Friday 18 June, 2021

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.

Paul continues instructing Titus to correctly teach believers the word of God. He outlines what should be taught and that it should be passed from one generation to the next. He wants this teaching to be intentional. Then as the word of God gets in our hearts, it does its transformational work within us. How will we know? As we get God’s word into us, it transforms our thinking and behaviours. If we’re in the word, the fruit will be evident: love, respect, self-control, strong faith, love, endurance, reverent, not slanderers, not addicted to too much wine, pure, kind and not idle.

Paul stresses the importance of teaching correctly according to the word of God so that we don’t malign the word of God or misrepresent Him. I wonder what my unbelieving friends would say? Would it be evident to them that I live my life according to God’s ways? Could they notice a difference?

Father, I pray that I will continually be shaped by Your word and make choices that reflect my decision to live according to Your ways. 

Written by Gab Martin