Titus 2:14a

Titus chapter 2, I want to read verses 13 and 14. Our focus is in the first part of verse 14 tonight. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, 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. may God bless to us his sacred and holy word this evening. While in Egypt there was a man that wanted to cross the desert, and he knew this could be very dangerous. He thought he better get some help. He had heard stories of other people who had perished, had got lost in the desert, and he didn’t want to end up like them. So the treasurer. traveler engaged a guide to help him through the desert area. Eventually, the two men arrived at the edge of the desert, and the traveler, looking ahead, saw trackless sands in front of him without a single footprint, path, or marker of any kind. Turning to the guide, he said, where’s the road? And with a reproving, Lance, the guide replied, I am the road. In a similar way, as we go through this life, we find it’s like crossing a dangerous desert. Like Israel crossing Mount Sinai Desert, the majority of people want to get to the promised land of heaven. However, most will eternally perish, for they simply wonder about without any direction at all. They have no guide to help them through the shifting sands, shifting sands of life. Jesus Christ tells us that I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me. Now, Jesus Christ has been related to us as the Savior in verse 3, the very last part of us phrase, our Savior, Jesus Christ. In verse 14, the apostle now tells us how Jesus Christ saves his people from their sins and prepares them for the world to come. There’s no escaping the significance of Christ’s death in Scripture. It has always given priority, and it is constantly mentioned as the means by which one is saved. Let me begin by saying, you must believe Jesus Christ, voluntarily sacrificed himself, who gave himself. Now you’ll notice that Christ didn’t suffer for his own sins. You’ll recall that when Jesus Christ, our Lord, died upon the cross, he suffered a horrifying death, normally reserved for criminals. On his right hand and on his left were condemned thieves. Thieves being crucified. Barnabas, who was the criminal that was released in Christ’s place, instead of Christ being released, he was released, was a murderer. The law declared that cursed it is everyone that hangeth upon a tree. It might be assumed that Jesus Christ was executed for some vile, crime, or sin that he has done. Nothing, of course, could be for. further from the truth. The fact that Jesus Christ gave himself indicates that he did not suffer on the cross for his own transgressions for any wrongdoing on his part. Peter, who knew Christ intimately, speaks of the Savior’s death and immediately adds at 1. Peter 222, who did no sin, neither was any gal found in his mouth. Our Lord’s human nature was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he was free of any taint of corruption from Adam’s fall. Not only could his friends and his disciples testify to his innocence, but even his greatest foes, had to testify of it as well. The Jews who rigged the trial to condemn Christ, bringing one false witness after another against them, could not find any two witnesses that agreed with one another, because they were trumped-up charges. Pilot, the Roman governor, after hearing all the charges made against our Lord, believed he was innocent. What evil hath thee done? I find no fault in this man. His own wife, you recall, wished him to have nothing to do with this just man. And even when he actually condemned Christ, remember how he washed his hands before the multitudes and said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. Judas, who betrayed him, remember, returned to the religious leaders, and cried out that he had betrayed innocent blood. So let there be no doubt that Jesus Christ was the sinless son. of God who died because he gave himself. Now you’ll notice that Christ’s death was a voluntary one. He gave himself. Jesus Christ didn’t die because he was powerless to resist the wicked hands that condemned and crucified him. Jesus Christ was not railroaded here into being a martyr against his will. Listen to the words of Christ in John 10. I lay down my life. No man takeeth it from me. But I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again. Jesus knew all along that Judas was going to betray him. He mentioned that one of his disciples going to betray him. He declared to the disciples that the betrayer was sitting among them. He would call at the Passover supper. He forewarned his disciples that when they went up to Jerusalem, he was going to be betrayed. That he was going to be betrayed under the chief priest and the scribes. He would be condemned the death, delivered to the Gentiles, to be mocked, to be scourged, to be crucified, and so forth, as Matthew 20, verses 18 and 19 tell us. When Peter tried to defend Christ with a sword, Christ told him to put up his sword. The one whose very word calmed the raging wind and storms on the Sea of Galilee. The one whose simple reply, I am, to those who came to arrest him, caused him to fall to the ground. The one who could have called for 12 legions of angels to destroy all those who were opposing him. The one who upholds all things. by the word of his power, the one who held the breath of every man in his own hands, the one who could stop a heartbeat or strike with blindness, anyone opposed him, this one could have eluded his enemies very easily that sought to crucify. But Jesus came to do the Father’s will. He came to lay down his life, to give himself. to voluntarily die, to sacrifice himself on the cross, the Savior, setting his face like a flint toward Jerusalem, determined that nothing would deter him from giving of himself and laying down his life. Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame. So you must believe Jesus Christ voluntarily, sacrificed himself, who gave himself. Now, you must believe that Jesus Christ vicariously sacrificed himself for his people, who gave himself for us, it says. Christ’s death was a substitutionary sacrifice. You see that little word for there. The preposition here, for, has two basic meanings in the place of, and for the advantage or benefit of them. Both of these ideas are taken up in Christ’s death. Even in our English, we have the word four carries this basic meaning. Maybe we could illustrate this idea from baseball. A sacrifice bunt is for the advantage or the benefit of the runner at first or second base, you’re sacrificing your self. yourself getting being put out in order to move the runner up an extra base. But a pinch hitter goes to bat in the place of the player he is substituted for. Both of those ideas are found here in Christ death. The word vicarious comes from the Latin. It just simply means to take the place of another to substitute for another. Many years ago, the USS Pueblo was captured by the North Koreans. 82 surviving members were thrown into a brutal captivity. In one particular instance, 13 of the men were required to sit in a rigid manner at a table for hours on end. After several hours, the door was violently flung open and in a norseller, Korean Guard brutally beat the man who was sitting in the first seat, the butt of his rifle. The next day, each man sat in his assigned seat once again. Again, the door was thrown open, and the man in the first seat, the same man, was brutally beaten again. When it happened again the third day, the crew figured that this guy is not going to last much longer. So another young sailor of all over. volunteered to take his place. And so when the guard flung open the door, he beat the man sitting in the first chair. But it wasn’t the same man that was there the last three days. And so each day, one of the other crew members would sit in the first chair and take the beating that was due for the man who was assigned to it. At last, the guards gave up an exasperation. they were unable to beat the sacrificial love these sailors showed for one another in substituting for one another. That’s sort of the idea here. Jesus Christ did not die because of his own sins, but he died as a substitute, suffered the punishment due unto our sins. The Bible declares the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The law of God demands a death penalty for all violets, of its commands. The Bible declares that this is the case. And the only way a sinner could be spared, divine judgment, is for someone, a substitute, to die in the place of the sinner. For Christ also have suffered for sins the just for, in the place of the unjust, or for the benefit of the unjust that he might bring us to God. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. So Christ’s death was a substitutionary debt. Now notice that Christ’s death was a sacrifice for God’s elect. The Bible says here that he gave himself for us. Contrary to the popular teaching today, Jesus Christ was not a substitute for everyone. Christ died for the purpose of saving a peculiar people, as he tells us here in verse 14. A special people, if you would. The us refers back to those who were listed in the book as the elect of God. in verse 1 of chapter 1. Those who are believers who eventually, or who will eventually come to believe in Christ. The scripture says, for the transgression of my people, he was stricken. He shall save his people from their sins. I lay down my life for the sheep. Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Christ didn’t give himself for it. mankind in the sense of every single individual of mankind. Once you understand what substitutionary atonement means in the place of, and for the benefit of someone, you have to limit the extent of the atonement, otherwise everyone would be saved. Most people don’t understand the implications of substitution. All for those for whom Christ, died are now free from the wrath and the judgment of God. God does not demand a double payment, first by Christ and then by the sinner. If Christ paid the price for the sinner, then the sinner is free and is no longer under any condemnation. In our text, if Christ died for you, then you are redeemed. You’re going to be purified, says according to verse 14. He redeemed us and he purifies unto himself a peculiar people. So if Christ is taking your place, it is borne the penalty due unto your sin, how can you be condemned by God? What comfort is there an atonement that does as much for you as it did for Cain? For Pharaoh, for Judas, for Ahab, who all perished in their sins. Think about that, I meant. What comfort is there in believing that Christ died as much for the damned in hell as the blessed in heaven? Such an atonement does not redeem and purify, and thus it doesn’t save. Would you make salvation dependent upon something else? besides the sacrifice of Christ? Something you add to Christ’s work? My friends, that’s not the teaching of Scripture. And this is why we say that scripture teaches that Christ’s death saves. It’s not a possibility that saves. Christ death saves. Scripture says in whom, meaning in Christ, we have redemption through His blood the forgiveness of sins. Isn’t that pretty plain? His blood? provides forgiveness of sin. 1. Thessalonians 1.10. Jesus delivered us from the wrath to come. There can be no condemnation, no hell for those for whom Christ died. Galatians 313, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. There can be no curse for those for whom Christ died. A universal substitutionary atonement means universal salvation. Some might argue, well, Christ died is a substitute for everyone. It’s no longer the sin question but the sun question. It’s only because of unbelief that people perish for whom Christ died. Let me ask you a simple question. Is unbelief a sin? Is unbelief a sin? If it’s not a sin, and all sin has been paid for by Jesus, says Christ. The Bible says here all iniquity, then God can’t punish a person for unbelief because it’s not sinful. It’s not a transgression. If it is a sin, then what you’re telling me is that Christ didn’t die for every sin. He didn’t die for all iniquity. He left this one out. And somehow or other, you have to make up for that unbelief that he didn’t die for. Look with me at Revelation 21 and verse 8. This is an interesting passage. This is. Scripture. Listen to what it says here. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and hormongers and sorcerers and idolterers and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. You know what this verse tells me? This verse tells me, first of all, that unbelief is a sin, and it’s punishable by being cast into hell. it also tells me that Christ didn’t die for the sins of every individual except for and so that these things are all gone now and there’s only question is whether what you do with Christ why are they held accountable for murder? Why are they held accountable for being sexually impure? Why are they held accountable according to this for being a liar? Why are they held accountable for being unbelieving? Why are they held accountable for being unbelieving? all the sins mentioned? Why does the Bible talk about degrees of punishment in hell that someone will suffer a worse punishment than others in hell? How can that be if we’re all, if all the people in hell are only suffering for one thing, for unbelief? It’s never going to work. It doesn’t fit with the scriptures. There are those who may ignore passages like this one here in the book of Titus, where Christ died for us. And they may point to those scriptures that have the word world in all that are used in them, like John 316 or 1 Timothy 2.4. But what must be understood is that the Jews thought that the Messiah was only going to die for them, only going to be a blessing for them. The Gentiles were vile dogs in mere kindling wood for hell. God didn’t care about that. So the Bible uses these general terms at times, the word world, the word all to counteract such a false notion. Remember how the early church didn’t even want to take the gospel to the Gentiles? And when Peter ended up going to Cornelius’ house, they held him accountable. What are you doing going to this Gentiles’ house? Peter had to have the vision of the sheet to even motivate him to go. Don’t you call unclean when I call clean, God says to him. The term all is used several ways in scripture. Most commonly it means all kinds of are all sorts of. rather than all inclusive. We looked at that when we looked at verse 11 of our text here. When we talked about for the grace of God, it brings salvation, it appeared to all men. Well, if it brings salvation in its grace, then it brings, it can’t be for every single individual, but all sorts of. And we mentioned the various people that you mentioned the old, the aged men, the aged women, the young men, the young women, the slaves, all those are the various kinds. He mentions those earlier, and then when he uses the word all men, he’s referring back to those people, those different sorts of people. When Christ spoke about him dying for the world in John 316, the word world there, cosmos, has many meanings in Scripture. Whenever talks about people, because sometimes it’s talking about the material. earth or something of this nature or the universe or something like that. Whenever it is used in scripture and it speaks about people, when it’s contrasted with the church, then we’re talking about unbelievers, right? We even talk today about the church in the world. When it’s contrasted with the Jews, it refers to the Gentiles. Now, if you read John 314, through 16. What does he talk about in verses 14 and 15? He says, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the son of man shall be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish. Let be saved. Now, you can understand that. He’s talking to Nicodemus. He’s talking to a Jew, and a Jew can look at that and say, yeah, I understand that. Just as the serpent was lifted up, on the pole. Christ is going to be lifted up on the cross. And just as they looked in faith on the serpent hanging on the pole, people have to look in faith to Christ in his death for salvation from sin. One could understand that. But that was just for the Jews. So when he goes to verse 16, there he says, for God so love the world. Now look, understand this Nicodemus. it’s not just for the Jews that I’ve come, it’s for the Gentiles as well. That whosoever, whether they be Jew or Gentile, believe on me, they’ll have everlasting love. That’s the argument that he makes. It’s contrasted with the Jews in that passage of Scripture. And a lot of people miss that point. If we understand this way of looking at these words, then it makes perfect sense, and it fits perfectly with everything else. The scripture tells us about Christ dying for his people, his elect, and so forth. So Christ die for us. He didn’t die for all mankind. So you must believe Christ vicariously sacrificed himself for his people. The third thing. You must believe Jesus Christ victoriously sacrificed himself, that he might redeem us from all iniquity. Now the first thing we see here is this idea of bondage to sin. When we use the word redeem, it’s a reminder of the idea of being in bondage because you redeem a slave. You buy them back. You pay a