Titus 2
He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. – Titus 2:14 NLT
The real point of Paul's letter to Titus is to stress and promote changed behavior in the lives of believers. This is not a treatise on behavior modification. In other words, Paul is not condoning that the believers on the island of Crete simply start trying to act differently and modify their actions through self-effort. That would be pointless and futile. No one can truly change themselves by themselves. But what Paul was encouraging Titus to look for and expect was a gradual change in the character and conduct of the people under his care. The inner presence of the Spirit of God combined with a steady diet of the Word of God should produce measurable change in the people of God.
Paul emphasizes that Titus must "teach what accords with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1 NLT). Paul always made a direct correlation between what someone professed to believe and how they behaved. There was to be no disconnect or disagreement between the two. Orthopraxy – correct practice – was to flow from orthodoxy – correct beliefs. As far as Paul was concerned, the two were inseparable. And so he encouraged Titus to teach and promote the kind of behavior that was in keeping with sound doctrine. "No condition and no period of life is to remain unaffected by the sanctifying influence of the gospel" (J. J. Van Oosterzee, “The Epistle of Paul to Titus,” in Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, 11:15). The Gospel was to be life-altering. It was to affect and infect every area of an individual's life. The Good News isn't just that we get to go to heaven when we die, but that we can be radically reformed in this life. We can live differently in the here-and-now, not just in the hereafter.
Paul wastes no time in getting specific. He tells Titus to "teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience" (Titus 2:2 NLT). Their faith must be practical and visible. They are to "act their age," and to reflect a measure of spiritual maturity that should come with age. All the characteristics Paul lists are marks of maturity.
Titus was to instruct older women "to live in a way that honors God" and expect them to "teach others what is good" (Titus 2:3 NLT). These women were to be mentors to the younger women in the church, teaching them how to live and love well. They were to model godly behavior and encourage younger women through example and exhortation. Godliness should be contagious. Godly conduct is not to be some subjective, arbitrary decision left up to the individual, but is to be based on the Word of God and modeled by those who have a strong faith in God.
Paul went on to instruct Titus regarding young men and even slaves. Everyone was expected to life differently. Godly conduct was not something reserved for the spiritual elite or the professional pastor. It was to be the aspiration and expectation of everyone who called themselves a Christ-follower. Every believer has been "instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures" and to "live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God" (Titus 2:12 NLT). We have been given the capacity to change. God doesn't leave it all up to us. He has placed His Spirit within us and provided His Word to guide us. But we must listen to what the Spirit says and obey what the Word commands. We must seek the wisdom of God in the Word of God. We must desire righteousness over unrighteousness. We must devote ourselves to God rather than to the things of this world. What makes this all possible is a proper perspective. Paul tells Titus to teach those under his care that right living here on this earth is best accomplished when "we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed" (Titus 2:13 NLT). In other words, an eternal focus will allow us to view life on this earth in the proper perspective. Godless living and sinful pleasures will lose their appeal when considered against the reality of our future hope. The more we learn to see ourselves as eternal, rather than temporal, creatures, the easier it will be to focus our attention on pursuing the kind of behavior that reflect who we really are.
The bottom line for Paul was that Jesus Christ "gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds" (Titus 2:14 NLT). He didn't just give His life to take us to heaven. He gave His life to transform us into His own likeness. And while that process will some day be completed in heaven, it is to be an ongoing part of our lives as we live on this planet. Becoming increasingly more like Christ is to be the goal of every individual who claims to be a follow of Christ. Our salvation is to result in our ongoing transformation and sanctification. What we believe about Christ should result in behavior that reflects Christ.
Father, we desperately need for our behavior to accurately reflect our beliefs. Too often, there is a disconnect between the two, which is why so many people refuse to have anything to do with Christianity or Christ. As Your own people, we can be the worst form of advertising when it comes to the Christian faith. We ask that You continue your transformative work in our lives, calling us to live differently and distinctively in this world. Give us an eternal perspective and a passion for godliness. Amen.