从前与今天的我
提多书三章1至8节
1你要提醒众人，叫他们顺服作官的、掌权的，遵他的命，预备行各样的善事。
2不要毁谤，不要争竞，总要和平，向众人大显温柔。
3我们从前也是无知，悖逆，受迷惑，服事各样私欲和宴乐，常存恶毒（注：或作“阴毒”）、嫉妒的心，是可恨的，又是彼此相恨。
4但到了神我们救主的恩慈和他向人所施的慈爱显明的时候，
5他便救了我们，并不是因我们自己所行的义，乃是照他的怜悯，借着重生的洗和圣灵的更新。
6圣灵就是神借着耶稣基督我们救主厚厚浇灌在我们身上的，
7好叫我们因他的恩得称为义，可以凭着永生的盼望成为后嗣（注：或作“可以凭着盼望承受永生”）。
8这话是可信的。我也愿你把这些事切切实实地讲明，使那些已信神的人留心做正经事业（注：或作“留心行善”）。这都是美事，并且与人有益。
信息分享
基督为我们所做的一切，可以用「救」这个字概括起来。因着祂的拯救，我们才能免于走上灭亡之途，同时踏上神为我们预备的道路。「我们」是指历世历代接受救恩，将来会在天家相聚的男女。当中包括新约时代的圣徒，也包括所有信基督的人。
基督把我们从哪个光景拯救出来呢？保罗在第3节所描述的，正是我们得蒙拯救前的写照，一个糟糕的光景。有些人也许比较高尚，可是，在基督拯救我们之前，我们所有人都只是永远沉沦的罪人。
基督救了我们，使我们在祂里面得着新生。我们既已重生，圣灵便住在我们心中。于是，保罗在第7节指出，我们在神面前的新身份，我们得称为义──那就是说，在神的眼中，祂看我们在基督里得以完全；我们得以站在神面前并与祂相交。
神更使我们与基督一同成为后嗣（7节）。试想想，我们由原先第3节所描述的光景，变到享有第4至7节在基督里的地位，实在是何等巨大的转变！这不是因为我们做了甚么，而是基督因着神的怜悯和恩慈为我们作成这一切。为甚么不用一些时间回想自己从前的光景，检视神在我们生命中的作为，为我们带来的改变呢？最后，当然要为这一切恩典，感谢赞美神。
WHAT WE WERE AND WHAT WE ARE NOW
Titus 3: 1-8
1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
Message
Then “saved” is so often used in referring to what Christ has done. It means to be kept from what otherwise would have happened to us and also to be kept for what God has planned for us. And the word “us” covers the great crowd of men and women who will all meet in heaven some day. It includes the New Testament saints and all who have believed in Christ since then.
What has Christ saved us from? Paul spells it all out in verse 3. It is not a nice picture but then that is what we were before Christ came in. Some people lived better lives than others but we were all sinners bound for a lost eternity until Christ stepped in and saved us.
Christ saved us and in doing so He gave us new life in Himself. We were born again and we received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Then in verse 7 Paul tells us of our new standing before God. We were justified - that means that in God’s sight He sees us in Christ as being perfect. It means we can stand before Him and have fellowship with Him.
And He has made us joint heirs with Christ (v.7) Think of all the changes that have come into our lives, from what we were as described in verse 3 and our position now in Christ as seen in verses 4-7. It is not because of what we have done but because of what Christ has done for us in the mercy and goodness of God. Why not take time to think back over your life and see what God has done, and what changes He has made in your life? Then of course, take time to praise Him for all of these.