Adorning Grace with Goodness - Part 2

Titus Chapter 2

Leadership, leadership, leadership.  It is Paul’s purpose for Titus in Crete; it pervades his instructions and advice; it is, or rather, should be, the goal of us today.

Chapter 2 talks about mentorship – older men to younger men and older women to younger women.  Teach the older men so that they can teach the younger men.  Teach the younger men to be like the older men.  Model in your own life how you want them to live.  Chapter 2 connects well with chapter 1.  For me, verse 11 seems like a confusing sentence to connect verses 1-10 and verses 12-15.

Verse 11 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to…” We live out godly lives because of God’s grace.  The important words here (at least for me) are “For” and the present participle “training us to…” The participle is used to connect back to a noun or verb.  In this verse, “training” refers back to the grace of God that appeared, specifically, the grace that brought salvation.  This means Jesus the Messiah and the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus connects to this thought in John 16:7-11.

7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Jesus describes the coming presence of the Holy Spirit and his role in convicting of sin and teaching righteousness to us.  Titus 2:11-12 is an extension of Jesus’ words here; that through Jesus’ sin-conquering death and the Holy Spirit’s power and teaching enable us to live self-controlled and godly lives.  This is very comforting to me.

The God who loves us and saved us has not left us alone to live as our natural inclinations would lead us to live (Ch 1:9+).  He continues to teach us and grow us and make us more like him.  We were created in God’s image; he is turning us back to that image.