Titus 2 is fascinating – a Bible chapter telling us what should mark the life of different “life-stage” Christians (older men, younger women, etc.). Apparently each life stage has certain extra needs and challenges (younger men apparently have only one: self-controlled!). So just for fun, I took a bit of liberty and combined them, compiling a large list of what all believers should be. Doing it this way obviously leaves out some intended meaning, and so I’m not going to put it in leather and call it the Bible, but it yields some interesting results. Some traits, for instance, are repeated: self-controlled shows up four times (that says something in itself), dignified and submissive, twice each.

Read to the end to discover the secret to becoming all these things…

• Sober-minded
• dignified
• self-controlled
• sound in faith
• loving
• steadfast
• reverent in behavior
• not slanderers
• not slaves to much wine
• teachers of what is good
• pure
• working at home
• kind
• submissive (to their own husbands – wives / to their own masters – slaves)
• doing good works
• showing integrity in teaching
• dignified
• well-pleasing
• not argumentative
• not pilfering
• showing all good faith

And I will never tire of pointing out what the Bible again and again says is the secret to becoming all that God wants us to be: His grace. So, right after Paul finishes listing these various traits, he gives us our motivation:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, Titus 2:11, 12 (ESV)

For Monday, September 14: Titus 3