Seeking for the help of the Lord, I direct your prayerful attention to Titus chapter 2 and reading from our text, verse 14. Titus chapter 2, verse 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity. and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Our text tells us why the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for his people. That he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

The reason given belongs to this world, how his people walk, how they behave, how they show forth the praises of him who hath called them out of nature's darkness and into his marvellous light.

You might say, well, that's not the only reason why Christ died. And it is not. But it is one reason.

We think of the other places, some of them, there's many places that tell us why it is that Christ died. In Romans chapter five, we're told that it is that he might reconcile outside us to God by the death of his Son. Man is alienated from God, separated from God, and it is through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that God and sinners are reconciled. He is the one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. So that is another reason set forth in scripture, why our Lord Jesus Christ died.

Then we are told in Hebrews, in Hebrews chapter nine, verse 26, that it is that now in the last, in the end of the world, or after all the types and the shadows, he hath appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself. And so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. So another reason why our Lord died was to bear the sins of many, the sins of his own people.

We think of the summary and how Paul sets it forth in his first epistle to the Corinthians in chapter 15. He says there in verse 3, For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and he introduces two reasons there why Christ died. One, it is for our sins, and secondly, it is that the scriptures might be fulfilled, which is very clearly stated by our Lord in Matthew, that these things were done, that the scriptures might be fulfilled.

When Paul writes to the Galatians, he brings forth further clear reasons in chapter 4 and verse 5. To redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Again, two reasons. A people under the law, condemned, guilty, the sentence of the law upon them, No possibility had been delivered from that sentence, but Christ has died to set them free by a payment of a price, so that the Lord does not have any more demand upon them. They have been redeemed and set free.

But then there's another reason there in that verse, that we might receive the adoption of sons. might be as part of his living family, joined together with the people of God.

All of these things are set before us. We have in Hebrews as well that he is manifested, he died to destroy him that had power over death, that is the devil, to deliver his people.

And then the desire that he has in that beautiful intercessory prayer of our Lord Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. And this is taken up also by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. He says, For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

And so again, a clear reason why, why Christ died, is not just a simple one statement summary. In the Scriptures, the Scriptures gives many facets, many reasons why, or many benefits and blessings that flow forth from Christ's sufferings, from His death. And our text then is, you might say, just one of them, but it's a very important one. It's one that bears within a true witness that we are the people of God.

It is one that, above all things, The world sees. The Lord says that we are the light of the world. We are the salt of the world. The world cannot see our hope beyond the grave. They cannot see our sins pardoned and forgiven. They cannot see that we're adopted as his sons, as his children. They cannot see that we're free from the condemnation of the law. They can see where He has made a difference in our lives. We are a different people. We are peculiar people. We show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of nature's darkness. And in that way, that is a very important reason.

What if all of the other reasons were so, and yet in Christ's death, There was not any provision to help or give grace to His people in this life to live to His honour and glory. We have the beautiful name of Jesus. His name shall be called Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. That's not just saving them to heaven, saving from the judgment or condemnation due to their sin. It is saving them from the power and dominion of their sins here below. So they're not slaves to sin, they live to God's glory.

Paul, concerned when he sets forth the doctrines of grace, he comes to Romans 6 and he warns and he says, shall we sin that grace might abound? If our salvation doesn't depend on our works, care to maintain good works. Well, he gives the reason why. And he gives the reason why here when he writes to Titus and he gives direction to him, to Timothy, that when they're preaching, when they're setting forth, he says, I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God be careful to maintain good works.

And so I want to look this evening, especially highlighting this one aspect of the reason why Christ died. He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifying to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. So there's three points in our text. The first is that what Jesus did, he gave himself for us. Then we have, secondly, the reason that is given in the text, the rest of the text. And then we have, lastly, I want to bring this point in, that faith in Christ must come first, then works.

And under that last point, it is especially thinking of that which is in the following chapter, where the exhortation is that they which have believed in God, Be careful to maintain good works. Believing must come first. I want to emphasize that there. That firstly, what Jesus did. He does not say here that Jesus died for us. He did, he died for his people. Remember this epistle? It is writing to those that are God's elect, those that have hope of eternal life, and he's writing to those that are believers, to Titus, a believer, to Titus, a minister, a bishop. But the point that he puts is, He gave himself for us in a very special way that Paul describes what the Lord Jesus Christ has done.

We think of our Lord in glory and he spoke of that time with his father, the communion, the fellowship, that he had with his father. Why did he come? Why did he leave his father? Why did he take on him to be made like of the seed of Abraham? It was a giving, a giving of himself for a people. It wasn't even just doing something for someone else. It was a giving himself. And there's a real difference, isn't there? We can do something for someone else, but if we give ourselves for that person, that's a much greater commitment to that person. And this is what the Lord is said to have done for his people.

He's not giving, like the Israelites had to come and they had to give a lamb. That was not themselves, it was something else. But when Isaac questioned Abraham going up on Mount Moriah, he says, my father, the fire and the word, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham's answer was, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. Not God will provide a lamb for a burnt offering, but God will provide himself a lamb. He shall be the lamb. He is the paschal lamb. He is the sacrifice and he is the offerer.

The love the Lord had to his people, the commitment to them, in how he came, the form he came, all that he endured, was a complete of giving himself for his people. Jesus in the sinner's place, greater love had no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. If you do whatsoever, I command you. That which the Lord did on Calvary, we might say is the pinnacle of the Lord giving himself for us.

Because if we take the whole, he gave himself, the second person of the Trinity, his divine person to be joined with man, with flesh, with the seed of the woman, forever being joined, never again being not joined. Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh. He gave himself to work a robe of righteousness for his people, so that when he had put away their sins at Calvary, that he would also clothe them so that they may stand faultless before the throne of God.

He gave himself to live a spotless life, to endure the contradiction of sinners against himself, to be tempted above every man, that he might be able to give such a robe to his people. He gave himself to be that sacrifice and that ransom. And it didn't stop there. He gave himself to be their life. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, in him we live and move and have our being. And it didn't stop there either. He gave himself to be that one mediator appearing in the presence of God for us, a voice that speaks in heaven's high court for good for us.

All that the Lord is revealed in scripture as doing is for his people. For God's honour and glory in the salvation of his people, providing for every part of their salvation, and providing for this part, that in this life, while they are here, while they are sinners, while they're still being tempted by Satan, while they still fall by sin, that they should, in spite of all of that, not have sin as a dominion over them, but sin though it live in them, they do not live in sin, and that they are then a people that is very different than what they were Before they were called, before they were saved, now they are a people what they are as the Apostle Paul says, I am by the grace of God, I am what I am. And he's pointing to the change in his life as that flowing forth from Christ.

May we have remain with us this evening, not just of the Lord dying for us, but giving himself for us. And we may say for every individual sinner, it's easy to look upon all of the people of God, but every one, every one soul needs the Lord to be given for them, just as much as the other. Each individual makes up the whole. If one was to be lost, if one was to prove a cast away, one was not given grace and help to live to his honour and glory, then that does not bring glory to God. It makes that not a certain salvation and that grace not sufficient. But it is sufficient and this is a provision in the Lord, one of the things that he gave himself for us to do.

So I want to look then, secondly, the reason given in the text. What is the reason? Well, there's really three reasons that are given here. The first is that he might redeem us from all iniquity. Redeem is to set free by payment of a price. Iniquity means that which is immoral or grossly unfair behaviour. It is pointing to willful, ongoing sin rather than a simple mistake or a transgression, a single transgression or tripper. It is speaking of really a immoral life, a whole pattern of life. And this is what the Lord here said to redeem us from, so that we do not continue in a pattern of life that we once were walking in.

When Paul writes to the Ephesians, he says in the second chapter, you have thee quickened, you were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." And he pictures this course of life outside of Christ before the Lord gave himself to redeem us.

And then he says, but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us or made us alive together with Christ by grace ye are saved. And so later on he says, We're not saved by works, as any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. This is his same message. Works that we are to walk in.

