Pastor Grant Brown's sermon on Titus chapter 2 focuses on the concept of redemption as the central theme. He expounds on verses 11-14, highlighting how God's grace brings salvation and instructs believers to live righteous lives. The sermon stresses that the foundation of Christian behavior is redemption, achieved through Jesus Christ who gave Himself freely to rescue believers from sin. Pastor Brown draws parallels between this redemption and the Old Testament Exodus, emphasizing that believers are now a purified people, zealous for good deeds. He explains that Christ's sacrifice as the Passover Lamb redeems believers, setting them free from the bondage of sin. The sermon concludes by urging believers to remember their baptism, live as God's treasured possession, and be zealous for good deeds, empowered by the transformative work of Christ.

Titus chapter 2. We're going to be focusing this morning on the end of verse 13 and all of verse 14, but we'll begin our reading this morning in verse 11. Let's please stand as God now speaks. Hear now the word of our God. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus, who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds.

May God bless the reading of his word. Amen. You may be seated. Amen. You may be seated.

Well, brothers and sisters, what has Titus chapter 2 been all about? Chapter 2 of Titus has been all about how doctrine is to come out of your mouths and your fingertips as church members. Here is how you, men, women, boys, girls, slave, freedmen, Here is how you as a member of the church are to live in the household of God. That's Titus chapter 2. You are to say no to sin.

You're to deny ungodliness, deny moraliness. And you are to pursue righteousness and godliness in the present age. Why? On What grounds can Paul call you to that kind of behavior? I mean, how on earth can Paul demand such things as these for you church members?

It's a tall ask. I mean, for what reason should you older men in our midst have gravitas, be men of dignity? For what reason should older women in our body be reverent and teach the younger women what is good in the household. Why? For what reason should younger women in this body be faithful at home, hardworking, submitting to their husbands, loving their children?

Why should you do that? For what reason must the young men in this church be sensible? Why Paul? Why should members of Christ's church do and be those things. Verses 13 and 14 tell you exactly why.

One word, redemption. That's why. That's why you, that's why we as members of this church are to act in these ways because Jesus made us a part of His church. He has numbered you among His people by redeeming you. That's the why.

Our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds. That's the why. Titus chapter 2 has been all about how church members are to live. Verses 11 through 14 tell you the why. Redemption.

And it all begins with that precious phrase in verse 14. Who gave himself for us. Do you see that there in verse 14? Who gave himself for us? Christ Jesus gave himself for us.

I want you to put this in the context of the whole passage. In verse 11 it begins, for the grace of God has appeared. And verse 13 ends, and we're looking forward to the blessed hope of the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ was promised all the way back in the garden, we talked about that in Sunday school this morning, and he came, that promise came, he appeared just as God had promised. And now we await the glory of his return the glory of his appearing again and meanwhile you and I we live in between those two appearance the appearing of his grace and appearing of his glory what happened between those two appearance?

Verse 14 happened. Christ Jesus gave Himself for us. What a precious phrase. He gave himself for you. Paul says it this way in Ephesians 5 verse 2.

He loved you and gave himself for you. Paul says the same thing here in Titus 2 as he says, who gave himself for us? And really this is a paraphrase of Mark 10 45 where Jesus himself said, for even the Son of Man, even I did not come to be served, but to serve. How? By giving my life as a ransom for many.

What did Jesus come to do? What did he say? I came to serve. How? By giving my life as a ransom.

Now you just need to pause for just a minute on that phrase. I could give, I think we could give entire sermons on just the reality that the Son of Man, God in the flesh, gave Himself for us. How He came to give His life as a ransom. This is the Creator of the world that we're talking about right now. This is the creator of the cosmos.

This is the king of kings and lord of lords, of all kings and all lords. Here is the one who is most deservedly to be served. He most deserves to be served. Of all kings, of all lords, he's the king of kings and lord of lords. Here's the one whom all of creation declares his praise, and yet he comes not to be served, but to serve.

And His service is not merely feeding the thousands with two fish and five loaves of bread, though He did do that. His service is not merely making the lame walk in the blind sea, though He did do that. His service is not merely raising the dead, though He did do that. It is not merely casting out demons and healing diseases, though he did do that as well. No his service is summed up not by those things.

No his service is summed up in giving his life for you. For you. I've seen you. I've seen me. Sinners!

And note that the text does not tell us that Christ Jesus was forced to give up His life. Jesus Christ's life was not taken away from Him. He gave it freely. Christ Jesus gave Himself for you freely. John 10, 17 and 18 tell us this.

