Tit 2:13-15 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour 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. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”
In verse twelve, the scripture tells us that the grace of God that brings salvation teaches us. Verse thirteen bears witness to the anticipation that this grace kindles in each of us who are blessed to know that Jesus Christ is our only Savior. The manifestation of this holy truth causes us to anticipate and expect that blessed hope of living godly in the here and now.
It is an evidence of God’s grace in our lives that we are fortunate (blessed) to have confidence (hope) in His work of salvation in our lives. By His grace we expect His glorious appearing in our lives. While I know that we will never see the fullness of His glory in these mortal bodies (Exo 33:20), remember that verses eleven through fourteen are one statement. We cannot behold Him fully, but He still allows us to glimpse His glorious appearing “in this present world (Tit 2:12).”
God causes the riches of His glory to be known to His saints. This is a mystery to the world, but He has caused us to know that this is Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col 1:26-28). When we bow before Him in prayer and discover that we are in direct communion with our God, we see His glorious appearing. As we lift our voices in singing and suddenly find our hearts soaring above the things of this world, we see His glorious appearing. When the preaching of the gospel becomes not just oratory, but the very declaration of God, we see His glorious appearing.
Jesus Christ is both our Savior and our great God! He spoke the world into existence, and He lives in us. He freely gave Himself for us. Note that, as our Savior, He gave Himself for us not to us. He gave Himself for us with forethought and purpose to the end that He would redeem us from all iniquity. We were sold into bondage that we did not have the means to extricate ourselves from; bound in transgressions against our Holy God.
His grace that brings us salvation paid the debt we could not pay. He not only ransomed us from all our transgressions, but He also cleansed us of our sins. Our Savior has made us His special (peculiar) people. The evidence of our special status is found in our eagerness to perform acts that are valuable and virtuous. We seek to do those things that reflect on His glorious appearing and are beneficial to His children rather than seeking the approbation of men.
Once it has been revealed to us that the grace of God brings salvation, this is the thing we are to talk about (speak). Our speech and our action should always point to Him as the source of our very being. We should speak of these things in such a way that others feel an invitation to draw near (exhort) and hear His words. In Him, we speak with authority to convince those He calls to hear that He is all in all.
When we stand in the grace of God that brings salvation, speaking that which is appropriate for sound doctrine, no man can hold His servant in derision!
