The Epiphany of Grace and Glory

Titus 2:11-15
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, May 10, 2015
Copyright © 2015, P. G. Mathew

A true Christian lives his Christian life of good works in the light of two epiphanies spoken about in Titus 2:11–15. We live daily, looking back to the coming of Christ in history in humiliation, to accomplish our redemption by his death on the cross. At the same time, we eagerly look forward to his second coming in glory to complete our salvation. We live between the epiphany of grace and the epiphany of glory.

Paul tells us, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2). We are looking forward to the full epiphany of the glory of God.

In Titus 2:1–10, Paul exhorted all saints—old men, old women, young women, Titus himself, young men, and even slaves—to do good works. Now, in Titus 2:11–15, he is giving the theological basis for our ethical life. Our good confession of the Lordship of Christ must be followed by a holy life.

This necessary linkage of credible conduct with credible confession was integral to Paul’s teaching. In Acts 26 he explained, “King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:19–20).

 

The Epiphany of Grace

Paul writes, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11–12). The epiphany of grace is speaking about the first coming of Christ.

The coming of the Messiah was promised in the Old Testament as the coming of the Son of David. He came in grace to save sinners. That is why the blind Bartimaeus called out, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy upon me.” And Jesus the Messiah, the Son of David, healed him.

Have you cried out, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy upon me”? Simeon was told that he would not die before seeing the Messiah, the incarnate Son of God. He did see him, as we read: “Simeon took [the child] in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel’” (Luke 2:28–32). He recognized God’s salvation in the person of the baby Jesus.

In Jesus, the grace of God appeared like the appearing of the sun in the morning to dispel all darkness. Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, has appeared with healing in his wings (Mal. 4:2). He is the very embodiment of grace. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). There is no other savior but Jesus; grace is found in him alone.

In the person of Christ, grace is seen visibly and in its fullness. All Old Testament believers were also saved by grace. But the incarnation of Jesus was the ultimate incarnation of grace. We are told that God is the God of all grace (1 Pet. 5:10), and the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of grace (Heb. 10:29).

Jesus became incarnate, full of grace. Paul speaks about grace given to Christ from all eternity for our salvation: “[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:9–10). This was speaking about Christ’s first coming. Think about it. Did any other religious leader destroy death? Can any president or king or judge destroy death? No. They can destroy people, but they cannot destroy death. The only one who destroys death is Christ. That is why we must listen to the gospel. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ alone can give us eternal life.

Paul says this grace was given to us in Christ Jesus in eternity, when God elected us to salvation. God loved us and elected us before creation, long before we were born. In time, Jesus came and revealed the fullness of God’s grace to us undeserving sinners. We merited only God’s wrath and everlasting judgment, but God did not give us what we richly deserved. By God’s grace, he justified us, forgave us all our sins, and adopted us as his own children. He came to our hell so that he could take us to heaven to enjoy eternal life with him forevermore.

This grace of God brings salvation to all sorts of people. Paul says, “Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Col 3:11). Elsewhere he says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:28–29).

We are saved by grace through faith, and this grace is found only in Jesus. All other ways of salvation are based on human righteousness, which is reprehensible in the sight of God. There are no other saviors. In John’s gospel, Jesus said, “I am,” which means, “I am, and no one else.” So he made the following statements:

 

• “I am, and no one else, the bread of life” (John 6:48);
• “I am, and no one else, the light of the world” (John 8:12);
• “I am, and no one else, the gate for the sheep” (John 10:7);
• “I am, and no one else, the good shepherd” (John 10:11);
• “I am, and no one else, the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25);
• “I am, and no one else, the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6);
• “I am, and no one else, the vine for fruit-bearing branches” (John 15:5). And we connect with him by saving faith.

 

The epiphany of grace pointed to Christ’s life in its entirety—to his birth, life, teaching, miracles, death, burial, resurrection, and his post-resurrection appearances.

This grace that is found in Jesus will save all those who repent and believe in him without discrimination and distinction. He saves, not the righteous, but only sinners, and only the worst sinners. He does not save self-righteous people. Common grace is for all. But the special grace found in Christ is only for elect repenting sinners. It is the saving grace of our Savior Jesus.

Paul speaks about his own encounter with this grace in his first epistle to Timothy:

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Tim. 1:13–17)

Paul was praising God because God showed him such great mercy. And this grace is unmerited. As sinners, we merit only condemnation and judgment. Paul speaks about this also:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Rom. 5:6–10)

The grace of God not only saves us, but it also teaches, trains, chastens, empowers, comforts, convicts, guides, and enlightens us (Titus 2:12). So we must worship and serve God with fear and trembling, knowing that our God will chasten us. Moses said, “Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you” (Deut. 8:5). After forty years, he was looking back, with full knowledge that the great God of grace had killed 603,548 men, plus women and children, in the desert for their disobedience. That is why the Bible tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

The psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I obey your word” (Ps. 119:67). God applied his rod to this man’s life to keep him from straying, and it was successful. He also declared, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (Ps. 119:71).

