Titus 2:1-8 DEMONSTRATE GRACE PERSONALLY To be able to maintain an orderly church, as taught in chapter one, the "commandment of God our Savior" has to be carried out. We do that by preaching God's word rather than giving opinions about church life and practice. Eternal life has to be made clear to people as to what it is and how it affects us today. Also, the Lord's people, as well as others, need to have made plain to them the character of God so they do not misunderstand what He does as well as who He is. In chapter two, we have two more of "the things of God mentioned. One is the "doctrine of God our Savior." There is a paragraph in which a clear presentation of the Gospel is defined. We need to make sure people know salvation is available; that grace is the reason why salvation is offered, that people know everyone is included in the offer of salvation, and that to tamper with that doctrine in order to please people is very wrong. A third mention of the "things of God" is the "appearing of the great God who is our Savior, Jesus Christ." That appearance is really going to happen in God's time and in His way. It is a blessed hope for Christians and is a positive reality for every person to consider. The whole world will see and honor our Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the reasons for an assembly in an area beside providing a place of safety for believers, is that we "adorn the doctrine" that is actually observed by those who look on. There are instructions given as to the character and conduct expected by a servant towards other believers of different groups. The coming of Christ is the motivation behind this grace that is to be seen in our homes. Our personal life should adorn the doctrine in speech, in the practice of good works, and in "all things." When we learn the value of order in the assembly, our training time in relation to accountability to church life has to be put into practice. This will be seen in our homes and in individual activities in life when we apply these guiding principles of conduct. We may never be called upon to point out elders in an assembly, so the saints will be aware of who their leaders are, but there will be times when those we know from other religious groups will want to know how scripturally gathered assemblies function.
A scripturally gathered assembly maintains order in a very different way from most church groups. They either have a headquarters in some distant place from which they receive instructions as to their faith and practice, or obey orders like those of an organization or a business. An assembly following biblical teaching is a living thing like an organism, and this is not easily grasped by those who do not read the Bible in the way it is written. They seek to fit church truth into their own preconceived ideas. Not only is the order of an assembly not commonly practiced, but church discipline is often not practiced, or it is done in the fashion of a person being fired from an organization or chastised in some other way. The discipline in an assembly follows the pattern of a body that is injured and needs to recover to full health. The variety of disciplinary practices is suitable for the problem, so the body can heal itself. A steward has a trust to keep in chapter one.
In chapter two, the servant has work to do. The truth he teaches, he is to practice himself in his lifestyle and attitude toward others. In that way, he "adorns the doctrine of God our Savior" in his personal life. In teaching sound doctrine, he is to practice what he teaches to others. Preaching what one practices is the way we adorn the doctrine with our speech. This is the content of our faith, combining knowledge and understanding with practice. Sometimes the best way to teach personal things is to do so in a personal way
- in small groups or one-on-one. It is up to us to discern how best to teach a subject in a way suitable to the needs in order to bring the desired results. When the teaching is biblical and emphasizes "God our Savior," the result will be good behavior toward others and spiritual health and well-being in ourselves as well as those we teach.
When the Lord's people are grounded in and actually practice the truths of the word of God, they won't be swayed or manipulated by those with false teaching. When tragedy strikes a person, and our emotions want to take over our faith in God, or when some persuasive speaker gives some new teaching that seems attractive to us, we need to have sound doctrine already learned so that we are not misled or stumbled. When I have learned biblical principles and live them out daily, I am girded and guarded by the Holy Spirit to go through hard times. The wide variety of ages, occupations, nationalities, and family lives of those in an assembly is a potential for problems among us. The attitude of one toward these five groups of people in an assembly enables me personally to adorn the doctrine. People from different backgrounds have different habits, expectations, and views that need to be heard.
