TITUS 2:14 Part Two

Titus 2:14
Redemption and Sin

“Who gave himself for us,
that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works.”
Titus 2:14

“that HE might redeem us from ALL iniquity”

Jesus said,

“you do err (are deceived Greek)
not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God”
Mathew 22:29.

The New Testament clearly presents us with the truth that the obedience of Christ is of greater power than the disobedience of Adam. Yet we constantly hear that there is no “real” complete victory over sin in this life. We are told these statements are merely “positional” and not really actual. By our very confession of such things, we declare that the disobedience of Adam is of greater authority in our lives than the obedience of Christ! How can such things be? He gave Himself for us, on our behalf, that we might be redeemed from ALL iniquity! Deception is anything that keeps us from apprehending, understanding, and living in the power and glory of the life that is IN Christ Jesus. Deception comes from not knowing the scriptures NOR the power of God.

Here we have the clear statement “…that HE might redeem us from ALL iniquity…” Not some iniquity, or most iniquity, or in some theological positional-based teaching that tells us we are already totally free while ignoring the wrongness within. ALL iniquity. Wrong thinking produces a wrong living. Look around today and see the effects of our “believe and be blessed” teaching. Look at the passive “faith” and what it has produced. To know the substance of a thing, we must see what it produces in the lives of those in whom it dwells. This is a day to rend our hearts and return to the life of Love, Joy, and Authority that is the fruit of the true knowledge of the scriptures AND the power of God. Anything less than this Jesus called deception! The life of Faith is referred to throughout the scriptures as a fight, as a victory, and as a power that is able to reveal HIM in the best and the worst of circumstances.

Whenever there is a contradiction between our lives and the scriptures we must acknowledge that the contradiction is in our hearts. When we are confronted with these things we have a choice to either circumvent the clear declaration of the Word by “clever” teachings or turn our hearts unto the ONE that can make us the righteousness of God in Christ (Rom. 8:4). The life of Faith is one of pursuit. “I press toward the mark…” This is not a vain pursuit, it is a pursuit that is convinced that the provision has been made, the power is there and the “Author” of that Faith is committed to bringing us into ALL that HE IS!

We think we can ignore the WAY and somehow have knowledge of the TRUTH. We think we can ignore the TRUTH and somehow walk in the LIFE. This is DECEPTION. The WAY is a life of surrender and discipleship, the TRUTH is a POWER, not an opinion, the LIFE is HIM reigning in us. This LIFE is the FRUIT of those who WALK in the WAY, empowered by the TRUTH unto the revelation of HIS LIFE in us. The early Church did not meet the WAY we meet today, nor did they have the “teachings” that we have today. But we have not shaken the world as they did. In the purposes of God, the Glory of the latter house shall EXCEED the glory of the former. God always saves the best wine for the last!

Let us arise in this hour to shake off the disillusionment of all that is around us, all that is the product of a system that is the culmination of a stagnant faith and the tradition of men. For the tradition of men will always render the Word of God powerless (Mathew 15:6); the very scriptures tell us that! For the Word is empowered and made real only through the FAITH of God working in our lives.

“Let us, therefore, FEAR, lest a promise being left us of entering into HIS rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: BUT THE WORD PREACHED DID NOT PROFIT THEM, not being mixed with FAITH…”
Hebrews 4:1 – 2

We are here exhorted that we should fear if there is in our lives a coming short of entering into HIS rest. Why is there such complacency within the people of God? Why is there no godly fear left? It is because we know HIM little because we need Him little. We have accepted the teachings of men instead of the truth of God. We have accepted the “way of the world” rather than the WAY of TRUTH, and we have accepted the “carnal life” of good reason, prudence, and convenience instead of the LIFE of FAITH and TRUST. We have a church life that is run like any corporation of the world and we wonder why we live a life that resembles the life of the world. We are segmented and divided and wonder why the world cannot see the truth. (They shall know that you are my disciples because you love one another).

We no longer see the value of our brothers and sisters or even recognize them as such because the average believer sits passively on a pew no longer aware that we have an obligation and a responsibility for the condition of His house. We WILL be held accountable for what we have done with HIS precious life. We have men who delight in the current arrangement as they hold sway over the “faith” of “their” flock. Rather, the ministers of God should be “weeping between the porch and the altar” over the condition of GOD’S House. We have our churches, our fellowships, our pastors, our teachers, our prophets, and our apostles and do not know that this is CARNAL.

“For one says I am of Paul, another I am of Apollos…
are ye not CARNAL?”
I Corinthians 2:4

It is a day to repent, a day to turn from these things, and a day to seek HIS WAY, HIS TRUTH, and HIS LIFE. For these are the last days; the sacrifice has been made and the invitations sent. WHO WILL RESPOND? The Marriage Feast of the Bridegroom will be full and it will be attended only by those who have “their wedding garments on”. The garments of this present day will not suffice. We read that the “Bride hath made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7), she is clothed in the righteousness of God and she is glorious within and without. This glorious bride will not arise without the functioning and ministration of the individual believers of Christ operating in the Love and Power of HIS LIFE (Ephesians 4:15 – 16). We need one another. We need to love one another and we must function in HIS LIFE to empower one another unto godliness and true charity.

“And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”
Ephesians 4:32

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“We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own,
or to enjoy spiritual retirement, we are here to realize Jesus Christ
that the Body of Christ may be built up”
Oswald Chambers

Brian Troxel