So we're reading in Titus chapter
2 and verse 1. And I want to read down to verse
10. But speak thou the things which
become sound doctrine, that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate,
sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise,
that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false
accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things. That
they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands,
to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at
home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of
God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to
be sober-minded, in all things showing thyself a pattern of
good works, in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary
part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient
unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things,
not answering again, not purloining, but showing all good fidelity,
that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. Amen. May the Lord bless to us
this reading from his word. Our thoughts this evening, I
think, naturally divide into three sections. It's not evening
for everyone, so forgive me when I make those assumptions. But
they divide naturally into three sections. And it's just these
10 verses of Titus chapter two, but I want to think about the
three sections as being verse one, verses 2 to 9 and verse
10. And I think that these divisions
helpfully testify to the transforming power of the gospel and its life-changing
effect in a regenerated believer's experience. So the headings that
I've got are number one for verse one, sound doctrine, the gospel
of God's grace. Number two, which is verses two
to nine, transforming grace, the effect of the Holy Spirit
in the new birth. And thirdly, verse 10, our point
three, adorning the gospel, proof of the Lord Jesus Christ and
the lives of his people. So those are the three sections
that I just want to briefly touch upon this evening. today. I've done it again. So the first
one is sound doctrine, the gospel of God's grace. When the apostle
Paul left Titus in Crete to set in order the things that we're
wanting, the apostle didn't equip the young man with a university
degree in church administration. or a dedicated staff of enforcers
or a battery of resources to be deployed in order to achieve
the desired end of putting in order the things that we're wanting. Titus had only one thing at his
disposal. One thing that the apostle left
with him to do the work that needed to be done. Titus was
to preach the gospel of God's grace in Jesus Christ. And this
is what Paul means when he says in verse one, speak thou the
things which become sound doctrine. It's the gospel that he's talking
about. The gospel is sound doctrine
because the gospel is pure and strong and good and reliable
and secure. That's what makes it sound. It's pure because it is God's
gospel. It originates in the councils
of heaven and it engenders purity in the lives of those that it
enters. It's strong because it achieves
the end purpose for which it is sent. It doesn't fail. It is the power of God unto salvation. It's good because it deals with
good things. It deals with the good news of
salvation, forgiveness, redemption, righteousness, justification,
sanctification, and glorification as no other message can or does. It's reliable because it can
be depended upon by all who lean upon it. It won't give way like
a broken stick. It won't prove to be rotten or
weak like a worm infested floorboard. It will be reliable. It will
hold us up. That's a good reference as well
to think about what we've just said about those times in our
lives when we are in trials, we are under temptation, we are
facing the big challenges in life. What will see us through
but the love of God and the reliability of the gospel that we have learned? And it's secure because it keeps
us safe and it protects all those who trust in God according to
its message and direction. So this gospel is the sound doctrine. It's the doctrine of God. That's
what Paul calls it in verse 10. We read that a few moments ago.
It's the sound doctrine of God. It originates with God. It informs
us about God. It deals with and reveals to
us such truths as are bound up in the covenant of grace and
peace, regarding such things as God's eternal love for his
people, the effectual redemption of the elect by the blood of
Jesus Christ, the vicarious substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ
on the cross and what it achieved. Imputed righteousness, not righteousness
that comes from the law, not righteousness that comes from
our works, but the imputed righteousness of God freely given. regeneration by the Holy Spirit,
creation of a new nature, the indwelling of the Spirit, the
certainty of heavenly glory. These are the things that the
doctrine of God reveal to men and women like you and me, and
that is what makes the gospel sound doctrine. So that when
Paul says, speak thou the things which become sound doctrine,
that is what he means. And this was all the means that
were left with Titus to effect the work that he had left him
to do. And that takes us to our second
point, because this gospel brings transforming grace. The effect
of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is to transform men and
women from that old way of life to a new way of life. We use
the word conversion and sometimes we use these words without entirely
thinking about what they mean. But it's a transformation, this
conversion. And it was all that was necessary. I've said that was all that was
left with Titus, and it was all that was necessary. And I think
it's good for us to realise this. Paul is not suggesting that Titus
is to preach good works to these people. The good works that are
the content of verses 2 to 9. It's not preaching works that
is sound doctrine. Rather what Paul is doing is
he is showing that the sound doctrine leads to the conversion,
the transformation and the renovation of the hearts of sinners. and brings new motivations, new
aspirations, and new desires into the lives of the Lord's
people. Sound doctrine is transforming
grace in the souls of the elect of God. It creates saving faith,
it brings new life, new values, new morals. So that when the
Holy Spirit indwells a believer, and the Lord Jesus Christ reigns
in a believer's heart, and the love of God initiates our loving
response because we love Him who first loved us, we see the
evidence of that in our lives. Sobriety, gravity, temperance
in aged men whose attitudes are moderated from being grumpy old
men to being charitable and patient. Aged women, they look for opportunities
to be good patterns, especially to younger women in those matters
best suited to their experience and example. Young women, likewise,
under the sound of the gospel and taught in sound doctrine,
will exercise discretion. They will restrain themselves
in speech, in dress, in conduct. They will live in a chaste manner,
respecting their responsibilities, honouring their promises, acknowledging
their duties to their husband, their family, their home. Young
men, likewise, discreet, chaste, industrious, good, loving and
respectful to their own wives, wise, patient and exemplary to
their children. Even servants and employees exhibit
such qualities as obedience, honesty, faithfulness to their
masters or their employers, as becomes their position and role.
