October 14, 2023

Passage Read: Titus 1-2
Meditation Verses: 2:7-8

Thought

Paul wants Titus to teach with integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned. These things Paul teaches, the things Jesus teaches, there is a seriousness to them, a weight and importance to them. They are not to be treated lightly, there is a life-and-death quality to them. Everything the Scriptures teach should be taken seriously and applied carefully and diligently. Paul says that we should be joyful always, but we think that means we should be having lots of fun in the Christian life. But the two are not the same. Lives are at stake and the reputation of Christ and of His kingdom are at stake. Sinners need to repent of their sin and saints need to walk in righteousness, diligently putting off their old sinful ways and putting on Christ's likeness.

Application

Nobody likes a sourpuss or a killjoy, but I need to be earnest and diligent both in my teaching and in my living to show the seriousness and importance of the things Scripture teaches. We need to take pains in these things, not just hear them and walk away forgetting them. We need to be training ourselves in godliness, that's the integrity, model what I teach. Urge obedience with all seriousness. Make sure I'm handling the Word of God correctly and carefully, representing what God actually intended to teach. If all is consistent, then those who think I'm out to lunch won't be able to say anything bad about me or God, unless it's slander.