And it's not that the Lord would say, You have been redeemed. Your sins have been put away. You have been saved from hell. You've been saved to heaven. And now it's up to you to do your part and to walk worthy of me and to show forth by your deeds how grateful you are.

Now the Lord says, I will give you grace for that. One reason why I died is that I might redeem you from all iniquity. That is from loving sin, walking in it, walking according to the course of this world, a setting free from that. And it's one aspect that is really seen. It's one way that God's people can see that they are God's people when they willingly and lovingly, and they want, like the apostle, he would do good. But evil was present with him. But he wanted to do good. He didn't want his former course of life. He didn't want the way that he had been going. His flesh still wanted to go. He says, I keep under my body. He still had that resistance. We read it in Hebrews 12. You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

The resistance is still there. The evil is still there. The fallen nature is still there. But here is a soul that has been redeemed and they now want to do good. The apostle says that who shall deliver me from this body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord. And he's pointing, just like he is here, to Calvary, to what the Lord Jesus Christ has done to save him in this present world, to make him a renewed character, one that lives to God's praise. And so this is one reason why the Lord gave himself for his people.

And we shouldn't separate these things. If we're looking for those tokens and helps as to know that we are the people of God, we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. There's been an outward change that has made us to have the company with the brethren rather than the world. How it did with the Apostle Paul, he completely changed size, didn't he? and he became the persecuted one that was once persecuting. The difference that God has made, changed character.

The next book in the Bible here is the epistle of Paul to Philemon. What was Onesimus? Onesimus, a runaway slave, couldn't bear his servitude. He runs away, and he runs away and he goes to Rome and he goes to Paul and there is Paul in chains. And yet here is a slave that he's not willing to be under servitude and he comes to one that is a willing slave or willing servant, a captive of the Lord. And the Lord uses Paul's testimony and witness and he is converted, he is changed. And when Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon He says that he is now, and not as now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, especially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord, a changed character.

Why is that? How did that happen? How is it that with Onesimus being saved, It should also affect his life and his conduct and what he does, because the same saving, the same quickening grace, the same saving grace may provision for a change of life, a change of thought as well. Brings out from the dominion of sin, the sin shall not have dominion over you, you're not under the law, you're under grace. So this flows from the Lord. And where we have been made willing, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. We have an inseparable token that that willingness flows forth from Christ's death.

You might say, I don't know Christ died for me. I don't know that he put away my sins. I don't know that he redeemed me. I don't know that he's made a way that I can be with him in heaven. But this I do know. He's changed my heart, my life, my desires, my will, and he's made me a different person. And you know where that is so. Others around us will notice it too. They'll see that as well.

We have a second reason given, that he might purify unto himself A peculiar people. A peculiar people. That is a special people. A people that belong to Him by purchase. Yes, the world will say God's people are peculiar. They're peculiar beliefs and ways and practices, but the Lord says of His ancient people, that you only have I known of all nations of the earth. Haman even identified the people of God that their laws were different than other people's laws, their ways were different. Be not conformed to this world, be exalted. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The Lord says of his people, they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. And then he says, I've given them thy word, and the world hath hated them. And all the time it's making a distinction, a difference. They are a people, and they're described here as being a peculiar people, but is a people that are purified unto himself. And in one sense, We have the purification spoken of when Paul writes to the Ephesians and he writes to them as in the type of a husband and a wife and as the Lord making his church as his wife and to be ready for him.

Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Again, we're having the same language. Gave himself for it, for the church. Why? We have the same reason as in our text. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

When the Lord gives his people life, he opens their ear. He that hath an ear, let him hear. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. It is through the word, through hearing it, and being taught of it, that we are taught what is acceptable unto the Lord, what is the right way, what is the wrong way.

The Lord said of those that believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then shall ye be my disciples indeed. Ye shall know the truth, the truth shall make you free. And the Word is like the washing of water by the Word. As it washes over us, as it is preached to us, as we read it, we drink into it. We drink into what it says, how it is teaching us, instructing us, telling us the way that we should go. And a newborn soul, it listens.

