For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

– Titus 3:3 (ESV)

Yes, I remember those days well. And I don’t claim to be completely out of their grip. The “old man” rears his ugly head often. But I am now free to live, away from the pain and sin of my past described here.

I remember it well.

I was foolish, disbelieving in God, disobedient to Him, led astray by my own faulty judgment and crooked dreams. I was living to stimulate my nerve endings and my passions. I was envying others, I was unhappy, and I entertained terrible thoughts about myself and those around me.

I live in freedom now. But not because of anything I’ve done. I didn’t do a single thing to earn this freedom. I was not freed because I had met anyone’s expectations, or because I had lived up to any standard.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy . . .

– Titus 3:4-5a

It’s easy to picture God as a cruel taskmaster; as a perfect patriarch who is impossible to please. Many Christians (including me) do, at least some of the time. But is He presented in scripture this way? Descriptions of God throughout both Testaments are rife with terms like “loving-kindness”, “mercy”, “loyal love”, “steadfast love”. And that’s what He is. His nature is one rich in mercy, love and kindness toward His fallen creation. I know this because He went to the cross for me, rose again, and has forgiven me and given me His Holy Spirit.

. . . by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

– Titus 3:5b-7

Such grace! Washing and renewal, poured out on us richly! Imagine that! Justified by His grace so that we might become heirs of the King of the universe!

But doesn’t God have a standard? Absolutely. Was I ever able to keep it? Never. Without His loyal love and mercy, I’m without hope. But because of His mercy, I’m free. Free now to be who He’s created me to be, to do the good works I was never able to do before. As Titus 3:8 states:

The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

I’m so blessed to be free. Free to pursue the excellent and profitable actions the Lord has ordained for me to do.

May I now, in freedom, do them.

You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your gentleness made me great.

2 Samuel 22:36 (ESV)

The writer of this song in 2 Samuel 22 is David. David was a warrior, a great king and leader of men. I love the Old Testament passages that exult in the warrior-strength of our God and tell of how He rushes to defend His people; that tell of how He is mighty, awesome, and fearful.

But I love the focus in this passage on God’s gentleness. Notice the result of God’s gentleness – it made David great.

Or, as the NIV renders the idea of God’s gentleness, “You stoop down”. And, of course, our God does stoop down to lift us up. As any good parent knows, “stooping” is a large part of raising small children. With little ones around, a great part of your day can be taken up in stooping – stooping down to look at the world from their level, stooping down to listen to the things that are important to them. We imbue our little ones with strength and power when we, in gentleness, stoop down and look them in the eye, embrace them, smile and tell them how loved they are, and encourage them that, yes, they can.

There is so much power in gentleness. Our Lord came to the world in gentleness, quietly and unobtrusively, and the heavenly host shouted as the shepherds hit the dirt, prostrate and trembling. And He exhibited the power of His gentleness throughout His life, touching and healing the sick, restoring the lame, welcoming the children. He was, by His own prophetic pronouncement, “gentle and lowly”.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

– Matthew 11:29

He was also, of course, the King, zealous for His Father’s name; a truth-teller, fearless in the face of opposition. Our Lord Jesus: joyous and weeping, triumphant and weary, He was the Man of all men. In Him was unfathomable power veiled in human flesh; a burning, holy passion with a gentle touch for a world desperate for healing.

Jesus is the One who stooped down for us, and in doing so, gave us the privilege of being called the children of God. I praise and thank the God who stoops!

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV)

In my opinion, Paul completely nails it in this passage in the second chapter of Philippians.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. How often am I willing to take on the form of a servant? But our Lord did not just take on the form of a servant, He also “emptied Himself”.

When you consider that in Him “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” . . . I’m reminded of the woman who broke the jar of expensive perfume and annointed Jesus with it. She was merely recapitulating, in a “small and near” way, the act of worship that was Jesus’ life lived unto us and to His Father; the emptying of Himself, culminating in the emptying of the unfathomably priceless perfume of His blood to the salvation of us all.

And we’re called to that same mindset. We’re called to empty ourselves. It is hard to do. Very hard. I like the comfort of being full of myself and I don’t like to lose “me”. And yet Jesus emptied Himself, and, though from eternity He was uncreated God, allowed Himself to be “made”. Made in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

-Philippians 2:8 (ESV)

Obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross! What terrible images, smells, and sounds the word “cross” would conjure in the mind of a first century inhabitant of the Roman empire! Yet Paul is speaking of One who willingly, obediently went there.

“Have this mind among yourselves . . .”

We are exhorted to be of the same mind as Christ, to have His attitude. We have a word for those who willingly give their lives for others, who throw themselves on top of the grenade, who run into the burning building, who take the bullet. We call them “heroes”. Christ is my Hero, my Rescuer. We’re called to be heroes too.

Have this mind among yourselves. It begins in “small and near” ways, in the daily choices of blessed humility over self-exaltation, in the million services that we can provide to those around us. It’s so easy to overlook these opportunities.

It begins there, but a life of obedient service to God and man will train us in the self-forgetfulness that is true humility, and will prepare us for our opportunity for greater love, for deeper and perhaps ultimate sacrifice, for becoming the work of art that God has created us to be. For His glory. That, like the apostles, we will leave the arguments behind about which of us is the greatest, and will pour ourselves out for the One who is, undisputably, the Greatest.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

– Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV)