"[Jesus Christ] who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." -Titus 2:14
Very often we hear people say that Jesus died "for our sins." Of course, Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for each of our sins. But if we look at what this verse says, we will learn something very important. Jesus didn't just die "for our sins." He died because He wanted us!
In other words, Jesus paid for our sins so that we would be purified and therefore suitable for use by Him. This is very important, because people who think Jesus gave Himself on the cross just to hand us a free ticket to heaven misunderstand His divine plan. According to Titus 2:14, He purified us so that He could have His own special people for Himself!
In fact, the verse goes on to say what it is He wants to do you once He makes you one of His special people. He wants you to do good works. And He wants you to be zealous about it! That means excited, passionate, pumped, stoked and enthusiastic! Woohoo!
We benefit tremendously from Christ's work on the cross. Because of His sacrifice, we are granted forgiveness of sin and eternal life. But we shouldn't be so self-centered to think our salvation is just for us. Once we are purified, we become highly motivated givers. He saved us so we could be about His business. That is what brings glory to His Name and advances His Kingdom. He made you special for a reason! So get cracking!