Older people have a role to fill and a responsibility to others they must fulfill. By words and example, one generation of saints passes on to the next, divine truth in a practical way, and values that have been tried and proven experimentally. An older man needs to respect persons of different ethnic backgrounds and seek common ground to establish fellowship on a biblical basis. Conflicts happen among God's people, and older men need to be in control of themselves instead of being overly critical and condemning when inevitable differences of opinion arise. A self-controlled person is able to see beyond himself or herself to what the problem really is and what to do about it. "Self-control" indicates that an older man has learned not to act in haste, nor does he make snap judgments. When something seems wrong, or may really be wrong, he does not react in anger or a bad temper. Older men need to be moderate and balanced in conduct and in speech.
In this hostile and increasingly pagan world, we who are older need to be sound in faith. A temperate person takes time to prepare before taking action, and when the time comes to act, he does it appropriately. He needs to be on guard of himself and not only of others, as a vigilant person watches for the first sign of problems. It is incumbent on older men to be discreet in their use of words and in their interaction with others. We have to be above reproach so we can pass on words of wisdom and discernment to those we are called to lead. An older man needs depth of character that is not casual but dignified, respectable, and serious without being morose. Discretion in making decisions and carrying out actions is a trait of a person we can trust and with whom we can interact. His doctrine is not a careless practice of the truths of scripture, but in faith, love, and patience, he lives and teaches Christian virtues even when he is losing ground physically because of his age.
Older men and women need to have control of our will, our thoughts, our tongues, and our emotions so we can represent our Lord Jesus Christ appropriately and pass on to the younger people truths and practices they need to learn. Older women are expected to be dignified in the way they dress, talk, act, and live. Behavior outwardly expresses what and who I am inwardly. Older women often set the pattern and tone of an assembly both morally and spiritually. Older women are to control their tongues so there are no accusations. They are to control their appetites so they are not yielding to self-indulgent cravings of food and wine. What I focus my mind and attention on is what my cravings are, whether it be wine, food, clothes, pleasures - anything that indulges my fleshly desires.
Older women are to teach younger women truths that are to be practiced at home as well as in the assembly. Home life affects the assembly more than assembly life affects home life. Happy godly homes make happy godly assemblies. Women need help in guiding home life, especially if they have come from a non-Christian background where life was very different from the Christian home life God intends. A respectful attitude, a guarded tongue, and a holy lifestyle have a great impact on those who look on, even though an older woman may not know them. Their love for their own husband and children is demonstrated consistently, not used as leverage for some ulterior motive. An example of godliness in the life of an older woman makes the word of God real and positive rather than being ignored or rejected.
To love one's husband simply means a wife has a special warmth and significance that is unique to him alone. Loving their children has to do with tenderness and mother instinct. Children are more important than a career or one's own personal ambition and well-being. When a young woman is discreet, it indicates that the balance of enthusiasm and self-control is not only practiced, but it is also practical. Modesty is chaste purity that has no suggestive thoughts, acts, and actions in dress, physical actions, and words. Home duties are to be attended to personally with diligence and commitment to one's duty of guiding the household. Goodness and kindness go closely together because good character produces acts of kindness. A woman who is obedient to her husband is not to be compared with slavery or servitude, but rather accepting the role one has in relation to her husband. His responsibility is that of final authority in the home, and support of that fact is a very positive thing that supports the word of God rather than causing blasphemy. Home order is essential in the testimony of believers as it relates to practicing the word of God.
Young men were given a new direction in the Christian faith in which they were to be those who nurtured and guided by example rather than being only an authority figure whose function is to control others. Many fathers have neglected their responsibility to their children and wives, instead of being examples for young men on how to guide and care for those under their care. Each man must be wise as to his interaction with older men, older women, and younger women. Titus was a young man who was responsible for instructing the people of God. He was to exemplify integrity and seriousness in his actions and speech. We need to know ahead of time how to act in certain situations and be willing to listen before making decisions and judgments that will affect other people. When we confront spiritual and moral issues, we should not be impulsive or unreasonable. These responses can be confusing and promote questions and arguments rather than sound advice that gives answers to problems on a scriptural basis. The message for Titus and all young men is that we should be examples of good doctrine. This "training manual" gives us guiding principles of conduct that include good works the servant is expected to do as he waits for the glorious appearing of our Lord.