Titus 2:11-15

What a blessed thought.  Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ has gifted Himself for us.  Why did He do this?

·        First, that He might redeem us, setting us free by paying the ransom price.  We have been freed from our aimless conduct (1 Pt. 1:18) as well as from our lawless deeds.  Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ did this!  Hallelujah!

·        Further, He gave Himself to purify us for Himself.  Consider this cleansing.

o   Cleansing is what lepers need (Matt. 10:8).  The sick need healing, the dead need to be raised, those with demons need to have them cast out.  But cleansing is the term used of lepers.  And how appropriate.  Leprosy is a picture of sin, both being deep, incurable debilitating diseases.

o   Cleansing must not simply be on the surface; it must be deep (Matt. 23;25-26).  Mere sprucing up on the outside makes one guilty of hypocrisy.

o   Cleansing is by the blood of Christ through the word (Heb. 9:14; Eph. 5:26).  When His blood is applied to us personally, at the point of saving faith, our conscience is cleansed; our guilt is gone.  But the Bride of Christ is continually cleansed by the washing of water through the word.

o   Thus, cleansing is ongoing.  If we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ “is cleansing” us from all sin.  

He gave Himself to redeem and purify us.  But that is not all.  He did all this that the people His Father has given to Him believers, the Church, the Bride of Christ) might be a special people!  Consider our special position with Christ.

·        We became His special people through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  As 1 Cor. 1:12-13 says, the Spirit has immersed us into His body.  John the Baptist had predicted this (Matt. 3:11) as did Christ (Acts 1:4-5), saying it would happen a few days later (Acts 2, the Day of Pentecost).  His people were first saved Jews, but then Peter noted the connection with this baptism when he saw Gentiles become believers at Cornelius’ house (Acts 11:15-18).  

·        As His special people we experience a special union with Him, being “in Christ” (John 17:20-21).  This deep relationship brings great treasure with it.  We will someday bear His glory (Jn. 17:22).  He has given us His Spirit (Jn. 14:17).  We have every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3), all we need for life and godliness (2 Pt. 1:3-4), all these things freely (abundantly) given to us by God (1 Cor. 2:12; Rom. 8:32).  How blessed to be Christians, the people of Christ.

·        Further, by the cleansing He has made us useful people, those who are zealous for good works.  Like the slave Onesimus (Philemon 11), we were once unprofitable and are not profitable.  This becomes an important theme in the final chapter of Paul’s letter to Titus.  

By faith in Christ we become His own special people.  He gave Himself for us; we need only receive the gift, the gift of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.