Thursday, November 14, 2024
Godly Virtues & Ethics - Titus 2 Submitted by Kay Crumley
I have been blessed by The 9 sermon series. I knew about the fruit of the spirit, but this series gave me a deeper understanding. The nine listed in Galatians 5:22-23; love, joy, peace – man to God, patience, kindness, goodness – man to man, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – man to self. If you’ve been participating in this series, you know that, as a church, the one that is challenging for most of us, is self-control. Most of us struggle with restraint and moderation in our thoughts, words, actions, and desires. While that may not be all the time, we have faced challenges in some situations. As Pastor Jim was ending this sermon, he referenced some verses from Titus 2. That was especially relevant to me as our Rooted Bible study for this fall includes Titus and this Sunday, we will be discussing chapter 2. I love how God pulls this together!
In Chapter 1 of Titus, Paul had given Titus his instructions for correcting the issues that existed on the Island of Crete in the new Christian churches. After reading about the disagreeable groups of people he had to work with I would hate to be put in Titus’s place. He is looking for church elders who have strong faith and lived by the truth of Paul’s teachings. In Chapter 2 he is speaking more generally to the people to encourage them to live godly lives. He addresses five groups.
Verse 1 is for Titus who will teach consistently the foundation of the gospel. Then he lists how the older men should live in verse 2.
But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching. 2 Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.
Next, he turns his attention to both older and younger women.
3 In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children,
5 to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered.
Verses 6-7 addresses how he is to teach young men and the characteristics they are to have. Titus is to set himself as an example to these young men by having good works, integrity, and dignity. Those are also qualities the young men are to have.
6 In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled 7 in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching.
Finally in verses 9-10 he turns his attention to the slaves, or in our world today, the employees. Follow orders, do your job well, no back talking, or stealing, instead demonstrate trustworthiness.
9 Slaves are to submit to their masters in everything, and to be well-pleasing, not talking back 10 or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything.
I have underlined the characteristics that each is to demonstrate as they live godly lives. I hope you see the similarities. The first three sets of scripture include self-control. While that is not in, the list for slaves, note that submission to someone else does require self-control. What does that mean to you? How do we practice self-control? We must think of what we are saying before it is out of our mouths. Then we can filter not only the words but the manner they are delivered. The same applies to what we do, consider our actions first. Are those words or behaviors following the teaching we have learned in the Word of God? Paul listed old men and women, young men and women, and those who work for a boss/master. We are all included in this set of instructions.
Why are we to live this way? That is answered in verses 11-13. Because of the mercy of God, we must focus on His promises now, in this world because He is returning for us, and we must live to honor Him. In some versions the word sensible in verse is translated self-control.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The final fruit in The Nine is self-control. Let’s begin practicing living with restraint and moderation in our thoughts, words, actions, and desires so that we are known as His by the fruit we produce. The other eight are equally important but may be easier to exemplify. Older saints must mentor or disciple younger saints to grow each generation in faithfulness and godliness.
