Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Titus chapter 2. Titus chapter 2. I'd like to deal with verses
1 through 5 this evening. Titus chapter 2. The apostle Paul wrote this epistle
to Titus. He says in verse 4 of chapter
1, to Titus, my own son, after the common faith, grace, mercy,
and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our
Now, Titus obviously was not Paul's natural son after the
flesh, but Paul was God's instrument of Titus' conversion and both
Paul and Titus as all God's people were all converted by the grace
of God through faith, that faith which is common to all who know
the Lord Jesus Christ. So when he says, to Titus my
own son, after the common faith, it's common to all of us. We
all believe with the same faith that is given from above. Now, I want us to look back in
chapter 2, and I do want us to look at the first five verses. of Titus chapter 2 and the Apostle
Paul under the inspiration of God's Spirit is going to give
some instruction to Titus concerning the truth and the walk of God's
people. He tells Titus in verse 1 of
chapter 2, but speak thou the things which become Sound doctrine. Now, obviously Titus was instructed
to set forth sound doctrine. That's what he said. He told
him, he said, Titus, I want you to preach the truth of man's
ruin in the fall. Whenever Adam fell, we all fell. We were all in the loins of Adam. So Adam's fall was our fall. We just evidence it when we come
forth from our mother's womb speaking lies. So Titus, you
preach sound doctrine. You preach the truth of God's
electing grace. You preach the truth of redemption. The buying back. the purchasing,
the paying of the debt, the paying of that which is due. You preach
Christ's redemption to all God's elect at Calvary through the
shedding of His own blood. You make sure that you set forth
the truth of redemption and then you set forth the surety of regeneration
by the Holy Spirit through the means of the preaching of the
gospel. Don't ever eliminate the sound
doctrine. You make sure that the foundation
is set. Man is a sinner. God Almighty
has a people that He's going to save. You set forth the truth
of Christ's redemption that all that the Father has given Him
shall come to Him. You preach the truth of the surety
of the salvation of God's people. But also, He told him in that
first verse, This, he said, I want you to also proclaim the evidence
or the things that become known through that sound doctrine.
He said, but speak thou the things which, now look at that next
word, which become sound doctrine. You preach the truth. Paul was
telling him, Timothy, Titus, Those that hear the sound doctrine,
you preach that, you make sure you set forth the sound doctrine.
Those that have heard the truth by faith, those that have been
given ears to hear, eyes to see, been given life from above by
the Spirit of God, are now going to manifest that which they have
heard, that which God has done within them. Look again back
at verse 1 in Titus 1. Paul, a servant of God and an
apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect and
the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness, which
is after piety, which is after a reverence for Almighty God,
by a walk that is consistent with the gospel. James 2.20 says
this, But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith, without works,
without the evidence of faith, is dead, is vain. It's not real. Ahead knowledge, and this is,
I mean, You can see there, you see, you can evidence this truth
that I'm about to tell you. A head knowledge of the truth,
which is very, very easy. Demons have a head knowledge
of the truth. We've looked at numerous passages
where demons will acknowledge the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You remember the demoniac of Gadara? What did the legion say? We know who you are. Thou son
of the most high God. We know you. Or you come to torment
us before our time. They knew who he was. So they
had a knowledge right up here. Men can hear the truth and they
have an understanding and give a good argument for it. I mean
they talk a good talk. They taught five points of Calvinism. They know all the points and
angles. They know that. They can have
a head knowledge, but without a heart, a new heart that is
moved by the Spirit of God, led by God's Spirit, that strives
after obedience and has a desire to adorn the doctrine of God
our Savior in all things without that heart that motivates, that
moves that man. It's vain. It's not faith from
above. It's a head knowledge without
a heart knowledge of it. There's a belief of the truth
And there's a consistent walk that honors God, that honors
and adorns that truth. And there can't be one without
the other. A man, woman knows God, God teaches them the truth.
