Adorn the doctrine of God

I think I finally figured out the problem that has kept me from posting for a month now!  So I will work on catching myself up on a few things now that the holidays and shingles are over.

My special verse for 2019 is Titus 2:10b: "... adorn the doctrine of God our Savior."  Or, as it is put in the NIV version, "make the doctrine of God attractive."  I was really struck by the picture of what God is asking of me, so here is what I wrote the first day I read this and was meditating on it.

Titus 2:10b … adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

So just how does a believer “adorn the doctrine of God?”  Paul told Titus to encourage, teach and exemplify for the believers in Crete how to do this, so just what should they do?  I see several things mentioned in the letter to Titus:

           

            1. be self-controlled.  Everyone is included, beginning with the leaders (1:7) to older men (2:3), then women/wives (2:5) and younger men (2:6).

            2. be submissive and “well-pleasing” with others.  This is mentioned for servants   in particular (2:9), but can easily be applied to everyone when Paul ends the statement with the exhortation to “show all good faith.”  Besides, everyone has someone who is of greater authority than themselves and to whom he/she must submit, whether it be employment, home, church, government, etc.

            3. be pure and true to your faith.  Paul tells Titus that only to the pure all things will be pure (1:15).  This is what gives a believer the ability to accomplish things   for God (1:16 and 3:14).

More training required

Titus 1:7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach … self-controlled.

I was stuck this morning as I read through the book of Titus how important self-control is considered for all who name the name of Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.  A leader in the church (an overseer) has that call to self-control on him, but he is not alone.  Paul goes on to include older men (2:2), older women (2:5), and younger men (2:6) in that responsibility to learn and exercise self-control.  And just in case someone might think themselves to be exempt, Paul concludes by saying that all who have received salvation should train to be self-controlled (v.11012).  The grace of God in us will train us for self-controlled, upright, godly living.  Those areas of my life that show less discipline need to be trained for self-control in order to display godliness.  I must keep working on that, even in my older years because I have not learned total self-control yet, as much as I hate to admit it.