Instructions for Godly Living Series: Titus: Instructions in Doctrine & Daily Living Titus 2:1-10 w August 2, 2015 w Faith Church Introduction Christianity has an image problem. That is the opening paragraph of David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyon s book, unchristian. Published in 2007, unchristian shares the results of 3 years of extensive study commissioned by the Barna Group to research the non- Christian s perceptions of Christianity. That conclusion was hardly shocking then. It s painfully obvious now. Their research showed that many non- Christians admit that their emotional and intellectual barriers go up when they re around Christians, and they reject Jesus because of their perception of his followers. As Kinnaman and Lyons did their research they got a lot of pushback from Christians who said that we shouldn t care about what outsiders think of us, because, after all, Jesus indicated that if we faithfully followed him, the world would hate us and persecute us. The fact that they do just confirms the perception that the church is being faithful. Maybe. Maybe not. The reality is that there are all kinds of reasons a non- Christian may reject us and reject Christ. Often it s because the gospel is offensive to them. It points out their brokenness and need. It suggests that they are not right with God. And it indicates that they have no hope of sufficiently improving themselves to fix the problem. Coming to terms with these things is hard. And people don t want to hear it, even though to do so would lead them to realize that God offers salvation and grace on the basis of his love and mercy and forgiveness. But sometimes non- Christians have a problem with Christianity because Christians who aren t living a gospel- transformed life are offensive to people. Some of the 85% of people who thought Christians were hypocritical were surely right. They recognize when Christians pretend to be something they re not. To put it in terms that Jesus used: some Christians are more concerned about the speck in others eyes than we are about the log in our own. The church has always had a perception problem for both of these reasons. In some cases, it s because people hate the gospel. It s more about their issues than ours. In other cases, it s because of the reason Paul gave in Titus 1:16: They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. (Titus 1:16) Unlike the pushback Kinnaman and Lyons often received from Christians, Paul was very concerned about the perception of the gospel that non- Christians had through the life and character of 1
Christians. And like the thesis of their book, Paul s letter to Titus calls us to be honest about ourselves so that we can learn and grow into more godly lives not only because that is God s desire for us for our own good it s the way God designed us to live, and we ll be most satisfied when our lives are shaped by these virtues but Paul also stresses that godly living advances the spread of the gospel to those who have not yet embraced it. And it is that missionary purpose that Paul gives as rationale for his instructions for godly living in chapter 2. That shouldn t surprise us, because he opened the letter by stressing that he and we, as we follow his example are sent servants for the sake of God s mission. So, let s jump into chapter 2. The first point I want to make this morning is that I. The gospel trains us for godly living While we re focused on the list of virtues in vv 1-10 that we read earlier this morning, it s important to see that this section is part of a larger unit of thought that runs through verse 15. We ll look at verses 11-15 in greater detail next week, but for our purposes today, notice that these verses give the basis for the instruction Paul gives us in 1-10: 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, (Titus 2:11-12) It is the gospel the grace of God that brings salvation that also is what trains us to live godly lives. That s what Paul means in verse 1 when he tasks Titus to teach what accords with sound doctrine. That certainly includes ideas and concepts, but we see what he s getting at when he moves immediately into the effect this doctrine should have in our lives. If we separate the virtues in vv 2-10 from the fruit that is produced by the gospel in our lives, then we ll turn Paul s instructions into just another moral code that is no better than what the legalists were selling. It will lead to despair if we fall short or self- righteousness if we feel we somehow measure up. The change Paul is talking about comes about through spiritual rebirth and the indwelling and empowering fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paul s instructions in vv 2-10 presuppose the dynamic of God s grace working in our hearts, changing us from the inside out, in vv 11-15. The Christian life is not simply striving to live like Jesus in response to what he did for us. That s true as far as it goes. But even more so, Christianity is Christ taking up residence in me by the Holy Spirit to live his resurrection life through us. That s the hope we have for change. Paul said: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) 2
