October 29th, 2000, Sunday Evening

"The Purifying of a Peculiar People"
What we were, what we are, what we should be

OPENING: Titus 2:11-15, KJV

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• GOD had to purchase us back (with death of Jesus Christ) from sin (Adam eating of the tree) so that we could become a peculiar people--a people that belongs to GOD, alone.
  
  
  • We are to be set aside from the world
  • We are not to love/have friendship with the world
  
  
• Titus 2:14: GOD's name = jealous. GOD wants us, individually, all to Himself. This was made possible when GOD bought us back ("redeemed").
  
  
  • 1 Peter 1:18-19: GOD created man for Himself. However, Adam forfeited that ownership when he plunged man into sin (slavery of our free will). Therefore, GOD had to buy us back from all iniquity and presence of sin. He did this with the death of His son Jesus Christ--that his blood would pay for the sins (1 Corinthians 6:20) of all the world so could be GOD's property, once again (if saved).
  
  
• The time is coming (Rapture) when we will see/know of sin never, ever again.
  
  
• WHY DO WE NEED PURIFYING?
  
  
  • Titus 3:3: Because of our past conversations of pollution. We need purging. Everything said in this verse is true of you. Else, you're calling the Bible and GOD and liar; "Foolish" in this context means to not believe GOD exists.
    
    
  • 2 Corinthians 5:14: Because we were told so--and every one of us in this world is mentioned in this verse.
    
    
  • We're supposed to be living for the LORD and not the next pleasure in life. I.e., golfing is OK but to say, "I'd die to play golf tomorrow" is losing focus.
    
    
  • A lot of things are in the world that parents try and protect their children from but it can't be done--the "sin nature" we inherit from Adam is within all of our hearts.
    
    
    • Ephesians 2:3: We're all born as a "child of wrath".
    
    
  • 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: Jesus Christ knows we're a mess. He knows all we've ever done. But GOD not only bought us back but will clean us up, also.
    
    
  • GOD knows we were "of a previous owner (sin)" yet He chose to buy us back, anyway. Now we need to be purified.
    
    
  • Romans 6:16-22: Sums up where we've come from to where we are now and why we should be purified.
    
    
  • Ephesians 2:10: We are a creation of Jesus Christ--we should do good
  
  
• We belong to a certain person (GOD). Therefore, there are rules/laws which our owner wants us to abide by--things we should/shouldn't do.
  
  
  • Titus 3:1-4: Ways we can purge ourselves and why we should.
    
    
  • Titus 2:14 and 3:2: We should be a people zealous of good works; not to speak evil of others because we were once that ourselves
    
    
  • Titus 2:15: Speak all those things mentioned in verses above with boldness and authority. Let no man get away with telling it otherwise or contradicting you.
  
  
• Regarding speaking evil...
  
  
  • Titus 3:2
  • Ephesians 4:31
  • James 3:6 (How evil a man's tongue is--not can be)
  • James 4:11
  • 1 Peter 2:1
  • 1 Peter 3:10 (We've been warned--if we want "good days" we must control our tongue.)
  
  
• HOW IS THIS PURIFYING DONE?
  
  
  • Psalm 119:9: Over and over again, we need to be cleansed with the Word of GOD; the Bible is a mirror to us: it shows us our true nature, what we can become, and how to live life, it cleans us, it chastises us
    
    
    • TRUE STORY: 2 Kings 22:8-11: The Word of GOD was discovered and when King Josiah read it, he immediately humbled himself, inquired of the LORD what to do, and changed the ways of his rule to follow the book of the law (Note: "rent" means to tear one's clothes apart).
    
    
  • John 15:3: End result, said by Jesus, of what the Word will do to you.
    
    
  • Ephesians 5:25-26: Your cleansing, purifying, and becoming a better person in life is not due to psychology, Reader's Digest, or an interpreter (like a psychic) but simply by the Word of GOD.
  
  
  CLOSER

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• The blood of Jesus Christ bought all our iniquities (sins) because of who we were, whose we were (Satan's until saved), and what we need to be ... we need to be purged.