Jesus says, for this reason, the Father loves me because I lay my life down so that I may take it up again. Listen to this, no one, Jesus says, no one has taken my life away from me, but I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This creator of the cosmos did not count equality with God, the thing to be grasped. But he emptied himself and he came in the form of a servant.

He took on flesh, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus Christ gave Himself for you. For you. A sinner damned to hell. For you.

A doer of iniquity. In bondage to your sin. By nature a hater of God according to Romans chapter 1. And an enemy of God according to Romans chapter 8. It's pretty damning.

King Jesus knowing all of this about you, you being a hater of God, an enemy of God, King Jesus, the creator of the cosmos, knowing all of this about you, knowing the depth of your sin more than you know it yourself. That one, he gave himself for you at the cross. Why? For your redemption. To redeem you from your sin.

To redeem us from sin. In verse 14, Paul is using Old Testament language to convey the wonder of what it means to be redeemed. Just look at verse 14. Each of those phrases gave himself for us, to redeem us, and to purify for himself a people for his own possession. Those are the three points of the sermon by the way.

In verse 14, Paul is using Old Testament language to convey something magnificent. Look there please. What do you see? Gave himself for us, to redeem us, third, and to purify for himself a people for his own possession. Each of those realities comes directly from the Mosaic covenant.

They come from the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. What was the backdrop of Israel and Egypt? Do you remember? The people of Israel were in bondage. They were in slavery.

They belonged to Egypt. They belonged to a kingdom of darkness. You know what they needed? They needed a Redeemer. And what happened?

Who came? A Redeemer came. God came. And God set them free. God brought them out.

And God made them His own. And that Exodus, that redemption, do you know what it began with? It began with the blood of the Passover. Do you remember that in the book of Exodus? That reality is baked into our passage this morning.

That first phrase that we just discussed Jesus Christ gave himself for us he did that on the cross as a sacrifice for sin and what was that that John the Baptist cried out in John chapter 1 what was it That John the Baptist cried out in John chapter 1, what was it that John the Baptist cried out in John chapter 1 when he saw Jesus coming to be baptized by him? John the Baptist cried out, behold, the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world. The Lamb of God, that's Passover language. Passover language. Remember what happens in the Passover where the destroyer would come?

In the book of Exodus, the destroyer would come and he would put to death in judgment the firstborn from all of the households in Egypt who were not covered by the blood of the Lamb. No blood covering, judgment of God would fall upon you. That's what happened in Exodus. No blood covering, judgment of God would fall upon you. That's what happened in Exodus.

No blood covering, judgment of God is what you get. And now here is Jesus, the Lamb of God, Who goes to a cross and the judgment of God falls upon him Why? Why does that happen? So that those covered by his blood would be redeemed That's first Peter chapter 1 verses 18 and 19. You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your feudal way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless the blood of Christ.

At the cross, Jesus Christ becomes the great Passover lamb for the sins of the elect. For all who would repent and believe in Christ, believe upon his name, for all covered by his blood, the judgment of God fell upon Jesus at the cross instead of you. What happened to Israel after the Passover? Israel came up out of Egypt, did they not? Passover happens, judgment falls for those not covered by the blood of the lamb.

Those covered by the blood of the Lamb, the destroyer passes over. As soon as the Passover Lamb has been sacrificed and the destroyer comes, Israel is set free. They leave their slavery behind. Israel is redeemed. It's a clear order of things in the book of Exodus.

The blood of the Lamb covers them. The judgment of God no longer abides on them and they're redeemed out of Egypt. Jesus is the greater Passover lamb. How much more then has the blood of Jesus, perfect and spotless, the blood of the creator shed for the creature? How much more than you, Christian, have you been set free?

How much greater than is your redemption if you are covered and washed by his blood, not the blood of a lamb, no, the blood of the lamb of God, the God man, Jesus the Christ? How much greater is your redemption? The answer is far greater. Friends, to be redeemed is to be bought back. To be redeemed is for a payment to be made, for a ransom to be given so that one in bondage is bought out of that bondage and set free.

That's redemption. So we were talking to our girls during family worship this week, often about what redemption is, what it means. It's a ransom paid, a payment made, this is how we talk through with our girls, a payment made so that those in a bad place would be rescued and put in a good place. A payment made so that one in bondage is brought out of that bondage and set free. And so for your redemption, Christian, the ransom, the payment was the life of the Son of God, His blood.

