it up in three days? But he was speaking of the temple of his body. You see, Jesus is the true temple that saves. Jesus is the true high priest that can intercede for us and connect us with salvation and connect us with God. But also it's neat to see that all three persons of the Godhead are mentioned here. He saved us, Jesus Christ, and the Spirit's work are all involved. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit have pointed and directed the full capacities of their very being to secure the children.
Now let's go back. Paul is dumping this on Titus. So Titus can go and dump this on these churches that need to get back to doing good deeds.
Now, Roman numeral three, and we're done. The purpose of preaching this glorious doctrine. Here we are, Titus' job, straighten out these churches, they've gotten in a mess. And then he says, coming to the conclusion of his remarks, Titus, pour out the great doctrines on the church, particularly this soteriology, the doctrine of salvation that we've been unpacking here before you this morning. So in this very practical book, we see the riches of theology. We see the richness of the doctrines of the church and of the faith. A book that's meant to bring churches to revival, a book that's meant to bring churches to Reformation, to restructuring themselves, to be more pleasing to God and honoring of God. And right in the middle of that, he says, here's the way you get it done, Titus, you teach them the glories of sovereign grace.
I don't know about you, but I probably wouldn't thought of it that way. I probably would have talked about, here's why you ought to do this, here's why you ought to do that, here's why good works is important. Paul says, if the Holy Spirit of God will humble them and make them grateful for the glories of their salvation, that's the best thing you can do to get them living right. Did you hear me, church?
That's the best thing you can do to get them living right. Well, this gives me an occasion now to correct an error in the thinking and in the approach of many prominent evangelical, Baptist, and Reformed leaders today. What is that error? That error is basically this, that theology is the study of all things as the Bible teaches it, and the church is just one of them.
And it's kind of like, there are those who are scholars and they teach the great doctrines, and there are those who are pastors and and they do the practical stuff. No, no, no, no, no. How many no's is that?
It's a bunch of no's. Theology is always practical and it is always for the church. That's what we're seeing here. Immature churches, baby churches, messed up churches need the rich doctrines of sociology to get their shoe leather back in line, living out things right. Are you with me, church? Theology and sound doctrine was not given for the professors to muse over in ivory towers. It was given to be proclaimed, inherited to the churches, so they would be humbled and grateful and glory in it, and therefore live right. Don't you love the Bible?
It just fixes everything. Now I'm thankful for scholarship and I'm thankful for how they help us, but we don't need one more paper on transubstantiationism or something. We need to just thunder the truth and help the churches live it. That's what's missing.
We've got the intellectual side down. We don't have the application side down at all, not in our local churches. As I've said many times, all theology is local church theology. It's meant to help the bride of Christ, love, joy, treasure, honor God, and live for Him. So let's be careful not to get into theological idolatry.
Theological idolatry is when we're heavy on the letter of doctrine, but light on the purpose of preaching and teaching doctrine. The arena of our good works starts and centers in God's local church. The local church is the fountainhead of all good works. So we've gone down to verse 8. Titus, he says, verse 8, this is a trustworthy statement. In other words, these truths of our salvation I've just laid out, it's a trustworthy statement concerning these things.
I want you to speak confidently. That includes preach it, Titus. So those who have believed in God, this is for you see, saved people need the gospel over and over and over again. Helps them love God more and draw near to God closer, be more treasuring of God and full of God and loving of God, but those who believe God will be careful to engage in good deeds.
That's the purpose. Not to write another book, not to have another conference, but to help local church members live right. So the community will say, those people are different and it glorifies God. That's where Paul's going with all of this. Ephesians 2 10 proclaims this very truth so clearly and pointedly. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. Again, we don't create ourselves. We didn't birth ourselves.
He does it. It's the miracle work of the Spirit, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. In other words, God elected the good works to be in our lives after conversion, prepared beforehand. You are the elect child of God, but also he elected you to walk in good works.
That's the purpose. Remember James 1 18 that we looked at a while ago, where James says, by the exercise of his own will, his own pleasure, he brought us forth. Again, it's the idea he birthed us to be a kind of first fruit.
That is, to be this unique, different kind of person, different than what you were from your natural birth. Now you've had this new spiritual birth and it makes you a unique, different kind of person, fit for unique, different kind of Kingdom, which is slowly being built through the local churches on the earth today and one day will flourish throughout the new heaven and new earth when Christ returns. It's like Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection, so Christians, particularly first century Christians, were the first fruits of the new work of God in the world. So James 1 18 when he says, were the first fruits among his creatures. That word, creatures, means to be found, to produce a product. So God is producing this new product in the earth. He's working in this world to produce this new thing, this new world, this new world order, and we're part of that. And the glorious wonders of the doctrines are so that we might be made to, or motivated to, driven to, more good deeds.
Titus 3 8. And then the good deeds are, you come to church and your pastor preaches these doctrines afresh to you. You say, oh Lord, I'm humbled afresh. Lord, I'm overwhelmed with your goodness again.
I marvel over that you would have such wisdom and power. It's so glorious and I want to, I want to now take this home. That's what we call home life deception. It's taking church home. I want to take this home and I want to be engaged in good deeds, not just in my church family, that's where it starts, but in my home life.
Brother Chad Epson, that's got to slosh over into our work life. None of this is excluded. It's all one continuum. You take church home, you take church to school, and you take church to work. That means, what I mean is the good deeds that naturally come out of us because once again we're marveling afresh over the wonders of our salvation. There was a young lady who was having a baby and it was time and she goes to the hospital and everybody's excited and everybody's calling everybody and husband's there and the brothers and sisters are there and grandmother's there and the great-grandmother's there the granddaddy's there and the great-granddaddy's there and aunts and uncles are there and friends are there and she finally has that baby and it's just glorious and wonderful like it is. There's nothing to describe the miracle of birth is there, except the miracle of the new birth and it's even better. And then they put the baby out in that nursery window and everybody gathers around looks at the boy, he looks like Uncle so-and-so and all looks like Uncle so-and-so and all looks like, you know, I'll have the women do that. I don't know how they can tell, it's just a wrinkled up pink thing.
They stay there two or three days maybe, or used to. Today it seemed like you had the baby at nine o'clock and they got you going by noon, but two or three days and she starts to go home and the nurse says, well here's your baby. She said, no I've decided just to leave it here. That'd be the oddest thing in the world. It's like the woman I heard about who had twins and those nurses were just all over everything. They'd bring those twins in, let her feed and they'd pick it back up, burp it for her, just took care of everything and then she started leaving and she said, now wait a minute, who's going with me?
I'm not going home by myself, am I? You know, well it would be the oddest, most warped, most unnatural thing in the world for that miracle to happen and that mom not want to take that baby home to do the work of raising that child. Well that's the way it is with the new birth. It's the oddest thing in the world to experience the new birth and then not do the work of engaging in good deeds, to live out the reality of the change that God has brought in our lives. That's where Paul's going with this text.
It's quite profound to me. You could take what I've outlined here and preach for months on it, all the ramifications of the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, but Paul said it's not just to be marveled over in ivory towers, it's for the local church to embrace it, love it, and live better because of it. So church, let me charge you fresh. In the church, be engaged in good deeds, particularly your small group. It'd be hard to minister to a thousand people, would it not? But you can minister to your small group engaged in good deeds. Take it home with you in home life, be engaged in good deeds. Take it to work with you, faith in the workplace, and be engaged in good deeds and everywhere else that God may put us.
