Titus 2 - Do You Make Jesus Attractive to Others?

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Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel

2 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. 3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Similar to what taught Timothy about the practical issues of pastoring in Ephesus, Paul instructs Titus in like manner. He recognizes that at different life stages people deal with different issues, and men and women deal with different issues. Generally speaking he wants the older men to be role models for the young men, and likewise for the older women with the younger women. At this season of their lives they both should be the most mature members of the congregation. 

Like the older men, Paul teaches the older women to be above reproach and not get caught up in too much gossip or wine. LOL. They will also "teach what is good" by their example, especially to the younger women. In Paul's culture, unlike our culture, the women stayed in the home and raised their kids. As would have been the norm for the culture, the women were to support their husbands. To not do so would have been a bad example in the society. 

This is not teaching about women somehow being inferior or dominated by their husbands. As in the other passages about marriage relationships, Paul teaches that there is to be mutual love and respect. Husband and wives needed to love and respect one another, just as Jesus loved the church and gave himself up for her. Any time anyone was given authority in the New Testament, they would be accountable to God for it. If a man had authority over his wife, he would use it to serve his wife and children by caring and providing for them and keeping them safe. 

6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. 9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

The major issue with the young men in Paul's day is the same as it is today ... self-control. Younger men tend to be more impulsive with their emotions and hormones. Again the older men needed to be examples to the younger men. They needed to invest in and mentor the younger men. 

This is a huge need today! Our young men are struggling in a world that is not delivering what it promised. Many young come out of high school or college having no direction, and not many interested men who can help them find their way. Recently one of my friends took my son (who just turned 21) out to dinner to talk about life and possible career options. He even offered to help him fill out a college application, which has become incredibly complicated over the years. I am very grateful to men like him in my life

Likewise slaves were to submit and be obedient to their masters. Again Paul is not so much endorsing the idea of slavery, it was already an established system in his society. In some ways it provided a job for those who may otherwise not be able to find one. I.e. I think of the issue homelessness in our society. 

If slaves talked back to and stole from their masters, they would not have the opportunity to share Christ with them in a winsome way. Paul says, "They will not make the teaching about God our Savior attractive."

Those words really hit me. Do we make the teaching about Jesus attractive? Or, you might say does our life and/or our words attract anybody to Jesus? Or, do they "distract" people from him. You might think that when we meet someone who knows we are a professing Christian, we can either draw them closer to or further away from Jesus. That is a good thing to think about it when you are in social settings with likely a large number of unbelievers, or which like to call "seekers". 

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

God's grace is offered to all people equally. All people struggle with the things Paul has talked about. None of us are perfect. No, not even one. 

How does God's grace teach us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions?

Sounds kind of like an oxymore. Don't we need God's grace when we give in to these things? 

God's grace sets us free from the penalty of sin and it sets us free from our sinful nature. The Law (the ten commandments) kills, but grace gives life. 

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6

The other thing is that we have been redeemed by grace, we live in freedom by God's grace, and we also wait for Jesus to return by grace. When Jesus appears in great and promised glory, it will be by God's grace that we stand in His presence. Jesus came to set us from from sin, death, and the power of the devil, though we will struggle with our sinful nature until the day we die, or Jesus comes back. But when he returns, we will be delivered from sin, death, and the power of the devil once and for all. 

As Titus teaches all of these things, (which Paul calls sound doctrine) it will serve the dual purpose of both "encouraging" and "rebuking". Sometimes we need to be encouraged when our sinful nature gets the best of us and we feel like giving up. At other times when we are taking advantage of God's grace we need to be rebuked. This is why it is important to have relationships with other believers that you are accountable to. They will best know when you need encouragement and when you need rebuking!

Do you have other believers in your life that know you well enough to know if you need to be encouraged or rebuked?