They walk in truth. And they walk consistently. So
there's a There's a truth and a reaction to the truth. So the
Holy Spirit gives them some evidences. He said, Titus, verse 1, chapter
2, I want you to speak thou the things which become. Sound doctrine. You preach those
things that are true and then the things that come from it,
that become. And he says in verse 2, that
the aged men be sober. Now here's a, these things are
not in order to be saved. But this is the evidence of those
that have heard the truth. We're going to deal with some
age groups here. He said, I want you to set forth
that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, Sound in faith, in
charity, in patience. You proclaim the truth of the
gospel. You preach sound doctrine. That truth that exhorts men of
years, aged men, those that have sat, heard, believed the truth,
that they be sober, that they be vigilant, be watchful. over themselves, over their attitude,
over their conduct. You teach them that which the
Spirit of God reveals, that they be examples to others. You know
that's so. You know that we're being watched. People notice. You expect a believer to walk
like a believer. And when you see inconsistencies,
and I know we're all prone to things that come up, I know that,
but the general tenor, think of those that we've all looked
up to. Think of the men and the women,
we'll deal with the aged women in just a few minutes, but these
aged men he's talking about right here, think of the aged men.
that have come. I'm just thinking about Brother
Scott. I'll be honest with you. That's who I'm thinking about
right now. I think, you know, you ask Brother Scott, you know,
and he'd tell you, I'm just a sinner, saved by grace. But there was
a vigilance about him. He was sober. He had a walk that
was consistent. And you loved him, appreciated
him, you looked to him, desired to emulate that, you know. So
he said, Titus, you teach that sound doctrine that becometh
this evidence, right, that the aged men be sober, that they
be grave, that is reverent, spiritually serious of eternal matters, that's
what it means, that they're serious about it, temperate, sound, self-controlled,
and moderate in passion. Now this is what I'm talking
about, they're just middle ground in the extremes. They're not
one way or the other. They're moderate, temperate. They're held within the limits
of moderation, not concerning their love of the gospel and
their belief of the gospel, but of the things of this world.
They're temperate. There's not an extreme one way
or the other. They're not off the chart and
then off the chart the other way. I mean, it's just in the
things of this life. They're sound in faith, in charity, and patience. They're spiritually healthy in
what they believe and who. they believe, strong in their
love for Christ and for his people, and examples of consistency and
endurance of the gospel. Titus, you set forth these things
concerning the aged men. This is the walk. This is the
consistency. This is the example. And to me,
it makes me think, Marvin, walk. as a pastor, that God's taught. Walk with a spirit of being sound
in the faith, in charity, in love for God, preaching the truth
of God, in love for God's people, and in patience, endurance, and
consistency, as we talked about. Then in verse 3, he said, the
aged women, likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness,
not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good
things. You exhort the aged women. You teach, again, you teach sound
doctrine and you also teach those things that becometh or come
into being or that the Spirit of God says will be the evidence
of. You tell them what it is. I've
told you before. Someone asked Brother Henry one
time, does a believer just naturally know those things that are right
or do they need to be taught? And he said, yes. Yes. They know and they need to be
taught. There is a walk. There is a setting forth of the
evidence and he said, Titus, you teach that. that truth. You set forth, you exhort the
women, the aged women, who have heard and believed the truth
for years. Women that have sat on the gospel.
Women that are not merely of natural age, but spiritual age. There's no real number here.
But it's women that have set, that they possess the demeanor,
of reverence, the behavior of respect, that they are as those
that have become holy women, examples of women who know the
truth, women who have been set apart by the Spirit of God. Now,
I want you to listen to what the Apostle Paul told Timothy. when he was writing to Titus
right here. But here's the demeanor. That the aged women, that they
be in behavior, that they have a demeanor about them. Paul the Apostle instructed Timothy
concerning the dress, the appearance, the demeanor, the demeanor. 1 Timothy 2, 9 and 10. He said, in like manner also,
that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefacedness. And that word shamefacedness,
it means with bashfulness. Bashfulness. Let them dress in
a way that they're bashful about themselves. dress in a modest apparel with
shame-facedness and sobriety, that is, in a sound mind with
self-control, not with broidered hair or gold or pearls or costly
array, but which becometh women professing godliness with good
works." That means that they dress as those that are fit in
their modesty, in their dress, They're not to be showy in public
worship. He says women should be dressed,
and men also, we're dealing with women right now, but men too,
in a respectful way. Respectfully. Respectfully. He said they should be dressed
in apparel that is tasteful, appropriate, that is not suggestive,
are conspicuous. Modest. Modest. To abase pride,
arrogance, showy. Let me show you what I got. Let me show you the kind of clothes
I got. Just, I mean, over the top. But
then, not on the other side either. You know, something that you
get out in the garden and, you know, work in, stuff like that.
