In this episode of ADDBIBLE, we delve into Titus Chapter 2, exploring the guidance it provides for living a life aligned with sound doctrine. Discover how the teachings of Paul to Titus remain relevant to us today, emphasizing qualities such as dignity, integrity, and self-control in both older and younger generations. Reflect on the responsibilities we hold as Christians to live a life that exemplifies the grace of God and encourages righteousness to all those around us.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Alan J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
Today we are in Titus chapter 2, and I’m going to read the 15 verses of Titus chapter 2. But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned so that an opponent may be put to shame having nothing evil to say about us. Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything. They are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. In 1999, after reading Titus 2, I had a couple of those one-line summaries. Speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Then I referred to verses 2, 6, and 8. Old men and young men. Lastly, chapter 2 is a great men chapter. In 2008 I wrote, quoting verse 1, Speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Where do we get sound doctrine? The Bible. Act in ways so that the word of God will not be dishonored, so nothing bad can be said about us. Deny ungodliness and worldly desires. In 2013 I wrote, But as for you… We need to be different than what is in the world. I continued to write, As an older man, I am to be dignified, sound in my faith and in love. Older women are to be reverent in behavior and teach young women to be godly wives and mothers. We should all be models of good works with integrity and sound speech. We represent Jesus. There needs to be a difference in our behavior. Paul starts out chapter 2 with that little phrase, but as for you. So let’s go back to the end of chapter 1 to see what he’s contrasting here. In chapter 1, verse 10, Paul was saying, “…for there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.” And in verse 15, Paul continues, To the pure all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure. But both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. And then he starts chapter 2 with, but as for you, of course he’s talking to Titus, but as for you, the but as for you applies to us today. As Christians, are we noticeably different in our behavior? And Paul gives us some examples for older men and older women here in chapter 2. How are we to be different as Christians? He says in verse 2, older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. I don’t know where the line gets drawn between young men and older men, but I suppose at my current age I’d be considered an older man. I’m in my 60s, so am I sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith and love and steadfast? Lord, let it be so. In verse 6, Paul goes on to the younger men. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourselves in all respects to be a model of good works and in your teachings. Show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned. Regardless of our age, men, we are to be men of integrity, faith, love, dignity, and self-control. Paul also talks to women. In verse 3 he says, Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good and so train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. So older women have the responsibility to train up younger women. Why act this way? Why be different than the world? Paul tells us in verse 11, For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. People around us should see the difference salvation makes in a life. Do people see these characteristics in you? Whether you’re an older person or a younger person, do you exemplify biblical, godly character to those around you? From Titus chapter 2, may I encourage you to take an inventory of not only what you believe, but how you behave. Father, help us to line up our behavior with our beliefs. Help us represent you well here in our sojourn on the earth. By your grace, you have brought salvation for all people. May people see Jesus in us through our behavior. And if we’re failing, where we’re failing, Lord, help us renounce ungodliness and worldly passions. and live a self-controlled Christian life in you. Holy Spirit, help us live godly lives while we wait for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible brought to you by The Ezra Project. The Ezra Project was founded in 2002 to connect God’s people to God’s Word. I have a passion for the Word of God and I have a heartfelt desire to see Christians live lives according to Biblical principles. For the first 14 years of the Ezra Project, we spoke in churches, encouraging folks to come back to the habit of daily Bible reading. We still do that, and if you’d like to invite us to your church, we are more than happy to come. But then in 2016, God reshaped our ministry outreach with these podcasts, going directly to the Christian community. We hope you will share AdBible with your circle of friends and family. And we hope that if you are being blessed, that you would visit our website, EzraProject.net, and see how you can financially partner with the Ezra Project. I believe connecting God’s people to God’s Word is one of the greatest needs in our churches today. I hope you agree and that you will prayerfully consider becoming a financial partner with the Ezra Project. Visit EzraProject.net. Thank you. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. Maybe you have given up on New Year’s resolutions. May I encourage you to make one this year? Make a New Year’s resolution to read your Bible each day. Before you think you’re doomed to fail, think about all the things you actually do each day. Eat, sleep, work, comb your hair, brush your teeth, check your emails, text. There are many things you do each day, so why not add one spiritual daily habit? Read a portion of God’s Word each day. Now, why is this one harder than any of the others? Because it’s spiritual. Satan fights against you, and for most of you, he wins this battle more days than not. God will spend time with you each day you carve out time to spend with Him. He and the Holy Spirit will speak to you through His Word each day. So how can you have success this time around? First, pick a time to read the Bible. Are you a morning person, a night owl, or neither? You’ve got to pick the best time for you. So as a teenager, I did it at night. But during college, changed to first fruits. The first thing I do each day. What is best for you? Morning, evening, maybe lunchtime. Second, how much time can you set aside? After sleep and work, we have about six hours of discretionary time. That’s 360 minutes a day. Can you give God 10% of your free time each day? That would be about 36 minutes. That’s a tithe of your free time. So round it off, rather than 36 minutes, to maybe 30 minutes a day. We say He is the most important thing in our lives, so can we give Him a mere 30 minutes of each of the days He gives us? And by the way, if you do, 30 minutes is about 2% of the 24 hours He gives us each day. So third, pick a Bible reading plan. Research shows greater success when you have a Bible reading plan. So here’s a few plans you could consider. You can follow the Add Bible plan on the radio or order any of our day-by-day through the Bible books or get a Bible reading journal from the Ezra Project. All of our resources are tailor-made for daily time in God’s Word. Visit EzraProject.net today so you are ready to go on January 1st. So, in summary, pick a time, carve out about 30 minutes a day, and pick a plan. You know you would benefit from daily time in the Bible next year. So would your family, your friends, your church, your work, maybe even your community. So make a New Year’s resolution to read your Bible each and every day.
I know you’re going to enjoy it and want to share it with others.
In this episode of ADDBIBLE, we delve into Titus Chapter 2, exploring the guidance it provides for living a life aligned with sound doctrine. Discover how the teachings of Paul to Titus remain relevant to us today, emphasizing qualities such as dignity, integrity, and self-control in both older and younger generations. Reflect on the responsibilities we hold as Christians to live a life that exemplifies the grace of God and encourages righteousness to all those around us.
