Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Sound doctrine is one of the core principles of the Christian faith. “It is written” is the bedrock of all theology. It is the revelation from God of what we are to believe about Who He is and any other topic from creation in Genesis to the new heaven and new earth in the Revelation. But what must never be ignored is that the truth of God is meant to be applied in our personal lives. Just like Jesus was The Word made flesh, God’s Word must be made flesh in our lives as well.
Pastor Titus was instructed by the apostle Paul to ordain elders to oversee and feed the church (Titus 1:5) who were living on the immoral and godless island of Crete. The saints were planted there by God to represent (re-present!) Jesus in that culture. How were they to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ? By living the kind of lives that are living proof that there is a Risen Savior and Lord Who comes to live inside of His people and enable them to shine as lights in a world that’s dark and lost. Sound doctrine according to Paul was that Pastor Titus teach older men, older women, younger men and younger women what it means to follow Jesus in daily life. I would call Titus chapter 2 a lesson in “Practical Theology”. It is very easy to talk the Christian life; but it is something altogether different to live out the Christian life.
The Lord Jesus said that His people (you and me, beloved) are called out ones, the church. We are called out to be salt and light in the world. We are called to be living letters of Jesus Christ in our homes, our marriages, our vocation, and society at large. Our singular mission in life, even in the ordinary and everyday activities of eating and drinking, is to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Thank God for the opportunity that we have to hand out tracts to people, but it is a proven fact that the most effective tract that any follower of Jesus can “hand out” to people is a changed life. A new life. A life that is lived for the glory of God. Titus hits the proverbial nail on the head when he declares: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:11-14).
There it is as clear as can be. Those verses reveal to us what systematic theology looks like in the person who is a born again follower of Jesus Christ, regardless of their theological camp. Faith apart from Christ-honoring works and godly living is a dead faith. Let’s listen to Pastor Titus this morning and determine to align our lives to God’s Word. SELAH