No. He said, let them dress in modest
apparel a spirit of bashfulness. She should never dress in a way
as to attract the eyes of others or to draw attention to herself. No excessive, he's talking about
the broader hair, excessive arrangement of the hair with gold pearls,
jewelry, for the purpose of attracting attention. You know, just somebody
says, well how should I do it? Well I think you know. I think
you know. I mean, it's not a masquerade.
We're not going to a masquerade party. We're here to come and
to worship God and to do it in a modest, tasteful, shame-facedness
manner. And then he says concerning the
women, verse 3, they age women that they be in behavior and
a demeanor as becometh holiness, as becometh holy women. Not false
accusers. Now in my margin you may have
this also. That right there says not false
accuser. False right there. Make baits. Make baits. That's what's in
the middle. I had to look that up. I didn't know what a make
bait was. What it is, it's actually speaking
of that which the devil himself does. Accusers. It's applied
usually to the devil as the accuser. What he's saying is, women that
are the age women that are taught, have learned, learned that attitude
and that spirit, that demeanor that exhibits not a showy attitude
in their dress and in their attitude. Let them not be one that excites
contentions. are quarrels. Quiet. Quiet. You know something? Well, just
keep it to yourself. Remember what I said about Brother
Henry? Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it encouraging? Is it necessary? Really? Oh, I tell you, if we
weighed everything, we were going to say by that. True? Necessary? Is it something that's going
to be encouraging? If not, just let it go. The natural man is
prone to gossip. And that attitude, that false
charging gives rise to division and misunderstanding. Paul admonishes
Titus, you teach the aged women to not be so. Don't allow yourself
to be a tool in the hands of Satan to cause envy, strife,
and division. Do all you can to keep the peace. Maintain that spirit of oneness. Praying for one another. Then
he says, teachers of good things. Teachers of those things that
are God honoring. by example and instruction in
the homes and in public, not teaching in public, but in public.
And here's the reason for it, verse 4, that they may teach
the younger women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love
their children, that they may teach the younger women, that
they may teach those who are growing up and need sound guidance
and loving instruction. to be sober. Now this word sober
means to be wise and prudent in purity. Let the aged women,
let them be teachers of good things. Let them teach the younger
women to be pure, to be sound, discreet, and self-controlled
in your opinion and passion. Teach them. They need to be taught. Again, you think, we'll know
this. Well, we should. But I'm telling
you, the scriptures encourages us to teach one another this. And teach them to love their
husbands. You say, well, how would you,
what do you need? You teach them the importance
of marriage. You teach these young women the
importance of the marriage. of the respect of that institution,
of what it sets forth. This is a picture of Christ and
His bride. You teach them that. You know
the attitude today is, well if it just doesn't work out, don't
worry about it, we'll just bust it out. Don't worry about it. You
teach them. You teach them to love their
husbands. You teach them that their husband
has been given to them. You tell them this. That your
husband is a picture and type of Christ. That's what Paul says. This is a great mystery. He's
talking about husbands and wives, but I speak of Christ and the
church. You teach her. You're a picture
of the bride. You teach them to love their
husband. You teach them that as the wife
is God's gift to the husband, you teach them that the husband
is God's gift to the wife. In this life, that husband has
been given to her for protection. You teach her to love the one
that protects her and loves her and provides for her security,
her companionship. You give them sound and encouraging
advice to respect and to obey and to assist and submit to their
husbands, those that are seeking God's leadership for his wife
and for his family. You encourage them in times of
trouble, trials. You know, you aged women, if
the younger women call and we're having, you know, oh, well, he's
this, that, and the other, and we're just having trouble, you
encourage them. You know, there may be some bumps in the road.
That don't mean we're going to end this thing. You encourage
them to love their husbands, is what he's saying. And then
he said, you teach them to love their children, not with an ungoverned
affection that allows them to do that which they please. Well,
I'm going to just let them just kind of learn the ropes themselves.
