There is everything in the word of God to enable every Christian in every circumstance of life to live acceptably to the Lord. In Titus 2:1-10 the apostle Paul guides Titus as to the instruction he is to give to five classes of people – aged men,aged women,young women,young men,and servants. The purpose of the instruction was to enable these people to live consistent Christian lives,harmonising their behaviour with their belief. These instructions were necessary for the early Christians,and are equally so for the church today. If we ask,’ What should Christians be like in the home,the church,and the world? the answer is in Titus 2:1-10,where we have an outline of the Christian life in action.’
I. The Aged Men (v:2)
A. They must be sober – temperate,vigilant,and moderate in their habits.
B. They must be grave – serious and not flippant;but it does not mean gloomy! It means to live in the light of eternity and to have about them a spiritual dignity.
C. They must be temperate – prudent and self-controlled. An older Christian must be controlled by the Holy Spirit,which is the real meaning of Eph.5:18. The aged men must be of mature judgment and proper restraint.
D. They must be sound in faith – the word means healthy (compare verse 1); and faith is the first of three Christian virtues mentioned here.
E. They must be sound in charity – healthy in their love. Their love for the Lord and His people should be robust and should be the badge worn by the older brethren.
F. They must be sound in patience – endurance or fortitude. This has special reference to the times of testing that comes upon us in our earthly life. Paul was an example of one who showed great fortitude in the midst of tremendous testings.
Here, then,is God’s pattern for the senior men. Do you come into this category? Next,we shall look at The Aged Women (v:3)