Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Titus 2:11-14
For The Grace Of God, which was made possible by the shedding of the precious blood of Christ, His one sacrifice on Calvary, is the only means we have That Bringeth Salvation. There is salvation in none other. This is the salvation that Hath Appeared To All Men without distinction, to the great and small, and to rich and poor.
It is the grace of God that chastens us, Teaching Us That, Denying all the benefits of Ungodliness or any compromise thereunto, And Worldly Lusts which put our minds upon ourselves instead of upon God and His will for us, We Should Live Soberly (the aged, the young women, and the young men), using good judgment so that we may also live Righteously, doing at all times that which is right and not an offense to our neighbor, And also live Godly, knowing full well that they who would live godly must suffer persecution. These things are the instructions for all who walk In This Present World, this evil age.
Our main occupation in this present evil age should be our Looking For That Blessed Hope, which is embodied in a Person, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He, the risen and ascended Christ, the Head of the church, which is His Body, is our hope. And we should also be looking for THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD, the very one Thomas greeted as his Lord and his God. We have the assurance that when He appears, then shall we appear with Him in glory also. That appearance will be in the very place where our citizenship is at the present time. Already, we can claim to be seated with Christ in that place and blest in Him with every blessing that is spiritual.
So it is from this place of citizenship and blessing that we look for the appearing of God AND OUR SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. Actually, no man has seen God. He is invisible to the mortal eye. But we are assured that someday, in a new body with immortal eyes, we, in some way, will be able to see Him. We do not understand how it will be now, but someday we will.
Now many men, even tho professing the name of Christ, find it hard to believe that it was God who came and tabernacled in the likeness of sinful flesh, that it was God who humbled Himself even to the taking on Himself the form of a slave, WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR US, a willing sacrifice, THAT HE MIGHT REDEEM US FROM ALL INIQUITY, by the purifying of His own blood. This will result in the standing before Him without any spot or wrinkle, holy and without blame.
This work is not only to redeem us but there is a further work that makes us meet for the inheritance and to stand in His presence. AND PURIFY UNTO HIMSELF A PECULIAR PEOPLE, a treasure, as it is used of His people Israel. It is a people that is acquired as the finding of hidden wealth.
And in our modern language, these are indeed a peculiar or strange people, strange to all the world, in that they are ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS.