That's the worst thing in the world you could ever do. I want
them to experience these things for themselves. Well, you're
going to probably regret that. You teach them to love their
children. Now you think, doesn't a parent
just naturally love their children? No, they need some instruction
on loving their children. You teach them, first of all,
their need of sitting unto the gospel. You got some children? You love your children. You keep
them unto the sound of the gospel. Listen to what Paul said to Timothy. This instruction that moves a
parent to keep their children unto the gospel. But continue
thou in the things which thou hast learned. and has been assured
of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And that from a
child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to
make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ
Jesus." You love your children? Love your grandchildren? Read
the scriptures to them. Teach them the truth. Teach them
the truth. Every opportunity you get, teach
them the truth. Tell them the truth. Tell them,
tell them, say, I want you to come. I want you to come sit
with me now and you're going to come. They don't want to.
I can tell you right now. I can tell you this, they don't
want to. But that's OK. They don't know what's best.
Teach the aged women, teach the young women, teach the young
mothers, teach them to love their children. Teach them the truth
of discipline. You love them, he that spares
the rod hates the child. I've said before. Children love
to know where the lines are. If you think they don't, you're
mistaken. They want to know. They want
to know where the line is. There's so much pressure. When they disobey, if you tell
them you're going to spank them, please do. Please don't tell
them, all right now. I mean it now, I mean it this
time, I mean it. No, you don't. And they know
you don't. When you tell them, the biggest
favor you'll do for them in this life is when you tell them that
you're gonna discipline them, and they do it, you make good
on it. And they'll learn, they'll learn.
I'm gonna lose on this one. Teach them to love their husbands,
you teach them to love their children. And then in verse five,
You teach aged women, you teach these younger women to be discreet,
chase, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands,
that the word of God be not blasphemed. You teach these younger women
to be discreet. Now, what does that mean? What
do you teach these younger women? You teach them, actually the
word discreet there means safe and sound in mind. Moderate in passion. The word discreet here is from
a base word that means to deliver, to protect, or to save. Not eternally saved, but in this
world, to teach them something. They're to be warned to be in
self-control. Matthew Henry said this, young
women must be sober, serious minded, and discreet. For many
carelessly allow themselves to be exposed to temptations because
of a lack of discretion. You need older women need to
teach younger women. Keep your eyes open. Be aware
of what's going on around you. I mean, a little flattery from
places that are not appropriate, just keep your guard up. Watch
what's going on. Don't allow yourself to get hooked
into a situation that you're going to regret. Be careful. It may be flattering to you.
It may be, oh, well, you know, don't fall for that. You teach
these younger women the pitfalls of this world. You tell them
what's really going on. You know what I'm talking about.
I mean, there's all kinds of things that can capture them
before they know it. You teach older women. You teach
these younger women. You keep your eyes open. You
teach them to be discreet. You teach them to be chaste.
You teach them to be clean and innocent and modest and pure. You teach them that. You tell
them, be on your guard. Keepers at home. Now, Young's
literal translation means keepers of their own home. Homemakers. Now, I understand there's times
that Maybe a woman might have to work out of the house. I'm
not saying that that's forbidden. I'm not saying that. But this
is what this scripture, when it says keepers at home, home
keepers, home keepers. The first duty, the first duty
of the wife is the domestic affairs of the home. Now I'm going to
explain this. I'm going to take a few minutes here and explain
something. The husband is the head of the
house. He's the head of the wife. And
therefore, being the head of the wife, he's the head of the
home. That's absolute. He is the provider
and the spiritual leader of the home. And he's to be constantly
maintaining a spirit of love for his wife. Now, the husband
is the head of the wife. therefore of the home. And he's
to love her, and he's to be providing for her, and her protector, and
all of the things that she needs. Christ is the head of the church,
the husband is the head of the wife in this life. She is to
be in submission to him. Now I'm going to tell you The man and the woman's responsibility
here. He's talking about the woman
being a keeper at home. She is the one that is kind of
overseeing the domestic affairs of the home. But I'm going to
tell you something, men. Our hands are not broken. Our hands are not broken. I mean,
we can help. I would say this, emptying the
trash without having to be told every time. Washing some dishes,
you know, just because you want to be a help to her, you know.
Vacuum. Now I may have a little problem. Glenda's told me I'm not a very
good vacuumer. Y'all have witnessed this for
many, many years. And she tells me, she said, you
vacuum in a W shape. You just hit the here. And here,
and here. I'm vacuuming what I see is dirty. And so I'll admit it. I'll admit.
But our hands are not broken. We can help. But the woman being
the keeper, the home keeper, she's not the servant upon whom
the husband lays heavy burdens or demands. She's his wife. She's the queen of the house.