Hebrews 12 is the classic passage that speaks about chastening. There we learn that God does not chasten those who are not his children. Chastening by God is a mark that we are his legitimate sons. So we read, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined – and everyone undergoes discipline – if you are not disciplined, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it” (Heb. 12:7–9).

We should respect our parents when they discipline us, because discipline is a mark of love. The Hebrews writer continues, “How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best” (Heb. 12:9–10). They were not perfect. “But God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness.” And then he gives the reason holiness is so important: “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).

In verse 12 Paul writes that grace teaches us. Jesus was always teaching people during his life on earth. The prophets taught, and the apostles taught. Now pastors and teachers, who are Christ’s gifts to the church, are commissioned to preach and teach the word of God. Additionally, parents are to teach their children. In fact, Ephesians 6:4 tells us to nourish them in the Scriptures. The word of God is the bread of life.

The Holy Spirit has also been sent specifically to teach the church. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to teach us (John 14, 15, and 16). Without the Holy Spirit, we are not Christians and we cannot live Christian lives. John writes, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13).

Grace teaches us the word of God, and we will never graduate from this school of grace. We cannot graduate here, and we will not graduate in heaven. We are to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ both here and in heaven. We are not going to be gods in heaven; we still will be creatures. Thus, we will continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our God.

Grace (that is, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit) teaches us two courses. One is negative; the other is positive.

 

GRACE TEACHES US TO RENOUNCE GODLESSNESS

Negatively, grace teaches us to renounce godlessness (asebeia) once for all. Paul writes, “[Grace] teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions” (Titus 2:12). Godlessness is the root problem of a sinner. The psalmist tells us, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1). Such a person is an atheist, a word we find in Ephesians 2:12 (atheoi, “without God”).

An atheist does know God, but he daily suppresses that knowledge by doing a multitude of wicked acts. And the root of atheism, which is godlessness, produces the bitter fruits of evil deeds. In Romans 1, Paul speaks about the total depravity of man. He says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Rom. 1:18). They do this every day. What is the root problem? It is asebeia, ungodliness. It is the denial of the very existence of God. And what is the fruit of godlessness? It is wickedness, manifesting itself in all sorts of violations of God’s law.

Grace teaches us and enables us to renounce the root of ungodliness and the fruit of worldly lusts, which leads to every form of sin. Paul writes of the transformation in a person’s life who has been taught and enabled by grace: “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need” (Eph. 4:28). Grace brings about radical change here and now, as we live in this world. So Paul says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). And John writes, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world [that is, from the devil]. The word and its desires pass away but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15–17).

When grace takes charge of our lives, we who were sinners will repudiate all our sins in true repentance. Paul writes, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9–11).

 

GRACE TEACHES US TO LIVE A NEW LIFE

The second course that grace teaches is how we can live a new life. This is the positive course. We begin to live our new lives in the power of the Spirit according to the will of God in the holy Bible.

First, we are to live self-controlled (sôphronôs) lives, which means Holy-Spirit-controlled, Bible-controlled lives, having a sound mind. Paul declares, “If anyone is in Christ , he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!” (Gal. 2:20). We are born again. We have new dispositions, new minds, new wills, and new affections. As individuals, we live disciplined, self-controlled lives governed by the Bible truth. That is how individuals are to live.

Second, we are to live just lives, meaning that we treat others justly. We must love others as ourselves (see 1 John 3:16). We must love others as Christ loved us and died for us. Such love was clearly practiced in the early church. There the believers sold their properties and brought everything into the church so that no one was in need. We should treat others as we treat ourselves, as Jesus instructed: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” That is the biblical standard. We must treat others justly and love them as ourselves.

In Micah 6:8 we are asked, “What does the LORD require of you?” The answer is that the Lord requires us “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” We are to treat others righteously and justly because the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We must treat others as brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers because we are members of God’s holy family.

How then should we live? First, we must consider our relationship with ourselves, how we should behave. Second, we must consider how we behave toward others. Third, we must think about how we live toward God, which is living in godliness. The opposite is ungodliness.

God has changed us by the power of the Spirit, by the power of grace. What a transformation! We are no longer ungodly; now, we are godly. We now love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And toward God, we are to live in godliness and holy reverence. Pagans live ungodly lives. As Christians, we are to live in holy reverence to God, a reverence that is displayed in hearing and doing his will.