How often the Lord emphasised being doers of the Word. and not hearers, only to saving your own selves. He gave the parable of the one that built his house upon the sand and one upon the rock. And the difference was the one that was a doer of the word and one that was a hearer only and not a doer. And so the doer of the word was one that his house was on a rock. The floods came, the winds blew, and it stood. was the other one, it fell. Great was the fall of it.

" Again, the Lord using the Word of God, not when he converts a soul, when he calls a soul that automatically, instantly, suddenly thinks everything right, does everything right, doesn't need the Word, doesn't need instruction. No, they do. they do need instruction, they do need teaching. This, of course, is more greatly highlighted when someone, a first-generation Christian, one that has not been brought up under the sound of the truth, perhaps never read the Word of God, and yet the Lord has been pleased to call them and open their eyes, they need much patience, much instruction, things that those known the truth from a child, you think, of course you should do that. And they'll be offended at a true believer because they didn't dress right, didn't speak right, didn't do things right. But in due time they'll be taught, they'll learn those things. They don't come automatically.

And we must not take secondary things as if they replaced important things. But the Lord uses this for his people. They are to have a hearing ear, and they are to be taught how though to walk, how though to act, a purifier unto himself, a peculiar people, cleansing them in their thoughts, affections, their words, their attitude, their works, everything.

And this then leads to the third reason That is, that he might make the people zealous of good works. Purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. That is, they're not treating it as something that is indifferent and not important. They are really treating this as a very important part of their life and of their witness, And they're looking at how they walk before the Lord and before men, how they act, what they say, with a desire that they might not offend the Lord, not bring a reproach upon His name, but that they might walk in a godly, upright way in the fear of the Lord. They are zealous for that. It is their desire that it be so.

This is why the Lord gave himself for us. Really, regarding good works, regarding repentance, our good works will never be perfect here below. Our repentance will never be perfect here below. But if our repentance is a matter of the heart, we desire to repent, we desire to return. to the Lord. And if our works, we desire and we are zealous, we're careful, we're watching for good works, and yet because sinners, that can't be perfect. But the desire, the attitude of the heart and the mind, the aim, the course, is so very different.

Christ has given that zealousness, he's given that desire, And he's given that open ear. He's given a people that want to pattern their lives according to the Word of God, so that it might be said of them like with Daniel, when those of his accusers sought to find something against him, they could not. They could not. They said only in the matter of his God and how he worshipped his God. What a testimony.

And we should remember this, Daniel, and like Nehemiah as well, they held important posts, very like those of you here, that spend most of your week in your labours, you're amongst the world, you're with other people, other people are seeing you, hearing you, acting around you, and it is in those contexts especially that we are to remember whose we are and whom we serve. Many will never go into a place of worship. They won't hear the word of God, but they'll see the difference. They'll see how God's people live, and they'll say, this is a peculiar people. Why do you do those things we don't do? And why don't you do the things that we do? And sometimes it will be a way of of wrathing and derision, but they are acknowledging that there is a difference.

I remember many such occasions like that in my early 20s. And many times I was just goaded and, you know, go and live your life to the full, come down to the pub with us and do this and do that. And they knew there was a difference. They could see it. And they tried to really use it to ridicule and persecute, but in a way it was a real testimony. The Lord had made that difference.

And so if we would know those good works that we are to walk in, it is the Word of God that shows us what those are. And it is His giving Himself for us, the grace that He gives, that gives that willingness to learn. and to walk according to the word of God. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereof according to thy word. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path. That is the difference. We have the word of God and we have also the Lord going before us. The Lord says, when he put forth his sheep, he goeth before them. We follow Him, we look to Him, and the Apostle Paul says, be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ Jesus.

But I want to look at now our third main point, and that is, faith in Christ must come first, then works. I want to read again in the third chapter, verse 8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These are good and profitable unto men.

