Titus 2:1-15

Titus, like most ministers, had a large variety of people under the influence of his ministry. This can be a huge blessing but it can also be a challenging task to minister to each group according to their needs.  Paul encourages Titus to be faithful and to persevere in his work in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.
GIVE SPECIFIC HELP TO OTHERS THROUGH INSTRUCTION: Titus had people who were older than he was that were under his leadership.  He also had younger people that he needed to serve.  Each age group, each gender and each working class of people had specific needs and required specific instruction.  Paul challenged Titus to recognize these different groups and to minster to them accordingly.  I think that it is significant that Paul did not tell Titus how to minister to young ladies other than to challenge the older women to teach them.  I think that this is very wise advice.  As a young man, he was not to compromise his testimony or to expose himself to temptation.  We must be very careful to minister to the needs of people in accord with their level of spiritual maturity.  We must also be careful to maintain a high level of integrity in our work so that are not accused of or become involved in immorality.  Once again it is very evident that the body of Christ is responsible to minister to one another.  All age and gender groups need other people to minister in their lives, instruct them and encourage them according to their specific needs.  This type of ministry requires involvement in small group or individual ministry as opposed to the ministry being exclusively that which is done from the pulpit.
HAVE SPIRITAL HOPE IN CHRIST WITH INTEGRITY: Besides being a faithful and creative teacher, Titus was called to be a man of integrity with a moral character that was above reproach.  We must deny the pleasures of sin and turn from the ways of this world.  Paul counsels Titus to do this by looking forward to the blessed hope of the return of Christ.  The more our focus is on the  world in which we live, the more we will be tempted to sin and the stronger our attraction to worldly living will be.  In the same way, the more we focus on the eternal hope of heaven, the more we will be immune to temptation and the less our affections will be placed upon the world and its ways.  As believers we must constantly look back on the precious salvation that we have through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  We must also consistently look forward to the promises that Christ has given us to inspire us to have hope.  We must always strive to interpret our present circumstances in light of the grace of God revealed in the cross of Christ and in light of the blessed hope that we have in Christ’s return.  The doctrine of heaven should always be a source of help and hope for every believer who loves God and His Word.

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