That was the payment. The redemption price was the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus the Christ. That was the ransom price for your redemption to what end? Look again at verse 14. Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed.

Why has God done this work of redemption? Why did God give His Son up for you? Why did Jesus give Himself for you? Why did God redeem you? Answer, to ransom you, to rescue you, to purchase your freedom from lawlessness, to redeem you from every lawless deed.

That's what Paul is saying. You were given over to lawless deeds. Your life was controlled by sin. Your master was iniquity. And Christ gave Himself for you to set you free from that lawlessness.

So when you think about redemption you might picture something like a slave auction in the 1800s. Does anyone get that kind of picture? You might. You might have a picture of redemption, slave, I'm slave, I'm in bondage, you might get a picture of the 1800s, got slaves on a platform, they're forced and disservited to the highest bidder in the slave trade, right? It's ugly, it's evil, you got slaves crying out for mercy, perhaps children and parents are being separated as one goes to one bitter, one goes to another.

It's just ugly stuff, right? Makes you, ugh! You might have that in your mind when you think of redemption. That's an okay start if you're going to start to think about this, but you've got to fix a lot of things in that picture when you think about biblical redemption. You've got to change something really big.

Because the Bible tells us that in our slavery to sin, we aren't crying out for mercy. This is not the picture. No, no, We actually as sinners aren't upset about our slavery to sin at all. The Bible tells us that we are all in on our sin actually. We're all in on it.

In fact, the cross of Jesus Christ, the very price of our redemption, the very price of our ransom, what is that to sinners according to the Bible? What is the cross to slaves? First Corinthians 1, 18, the word of the cross, the word of redemption, foolishness to those who are perishing. That's the biblical scene. We aren't talking here about a people on the slave block who are clamoring for God's grace and mercy.

It's not the scene. We aren't talking here about slaves who are innocent and just victims. No, when we talk about redemption from our sins, We are talking about a people who are haters of God, who are not innocent, but willfully sinful people. And yet, what does God do? The old you didn't want redemption.

The old you was foolish, proud. God takes what is foolish and proud, the cross, and He breaks you with it. God breaks sinners with it. He actually puts them to death with the death of his son. You need to understand that if you've been redeemed, you've died.

You get that? The old you is dead. The old you didn't want redemption. The old you was totally and radically depraved. The old you was at enmity with God.

And so the cross of Jesus Christ yes it bore the punishment for you yes but you were crucified right there with the Savior as well not that you would bear the penalty for your sins Christ did that in his in his body in your stead but if you've been redeemed God put you there to die with Jesus. Your old nature had to die. None of this business about, you know, you still have your old nature. Jesus Christ didn't give his blood so that you could just be refurbished. I Hate that doctrine of refurbishing He makes all things kind of new.

There's no kind of there. He makes things new. Your old self had to die. Why? So that God would raise you up to newness of life.

When God redeems a sinner, when God purchases the life of a sinner, that sinner must die. And for God to redeem sinners, the Savior must die. And so that Savior did die. The price of your ransom out of slavery to sin, out of lawlessness, that ransom price was the life of the Son of God. The Savior died, yes.

And he was buried in a tomb. But he didn't stay in that tomb, did he? For three days later, he rose up for your justification. He rose up so that you would be raised up with him. You died with him, that you might be raised up with him.

You died in his death, and you are raised up in His resurrection. So that Galatians 2.20 would not be confusing for you at all, but would ring absolutely true in the life of a Christian. For I have been crucified with Christ and as no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. That's resurrection. And the life you now live, you live in the flesh.

You live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you. That's redemption. Out of lawlessness and into resurrection life, out of the Egypt of your sin, and into the kingdom of sovereign grace. Colossians 1, 13 and 14. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Number one, the Passover lamb Christ gave Himself for you at His cross. Number two, the Exodus to redeem you from lawless deeds in His resurrection. And now number three, so that you would be His covenant people. A people of His own possession. His is glorious.

A people purified, zealous for good deeds. So Jesus went into a tomb and Jesus came out of that tomb resurrected. Death didn't have the final word. Life did. Christ did.

So friends if you are in Christ, if you belong to the Lord Jesus, if you are in Christ Jesus by faith, by grace through faith, His death was your spiritual death and His resurrection was your spiritual resurrection. You have been redeemed. And therefore, your sin, your spiritual death, and your physical death even, they do not get to have the final word. Christ does. Life does.

