Titus 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Young men have far more physical strength than older men have. They are the physical powerhouse of a generation. At least that is how it should be. In our country the general age of retirement is 65. Some who are more well to do are able to retire at a younger age. In the Bible, the Levites were to be actively involved in the service at the Tabernacle and later at the Temple until the age of fifty. They were still to be involved in serving the Lord after that, but in a different capacity. We know that Eli was an old man when he died. Samuel was also an old man.
We have noted earlier that the older men need to be those who have walked with God for years and thus can help the younger men to see the importance of spiritual strength. You cannot build a strong life without knowing the Lord and trusting Him.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Due to the vacuum in our world at this time, the world is ripe for the coming of the antichrist. It is the longsuffering of the Lord that is keeping Him from removing the New Testament saints and bringing in the Antichrist. We can see from our politics, how people are breathlessly looking for a saviour. They do not care about the morals of the person and they do not care whether it is a man or a woman. They just want someone to give them the peace they think they need. Most people do not want to discuss doctrine, because they know doctrine causes division. Unless a person submits to God, and is truly born again, their opinions will take priority over truth.
We notice in verse 6 the word “likewise” again. Thus the same qualities need to be in the young men as the aged men and the older women. The young men need to be exhorted to be sober minded. The Greek word translated as “exhort” means “to invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation). The young men need to realize that a sober mind is essential. Young men have active minds. They have their physical strength and they assume they are invincible. They need to be saved so that they can see the imperative of receiving wise counsel. There are younger men who seem quite teachable. The problem is they have chosen the wrong teacher.
As we noted from the book of Proverbs, we need to come to the place of trusting the LORD first and foremost.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
There is no alternative to putting God first. Everything else will come up empty for the soul of man. Much of it will also come up empty in the physical realm. There is a saying: ‘too soon old, too late smart’. As we get older, we tend to grasp the fact that we cannot take back the past. That is why the apostle Paul was directed to write:
Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
God is very good and He is very gracious. The apostle Paul spent his younger years in the pursuit of false religion. He did not believe that at the time, but that is the fact. In Philippians 3 he looked at his past as dung. However, he did not waste his time on regrets. In II Timothy 4 he tells us that he had fought the good fight. He understood the significance of God’s forgiveness and from the time he was saved, he humbly submitted himself to the will and purpose of God. Timothy had the privilege of starting out as a child, knowing the holy Scriptures. He had a godly mother and grandmother who taught him the way of salvation and he listened to them. The apostle Paul took Timothy under his spiritual care while Timothy was a young man.
In our text, Titus was told to set himself as a pattern of good works. That is a different philosophy than we are given today. We often see older men thinking they need to adopt the ways of the younger men so that they will fit in with them. There is a growing sense of rebellion among the younger generation and a lack of conviction among the older men.
In verse 7 we are reminded of the importance of sound doctrine. Titus needed to show himself uncorrupt in doctrine. We see here that sound doctrine is essential. Rather than avoiding doctrine because it can cause arguments, the young men need to be taught sound doctrine by word and also by example.
Gravity has the idea of integrity. It is again that walking the walk and not just talking the talk. There needs to be that consistency that a person can depend on you to have a certain response, because that is your pattern. When a carpenter sets himself a form to build something, the form needs to be made out of strong enough material so that it does not lose its shape quickly. I think of the old miter box that would be used to cut a 45 degree angle or a straight cut. Over time, the slot that was there to follow for the cut, would get worn from the constant use. The cuts would no longer be accurate. Today, we have a miter saw that can be more accurate, but it too can get worn, especially if it is a sliding miter.
Titus also needed to be sincere in his words and actions. There is no place for frivolity when it comes to spiritual matters. Too many people are counting on us. Younger men are counting on older men to set the right pattern. The natural man will gravitate to that which feels good. The spiritual man will desire that which will sharpen him.
Sound speech is also important. Vulgar language may sound good to the world, but it is condemned by God. I read some minutes from a meeting that was held, and one of the comments made is that some of the people had requested less filthy language at the dining room. Some people demonstrate their lack of intelligence by using vulgar language. They cannot speak without sticking in some vile language. That is becoming more common today. It used to be that men would not curse around women, but now the women can curse as well as the men. Young children are taught to curse as well.
Titus needed to teach the young men that their speech needed to be such that those who were vulgar would be ashamed. There is no shame in being scoffed at because you will not curse and swear. There is no shame in speaking sound doctrine rather than accepting the false doctrine that is so prevalent today.
Again we see how necessary it is to live right. We need to live in such a way that others have no evil thing to say about us. Others need to see that we are not hypocrites. They may oppose us, but their accusations against us must not stick. The Jews hated Jesus. At His trial, they hurled accusations against Him but none of them stuck. We are not Jesus, but we need to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is impossible to live the Christian life without being saved. It is a blessing to be saved. The saved person needs to rely on the power of God to live his new life. He needs to grow in the Lord and he can do that because he has been changed by God. He has been given a new nature. That is the key. Have you been changed by God?
Pastor Bartel