price to get them released. That’s the idea he uses. This is a very common term. In Paul’s Day, they were over 6 million slaves in the Roman Empire. prior, it was, you know, daily slave markets were taking place. People were buying and selling slaves and freeing some of them and so forth. If you wanted to free a loved one who was in a state of bondage, you had to pay the price to own him and then basically let them go. Of course, Paul is using the word redeem here with a spiritual implication. We’re not in bondage to men. We’re in bondage to sin and to Satan. And we are freed or redeemed by Christ. Remember how Jesus said whosoever committed sin is a servant, a slave of sin. So you come into this world, you’re in total bondage to a nature that is corrupt and evil and separated from God. You’re held captive by sin and by these carnal lust that you have. sin reigns and dominates over you, and you serve sin just like a master is served by a slave. Because sin controls you. It dominates you. What a miserable condition to be in. The sad thing is, like many of the Jews of all, when they were told by Christ, the truth shall make you free. They thought, well, we’re never been in bondage. What do you mean we’re in bondage? We’re not in bondage. Most people don’t believe they’re in bondage. But the scriptures indicate to us, and Christ certainly taught this, we’re in bondage to sin. That’s what he told them. That teaching is very popular. It wasn’t popular in Christ’s not popular today. But in physical bondage, a person dreams of being free. Those in spiritual bondage actually rejoice in serving sin and save. They find it pleasurable for until there comes perhaps the sting and torment of guilty conscience, the fear of God’s dreadful judgment, the horrifying aspects of hell fired that awaits them. We’re in terrible bondage of sin, but we see the wonderful freedom obtained for us by Christ here. In the Old Testament, you remember the prophet Jose, he had a wife who ran off with another man. In fact, she seems to be passed from man to man, evidently having one fling after another. Finally, after being. discarded by a number of men, the destitute woman is forced to sell herself as a slave in order to have food and clothing and the necessities of life and lodging. And what is Josea commanded to do? Go down to the slave mark and buy back your wife. Pay the price. So he goes down there and 15 pieces of silver and nine bushels of barley for. I always kid my wife. I said, I only paid seven bucks for you. That was a marriage license. It was seven bucks, you know. But he paid quite a price to get his wife back here. He freed her, graciously took her back again. And what was that to portray? But God’s dealings with Israel, with his people, how he would buy them back. Indeed, spiritually, this is exactly what Christ has done by his death on the cross. His people enslaved to sin are liberated. The bonds of sin and death and corruption and Satan’s power are broken. That’s why God’s people are said to be bought with a price and not their own, because Christ owns us. He paid the price for us, and we’ve been released by him. Let it clearly then be understood that Christ provided complete redemption. He redeemed us from all iniquity. You know, when our Lord said it’s finished, that means the sin debt was completely paid. Nothing is held over our heads any longer. Now, the Roman Catholics would have you believe there is a purgatory. So that when you die, somehow or other, you have to pay for the rest of your sins. There are some sins that evidently you still have to suffer for and pay the price for. And then eventually after a number of years, hopefully, you know, prayers of the saints and so forth, you get out. If Christ died for you, let us understand very clearly tonight. You have a full and complete pardon from every sin. Look at David. You see the gross sins that he committed, engaging in adultery with Bashiba. And then, to make it worse, the compounded he plots to death of Bashiba’s husband, Uriah. The law of God did not have a sacrifice for such terrible sins. He deserved to be put to death for what he did. And eternally punished. When confronted by Nathan the prophet, David confesses, I have sinned against the Lord. Is there any hope for this man? Yes, because He has Jesus Christ as His Lord, as he says in Psalm 110, verse 1, The Lord said to my Lord, or in Psalm 23, as we sang, the Lord is my shepherd. Jesus Christ would free David from all iniquity. What is amazing is the promise that comes to him, Nathan says, The Lord hath put away your sin. You shall not die. No wonder David sings with joy in Psalm 32. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not. He does not charge sin. or iniquity. Do you know that joy? Have you been redeemed by Christ? There is no hope of salvation outside of Jesus Christ. All self-raciousness, all so-called good works, have to be renounced. Cast aside as a means of acceptance with God. What we must trust in is Christ’s atonement alone for the salvation of our souls. The thief. The prostitute, the drunkard, the adulterer, can all find forgiveness in Christ. No sinner is too great. Christ redeems us from all iniquity. My friends, I hope as we look at this, we will take comfort in this as his people. That all is forgiven in Christ. The man who wished across the desert needed a guide. Afraid that he would perish. When they came to the desert edge, where’s the road? the guide said, I am the road. Well, when it comes to salvation, when it comes to the way we see things spiritually, Jesus tells us here, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me. Christians, we should rejoice in the great redemption that we have in Christ, our Savior. Let us close with the word of prayer.