Cameron Edey

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. 
Titus 2:14 (CSB)

Looking at the death of Christ through this verse brings a myriad of thoughts on the topic of our salvation and daily walk with God in Christ. But for now, the one thought that I would love for us to prayerfully ponder, is on how “clean” in the sense of being made right, holy, pure, suitable, compatible, or fitting we have been made in order to have from the onset, our relationship with God. Let’s take a look, shall we?

There are numerous scriptures that speak about being cleansed. Some are about ceremonial cleansing, or physical cleansing such as leprosy. And they all matter to God. But in this verse, Paul repeats for Titus (in equipping him for his mission to “proclaim things consistent with sound teaching” Titus 2:1), this insightful statement for why verses 2-13 ought to be put into practice. (please go ahead and read them!)

Paul says that Jesus Christ cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works (Titus 2:14). So let’s park there to take it all in. Cleanse for Himself! Consider how overwhelmingly loving it is to be obsessively stingy, to want no one else to have you but Him alone; for His own possession. That may be a bit too strong or overbearing for some to hear because of the negative, traumatic experiences known with humanity. But let’s not throw the sins of man on Jesus’s reputation! He’s the “Other Love” dedicated, pure, true.

Reflection: Just how clean did He have to make us for this? Just look at the Old Testament on how God declared what was holy and didn’t allow for anyone to interject any human intuition, thoughts, opinions, or self-works. Before, He would dwell in a tent, tabernacle, temple; now He resides, dwells, lives in us! What could be so powerful a cleanser that doesn’t leave any residue like an old sponge, streaks like a musty mop, or too thin a paper towel to absorb all of the filth, sin, guilt, secret powers of lawlessness, deception, iniquity? And the list actually does go on. We can’t get any cleaner than this Fam! And He’s not requiring us to make ourselves clean by our own works. We can’t. But God has given us the power and grace to live clean, which is the position in Christ He has declared and established us in, just like He did for everything in the tabernacle & temple in the Old Testament.

Prayer: Father, helps us to live our lives in ways that uphold and manifest what has been done for us in Christ. We recognize and acknowledge our position in Christ is complete and You are pleased with what Jesus accomplished so we don’t have to work for Your acceptance. You live in us so we know we are cleansed for Jesus’s possession. Teach us to grow into all that You have declared us to be, in Christ Jesus. Amen