ODJ: Poured Out

January 27, 2018 

READ: Titus 3:3-8 

[God] generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour (v.6).

Water cascades from the top of the Taughannock Falls into a basin 215 feet below. The flow originates from an expansive trench in a wall of sedimentary rock. Trees fringe the top of the wall. During autumn, they adorn the scene with orange, yellow and red. In the winter, the waterfall’s spray coats the surrounding rock with ice, turning everything a shimmering silver and white.

The powerful water pouring over the rocks of this impressive waterfall reminds me of the outpouring of God’s Spirit on His people when they receive salvation. Although we were once disobedient, misled and slaves to our desires (Titus 3:3), “[God] generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (v.6). Alive in us, the Holy Spirit sparks new desires and frees us from sin’s power.

Beyond these life-altering benefits, the process by which we receive the Spirit teaches us something about who God is. Specifically, it shows us the triune nature of God, which many refer to as the Trinity. God the Father sent the Son Jesus to our world to endure for us the consequences for our sin (John 3:16). Through Christ’s Spirit inside us, believers are united with His resurrected life, giving us a new life (Titus 3:5).

Experiencing the way in which Father, Son and Holy Spirit cooperate in salvation helps us understand theologian Charles Ryrie’s observation: “The whole undivided essence of God belongs equally to each of the three persons [of the Trinity].” So, it’s one Godwho provides salvation. As Deuteronomy 6:4 (niv) reveals, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

May we celebrate the majesty of the three-in-one God as we experience His love and power.

—Jennifer Schuldt

365-day plan: Genesis 43:1-34