So the good news is that these virtue lists are the result of a life of fellowship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit they re Jesus living out his life in you, not something that you are expected to produce in yourself. So with that understanding that it s the gospel that trains us for godliness, let s consider what that godliness is supposed to look like. Paul gives lists several dozen virtues for five classes of people in these 10 verses: older men, older women, younger women, younger men, and slaves. I m going to combine the categories and reflect more generally on: 1. a picture of true masculinity 2. a picture of true femininity 1. A picture of true masculinity Paul gives a number of qualities that combine to paint a picture of what a community of men will look like when they are experiencing the gospel, filled with the Spirit, and seeking to follow Christ. Look at verse 2. 1. The first quality he mentions is sober- mindedness. In the original Greek, the word suggests not only moderation with alcohol, but also clear- headed focus on a purpose. A sober- minded man knows what is important and doesn t allow himself to be distracted from it. Now, our flesh our sinful nature mimics godly sober- mindedness. Men are wired for purpose, but because of the Fall, we seek to find our purpose in something ultimately other than God and his kingdom. We have a distorted passion we try to find meaning and value through winning, success, or accomplishment. We re constantly trying to earn the respect of others or ourselves. Jesus gives a man filled with the Holy Spirit a new focus and purpose as he redirects our vision to living out the implications of his kingdom in all things at work, through the church, in our families everywhere. 2. True masculinity is dignified. Paul is not talking about dressing nice. He s talking specifically about older men who, over time, have proven character that has stood the test of time. Their behavior is honorable. This man s outer life mirrors his inner life. Our sinful nature seeks to counterfeit this with image. We create our own self- brand and try to manage the way others look at us and think about us. But godly, dignified character is living like Christ when no one is looking. 3. Self- controlled. This is a quality that shows up in everyone s lists. It s about having disciplined passions. It is all about starving out the desires of the flesh to feed the desires of the Spirit. Non- Christian men are not necessarily undisciplined. It s just that apart from the gospel s ongoing work in our lives, we are disciplined about things other than God- honoring, kingdom- advancing passions. 3
The self- controlled man guards his time. He makes sure there is space to pursue his relationship with Christ, and invest in his family and other men, to engage in ministry wherever God has called him. 4. A godly man is sound. In the Greek the word carries the idea of being healthy, not weakened by sin or evil. Paul specifically mentions three things that true men are sound in. They re sound in faith. This goes back to the sound doctrine in verse 1. Their faith is solid, based on the bedrock truth of God s Word. They re not cast around with every wind of false doctrine. This truth guides their lives. o Our sinful nature seeks to manufacture its own version of soundness, doesn t it. Cognitive dissonance describes the tension we feel when what we believe and how we live is inconsistent. We can t stay in that tension forever, and so we seek equilibrium by adjusting them to match up. That s why people can make the Bible say anything they want it to say to justify the choice they re making in life. People twist and change the meaning of the Scriptures all the time to suit their purposes. o But not so a man who is sound in faith. He submits to God s Word. Godly men are also sound in love. o Our sinful nature tends to love what gives us pleasure or loves us back. o But a healthy, godlike love is shaped by knowing and experiencing the love of God in Christ for us. God so loved his spiritual enemies that sent his only Son to sacrificially serve us and lay down his life for us. A godly, sound love recognizes that because of our sin we are far worse than we will ever admit to ourselves, let alone to others. But at the same time, we are far more loved than we ever dared image. And in the fullness of time, God sent his Son to die for his spiritual enemies to bring us into his family. When you put the truth of who we are with the truth of what God did for us, it s like throwing gasoline on a fire. An explosion takes place that reorients our lives. It leads us to sacrificially love and serve others the way Christ has served us. Godly mean are also sound in steadfastness. They patiently endure hardship. Their steadfastness is neither faint- hearted (giving in whenever there is pressure), but nor is it obstinate (proud or arrogantly refusing to listen and learn from others). These are all characteristics that Paul gives of older men in verse 2. But he instructs Titus to: 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self- controlled. The word for urge is parakaleō. It literally means to call alongside and carries the idea of admonishing, encouraging, and instructing. In other words, older men are to call the younger men to join them. This is reinforced in the next verse: 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech (Titus 2:7-8a) This is discipleship. The fifth characteristic of godly men is that they invest in other men. Real men know that the call of manhood isn t fully experienced until it is shared with other men, and so they fight the isolating tendencies of our culture. 4
