Jesus Wants a People for Himself
Jim Ladd
It’s only 15 verses, but Titus chapter 2 is packed with some hard-to-swallow but desperately needed wisdom for today’s world. If you believe that we should demand that our rights be honored and protected, you need to read this chapter! The big idea of the chapter is that Jesus wants a people for Himself - that are His very own - and who are eager to place His Kingdom above all of their own personal rights, desires and dreams.
Here are some thoughts to consider from this powerful chapter:
Grace has come so that we can “say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”
Jesus gave himself for us to “redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
So obsessed with Jesus and His Kingdom are we to be that we would subjugate our fleshly desires, our earthly dreams and our individual rights for the glory of Jesus and the ongoing ministry of His Word.
All of us, young and old, male and female, must learn to live our lives with one goal - “that no one will malign the word of God.”
Women are to live their lives with this objective - sacrificially.
Young men are to be self-controlled and setting an example with their behaviors.
Slaves are to be subject to their masters in everything, trying to please them and never stealing from them - showing themselves to be fully trusted “so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.”
The bottom line: Jesus pours out His grace, not so that you and I can have our own rights empowered and protected. He pours out His grace that we might live our lives entirely for His glory. How much so? So much that we would suffer loss of rights, or endure difficult circumstances purely so the Word of God might go further.
God’s glory above all else.
The attractive nature of the Gospel above the protection of our own rights.
Personal purity as a focused personal pursuit, so that the Name of Jesus gets glorified!
He>I