The fear of God will keep us from sinning, and love for God will keep us obeying the will of God. That is what Jesus did. We read in Hebrews 5:7 that God heard his prayer because of his godliness. And in his high priestly prayer, Jesus said, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).

We cannot say that we love God when we do not obey him. In fact, the mark of a Christian is obedience to the Holy Spirit. We are told that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey him (Acts 5:32). If we do not obey him, then we are not Christians.

In Titus 1:1 we read that grace demands godliness. The Christian life should be a demonstration of godliness, and, therefore, good works. Some people believe the wrong theology that says Jesus can be our Savior, but he does not have to be Lord. Paul refutes such nonsense in 2 Timothy 2: “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his.’” We can claim what we want, but our God knows who is saved and who is simply making his own empty claim. And then Paul gives a test by which we also can know: “‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness’” (2 Tim. 2:19). Notice, we “must turn away from wickedness.” It is a demand, a requirement. It is not optional. It is not that we don’t have to obey God right away, but we can start doing it after awhile as our love for him grows. Foolish theologians teach this type of nonsense because they want to sin, and they want others to sin as well. But such theologians are inspired by the devil who controls this world.

In Titus 2:12, Paul tells us that we are to live a holy life, not in heaven, but in this present evil age, where darkness prevails, where the devil is called the god of this world. This world is immoral, corrupt, under the control of the devil.

But we are the light of the world. Jesus said, “A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14–16). Paul tells us, “Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing” (Phil. 2:14–16). Our words and our lives declare God’s truth to the world.

We must live holy lives in every aspect of our lives in the world—in our worship lives, work lives, marriage and family lives, social lives, and so on. And we can live such God-pleasing lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul said, “I can do all things through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13). We can do all things by the Spirit who dwells in us. We can put off evil and put on Christ. We must do so, for “without holiness no one shall see God.”

So grace saves us; grace teaches us to do two things; and grace enables us to do what grace demands. We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has foreordained that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10). And our God is able to make all grace to abound to us that we may do all good works (2 Cor. 9:8). The Christian life cannot be lived by our own sheer strength. But we can live it by his power that powerfully works in us.

The Epiphany of Glory

In Titus 2:13–15, Paul goes on to speak about the epiphany of glory. He begins, “while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (v. 13). Jesus Christ is going to come again in great glory. At that time, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will see him in all his glory.

As we live godly lives in this evil world, we look back to Jesus Christ in history. He made manifest his grace by his life, death, and resurrection. But we also look forward to his epiphany in glory. That is the second coming of Christ.

In the Greek text, Paul says that we are awaiting “the blessed hope of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” No one else is the great God and Savior. There is no salvation in anyone else. In this country, we have the freedom to worship whomever we want. We can even worship ourselves. But salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. So Paul is speaking unambiguously, with maximum clarity, that Jesus Christ is great God. And this Jesus commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).

We find this truth that Jesus is God in many places in the Scriptures. Elsewhere Paul writes in reference to the Jewish people, “Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all forever praised. Amen” (Rom. 9:5). He also says, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Jesus Christ” (Col. 1:19). He states, “For in Christ all the fullness of the deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9). And John writes, “In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Thomas called Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Peter writes his second epistle, “To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, have received a faith as precious as ours” (2 Pet. 1:1).

The Lord Jesus Christ is God. He is great God, and he is great Savior. And through all God-called ministers, he even now speaks to the world. They are the trumpets, the megaphones, the ambassadors of Christ.

So as we live in this world, we look back to his first coming and we also look forward to his glorious appearing, the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ to this planet. He is going to come to give us the fullness of salvation. This is our blessed hope.

Unbelievers are without hope because they are without this great God and Savior Jesus Christ. They dread the dark future awaiting them. They wake up in the middle of the night and think, “Maybe tonight I am going to die, and then what?” They may think that death is the end of it, but it is not.

But we are eagerly and daily awaiting Christ’s epiphany in glory to glorify us. This world is not our permanent home. John writes, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). We are pilgrims here. We refuse to settle down in Sodom as Lot did. He did not know that God was going to destroy it by burning it down. Like Abraham, we are sojourning here, living in tents, looking forward to a heavenly city, the new Jerusalem with foundations, whose builder and maker is God. And, in one sense, we are already there because we are already seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

So, then, we have a heavenly perspective as we sojourn in this world. We may live seventy or, by reason of strength, eighty years, as the psalmist tells us (Ps. 90:10). Then we will have to exit, either to hell or to heaven. (PGM) So the heavenly perspective adjusts our thinking and keeps us from conforming to this world. It transforms our minds so that we desire to live for God’s glory. Paul exhorts, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:1–4). He also writes, “Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” (1 Cor. 1:7). This is speaking of the epiphany in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We also read, “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Heb. 9:28).

