Where would we be if Jesus had not come for us? “Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other” (Titus 3:3 NLT). Foolish? Misled? Stuck? Evil, envious, and hateful? Not a picture of a peaceful, composed life. But it is a picture of our lives without the love of God.

“But—when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior” (3:4–6 NLT). God chose to step into our lives with kindness instead of judgment and with love in place of the rejection we would have shown. He cleaned us up, gave us a new identity, and even shared His Spirit with us. Everything we deserved, God withheld. Everything that should have been out of our reach, love freely extended to us. “Because of his grace he declared us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life” (3:7 NLT). God’s love interrupts our confusion with clarity and gives us confidence that we are His.

Without Jesus, we would be stuck in darkness and think it was light. We would perpetually settle for less and assume it was as good as it would get. But God’s love stepped into history, and His footsteps of peace, purpose, and forgive-

ness have reverberated through every heart, every nation, and every culture since. Because He came, our confusion is turned to clarity, and foolishness is transformed into faith. Because Love stepped in, humanitarianism has overcome hatred, and envy is replaced with encouraging others.

Take a moment today to think about what your life would be like without the love of God, and thank Him for His grace “that offers salvation to all people” (2:11).