February 1

Titus 2:14—Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity.

After all that we have professed and learnt, how hard it is to believe that God intends just what He says! When the Holy Spirit says all, He clearly means all. And we are, therefore, taught that the death of Jesus was intended, not for our forgiveness and justification merely, but for our sanctification, and our deliverance from the power of all our besetting sins. The text does not promise freedom from temptation; but from all yielding to habits, dispositions, and tempers of soul which have ruthlessly tyrannised over us as Egypt over Israel.

Jesus died for thee, O child of God, that having been set free from the bondage of all iniquity thou mightest live soberly as regards the use of the world, righteously towards thy fellows, and godly towards the Almighty, and "looking for that blessed hope." The grace of God has appeared; his glory will appear. There has been an Epiphany of the one; there shall be as certainly an Epiphany of the other. Many awaited the first; more shall await the second. The one was in humiliation; the other shall be in glory: the one was as a Babe; the other shall be in the glory of the Divine Man. But till then we are called to wait with garments unspotted from the world, and hearts delivered from the love and power of human sin.

Let us teach the world that God has something tangible and practicable to give—not for the next life only, but for this. We are taught by that gentle school-mistress, the Grace of God, to live—soberly, as regards our personal life; righteously, in relation to others; godly, in our attitude towards God. Wesley says, "Until you press believers to accept full salvation now, you must not look for any revival."