Men, is there space in your life and your schedule to spend with other men to encourage one another in your faith? o Let me know if I can help you get connected to a men s group. o As we get the Men s Ministry fired up again this fall, look for ways to connect. o Pursue men who do not yet know Christ, as well. If they re open to you and your faith, find ways to invite them into your life and pray that God uses you to call them alongside you in the journey of following Jesus. A godly man has a sober- minded purpose for life proven character disciplined desires he s sound and he pursues Christ with other men. Again, all of these virtues are the produce of the ongoing growth of the gospel in our lives. Let s move on to 2. A picture of true femininity In verse 3 we see that 1. Godly women are reverent. The Greek word carries the idea of something sacred to God. It is living in such a way that your life is literally an offering to God. This is what Paul had in mind in Romans 12:1 when he said, in light of the gospel: to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1) Women are often tempted to live for herself through role- satisfaction: being the best wife or mother that she can be. Perhaps by excelling in her career. The flesh uses these and other ways to prove itself and find meaning in life. Those things are bad, but like most good things, they can become idols. What happens if you can t have children? Or your children don t live the way you want them to? What happens when you walk through a divorce, or you aren t appreciated at work? A woman who lives reverently by seeing all of her life as an offering to the Lord can do that in every circumstance in life. o What does it mean to give myself in service to God when my kids are going through this situation or struggling with this issue? o She wakes up each morning with a prayer on her lips: God, what do you have for me today? Do I model your love and care for the world through nursing a baby? Folding laundry? Connecting to a neighbor? Going to work? Reverent behavior is impossible apart from the ongoing experience of the gospel, but when a woman is pursuing her relationship with God through power of the Holy Spirit, her entire life becomes a testimony to the supreme value of God. 2. Godly women are not slanderers. They have a passion for truth and a compassion for people. The word for slanderer in the Greek is diabolos usually translated devil. Literally, acting the part of the devil, who is a slanderer and a liar. Most people don t do this in obvious ways. We stretch the truth or add details to the story or leave details out. We speculate 5
about people. We feign concern for them in order to talk about them. Ladies, what tends to happen when women get together and start talking about other women? 3. Godly women are not slaves to too much wine. They are to be sober- minded, just like the men. Another way to think about this is that they don t anesthetize. They may do this with alcohol or any number of other things perhaps its prescription drugs or food (either over- eating or obsessing over their diet). Someone who is enslaved in this way has found the need to numb the pain and manufacture a euphoria that they can t find on their own. We joke, but it s not uncommon after a hard day with the kids to hear someone suggest that it s nothing a bottle of wine can t fix. A woman empowered by the Spirit does not look to numbness to solve her problems. She looks to the One who has walked through suffering and pain for her sake, and this faith brings renewal and a grounding that helps her walk through difficult circumstances faithfully. 4. In verses 3-4 and just like with the older men, godly women disciple younger women. They are to teach what is good and so train the young women. What that looks like gets fleshed out in the characteristics that follow, which we ll unpack as we go. As with the men, this is a call to discipleship and mentoring. The flesh undermines this virtue. Other women are either competition, or generational differences keep us apart, or we just focus on life skills and not the heart devoted to Christ behind them. Not every woman will have the blessing of reproducing themselves physically, but every woman is invited by God to the blessing of reproducing themselves spiritually. The Women of Faith has done a great job over the years getting women together, but I think you all would agree that the connections have usually been mostly with women in your own demographic and generation. I m excited that the theme of the Women s Ministry this year is generations, and they are seeking to intentionally bring girls, younger women, and older women together in ways that allow this intergenerational investment to happen. 5. Godly women love their families their husbands and children. The flesh produces something that looks similar but has a different dynamic going on. She may express love for her husband, but all too often we give as long as we re getting back something proportionate in return. If we aren t or it takes too much work, we leave. Or her children s appreciation is her hope. She finds her value and worth is how well the kids are doing, which often leads to manipulation and it being more about her than them. By contrast, when a godly woman knows that her true husband sits at the right hand of God the Father, and he loves her perfectly to the point of sacrificing his life for her, it gives her the ability to love her husband the way Christ has loved her. That same love becomes her source and pattern for mothering her children, as well. There are a number of other virtues listed here, but for the sake of time, let me focus on just two more. 6
