faith transforms the person - 32nd week wednesday 2014

Today we read the last part of this short letter of Paul to Titus and this last part is basically a reminder of the basis why a Christian has social obligations, why a Christian should be obedient to authority, why a Christian should not slander anyone, why should he or she be peaceable, considerate, courteous and gracious toward all?  What is the basis of these good actions?  What is the basis of these social obligations? The basis is this - a Christian should show in his or her actions the effects of salvation in his or her life and relations.  A Christian should show the change from sin to grace, and she should show the change happening in her life from an era of slavery and error, to the era of freedom and rebirth.  Since yesterday this was the theme of Paul.  Faith transforms the person.  Our baptism in Christ does not only wash away our sins, it does not only erase our sins.  Instead baptism sanctifies us and transforms us.  It makes us better persons, it makes us holier persons, it makes us friends of God.

The point of St. Paul is this – our contact with Christ does not only take away our sins, as in now I am clean.  More than this our contact with Christ transforms us to become better persons.