Bible League: Living His Word Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.If you were asked to make a list of the personal virtues of the ideal older man, then you would be hard-pressed to find a better starting point than the list the Apostle Paul gives us in our verse for today. Paul just got done telling Titus that he should "teach what accords with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1). Significantly, his list is the first example he gives of such teaching. Older men should be "sober-minded." What does this mean? It certainly means that older men should not get drunk, but it goes beyond that basic understanding. Young men tend to be careless, thoughtless, and insensible. Older men should set an example for younger men by being careful, thoughtful, and sensible. Older men should also be dignified. What does it mean to be "dignified?" A dignified man is respectable, serious when it is called for, noble in character and bearing, and a man of distinction. An undignified man, in contrast, is indiscreet, trivial, unrefined, and a man of insignificance. Older men should be self-controlled. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but they still struggle with the old sinful spiritual state. Self-controlled men are able to keep the sinful spiritual state under control. They do not give in to its desires and directions easily. Instead, they follow the leading of the Spirit and reflect the fruit of the Spirit. The self-controlled man of God is a man who can be counted on to do the right thing at the right time. Finally, older men should be sound in faith, love, and steadfastness (some translations have "patience"). Older men should be examples to the younger men of standing firm in the faith, so that the young will "no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Ephesians 4:14). Older men should also be men of love, instead of men who give in to the anger and impetuous wrath of youth. And they should be steadfast or patient. Instead of allowing impatience to stampede them into the dead ends of life, they should wait patiently for the good things the LORD has in store. Don't think that you must be rich, have a great job, or have high social status in order to properly embody the virtues on Paul's list. With the help of the LORD, men of any means and circumstances can embody these virtues. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEcclesiastes 4, 5, 6 Ecclesiastes 4 -- Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 5 -- Guard your steps when you go to God's house NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 6 -- There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Corinthians 10 2 Corinthians 10 -- Paul Defends His Ministry NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”Insight We must take God's great message of salvation to others so that they can respond to the Good News. How will your loved ones and neighbors hear it unless someone tells them? Is God calling you to take a part in making his message known in your community? Challenge Think of one person who needs to hear the Good News, and think of something you can do to help him or her hear it. Then take that step as soon as possible. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon John 10:27 And they follow me.We should follow our Lord as unhesitatingly as sheep follow their shepherd, for he has a right to lead us wherever he pleases. We are not our own, we are bought with a price--let us recognize the rights of the redeeming blood. The soldier follows his captain, the servant obeys his master, much more must we follow our Redeemer, to whom we are a purchased possession. We are not true to our profession of being Christians, if we question the bidding of our Leader and Commander. Submission is our duty, cavilling is our folly. Often might our Lord say to us as to Peter, "What is that to thee? Follow thou me." Wherever Jesus may lead us, he goes before us. If we know not where we go, we know with whom we go. With such a companion, who will dread the perils of the road? The journey may be long, but his everlasting arms will carry us to the end. The presence of Jesus is the assurance of eternal salvation, because he lives, we shall live also. We should follow Christ in simplicity and faith, because the paths in which he leads us all end in glory and immortality. It is true they may not be smooth paths--they may be covered with sharp flinty trials, but they lead to the "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant." Let us put full trust in our Leader, since we know that, come prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, popularity or contempt, his purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every heir of mercy. We shall find it sweet to go up the bleak side of the hill with Christ; and when rain and snow blow into our faces, his dear love will make us far more blest than those who sit at home and warm their hands at the world's fire. To the top of Amana, to the dens of lions, or to the hills of leopards, we will follow our Beloved. Precious Jesus, draw us, and we will run after thee. Daily Light on the Daily Path Judges 15:19 But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out of it. When he drank, his strength returned and he revived. Therefore he named it En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." John 7:37,39 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. • But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Luke 11:13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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