Titus 1:5-9
“The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.“
Titus 1:5-9 NIV
By God's grace, we all have the Word of God as our plum-line for truth. May we read, mark, learn, understand, and apply its wisdom in every area of our lives. May we become so in tune with the will of God, that we are empowered to identify and, if necessary, challenge areas of church life and doctrine that do not line-up with scripture.
The qualities that Paul lists for church elders and spiritual leaders are those to which every Godly man or woman should aspire. Not only are they called to be even-tempered in their dealings with others, honorable in all aspects of their home life, self-restrained in their business and financial dealings, and hospitable towards others.
They are instructed to stand firm in the faith, to hold fast to sound biblical doctrine, and to be able to exhort and encourage others in the advancement of the gospel of God.
They should also be in a position to oppose and rebuke those that contradict the Word of God, and challenge those that distort the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ.
Standing firm in the faith and holding fast to sound doctrine does not mean tenaciously clinging to one's own private interpretation of a passage or reading into a section of Scripture what you want it to say, hope that it says, would like it to say, or think that it says. Nor is it simply spiritualizing the truth so that it fits into one's own pet doctrine giving an opportunity to argue the case with other believers.
Holding fast to the faithful Word, which is in accordance with the teaching, means correctly breaking down of Scripture. To hold fast to the faithful Word, which is in accordance with the teaching, means interpreting the Word of God correctly, and rightly dividing the Word of truth.
In reading today, we might say to ourselves, I’m not an apostle or the appointee of an apostle, and I’m not an elder in the church, so what does this passage say to me? Certainly the character qualities of church leadership are worthy goals and aspirations for all of us at any stage of life. We never fully arrive, but we can fully strive. And beyond that, we know from all of Scripture that the Lord has a perfect place for each one of us.
Whoever you are, whatever stage of life, when you walk with the Lord, He has a way of making you the right person at the right place at the right time, over and over in life!!!
Father, thank You for this day and that we are a member of the Body of Christ and that we are all one in Him. Lord, open up the windows of heaven and pour out Your abundant blessings over my friends and family today. Thank You for the joy of Christian fellowship and the opportunities we all have of meeting together in our local gatherings. Lord, raise up leaders that are like Titus who will stand firm on the authority of Scripture and carry out their responsibilities by speaking the truth in love. Lord, keep each one of us low at the Cross and broken before You. Use each one of us to be someone’s blessing today.
Father, we love You. Amen !
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