Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
Titus 2:2
I can’t speak for you, but I don’t think of myself as all that deep of a thinker. I don’t sit around and try to evaluate each and every thing that everyone says. I don’t go off the deep end if someone says something negative about me. Or if they question what I think. Or if they don’t see the world exactly like I do.
There’s another thing that I don’t spend a lot of time wondering. I’m not all that worried if I’m the person I should be. Whether or not I’m the person God wants me to be. The reason I don’t think a lot about this is because I already know the answer. I’m definitely NOT the man God wants me to be.
But one thing that I do wonder about is whether I’m moving closer to the person God wants me to be. Whether I’m growing and becoming more and more like the person he made me to be. Am I becoming like Jesus who loves us. Gave himself for us. Died for us.
Paul uses this same question with Titus. When Titus looks at the people that he’s going to pick, train, and lead in the young churches, he’s to think about who they are. And more than just being able to pass some multiple choice quiz about Jesus, Paul tells Titus to be very concerned about how they live out their faith.
They are to be a certain kind of person. They are to be the kind of Christian where their faith shows in how they live and relate to others. Paul gives six things that Titus is to look for in their lives.
Temperate. When someone’s temperate, they don’t turn to something from the outside to help. They don’t use something to self-medicate themselves. Traditionally it’s been alcohol or drugs. But today pornography and gambling are also used to try and fill that “hole in their soul.”
Worthy of respect. These are people that instantly seem to earn our admiration. When they talk, we listen more closely than most people. Their opinions carry more weight than others. They speak with authority that makes us want to listen and follow their advice.
Self-controlled. We all know people like this. They seem to be willing and able to hold back from doing something. They can figure out that something’s in front of them and then stop from stepping into it. Stop from running into it. They avoid the resulting pain too.
Sound in faith. Their faith in Jesus can’t just be focused on one thing, it has to cover all the important parts. Their faith also has to be in good working order. The different pieces of their faith in Jesus also fit together. Like pieces of a puzzle, their faith creates a picture of who Jesus is.
Love. This isn’t our soft and fuzzy feeling kind of love. It’s our kind and patient Heavenly Father’s deep desire that we experience nothing but the absolute best. Not the best just in this life, but the best from God’s. And these people want the exact thing for the people in their lives.
Endurance. You know how some people give up quickly and easily? These people are just the opposite. When life goes bad, they don’t give up. They stay at the task and see it through. When people disappoint them, they don’t immediately run away from them.
For all these six things, these people are to be presently and actively living like them. Titus should be able to see something of each one in their lives. Not perfectly, but there will be evidence of these things. There will be some fruit from each of these six things.
The answer to the question of who we are isn’t just a little bit important, it’s wildly important. Especially when it comes to who we are when no one is looking. How do we act and talk when the ones we love are not around.
Jesus came to this same question when people questioned him and what he said. They pointed to Abraham as the great example of the faith. He was their spiritual father. All the Jews looked to Abraham as the person that no one could be any better than. But Jesus didn’t let them get away with it. He comes right back and says something that they couldn’t misunderstand or ignore.
Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!
John 8:58
Jesus made it crystal clear that he was far superior to Abraham. As a matter of fact, he calls himself God when he says, “I am!” This is exactly the same thing that God called himself to Moses at the burning bush[1]. Because Jesus is God, he could die for our sins. Our response is to love him and the people around us. Let’s be the people God made us to be.
Noodling Questions
Who is the person that God’s made us to be?
How cooperative have we been with God’s design and purpose for us?
What’s stopping us from becoming the person God wants us to be
[1] Genesis 3:14
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