Focus on What Made the Difference and Not on the Difference

Titus 3:3-7 KJV

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Here is a formula. 

The base material in verse three is crude, rough, corrupted, temporal and altogether unlovely

The final product of verse seven is glorious and eternal

All that is implied in the word "heirs" is beyond our imaginations. 

The process of transformation is that that which the Apostle elaborates in verses four through six

While we might be tempted to focus in what we were and what we will be Paul, under the inspiration of God, focuses instead on what makes the difference. 

• It was the kindness and love of God
• It was the work of the Holy Spirit
• It was the effect of Jesus Christ

that transformed us.

And that is what ought the emphasis of our

• Thoughts
• Meditations and
• Discussions with others