Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
… eager to do what is good.
Summary: Paul describes what godly living is all about, and the end of his thought is that God’s people are eager to do what is good. The question then becomes, “What is good?” Paul points us to some things that help us define good from God’s perspective instead of our own.
Continue reading “Titus 2:14 (d) — Doing Good”
… and to purify for himself a people that are his very own …
Summary: Learning to live for God is a purifying process. We give up what is ungodly and embrace what is godly. Having paid the price for our redemption, God changes us into people who are his very own.
Continue reading “Titus 2:14 (c) — The Keys of Heaven”
[Jesus Christ,] who gave himself for us …
Summary: The story of our salvation is amazing. Our part is rather sad and embarrassing. The exciting part is provided by God’s Son, Jesus Christ. He left heaven to become a man, live a good life, and then allowed mankind to take that life away from him. Under the law, he now has the right to take our lives, but instead, he gives us life.
Continue reading “Titus 2:14 (a) — The Eyes of God”
—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ …
Summary: Paul’s words in this passage identify Jesus as God and Savior. These are two parts of what scholars call “the Trinity.” The word is dangerous if it causes someone to think that they understand our God. That would be a bit like an ant claiming to understand Shakespeare.
Continue reading “Titus 2:13 (b) — In The Air”
… in this present age …
Summary: There are limits to what we can know about Paul’s thinking. Yet there are clues in his letter to Titus that give us confidence that his words are still relevant today.
Continue reading “Titus 2:12 (c) — The Age”
… but to show that they can be fully trusted …
Summary: We are all slaves to something. Paul says we are slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. We all need to show that we can be fully trusted.
Continue reading “Titus 2:10 (b) — Division or Unity?”
… to try to please them …
Summary: Life is full of difficult situations. People are people and without God’s love in their heart they are often unpleasant to be around and serve. Yet it is God’s will that we try to please them.
Continue reading “Titus 2:9 (b) — Serving God”
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, …
Summary: When Paul says people are to be subject to human authority in “everything,” he is not placing human authority above God. Instead, our submission to human authority is intended to serve God by glorifying him.
Continue reading “Titus 2:9 (a) III — The Line”
… so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
Summary: The concept of living what you teach is called integrity. Paul wants those who teach the Word to live to a standard so high that no one can speak ill of them.
Continue reading “Titus 2:8 (b) — Dastardly and Deadly”
In everything set them an example … by doing what is good.
Summary: Today we look at a shift if Paul’s writing; he tells Titus what to be. Telling Titus to be a person who does good leaves us with the question of what does God mean by “good?”
Continue reading “Titus 2:7 (b) — Knife’s Edge”