To Encourage You

Titus 2:1-10 “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.”

I heard a very good message some time ago in a church we were visiting. I thought today that I’d share its main theme both as a reminder to me and as an opportunity to spread this word to a wider audience. It was a teaching from Paul’s letter to Titus. In this letter, Paul is instructing Titus on the establishment of a brand new body of believers in Crete. It was a place where there had never been a church. It was a society that had been void of any Christian influence. Paul speaks about the Cretans in these words: “One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true” (Titus 1:12-13). Quite a description, wouldn’t you say? Obviously, the believers in this society were to be different. They were to live lives that would enhance the receptivity of those in this pagan culture to the gospel. Their lives were to stand out as different, separated from the wicked influences that surrounded them.

Paul begins the letter with instructions for Titus to appoint elders in the church and then he lays out qualifications for these men. But it was the second chapter that was the focus of the pastor’s message on that Sunday. There, Paul turns his attention to the laity, people like you and me. He addresses the example that all Christians should lead. He lets no one off the hook, for he addresses older men and older women, young men and young women, and then he addresses “bondservants,” which were a reality in that society at that time. Every Christian had a responsibility. Everyone, regardless of age, sex, or social status, was to be an example of the believers.

And so the Holy Spirit through Paul reaches out to each and every one of us with counsel concerning our own responsibilities in this day and age. Regardless of the society or situation in life in which we find ourselves, we are to be living examples of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our lives are to be different because of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We aren’t to follow the crowd. Rather, we are to follow the teaching of the Word of God which will stand in stark contrast to the ways of men. No one gets a pass. In our workplace we are to be people that “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). In our homes, men and women are to follow the instructions of God’s Word as they interact with one another and raise their families. We are not to be followers of the continual drone of the media and of those around us who are so influenced by it and who would encourage us to live in ways void of the influence of what God has said.

Older men and older women should be intentional in looking for opportunities in which they can instruct and influence younger people who are following their lead to follow the Master of all the universe. For you see, Jesus didn’t die on the cross for the sole purpose of saving us from the wrath to come on the ungodly. Yes, that’s certainly part of it. But more than that, as Paul reminded Titus later in chapter 2, “Jesus Christ . . . gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

So, if you know Christ, is that how you see yourself? Are you mindful of the sober responsibility to which Jesus has called you? Are you living a life that is attractive to the message of the gospel, or one that is likely to detract others from it?

Paul’s letter to Titus: it’s a good reminder to each of us, that “(we) are not (our) own, for (we) were bought with a price. So (we should all, every single one of us) glorify God in (our) body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).