Verse 13 is a tower of assurance concerning the Lord’s return. It should be burnished brightly in each of our hearts and minds. “Looking for that blessed hope,” the Apostle encourages us. Those who possess this hope are the ones who are ex periencing the present discipline of the grace of God. This all implies an attitude of eager expectancy, a readi ness to welcome the One who is awaited. Both “hope” and “appear ing” are under the government grammatically of one article. Thus it unites them together as one. Paul was thinking of our Lord’s return and glory, considered from two dif fering points of view. The climax of all our blessings is vitally re lated to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ returns, it will be His glory. Scripture is the clear tes timony as to the deity of our Lord. Paul means that Christ appears in the glory of the Father, as well as in His own glory. What a marvelous preface to the purpose of redemption (v. 14)! Here we again find the truth of Christian sanctification. the few moments required to read through this entire epistle several times. Thereby its message will be come more relevant for your life. The second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the expectancy of every New Testament believer. Redemption was wrought through our Saviour’s self-sacrifice (Titus 2:14). Christ gave Himself for us. His whole unique personality was the substitu tionary atonement for us. It's im possible to exclude the idea of spir itual substitution from this wonder ful verse. Our bondage and spiritual captivity had to be undone. We can’t help but see the completeness of His deliverance. He has redeemed us 13 C hapter T welve D uring our course of study, it’s my earnest hope that you will take
C hapter E leven C onsidering the truth of redemp tion, the study of God’s divine grace is inexhaustible. In Titus 2: 11-14 we have delineated another wonderful picture of salvation and its attendant responsibilities. The final aim God has for our lives is not creed but character. The gospel offers not merely an escape from the punishment of sin, but, as al lowed, aims to effect a transforma tion of the human character and con duct of the believer. Everything offensive to God, and contrary to grace, must be absolutely renounced. This is why we’re to deny ungodli ness and worldly lusts. The sins to be renounced have a God-ward and a world-ward reference. An ungodly man is not necessarily a wicked and outspoken sinner. But, however moral he may be, there’s no place for God in his life. Such a person may be cultured, refined, and lovely in his actions, but without God all is folly. The Christian must have more than just a negative virtue, resulting from giving up sin. We must also cultivate the positive values of life (2:12). It’s not applied to a specific group, but is given as the character istic of every true believer. God’s grace requires of us a life of truth and strict justice in our beliefs to ward our fellow men. The old atti tude of indifference to God has now been replaced by an attitude of su preme devotion to Him. We should ever be conscious of living in His presence. The worldly instinctively recognize contradiction in Christian profession when Christ-like char acteristics are lacking. It’s “in this present world” that we’re to live for the Lord. If Paul knew it was pos sible for believers, amid their de graded environment on the island of Crete, to live for the Lord, surely we can’t excuse ourselves in this day. Those who receive the- instruction of the grace of God are enabled to live for the Lord.
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