"He Will Purify for Himself a People"
[Titus 2:11-14]
December 24, 2007 Second Reformed Church
We have come to the evening before the day we celebrate the birth of our God and Savior in history. Why do we celebrate? Does this two thousand year old birth mean anything for us? Do it do anything for us? Or do we celebrate tomorrow and then quickly move on to our New Year's Resolutions, which we will break on January second, as we settle back into the usual routine?
This evening's Scripture comes from Paul's letter to Titus. Titus was a
young minister that Paul had taught and left on the island on Crete. Titus was the minister of the Church of Crete. Paul wrote this letter to encourage Titus and to remind him that he had been sent there to put things in order.
Cretans were, well, even today, when we call someone a "Cretan," it's not a compliment. Paul quotes a Cretan describing his fellow Cretans this way: "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." That's what someone who liked the Cretans said.
Paul left Titus at Crete, aware of the kind of people Cretans were, and Paul instructed Titus to straighten them out -- to make them understand that Christians cannot act like that. They were not to be like everyone else -- they were to be different, because they were now members of Christ's Church. And Paul also instructed Titus to rebuke those people who were bringing Jewish myths and other unprofitable tales into the Church -- he was to teach and preach sound doctrine -- just what the Scripture said. And the doctrine -- the teaching of the Scripture -- is for all persons in the Church -- the old, the young, men, women, slaves, and free -- all of the Scripture applies to all of them.
In the section before our Scripture, Paul says that they should live out the doctrine they are taught in such a way "so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior" or "so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior" (NRSV).
Why do we put ornaments on the Christmas tree? Why don't we just leave the tree bare? What do the ornaments do? The ornaments attract us to the tree, do they not? They say, "look over here: it's a Christmas tree." Ornaments put an object in a spot light. Why do we wear jewelry? Why do we wear make-up? It's all done to drawn attention.
Paul said that the way these Christians lived out Titus' teaching should draw attention to the doctrine they were taught and the God and Savior in Whom they believed. Teaching in the Church and the sermon are not to put the spotlight on me, or you, but on God our Savior, Jesus. Every sermon should say within it, "Look at Jesus! See Him for Who He is!"
And then Paul says, "For" or "because" "the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people." The Christians on Crete, and the Christians here this evening ought to live out what is taught in the Church in such a way that it draws attention to Jesus, because, God in His Grace, has granted us -- old, young, men, women, slave, free -- every type of person that there is in the Church -- God has graciously granted us His Salvation.
Why? Why did God grant us salvation? Why did the Son Incarnate? Why was He born on earth two thousand years ago? Paul gives us three reasons -- three purposes:
First, God granted us His Salvation that He would "train[] us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this age." We remember what John wrote: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride in possessions -- is not from the Father but from
the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (I John 2:15-17).
We are an ornament to Jesus as we are trained to renounce sin and all its ways and live according to all the commandments of God.
Second, God grants us His Salvation that we would be able to "wait for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." As Peter wrote: "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (II Peter 3:10-13).
We are an ornament to Jesus as were are trained to be patient with the sure hope of the return of Jesus, in glory, with every promise fulfilled.
Third, God grants us His Salvation by giving Himself for us that He would "redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." God the Son gave up His Life to purchase us from God the Father. He lived a perfect life, which we could not, and that was part of the payment for us, and then He endured God's Wrath on the cross, to complete the transaction for everyone who would ever believe.
And now, God the Holy Spirit indwells us and is purifying us -- He is making us holy for Jesus, and He is leading us in good works as a response to what God Alone has done for us in Salvation. Paul put it this way: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10).
We are an ornament to Jesus in that He has redeemed us from our sins and is purifying us for Himself, and making us zealous to do His good works, in response to His Work.
Tomorrow is Christmas: we rejoice and celebrate because Jesus is purifying for Himself a people. In this Scripture, we have New Year's resolutions that we can make and we will keep, because it is not we that accomplish them, but Jesus.
Jesus is purifying a people -- us -- all those who believe -- for Himself, so we will renounce impiety and worldly passions and live upright and godly lives. We will wait with assurance on that blessed hope we have in the return of Jesus and the manifestation of His Glory. We have been redeemed and we are being purified and we will be zealous for the good works He has set before us.
We -- His people -- are His gift to Himself. Jesus received gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as a Little Baby, but they were pale ornaments -- shadows -- of His Glory. In coming to earth that first Christmas, He made legal claim on those He has chosen to be His people, and in purifying us for Himself, we are become ornaments that reflect back some of His Glory upon Himself. As He purifies us, we glorify Him, until that final day, when all is revealed, and we behold the fullness of His Glory in joy forever.
Let us pray:
May God Almighty, Who by the Incarnation of His only begotten Son drove away the darkness of the world, and by His glorious Birth enlightened this day,
drive away from us the darkness of sins
and enlighten our hearts with the light of Christian graces.
And may He who willed that the great day of His most holy Birth should be told to the shepherds by an angel,
pour upon us the refreshing shower of His blessing,
and guide us, Himself being our Shepherd, to the pastures of everlasting joy.
And may He, Who through His incarnation united earthly things with heavenly,
fill us with the sweetness of inward peace and goodwill,
and make us partakers with the heavenly host;
for the glory of His great Name.
Thomas Thellusson Carter (1808-1901)
A Treasury of Devotion, 1869
From A Chain of Prayer Across the Ages: Forty Centuries of Prayer,
2000 B.C. – A.D. 1923
Published in London by John Murray
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