So you're not in a straight jacket when it comes to your sin any longer. Christian, are you hearing me? You are no longer in shackles called sin any longer. You are no longer held fast by your iniquity any longer. You may say no.

Whom the Son has set free, He is free indeed. You've been redeemed, Christian. Your sin is no longer master over you, Christ is. Before you were powerless, but now, as one redeemed, the same power that rose Jesus up from the grave is at work in you. How?

How is that possible? Because Christ is in you and there's an empty tomb. It's possible because Christ is in you and there's an empty tomb. You've been set free from lawless deeds. You're no longer a captive in the Egypt of your sin.

You're no longer a bond servant of darkness. But instead, you've been bought back and you've been made a citizen of God's household, purified, zealous for good deeds. And that's how Paul concludes verse 14. I want you to look with me there once more. Christ has redeemed us from every lawless deed.

Why? Christ has redeemed us from every lawless deed. Why, Paul? To purify for himself the people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds. Christian, you were redeemed so that you would be zealous for good deeds.

You were redeemed so that you would glorify God in your body. First Corinthians chapter six verses 19 and 20, you know that. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you've been bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.

So get this Christian, please get this. Christ Jesus is not only your Passover lamb. Christ Jesus is not only your Exodus. He is those things, but Christ Jesus is also your covenant head. You belong to Him.

So I want you to think on the Exodus of Israel from Egypt one more time. Tie these threads together. Do the best I can. I want you to think on the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. One more time.

Israel brought out of Egypt and what is it that God declares over the people that he's just redeemed? Exodus chapter 19 verses 4 through 6 God says this to them as they're coming up out of Egypt you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on Eagles wings and I brought you to myself now then if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession among all the peoples. For all the earth is mine, And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." Does that sound familiar to you? What I just read from Exodus 19 is the exact same language that Paul uses in Titus 2 verse 14. A people for his own possession.

God says the same thing in Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 6 to the people that he's redeemed from Egypt once more. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth now you might not you might wonder why is that such a big deal if you wonder let me tell you this that phrase for his own possession is a super, super rare phrase. That phrase does not exist on every page. So when Paul uses that phrase, it is absolutely, 100% clear what he wants you to think about.

You're supposed to realize in Jesus Christ, that in Jesus Christ you're made into a possession of God, you're supposed to realize that in Jesus Christ you are made a part of Israel. That in Jesus Christ you are made a part of the church of God. God uses this very rare phrase in the Old Covenant just a few times. And now here is Paul using that same very rare phrase, people of his own possession in the New Covenant. It's the same phrase, Same phrase.

The Church of God in the Old Covenant looked forward to the coming of Jesus who would redeem them from their sin in ways that would make Israel's redemption from Egypt look like nothing. They looked, the Church of God in the old covenant was looking forward to that Redeemer. The Church of God in the old covenant was looking forward to the appearing of their great Redeemer who would crush the serpent's head. That Redeemer is going to be Jesus. And now the Church of God in the New Covenant looks back to the Redeemer who came and did that crushing.

The Church of God today looks back and believes upon that same Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for them to redeem them from every lawless deed and to purify for Himself a people zealous for good works. Both churches, both covenants, one Redeemer, one people. Yeah. You disagree with that? Come on, man.

I mean, if you are in Christ, you belong to the people of God. You stand with Noah and Abraham and Jacob and Moses and David and Rahab and Esther and Ruth, a people of the promise of people redeemed. That word purified, massive. I mean You should picture being washed. You should picture being marked out.

You just don't look the same anymore when you've been purified. The people of Israel, they came out of their bondage and what did their bondage do? When Israel came out of bondage, what did their bondage do? Their bondage came after them. You remember that?

They just left Egypt. Egypt goes, you're not leaving without a fight? They come after them. The bondage comes after Israel. The Egyptians come after them.

Their bondage tries to hunt them back down and enslave them again. Friends, brothers and sisters, if you've been redeemed, don't you think for a minute that the evil one and your own flesh will just go home and pout. No, no, no, no. The evil one and your sin, your flesh, they will be at your heels. Bondage will come after you.

Just like Pharaoh and his men came after Israel so here comes bondage back after Israel galloping after Israel what does God do? Text tells us in Exodus that God baptizes his people in the Red Sea Paul says as much in 1 Corinthians 10 verses 1 and 2. God baptizes the people that he has just redeemed from Egypt in the Red Sea. He sets them free and he marks them out for his own. He sets them free and he marks them out for his own.

