"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
Titus 2:11-14
Part 4
Yesterday:
“Looking for that blessed hope,”
We are waiting for Jesus’ return.
“And the glorious appearing.”
He is coming back in “power and great glory!”
“Of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
Jesus is God!
Today:
“Who gave himself for us,”
Jesus voluntarily let himself be killed in our place for our sin. He had no sin in Himself, He is the spotless Lamb of God. When He died, it wasn’t for anything He had done, but He was our substitute and died on our behalf. He “gave himself for us.”
“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:4).
“Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:6).
But why would He do such a thing? It is because of His great love and His great grace. It is not because we somehow deserve His salvation. In the New Testament, whenever He says He loves us, His very next action is to give us something. Here’s what the Word says.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…” (John 3:16).
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25).
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
“That he might redeem us from all iniquity,”
To be “redeemed” is to be repurchased from the slave market of sin. He paid our ransom, our sin debt, with His blood on the cross.
“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men” (1 Corinthians 7:23).
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).
What is the price that Jesus paid for our redemption?
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Why? Why would the precious Lord Jesus do all of this for us? Come back tomorrow as we finish these beautiful thoughts from Titus 2.