Message from Scripture: 6/2/2020

Today’s message from Scripture comes from Titus 2:14; “He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.”

In Titus 2, Paul speaks of how God is concerned with our response to moral issues, and how He offers us help on responding as we should. Living in sin only condemns us, and God wants to redeem us from sin, from the lawlessness and iniquity we’ve lived in that necessitated sending Christ to begin with. God also wants to call us into a special relationship with Him through Christ, to be His special, or unique, people. The KJV used the word “peculiar,” which, in our day and time, carries the idea of being odd, not usual or normal. The Gk. word used here lit. means “beyond substance;” it carries the idea of abundant, costly, select. It refers to God's people in whom He has a special interest, one which is unique from His common concern for mankind in general.

It occurs to me, that if we are peculiar to God, meaning of special interest to God by our union with Him in Christ, His own people identified by the lives we live for Him, then we will be peculiar to the world, odd, different, out of step with what it values and what it lives for. It is a matter of perspective, isn’t it? The world is enslaved to sin, but has been deceived into thinking that is the right way to live, while we are enslaved to God, knowing it’s truly the right way to live, if one is thinking eternally.

Maybe we should think of ourselves as peculiar, but not as those outside of Christ would. Why live like the world, only to end up condemned eternally? Why not live like Christ, so no matter what the world may think, we know we are special to Him, having a hope eternal in heaven. “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Have a great day. God bless.


Robert