6. Paul says that godly women work at home. The Greek word is a combination of the words home and guard or watch. Sometimes we tend to over- interpret this and suggest that women must stay at home. There s certainly value in that, but we have several examples of godly women in Scripture who worked outside the home, whether it is the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31, Lydia, or others. The godly woman loves her family and has a heart for her home. It s less about where she is physically present throughout the day, and more about what her priority is. She recognizes and embraces the fact that God has entrusted her to watch over her family and care for its needs. This may not always be politically correct these days, but godly women recognize that this is a primary calling for them, and if they work outside the home, they ll need wisdom to struggle through what this looks like and where the balance is. Finally, in verse 5, Paul says godly women are submissive to their own husbands. Beginning in Genesis and consistently throughout the rest of the Bible, God reveals that wives are designed to voluntarily cooperate to help carry a burden under the headship of another. This may be one of the most offensive aspects about the Bible s teaching on the family to modern, Western ears. It s been abused throughout history, and ever since the Fall in Genesis 3 it has been much more difficult to do. o Not only is she to submit to a sinner (right!?) o She herself has insecurities that play into it. Will she be forgotten? Overlooked? Devalued? Taken advantage of? And yet her role has great value. Jesus himself, as the Second Person of the Trinity, models submission to the Father. God himself is said to be our helper the same word that is used of wives toward their husbands. It is part of God s glory that he has resources that we need. The same is true of wives. When a wife embraces her calling to complement her husband for the good of their family, and when her husband seeks to sacrificially love and serve her as Christ does the church, Christian families can be shining beacons of love, nurture, support, and stability that is desperately needed in our day. Very briefly, the last point. II. Godly living furthers the advance of the gospel Paul scatters three purpose statements for these virtues throughout this passage. Even though each of the three is given to specific groups, all of them should grip the hearts of every Christian who desires to be a faithful witness for Jesus in the world. Let s start with the last one in verse 10 1. It adorns the gospel After describing the virtues, Paul says, 7
so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. (Titus 2:10) The word for adorn means to arrange or decorate or embellish with honor. It s like getting the guest room ready for someone to stay with you. Or arranging jewels in a way that sets off their full beauty. As we exhibit the virtues produced by the gospel, God uses us to make the truth of Christ attractive by lives that reflect his saving power. Is there evidence in your life that the gospel is true because of how it has changed you? If so, praise God. Keep pressing on. If not, what might God be saying to you about the nature of your relationship with him? How might you need to draw closer to him to become more like him? Another purpose Paul points out for godly living is 2. So that the Word of God is honored That s the flip- side of saying what Paul says in a negative way. His instruction to the young women, verse 5, is so: that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2:5) People mock the wisdom of the Word of God if it doesn t seem to make any positive difference in Christians lives. But when it results in virtue, God s Word can t be mocked; in fact, it may be respected. Finally, Paul explains in v 8 that the reason for his instructions to the younger men was so that 3. And opponents are silenced so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. (Titus 2:8) As I acknowledged in the beginning, sometimes people are offended by the gospel, and so they attack the church. When that happens, the quality and consistency of our lives should give no basis for accusations to stick. All three of these purpose statements connect our godly living with the advance of the gospel. God has a church for his mission, so it stands to reason that even our personal spiritual growth is directly connected to our calling to live as his witnesses. Conclusion Now when you hear the description Paul gives of godly living here, you should feel two things: 1. You should naturally feel overwhelmed. If you don t have a heavy sense of responsibility, you re missing what Paul is saying. If you feel some of that, it s a good thing. 2. But you can t stay there. The weight of the responsibility should underscore the reality that only the gospel can produce this in you. You should feel relief that you can t make yourself into this by joining the right support group or reading the right book or being disciplined enough. 8
We ll talk more about how the gospel produces these things next week, but rest in the reality that this comes by God s grace and power. Transition to Communion That, in fact, is why God has given us this Table. It reminds us that we our God s dearly beloved children, bought with the blood of Christ. We have a relationship with him on the basis of Christ s work for us, not our work for him. And he invites us to feast on him. As we come to him and experience his grace over and over and over again he works that grace in us and through us. 9