If we follow Truth, it will change us.  Titus 2.1-8

Since we know and believe that Jesus indeed came to rescue us from the brokenness of sin, to make us free, and ready us for his great and glorious return¹, where do we get stuck?  I mean, we believe in our head that Jesus came, died, and was resurrected [even extra-biblical sources corroborate these realities], so where does the disconnect happen, on its way to who we are—somehow failing to allow the truth to change our hearts, and make us people of strong character?                                           

Accepting the grace of God through what Jesus did                                  allows us to shed our old skin,                                                               let go of what we have done in the past,                                             and become new.                                                                         Unbelievable as that sounds, it is true. 

If you have just joined us—<don’t forget, dear readers, that many people ‘add in’ to these Morning Briefings² from around the world weekly>—we find ourselves in the book of Titus that the apostle Paul wrote to his ministry partner Titus.  Paul called and equipped Titus to establish order and build up the Christian community on the isle of Crete.  

It is valuable to know something about the nature of Crete and her people in the first century A.D.  The ancient writers, even the philosophers of the day, did not have too many kindly things to say about the Cretans—‘liars, evil beasts, idle bellies…’ wrote Epimenides, Cretan prophet and poet. For the young Jewish-Christian community, birthed in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, it was a tall order to address character and integrity when greed and avarice was the order of the day.

Things that seem obvious from a Christian perspective today were not as patently obvious to the Cretans with whom Titus was working.  Paul addressed different groups in this passage, clearly indicating that hypocrisy-the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform—should not be found in the church.  Take a look at what he wrote:  “Tell believers to live the kind of life that goes along with accurate teachings. Tell older men to be sober. Tell them to be men of good character, to use good judgment, and to be well-grounded in faith, love, and endurance.

Tell older women to live their lives in a way that shows they are dedicated to God. Tell them not to be gossips or addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of virtue. In this way they will teach young women to show love to their husbands and children, to use good judgment, and to be morally pure. Also, tell them to teach young women to be homemakers, to be kind, and to place themselves under their husbands’ authority. Then no one can speak evil of God’s word.

Encourage young men to use good judgment. Always set an example by doing good things. When you teach, be an example of moral purity and dignity. Speak an accurate message that cannot be condemned. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed because they cannot say anything bad about us.” Titus 2.1-8

Endeavoring to follow Jesus ought change us—from the inside out.  How’s your character—upright, honest, humble, and most of all, loving?  Is there enough outward evidence in your life to convict you of being a Christian?  May it be said of us, we are … of good character, use good judgment, and are well-grounded in faith, love, and endurance.

Christine