So that the sound doctrine, as the gospel, makes these changes
in the transformed, converted lives of the believers. These
are not bald rules to be imposed law-like upon an unwilling audience,
but they're principles of conduct inspired by Christ in you. Christ in you, flowing from a
knowledge of righteousness imputed and fuelled by God's righteousness
imparted in grace. It's the practical outworking
of spiritual gifts, graces and fruit. So that Paul can tell
the Galatians, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against
such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have
crucified the flesh with their affections and lusts. If we live
in the spirit, says Paul, let us also walk in the spirit. You see, the walking comes from
us having that spiritual life. And I think just as a brief aside
as well, it's interesting in this little passage, Titus 2,
1 to 10, to see the way in which the various groups, the older
men and women and the younger men and women and the children
and the masters and the servants, they're all gathered together
under this sound doctrine. They're all gathered together
as one group, one body. the church, grouped together
under the gospel principles by which this mutual care and support
is both supplied and received. And that's the true nature of
the Church of Jesus Christ. We may be very different in many
different ways, in many different places, but in Christ, we are
all one body, one people and one family. And then that brings
us to the last little verse that is in this passage here. And
I just wanted to mention this and then we'll be done. But the
adorning of the gospel is what the apostle is talking about
here in this verse, verse 10. And it is the proof of the Lord
Jesus Christ living in the lives of his people. The overriding
principle here is that these qualities and attributes of godly
living and Christ-likeness are not imposed from the outside
upon our conduct. but generated from the inside,
from a true heart, a pure heart, and in singleness of heart. From
a spirit transformed by grace that desires to be like our maker
and our redeemer. Not the fallen corruption of
the unregenerated nature, but the new creation. and the Holy
Spirit living in us. And that's what Paul calls adorning
the doctrine of God our saviour in all things. And what a lovely
phrase that is. I'm going to repeat it again
because it deserves repetition. adorning the doctrine of God
our Saviour in all things. Paul's been talking about sound
doctrine. Titus, preach sound doctrine. Why? Because that sound doctrine
will transform the lives of sinful men and women and they will Adorn
the doctrine of God, our saviour in all things. What a beautiful
message that is. And what amazing motivation for
us all. It's a glorious aspiration. Let's just take that for a moment. What if we could get up in the
morning and that be our prayer? Lord, Let me this day, in all
that I do and in all that I say, adorn the doctrine of God our
Saviour in all things. What an amazing motivator that
ought to be. And such conduct will be noticed. It will at the very least deny
gainsayers and opponents of the Gospel the opportunity or the
occasion to speak ill of the Gospel and blaspheme the Word
of God. It will shame those that speak
evil of us Now that's not to say that they're not going to
speak evil of us or that they're not going to speak against the
church and the gospel that we proclaim. Of course, the world
will continue to find ways to oppose and condemn the church
at every turn. But by living to the honour of
God, we will have removed from the world any and all legitimate
grounds of attack and force them to employ groundless, shameful
and self-condemning arguments. That's the argument that the
Apostle Paul is making here. The gospel in the heart of a
believer adorns the doctrine of God by making us jewels in
his crown. What a high calling that is for
you and for me. What an honourable calling it
is. So may we all seek, by a knowledge
of the gospel and all that Christ has accomplished for us, to honour
and serve Him as ornaments of His grace. Amen. May the Lord bless these thoughts
to us.