Redeeming Love! # 1

Redeeming Love # 1

"He gave Himself for us - that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14).

The first and second advent of Christ are frequently presented to our notice together in the New Testament. The former sometimes introduces the latter, and sometimes the reverse. In writing to Titus, the apostle's mind was wafted away by the inspiring Spirit, to the second coming of the Lord, and he speaks of it as the "blessed hope" of the church of God, for which believers were looking and longing. Then he brings forth the end and design of the first advent - and says, "Who gave Himself for us - that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous for good works."

The glorious FACT. "HE gave Himself!" Yes, Jesus gave Himself for us. Note the contrast between the Giver - and those for whom He gave Himself.

The Giver is He who was the only begotten Son of God, the author of creation, the sustainer of the universe, the brightness of divine glory, the source and end of all things! He who was proclaimed by the prophet as "the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace." He who is declared by the apostle to be "God over all - blessed for evermore!" He who is "God manifest in the flesh."

"He gave Himself for US - who at the best are mere creatures, between whom and our Creator there can be no comparison. But it was not for us as mere creatures - but for us as base, vile, insignificant, and totally depraved creatures! We had debased ourselves, even unto hell. Worse, our nature could not be, for "the human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked!"

The most exalted, glorious, and holy being in the universe - gave Himself for the most vile, polluted, and degraded of His creatures! O how astonishing!

But He volunteered on our behalf, without any solicitation, offering to become our Substitute and fulfill the law in our stead; our Sacrifice, and make a full atonement for our sins; and our Ransomer, paying the satisfactory price for our redemption.

He engaged to bear the desert of all our sins in His own body - to suffer all that the inflexible justice of God could inflict on our Surety - and so put away our sins forever, by the sacrifice of Himself. He gave His person - for our persons; His blood - as our ransom price; and His life - for our lives.

He gave His entire self, doing and suffering all that was necessary to secure our release from sin's curse, and our everlasting salvation. O amazing grace of a gracious Saviour!

The OBJECT in View. He gave Himself that He might justly redeem, ransom, or deliver us - from the guilt, power, and penal consequences of sin. He gave Himself to expiate the guilt, to destroy the power, and secure us against the eternal desert of our transgressions. He gave Himself to purify unto Himself, by fully expiating their sins, a peculiar people: a people purchased - to be peculiarly His own; a people sanctified, separated from all others - to be set apart for Himself; a people to be His own subjects - as the King of Zion; a people to be His own soldiers - as the Captain of our salvation; a people to be His own servants - as the Lord of the house; a people to be His own children - as the everlasting Father!

He redeemed us from all who claimed us, and from every claim that could be made upon us - in order that we might be honorably, exclusively, and eternally "His own". His own, in the highest, fullest, and most glorious sense.

His own peculiar people, "zealous for good works." That being influenced by His love, affected by His example, enabled by His Spirit, and guided by His Word - they may answer the gracious design of God, zealously performing "good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." Thus, grace is gloriously displayed, man's salvation is secured, and God's glory by the good works of His people, is rendered certain!

~James Smith~

(continued with # 2)