Godliness is about self-control, not political correctness
by Julian Mann, TCW:
What does the God-pleasing life look like? If you and I want to lead a life that pleases God, the true God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, what would that look like in practice day by day?
The Apostle Paul’s letter to Titus provides a clear answer to that question in chapter 2. Paul had left Titus on the Greek island of Crete in the early to mid AD 60s with the task of appointing leaders for the new churches in the various towns on that island. So we can say that Titus had something like an episcopal role. It is the role of bishops to appoint church leaders, pastors, in a particular geographical area. And that was the role Titus had on Crete, which is about 160 miles in length, so he would have been moving around the island from church to church rather than looking after a single congregation.
But we learn from chapter 2 that Titus was not just to appoint local leaders to teach the Christian congregations on Crete – he was to be a teacher himself. In fact, he was to give a lead on that and to set the standard for the teaching elders in the congregations.
Paul’s command to Titus in chapter 2 verse 1 reads literally: ‘But as for you teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.’
As for you, Titus, make sure you give healthy Christian teaching in contrast to the false teachers on Crete who were teaching things contrary to apostolic truth, against the truth God had revealed to the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, those men like Paul who witnessed Jesus Christ risen from the dead and were commissioned by him personally to proclaim his saving good news to the world.
But as for you, Titus, teach what is in accord with sound doctrine, give healthy teaching. And what is in accord with sound doctrine, healthy teaching, is godliness, the God-pleasing life as exemplified and made possible by the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
What does godliness look like in practice?
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