As Paul sat in prison, about to be beheaded, he wrote, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8). So we can sing,

 

He’s coming soon, he’s coming soon,

with joy we welcome his returning.

It may be morn, it may be night or noon.

We know he’s coming soon.

 

Christ is coming soon, and he is coming to transform us and everything else. He is going to come in glory. Daniel said, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13–14). Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ is coming with all authority into this earth which belongs to him.

Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory” (Matt. 25:31). He is coming in glory. This is our blessed hope. How, then, should we live? Peter says, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:11–13). John tells us, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears [that is, his epiphany in glory], we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:1–3).

Jesus is coming again to make everything new. His second coming will be glorious, unlike his first coming, when his glory was veiled. In his first coming, he was God and God/man, but his glory was veiled. So he was born of a woman, born under the law, to live and die the death of the cross so that he might destroy death and bring life and immortality to light through the gospel.

But in his epiphany of glory, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, and we will see him as he is. This eager waiting for his second coming spurs us to live holy lives in this world without worldly distraction. That is why we look forward to his coming. Jesus said, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life.” This is called third-soil syndrome. “And that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34–36).

Therefore, let us live here now with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Let us forsake all sin and live disciplined, righteous, and godly lives. For us, Christ’s glorious appearing will be a blessed event. But to every sinner, dead and living, it will be a terrifying event. Jesus told us, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matt. 25:41). Christ himself prepares this fire for the devil and for those who follow the devil.

What was the purpose of Christ’s first incarnation? Paul says that he gave himself in the death of the cross to redeem us from all bondage to wickedness (Titus 2:14). An unbeliever is in bondage, captive to sin and Satan. But Jesus Christ gave himself voluntarily as our substitute, in our place. He gave himself because he loved us. He gave himself, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God in glory.

Jesus gave the infinite ransom price to the Father for our infinite sin. What was the price? Peter tells us: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Pet. 1:18–19). Jesus himself said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matt. 13:45–46). I interpret it to mean that Jesus was looking for something worthwhile to buy. When he found us, he gave the infinite price to buy it for himself. He gave this infinite price to redeem each elect sinner because of his infinite love for each of us.

Christ died our death so that God may be just in justifying those sinners who believe in Jesus the redeemer. God cannot forgive our sins in a light manner. He is just; therefore, he will justify us justly because our sin was put on him. So Paul says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Think about it. Do we have anything to worry about? God paid the infinite price for each one of us. We are redeemed, saved from all bondages. We are free! Jesus has set us free from all bondages to sin, law, Satan, death, the world, and the flesh, so that we may live to serve God alone with joy unspeakable and full of glory. He looked down from all eternity and saw us. This is amazing grace! He said, “I love them and want to save them. I want to have a people for myself as my treasured possession.”

So the Lord himself says, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession” (Exod. 19:5). Elsewhere he calls us, “the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (Isa. 43:21). In Malachi’s prophecy we read, “‘They will be mine,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘in the day when I make up my treasured possession [jewels, KJV]. I will spare them” (Mal. 3:17).

God considers us as his treasured possession now and forever more. Such a thought breaks all logical thinking. We say, “Who are we? We are nothing. We are just clay, just dust, just grass, just a passing breeze that does not return, just falling blossoms. We are nothing and less than nothing.” But God says, “You are my treasured possession; you are of infinite value to me.” Peter writes about this: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9). We are people of God’s own possession. He looks at us and receives great delight and pleasure. I do not know why, but this is the truth. In fact, we are called the bride of Christ. John writes, “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) (Rev. 19:6–8). Christ loved us and gave himself for us (Eph. 5:25). He paid the infinite price.

The Lord’s treasure is his people. So we read, “The LORD’S portion is his people” (Deut. 32:9). The psalmist tells us, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:25–26).

God declares we are his portion, and we declare that he is ours. So the psalmist says, “You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words” (Ps. 119:57). We do not need to know anything else. We can live for the rest of our lives with great joy as we meditate on this truth. So we sing,

I am my Beloved’s and he is mine,

his banner over me is love.

Truly, we are someone, in the sight of God. We are nothing less than the bride of Christ, the body of Christ, the treasure of Christ. Do you want some self-esteem? Believe in the Bible, and you will have all the self-esteem you need.

To create the universe, Christ commanded, and the whole universe came into existence. But to create the church, he suffered and died the death of the cross. Paul speaks of this great sacrifice: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25–27). We are to radiate the glory of Christ.

