Elder Devotional Titus 2:13-14

English Standard Version (Chapter 2)

13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

A. Training in Grace: Teaching Us to Wait (13): waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Paul’s context is set in the grace of God having appeared to save and sanctify the people of God in the practice of the Christian life (11-12). This extends to the believer’s future hope of the second coming of Christ. He refers to this hope as being “blessed” due to it being a fortunate or privileged experience that the believer is to be looking forward to.

In what way does the world system attempt to eclipse or distort this future blessed hope?

The “hope” that Paul is referring to is the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. This will be the second coming of Christ and it will be a glorious return. God is the initiating authority that will bring Jesus Christ for our final salvation. The believer is saved, and is being saved, and will be saved when Christ returns. Often in theological circles these particular aspects of “salvation” have terms that are used to describe them.

Justification- Saved

Sanctification- Being Saved

Glorification-Will Be Saved

God initiates this work as it is carried out by Christ and applied effectually to us as Christians by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Does man participate in these aspects of salvation? Are they conditional or unconditional?

B. Training in Grace: Teaching Us Reliance (14): who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Christ redeemed us. The term “redeem” is a term used in the ancient slave industry or justice system. It denotes the idea of purchasing a slave or prisoner for the purpose of setting them free. The literal idea is “to free by paying a ransom” (BAGD). For the believer we were bound to the obligation to the demands of the law due to our “lawlessness.”

But it is also through the work of Christ that we are purified. The idea behind “purify” is to make clean and it is often used in the context of ritualistic purification or a cleansing from sickness (BAGD). But in this context of how Paul uses it it denotes a purification that meets the standards of the holiness of God. This is critical if believers are going to be the possession of God and zealous for good works.

Why did God redeem us according to verse 14? How does this truth shape pastoral ministry?