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It is unfortunate that Titus, a book so rich indoctrinal and practical truth, should be relegated as merely for elders. While Paul says much on the subject, he writes as much on the young as on the old.
Text: Titus 2:6-8
Wise old men do not grow on trees, they are forged, and there is no shortcut to the refining process. Titus, himself a veteran of the faith, is told to ‘show himself a pattern of good works’, i.e., he is to lead by example. While Christ ought always to be our chief reference point in all, the impact that godly men can have on other men cannot be understated.
Jim Rohn said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with, so choosing those who will help us be more Christ-like is essential. Titus, Paul, and other NT believers are examples of men we can emulate.
Doctrine and practice can never be separated in the NT, they exist like the two blades of scissors. Titus is to show ‘good works’ and to be uncorrupted in doctrine. It is one thing to proclaim our belief in great doctrines such as the Trinity, justification, assembly principles. But if we shed abroad discord and sin, rather than concord and grace, we make a mockery of our profession.
Spurgeon said of the necessity of good works in the Christian life that “The sermon that is preached by the mouth is soon forgotten, but what we preach by our lives is never forgotten”.
When we live an upright and loving life, then Paul says, he who is opposed to us ‘will be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you’. My performance in this area is usually abysmal, often mediocre, and only seldom laudable.
May we all, as young men, seek to be more like Christ today than yesterday, unafraid to strive towards spiritual excellence.