She's to be put on a pedestal. But as the wife, she is in submission
to her husband who loves her and is giving himself for her. The one who loves his wife, who
provides for her and keeps her. But listen to what I'm saying. The woman is to be the one who
actually manages the affairs within the house. Brother Henry
Mahan was preaching on this subject one time and I thought that's
about as good an illustration as I could give. He said that
he and a group of men went down to Mexico and they all stayed
in Henry and Betty's home. Walter and Betty's home. They
stayed in Walter and Betty's home but Henry said we didn't
know When we got down there, Betty was in the States in Houston
for that week while they were there and Walter was in charge
of the management of the home. And Henry said it didn't go well.
It did not go well. Women have that ability to see
details that men don't have. They just don't. And I'm telling
you, there are things, and I'm just honest with you, there's
things sometimes that I just don't see. I mean, it looks good
to me. Looks good. And my sweet wife
will say, you didn't see that? I said, baby, planning, the meals, my kids
are going to be coming in. I'm telling you, buddy, this
is the way it is. Everything's laid out, just like this. Everything's
prepared, everything's put in there. Everything is done. Women are the keepers at home. They're the homemakers. They
have that ability. Men, we are the head of our wife
to love her, to be a support to her. But I'm telling you,
Titus, you teach these aged women to teach the younger women to
be discreet, chase, keepers at home, home keepers. Tell them
of the responsibilities of keeping a home. I mean there's just that,
you ever been somewhere where someone just didn't know how
to organize things at the house? I mean you can tell. You can
tell when things are just not running well. Teach these younger
women, teach them that. And then he says concerning also
the younger women, he said, you teach them to be good, good,
good, kind, that's the word, kind, and a benefit to the home. Teach them to be well-tempered,
sweet, soft, obliging, from a word that means valuable. You teach
them, teach these younger women to be valuable. in the home,
virtuous and worthy. Teach them those things. Teach
them to be obedient to their own husbands in subjection and
submission to the husband that loves her. You know a woman never
has a problem submitting to someone that loves her, doing everything
he can for her, just whatever she needs. She don't have any
problem submitting to that. 1 Peter 3, 1 and 2, Likewise
you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any
obey not the word, they may without the word be won by the conversation
of the wives, while they behold your chaste conversation coupled
with fear. If a woman has an unbelieving
husband, and I know this, no one is ever converted apart from
the hearing of the gospel, but a wife that has an unbelieving
husband is sent here to maintain a modest, and consistent godly
conduct toward her husband, that conduct that is consistent with
her faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ, and her respect
for her husband's place of authority in the home. That, according
to these scriptures, makes a difference. In an attitude, I tell you, a
rebellious and contentious woman is not going to impress her unbelieving
husband, I can tell you that. And then, lastly, these things
are to be done. The scripture says that the word
of God be not blasphemed. That God's word be not blasphemed. When those who profess to be
believers in Christ behave in a manner that is contrary to
grace in the gospel, it causes unbelievers to ridicule their
profession and question the truth in Christ. I thought of this,
the importance of maintaining that 2 Samuel chapter 12, of
maintaining that consistency of walk. Whenever David had committed
adultery with Bathsheba, God sent a prophet to David. He sent
Nathan. And it said, Nathan came to David. And He told him, He said, you're
the man. It just slew David. It slew David. But here's the
thing that just, to me, was so heart-wrenching. Nathan the prophet
told David, how be it because by this deed, by this deed, by
what you've done, you're the king. You're the king God raised
up. The king that is to be the leader,
spiritual leader, spiritual, a man after God's own heart.
He said, how be it because by this deed that thou hast given
great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme? The
child that is born unto thee shall surely die. When we walk
in this world, we are to teach sound doctrine, but there is
A truth set forth in this passage that we're to teach those things
that come from that. The attitude, the walk, the consistency. Someone said, well, I don't want
you to be teaching law to me. Law is when I tell you that in
order to be saved, you need to do these things. That's law.
Consistency of walk is to set forth the manifestation of what
God's done for you. That's what Paul told Titus to
teach. He told Timothy, as I told you
before, you preach the word. You preach what God said for
you. When we preach that which the Lord has set forth, we preach
it right. And I pray that God bless these
passages of scripture. Lord willing, we'll take some
more out of this book of Titus. And behold what the Spirit of
God is teaching us through His Word for His glory and our good.