Paul says that Jesus Christ redeemed us “away from all lawlessness” (Titus 2:14, in the Greek). Sin is transgression of God’s law. Sin is lawlessness. By his death, Christ took us out of the realm of sin so that we might do righteousness and keep God’s commandments. Paul says, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Col. 1:13).

Jesus has set us free from the guilt of sin, from the punishment of sin, from the pollution of sin, and from the power of sin. And when he comes again, even the presence of sin will be abolished.

O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever.

He sought me and bought me

with his redeeming love.

He loved me ‘ere I knew him,

and all my love is through him.

He plunged me to victory

beneath the cleansing flood.

 

He redeemed us from anomia (lawlessness). He redeemed us from our self-will that asserts itself in defiance of God’s will. Anyone who sins is asserting himself against the will of God. That is what happened in Genesis 3:4. God told Adam and Eve, “The day you eat thereof, you will surely die.” But the devil said, “You will not surely die. Go ahead and eat it.” But when we defy God’s law and transgress it, we do so for our own destruction.

But now we are able to take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). So Paul says in Titus 2:14 that Christ gave himself to redeem us from all wickedness and to cleanse for himself a very special people, his bride. God will have a holy people. If we are not holy, we don’t belong to him. The Lord commanded, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” But he also said, “I am the Lord who makes you holy.” He makes us holy by the mighty work of the Spirit in our lives. So the Christ who justifies us will also sanctify us. In justification, God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us; in sanctification, he imparts his righteousness. He makes us holy by the work of the Spirit in us.

John tells us, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. . . If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7, 9). Our God will have a beautiful bride, radiating with glory. Ezekiel said about God’s people, “They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezek. 37:23). The Hebrews writer says, “By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy [sanctified]” (Heb. 10:14). There it is: justification and progressive sanctification. Those who are justified are being sanctified. And they will be glorified at Christ’s second epiphany (the epiphany of glory). The people of God are vessels of gold for God’s noble use to worship and serve him only forever.

This is our glorious future! Christ is our covenant Lord, and we are his obedient covenant people. He loves us, and we love him by obeying his holy commandments. He redeemed us individually and incorporated us into his holy church where we now can relate to Christ as our head and all the members of his body. We do not float around independently. We are joined to Christ’s church so that we can live for God and God’s family. We are Christ’s special people. We belong to him. So we love one another as Christ loves us, and we do good works to please him. Christ’s holy will is revealed in the Bible, so we read the Bible and listen to the word being preached so that we can know and do God’s will. Like the good soil people, we hear the word, treasure the word, and produce a crop with perseverance, evidencing the reality of our redemption.

Paul ends verse 14 saying that we are “eager to do what is good.” So we are zealous for good works, like Phinehas, Josiah, Daniel, and Paul himself. Read what Paul said: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). Grace works. Grace has effects. Grace causes us to obey Christ and do good works.

We are to be enthused. Enthused means we have God in us (Gk., en theos). This is true, because the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer. And when God is in us, we will be enthused, excited, motivated, and empowered. We will be enthused about doing God’s works, because by doing so, we can express our thanksgiving for his great salvation.

Grace saves us, grace justifies us, grace sanctifies us, and grace enables us to do every good work. Thus, those who do not have grace are false Christians. About such people Paul wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “They claim to know God but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good” (Titus 1:16).

Then Paul says to Titus, “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you” (Titus 2:15). When we despise our delegated authorities, we are despising God. And when we despise God, we will be destroyed. Elsewhere, Paul wrote, “We are therefore ambassadors of Christ as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you in behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). We must never despise God’s delegated authorities. So here Paul gives his final exhortation to Titus: These things you must teach: Encourage and reprove with all authority. Do not let anyone despise your person.

Paul gave similar advice to Timothy: “Do not let anyone look down on you” (1 Tim. 4:12). I plead with you, leaders, do not let anyone under your charge look down on you and despise you. If you let that happen, you are not showing love to those who are under you. Instead, you are teaching them to despise God. It is important that you exercise your God-given authority for the good of those under you. That is why Paul told Titus to teach and exhort these things—the things Paul was writing to him.

Titus needed to function as a pastor. But who is a pastor? Paul writes, “He [Jesus] who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:10–13). So a pastor is not a hireling. He is appointed by Christ to teach these things, to exhort these things, to reprove the people with all authority for their own blessings. His passion is the blessing of his people, just as a father’s passion is the blessing of his children. Therefore, a good father will exercise the authority given to him by God himself.

May God help us all to receive and apply these teachings of grace, so that we may live holy lives for the glory of God and for our eternal blessing. Amen.