Peculiar People

“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)

The Holy Spirit declares that God's elect, once they are called and converted by His sovereign grace, are made to be a “peculiar people.” The word “peculiar” means “distinctively excellent, valuable, and honorable.”

We are Christ's portion, the lot of His inheritance, the jewels of His crown, His fullness (Eph. 1:23), His peculiar people.

Grace has distinguished God's elect from all others — They are a people loved by God with a peculiar love (Jer. 31:3), with a love that He does not have for the rest of Adam's race. Let men talk all they wish about “universal benevolence,” “universal grace,” and “universal love,”—the Word of God declares plainly that God's love for His own people is a peculiar, distinct love (Isa. 43:3-4; Rom. 9:13).

It is the distinctiveness of God's love for us, who deserve His wrath as fully as Satan himself, which forms the great motive for our consecration to our God and His glory (Rom. 12:1-2).

We are the objects of God's peculiar delight—The Lord God has made us “accepted in the Beloved.” Being accepted in Christ, because of Christ, and for Christ's sake, washed in His blood and robed in His righteousness, we are a people with whom God is well pleased, even delighted (Zeph. 3:17).

Being the objects of His love, chosen to eternal salvation and accepted in Christ, every believer has been blessed with all the peculiar blessings of God's free, covenant grace from eternity (Eph. 1:3-4), and supplied with all the provisions of the Father's house day by day and forever.

Every believer has been SEPARATED from the world by peculiar grace—

Electing grace (2 Thess. 2:13-14),
Redeeming grace (1 Cor. 6:19-20),
Regenerating grace (Isa. 43:1-5),
Preserving grace (1 Pet. 1:5), and
Providential grace (Rom. 8:28-30),

are the things which make us to differ from the rest of the world. The distinction is not the work of our will or of our obedience. It is the work of God's grace alone.

“Zealous of good works”—Yet, Christ's peculiar people are made by the grace of God to be zealous of good works. God the Father ordained that we should walk in good works (Eph. 2:10).

God the Son redeemed us that we should walk in good works. And God the Holy Spirit effectually teaches every chosen, ransomed sinner to be zealous of good works.

D.F.