In every way …make the
teaching about God our
Saviour attractive
Titus 2: 10b
If you were present in church a few Sundays ago, you may recall that I was having us look at Paul’s letter to Titus. As we read each chapter, we could see how that Paul was wanting this young man -who he himself had probably led to the Lord originally and who he had purposefully left behind in Crete – he wanted him to appoint elders, and for Titus himself to give instruction in ‘what is appro-priate to sound doctrine’ (2:1) to all in the church, in such a way that would help them to live out their lives in Christ.
In chapter 2 he is given advice on how and what to teach the older men, and the older women—so that they could encourage the younger women in the church. And to set an example to the younger men – his peers. But then Titus needed to teach Christian slaves how they should live, obeying their masters, not to steal, but to be showing they were fully trust-worthy. And at this point in Paul’s letter, what stands out for me is that he says, that such living would mean they would ‘make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.’
Now I hope that when those of us who stand up to preach, we seek to make the teaching about our Saviour attractive to those who listen. But Paul here is not speaking particularly to preachers, to minsters in the pulpit or on the platform, but to servants—even slaves. They were those owned by their masters, and were not free to do as they pleased, but had to obey. Yet some were Christian believers and were included in the fellowship of the Church. Isn’t it amazing that they were the ones Paul was expecting to ‘make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive’? Really, in what they did, how they lived in obedience to their masters, perhaps in what they said, or refrained from saying, their whole lives were to be making everything about the Lord Jesus attractive – to their masters, particularly if the master wasn’t a believer; to other slaves they might have contact with, and to all in the church, of which they were a part.
My brothers and sisters, you who, like me, have come into the joy and knowledge of sins forgiven through our Saviour’s death, who have received new life in Christ that gives us assurance of eternal salvation, and who are now servants of the Lord Jesus – how far would you say you are able to make your Master attractive in the way you live, and in your dealings with others. After all, we long for others to come into the same experience as we have had, don’t we?
To sum up, how wonderful and precious is the Saviour to you, and how attractive are you able to make the gospel of His salvation attractive to others? I tell you, it challenges me!
Steve
Elder
June 2023
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