Here's one of those portions that we could perhaps highlight a truth by taking out some words. And these things I will that thou affirm constantly that we might be careful to maintain good works. But he's put in there that they which have believed in God might be careful. And there's a real reason why, there's a real danger here.

If we go back to the Apostle Paul in Romans 10, remember our text is speaking of those zealous of good works. And Paul says here in Romans 10, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, are going about to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

The great, great danger. Paul, he says, here is a people that have not yet had their eyes open. They are not trusting alone in Christ for salvation. They are trusting in their good works. And they're zealous in their good works. They're leaning on those good works for salvation. Now the apostle would not come to this people in Romans 10 with our text and exhort them to good works. He would say, no, you look alone to Christ, you get saved first, you'll be redeemed first. Don't mask your unbelief, mask your lost condition by just a veneer of good works, because that is not saving. We want those good works to flow out as a fruit of salvation, not as a cause of salvation.

And so it is a very important thing. I feel, as a minister of the gospel, what a solemn thing it would be to not make this distinction and have some of the congregation taking up with a desire or an effort to live like God's people, however good it might be, and maybe might even do it more successfully than God's people, but without it being with the motive of showing praise to God, and with it being the motive that, well, God must reward me because I'm a good person. That is to be putting someone as deceived and walking through life, trusting in a lie, and at last find that they were not the Lord's people at all.

You might say, well, didn't you say that that desire to walk in the ways of the Lord, desire to do which is right, that flows forth from Christ's death is giving himself for his people, yes it does, but what will come with that will be such a sense of our own sinnership and a sense of our own works being so flawed that we are not looking in any way for salvation due to our works. The language would be like the hymn writer, if ever my poor soul be saved, His Christ must be the way, and it is His blood alone, His sacrifice alone, that is what is remembered at the Lord's table.

And we must clearly separate the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in redemption, in all its parts, including this, working in His people, and the fruits of that in the heart and lives of His people. And I believe that those that are truly saved, they are doing their works, but they're not looking to their works for salvation. They are clearly looking to Christ. Christ is precious to them. They're not doing what they're doing with any thought of reward, of any thought of attaining heaven by it. They're doing it because they believe the Lord has suffered for them. They love him. They're constrained to do what they do out of love, not because of some thought of reward. No. And so it's a vital thing. Faith in Christ must come first. And if you feel you don't have that faith in Christ, you don't You're not trusting solely in Him. Don't go forth from the house of God.

Your whole effort be, I'm going to reform my life and do good works and be like God's people. Your effort be, Lord, reveal Thyself to me. Make Thyself precious so that I trust in Thee alone for salvation and not in my own works. Don't spend efforts on what? One drop of the love of Christ, one drop of grace will do immediately what maybe you've laboured to do for years. We need that which is flowing from the Lord.

You know, just in a natural sense you might say there are different abilities with people. We can have, say in engineering, in my own sphere of work, And you can have those that are, you might say, natural engineers. And they just quickly pick up with things and they've got it. But others, we have to study and study and apply ourselves and we get to the same end. But it's been a lot of labour. Well, we don't want to, in the things of God, get to being like God's people. from a lot of labour, self-will, self-effort, because without the grace of God, without the blessing of God, that is nothing.

How quickly, when the Lord blesses us, do we run in His ways. How quickly we love that which He loves. And we do not need to be told to be badgered, be forced, we willingly, thy people shall be willing. And the grace of God is what gives that help. And sometimes we've, after being called, after believing, wanted to walk in a way that we knew was right from the Word of God. The fear of man, we couldn't do it. We cried and cried to the Lord to help us to do it. It was only when he came and blessed our souls that then we did it without any fear of man, and easy walked in his ways.

The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow with it. Maybe then have a right aim, and if the Lord has called us by grace, brought us to believe on his name, to trust solely in Him for salvation, then may we see this evidence in our text, see it as a further confirming what the Lord has done, and put the crown on His head like Paul did, I am what I am, by the grace of God, and be able to say with Paul, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, jealous of good works.

May the Lord add his blessing. Amen.