And then he declares to them, and just a few chapters later, to his people that he's just baptized, you are my treasured possession. You are a holy nation, so live like it. You're not in bondage anymore. I've marked you out. So live like it.

Dear ones, please hear me. When bondage comes knocking on your door, when the armies of Egypt flood toward you, remember your baptism. Remember, God has marked me out as His own. I belong to God, which means I am no longer who I used to be regardless of how I feel about it right now. I belong to God.

I am no longer who I used to be. I belong to him. Remember your baptism, that God has marked you out as his possession. Your garments are no longer the feudal fig leaves of self-righteousness and pride. Your garments are the very garments of salvation, the righteousness of Christ himself, who he has wrapped you in them.

The garments of Jesus Christ, he's wrapped you like a robe. You bear His name. You bear His name. The very power of God and the salvation that work in you. You are covered, you've been washed by His blood.

And so when bondage comes, When that porn on the computer screen cries out to you for one more click, just one more. When that gossip is served up on a juicy platter. When that buffet line goes down and gluttony pulls at you. When It seems like whining and complaining would just make things a little better. Remember your baptism.

Remember the work of Christ in you. Remember your Redeemer and His redemption. Did not the waters fall and destroy the Egyptians in Exodus when they pursued those redeemed by the Lord? Did they? Bondages come in after Israel.

The redeemed of God, they're in peril. What will they do? God crushes them. Or will not the same God in Christ Jesus give you the same victory, indeed a better victory, and crush your enemies in due time. Stand firm, beloved.

Trust His promises. You've been redeemed. You belong to that covenant people of God. He's never in the business of letting you go again. Deny all these deeds.

As one purified, as one marked out by God Almighty, as His treasured possession, as a member of His church, be zealous for good deeds. Be zealous, be delighted, be excited, be eager for good deeds that God has prepared beforehand that you should walk in them. That God makes you zealous. God makes you delighted. He takes the law of God that you used to despise and felt like a burden crushing you.

He takes that when He redeems you and he makes it the greatest thing in the world to you. It's your delight. It's kind of like for me Chipotle. I hadn't brought it up in a long time. Now, I really mean this.

I really mean this. This is a good illustration. You think When I was young, I went to Chipotle. And I hated it. I can't believe the words are coming out of my mouth.

Hated it. I told my mom and dad, I'd rather not come back here. It's the same to you. And then God did a miracle of making my taste buds change. And I went with my friend when I was a teenager, and I loved it.

Now I know that's silly, but now make it serious. When God changes you, when he redeems you, your taste buds change. No longer what you thought was cool and good and right and beautiful, All those things are, that was all false, that was all fake. Now I know what is true, right and beautiful and good. God tells me, and it's the light.

I'm zealous to be about the things that He has given me. So, you're to be zealous for good deeds as one redeemed. You're part of the covenant people of God. So what are those good deeds that you should be zealous for? What are those good things that you should be zealous for?

That's Titus chapter two. Those good deeds that Paul has just finished his chapter with, zealous for good deeds, he's expecting you to remember, oh yeah, verses 1 through 10. Those things that he's been exhorting church members to do in verses 1 through 10. So what's the motivation? What's the reason?

What is the power that makes sinners into saints who live out Titus chapter 2 as men, women, boys, girls, freedmen, slaves? What's the power? This is. Redemption is. The covenant of redemption that the Father decreed and the Son secured and that the Holy Spirit applies.

Redemption. That is the power behind the behavior here in Titus chapter 2. Here and only here in the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, and in Jesus Christ alone, is the capacity for Titus chapter 2 to be real in your life and in the life of this church. So church, beloved, the price of your redemption was the precious and unblemished blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And not a drop, not a drop of that precious and unblemished blood of Jesus that was shed for you will be wasted.

Not a drop! It was shed for you. Paul says so. And it will do all that God says it will do. Paul says so.

Therefore, saints of Crossroad, prepare your minds for action. Keep sober in spirit. Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance. But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior, Because it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy.

Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your feudal way of life inherited from Your forefathers. No, you were redeemed with the precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ, who was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you, who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory so that your faith and your hope are in God. So since you have in obedience to the truth, purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart. For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, not of the seed of Adam, but seed imperishable. That is, through the living and enduring word of God.

And this is the word that was preached to you today. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this, your word. May it have its intended effect for your glory and the joy of your people forever and ever. Amen.