WALKING ADVERTISEMENTS
Opening Prayer
My God, open my heart to Your voice as You speak through Your word today.
Read Titus 2:1–15
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.
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.
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.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What difference does the Gospel make to the way you live? How does the way you live contrast with the way others live around you?Paul now takes Titus on a guided tour of different groups in his congregation and shows him what difference sound doctrine makes to the way they conduct themselves. The Christians on Crete are meant to be walking advertisements for the power of the Gospel. Paul tells Titus that in every way they must make the teaching about God our Savior attractive (10). The Christians on Crete are to adorn the Gospel. As people look at your life and the difference Jesus is making in it, would they be attracted to Jesus?
The Gospel impacts every area of Cretan society—from the older women to the young men, from the relationship between husbands and wives to the relationship between slaves and their masters. The sound doctrine of the Gospel leads to sound living in the people. Titus himself is to set an example for the believers (7), giving his people a model of what the life of faith looks like and how the Gospel transforms us.
Godly living doesn’t come about by human effort (11–15); it comes about by miraculous transformation through the power of the Gospel. God is committed to his purpose of redeeming a people to love us as his very own, eager to do good (14).
Apply
Consider your life and the areas where godliness is lacking. Spend some time thinking about how the Gospel should transform these attitudes, actions and behaviors.
Closing prayer
Pray for Christ’s transforming power to take over your life today. Take some time to wait quietly in surrender before God.
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