Titus 2.14-The Two-Fold Purpose-Result of Jesus Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday June 8, 2014
Titus: Titus 2:14-The Two-Fold Purpose and Result of Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross
Lesson # 25
Please turn in your Bibles to Titus 2:11.
Titus 2:11 For the grace originating from God has been manifested offering salvation for the benefit of each and every member of the human race. 12 It simultaneously instructs us that we are to live in a self-controlled manner, righteously as well as godly during this present age while rejecting that which is characterized as ungodliness, specifically, that which is characterized as worldly desires. 13 The means of doing this which benefits ourselves is by making it our habit of anticipating the confident expectation which is characterized by transcendent happiness, specifically, the appearing of the Glory who is our great God as well as Savior, namely Jesus Christ. 14 He gave Himself on behalf of each and every one of us as a substitute so as to set each and every one of us free from each and every lawless action as well as to purify a special people for Himself who are dedicated to performing excellent works. (My translation)
Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (NASB95)
“Who gave Himself for us” refers to Jesus Christ dedicating Himself to the specific purpose of redeeming the church with His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross and to purify for Himself a special people dedicated to performing excellent works.
It also speaks of Him accomplishing both of these on the cross.
The statement emphasizes the voluntary nature of Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.
“For us” is emphasizing Christ gave Himself for the benefit of each and every member of the church.
Though Christ died as a substitute for all of sinful mankind it is not referring to the entire human race here but rather only the church.
If Paul were referring to all of humanity including the church, he would have employed the adjective pas, “all” here as he did in 1 Timothy 2:6 where he used this word with didomi and heautou.
“For us” marks each and every member of the church-past, present and future, as “benefited” by Jesus Christ giving Himself and suffering a spiritual and physical death on the cross but also it denotes the Lord died as their “substitute” as well.
“To redeem us from every lawless deed” is a purpose-result clause which presents both the purpose and the result for Jesus Christ giving Himself on the cross on behalf of each and every member of the church as their substitute.
It emphasizes that the purpose of Christ giving of Himself at the cross was to redeem the Christian from every lawless action and also emphasizes that this resulted in His redeeming the Christian from every lawless action.
“To redeem us” is the verb lutroomai (λυτρόομαι), which means “to release for a ransom, to redeem, to liberate, to deliver, the actual deliverance, the setting at liberty” (Luke 24:21; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18).
In Titus 2:14, it is again used of the Lord Jesus Christ where it is used in a spiritual sense for His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.
The word speaks of these deaths as redeeming the church in the sense of purchasing her out from the slave market of sin or in other words, setting her free from the bondage to sin and Satan.
“Redemption” refers to that aspect of Christ’s finished work on the Cross-that “purchased” all of humanity out of the slave market of sin and is appropriated through the non-meritorious decision to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
The doctrine of redemption refers to the fact that Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross were a substitutionary ransom for the benefit of each and every member of the human race.
There are many references in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus Christ “purchasing” the entire human race out of the slave market of sin by means of His voluntary, substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28; Acts 20:28-29; Romans 3:24; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:20; 7:23; Galatians 3:13-14; 4:4-6; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; Hebrews 9:11-15; 1 Peter 1:17-19; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation 5:9; 14:1-5).
“And to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” is also a purpose-result clause that presents both the purpose and the result for Jesus Christ giving Himself on the cross on behalf of each and every member of the church as their substitute.
It emphasizes that the purpose of Christ giving of Himself at the cross was to purify a special people for Himself who are dedicated to performing excellent works and it also emphasizes that this resulted in His purifying a special people for Himself who are dedicated to performing excellent works.
“To purify” is the verb katharizō (καθαρίζω), which means “to purify” from sin and the sin nature so that one is acceptable to God who is holy.
Therefore, this word denotes that Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths was for the purpose of purifying the church for Himself and the other two members of the Trinity.
These sacrificial deaths made them acceptable to Himself and God so that they could have a relationship and fellowship with Himself and the other two members of the Trinity.
“A people for His own possession” refers here to the church and not Israel and denotes Christ’s exclusive ownership of the church and that the church is Christ’s treasured possession.
“Zealous for good deeds” refers to the church being “zealous” or “eager” to perform good works in the sense that they are totally committed or dedicated and enthusiastic to perform good works.
The noun ergon means “works, actions” referring to actions performed by the church while in fellowship with God which are produced by the Holy Spirit through the Christian when they exercise faith in the Word of God which results in obedience to the will of the Father, which is revealed by the Spirit in the Word.
It speaks of the works or actions that the Holy Spirit performs through the Christian as a result of the Christian’s obedience to the commands and prohibitions in the Word of God, which are inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The adjective kalos means “excellent” and describes these works or actions as being of the highest moral quality or character because they were done by the power of the Spirit as a result of obedience to the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions in the Word of God.
The implication is that these works or actions are useful and a great benefit to the Christian community, the entire human race and to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Titus 2:14 He gave Himself on behalf of each and every one of us as a substitute so as to set each and every one of us free from each and every lawless action as well as to purify a special people for Himself who are dedicated to performing excellent works. (My translation)
The apostle Paul’s statement is directly tied to his statements in verses 12 and 13.
In verse 11, he taught that the grace originating from God has been manifested offering salvation for the benefit of each and every member of the human race.
Then, in verse 12, he teaches that simultaneously with this, the grace of God instructs the Christian to live in a self-controlled manner, righteously as well as godly during this present age while rejecting that which is characterized as ungodliness, specifically, that which is characterized as worldly desires.
In verse 13, he presents the means of accomplishing this, namely by making it a habit of anticipating the confident expectation which is characterized by transcendent happiness.
This confident expectation refers specifically to the appearing of the Glory who is our great God as well as Savior, namely Jesus Christ at the rapture or resurrection of the church.
Now, here in verse 14, he teaches that Jesus Christ gave Himself on behalf the Christian church as a substitute in order to set them free from each and every lawless action as well as to purify a special people for Himself who are dedicated to performing excellent works.
The reference to being dedicated to performing good works refers to the result of the Christian living in a self-controlled manner, righteously as well as godly during this present age while rejecting that which is characterized as ungodliness, specifically, that which is characterized as worldly desires.
It also presents the result of the Christian making it their habit of anticipating the confident expectation which is characterized by transcendent happiness.
Specifically, it presents the result of making it their habit of anticipating the appearing of the Glory who is our great God as well as Savior, namely Jesus Christ at the rapture or resurrection of the church.
Titus 2:14 presents a two-fold purpose-result for the First Advent of Jesus Christ and thus the incarnation of the Son of God which is described in verse 11.
Christ saved us from sin and Satan in order that we would be able to perform works which are pleasing to Him and His Father.
Paul’s statement here in Titus 2:14 with regards to Jesus Christ explain in detail what he meant by describing Jesus Christ in Titus 2:13 as the Savior.
So here in Titus 2:14, the apostle Paul presents a two-fold purpose-result for Jesus Christ giving Himself up at the cross through His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.
First, He sacrificed Himself in order to redeem or set the Christian free from the slavery to sin and Satan and secondly, He gave Himself on the cross in order to purify from sin and Satan a special people for Himself who are dedicated to performing excellent works.
The fulfillment of the first purpose-result enables the second purpose-result to be accomplished.
In other words, Christ’s sacrifice made it possible for the Christian to be dedicated to performing excellent works in that His sacrifice purified them from sin and Satan so that they would have the capacity to be dedicated to performing good works.