"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 5
Yesterday:
“Who gave himself for us,”
Jesus voluntarily paid our sin debt, in our place on the cross!
“That he might redeem us from all iniquity” (a)
He has paid our ransom with His “precious blood.”
Today:
“That he might redeem us from all iniquity” (b)
Why did Jesus go to such drastic lengths to pay for our salvation? Our verse for today gives us that answer: to “redeem us from all iniquity.” He ransomed us by paying the price of our every “lawless deed;” our every sin was paid for by Jesus Christ.
“And we are, therefore, taught that the death of Jesus was intended, not for our forgiveness and justification merely, but for our sanctification, and our deliverance from the power of all our besetting sins.” [1] (Meyer)
Our salvation was not merely our “fire escape” from Hell. But He saved us that we might serve Him.
“And purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Believers, we are His “peculiar people” whom He has purified, set apart-sanctified for Him. We belong to Him! The Greek word that is translated as “peculiar” means, “that which is one’s own, belonging to one’s possessions… a people selected by God from the other nations for his own possession” [2] (Thayer).
Vincent adds, the word “peculiar,” “means possessed over and above, that is, specially selected for one’s own; exempt from ordinary laws of distribution. Hence correctly represented by peculiar, derived from peculium, a private purse, a special acquisition of a member of a family distinct from the property administered for the good of the whole family” [3] (Vincent).
Believers: “We are zealous of good works.”
We cannot work to be saved, but we do good works because He has saved us!
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Lord Jesus, what would you have me do for You?
Now I Belong to Jesus[4]
By Norman Clayton
Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no pow’r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him;
Chorus
Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.
Once I was lost in sin’s degradation,
Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,
Now I belong to Him;
Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,
Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me
His precious blood, He came to redeem,
Now I belong to Him;
[1] F. B. Meyer quoted by David Guzik. David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] J.H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.
[4] “Now I Belong to Jesus,” by Norman J. Clayton (1943). Music by Ellsworth and Clayton. Copyright, © 1938. Renewed 1966 by Norman Clayton Publishing Company (a div. of WORD, INC.).