Living the New Life

Living the New Life
Titus 2:1-15
October 25, 2026

We see that Titus is almost a condensed version of first Timothy, as Paul gives direction in leadership, being grounded in sound doctrine, and how that affects the life of a believer while awaiting the return of Jesus Christ.

In the church they were dealing with those who professed Christ, but their lives did not carry it out. They still had the way of life of the Cretans. You’ll remember that being called a Cretan was not a good things. Being called a Cretan was synonymous with being a liar, lazy, a glutton and greedy.

So, we find Paul urging them to be transformed. Do not be content is staying in the dead mindsets and actions you were before you became a Christian. Christ came to set you from those things.

So, Paul gives many practical guidelines on what the fruit of a Christian should be. A tree is known by its fruit, and if you become a follower of Christ, you start to build your life on the foundations of the word of God.

He starts by addressing the interaction in the church – the family and body of Christ.

This organic body is made up of older men, older women, younger men, younger women. All of us fall into one of these categories. Then we also see the dynamic of those who are free men, and others servants; which also encompasses us all.

Whatever their station and age, Paul told Titus to teach them that their lives should reflect their salvation. This has a secondary goal. How we live and treat others has an eternal impact.

Psalm 19:10, The law of the Lord is perfect, …sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

God’s ways are beautiful, and we become the representatives of that. As we study this section, we might see some ‘Cretan’ behavior that is still part of some lives today.

I. Grace is Precious

• Grace is totally undeserved favor that is received freely, but it is not cheap.

Illus –  Let’s say you buy your child a brand new car. Just for fun, they decide to ram another car on purpose, wrecking the car. Your first response would be: What are you doing? What were you thinking? You are wasting something special and disregarding the price that was paid for it. Not only that, but it will impact your future.

 It will definitely impact their license, insurance, and credibility.  An accident is an accident but doing something on purpose will give you a citation, or worse, it becomes a felony; even more so if someone got hurt.

Illus – Let’s say your child comes back with a repentant heart. You can see they are serious. You buy a car again. This time, he is overwhelmed by the undeserved favor. Not only did you forgive him, but also blessed him beyond what he deserved .Now you expect them to learn from their mistakes. Take responsibility, understand the seriousness of the cost and the wonderful privilege of receiving the gift.

Verse 14 – 15, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. 

• Our freedom cost Jesus His life. We are exhorted to take our salvation seriously.

II. Be Zealous for Good

• Once you truly understand what God has saved you from, your Christian walk becomes a serious endeavor.
• He set us free from lawless deeds, and purified us to be His possession. The same way we zealously ran after lawless deeds, we should now zealously run after good deeds.
• Paul continues to give some practical guidelines and he starts out with the older men.

A.   Older men, be examples

• Every person’s definition of old is based on their own age. When I was 15, people of 30 were old. Now that I am 48, I see old as people over 90!
• He doesn’t say how old you have to be to be part of this group, but my opinion is it is whatever age you are that you are old enough to impact the younger generation.
• These are actually principles that all men should strive towards. Be sober minded, temperate, in other words, not moved by every wind that blows or feeling overwhelmed by every wave.
• Be dignified, sensible, in other words not overreacting in a situation and being impulsive.
• Be sound in faith, grounded and healthy in your faith. Every decision and reaction should filtered through your faith.

Illus – What is your world view? Is it biblical, or worldly? What principles guide how you deal with  and spend your money, how you raise your kids, how you have “fun”? What guides your decisions? God’s will first, or your will first?

• Concerning love. Have agape, godly love towards others; the same undeserved love that God had for us. Or is your love conditional?
• Have perseverance. Perseverance is part of maturity and only grows as one goes through trials and difficult times. When a challenge comes, you look at it differently than ones who have never faced a challenge before.

Illus – David could face Goliath, because he has already faced the lion and the bear.

• Part of growing in maturity and becoming a wise older man, is having the testimony of God bringing you through challenges.

 Illus – I remember when we got our first child. Al the first things that happen are foreign and can be scary. First time they have a fever. First time they break some bone. First time they have to go to school. And as young parents you act as if your child is the first one going through this. It was such a blessing to have wise men around me that has walked the road to help give perspective.

• When older men have these type of character and traits Paul speaks of, it will inevitably impact the younger generation. Not necessarily only by telling them what to do, but by giving them an example of how you act and react in situations.
• Paul exhorted Titus to show himself to be an examples of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified. The aim of it is that it would impact those around him to start to act the same way.
• It has been said that young people don’t do what you say, they do what you do.

B.    Young men, be sensible

• He then exhorts the young men to be sensible. In short, think of the consequences before you do that thing.
• Be self-restrained. You don’t have to be led by impulsiveness. Count the cost.
• Take this life seriously. Too many young men today have a victim mentality. Someone else needs to take responsibility. They don’t want to grow up.
• Some have the problem that they have failure to launch. Someone else needs to take life seriously for them. And most of the time they always blame someone else, or their parents, or the system, or their past, or the government, or even God.

Illus – War documentaries fascinate me, and I am always struck by the fact that the men that helped defend and shape history by laying their lives on the line, were mostly boys of 18-22. They had to step up.

• It is an important lesson to learn that everyone at some stage has to step up and take responsibility. If others before were able to do it, you can too.
• Even more so spiritually. If you’ve come to Christ, he saves you, washes you clean, and you become His child. But one day there will be a testing of works and you will have to give account of what you did while in this body.
• Paul says that many will be saved, but as if through fire. The things that they kept themselves busy with would have been worthless. We need to take our whole life seriously.
• Life can be scary. Especially with the disruptive technology that makes the future very volatile.
• This is the exact reason why we need God and the leading of His Spirit.
• The beautiful thing about being a child of God is that you don’t have to go it alone. He’s here to lead you, guide you, and direct your steps.

Psalm 119:9, How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.

• Young men, you are not alone. God is in this adventure with you. And He will open doors if you trust Him in all of your ways, and He will use you for His glory if you stay close to Him.
• He will elevate you if you walk with integrity and in His directives, because that is what every employer in this world values highly.
• Not only that, but if you are humble enough to receive counsel, there are many wise men who has walked the road before you and experienced the challenges and solutions that can be a great encouragement.

C.    Older women, be good examples

• Just like older men has the ability to impact, so does older women as well. Older women are exhorted to be reverent, holy in their behavior. Remember, holiness doesn’t mean perfect, but it does mean living a set apart life. A life that has as its goal to glorify God.
• They are specifically told not to be malicious gossips. This is one thing that really hurts and breaks down relationships, breaking up the fiber of the church family.
• Malicious gossip is birthed out of looking down on others, judging others. Instead of doing that, lovingly exhort others.
• This is something all of us should pay attention to.

Psalm 141:3, Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to direct your speech.
• Do not be enslaved to much wine. This is an interesting one. Again, something that men and women should be vigilant against.
• Alcohol, and other substances, has the effect that it tears down your self-control and lowers your inhibitions. A drunk man is something, but a drunk woman is something else! There is nothing beautiful and dignified in that.
• God made women the crowning beauty of creation. You are His daughter. A godly woman’s actions should reflect that beauty of God.
• All this is said so that they can teach what is good. Just like with older men, you mostly teach by example.
• Maybe you say that you now came to faith in Christ, but for most of your life you did not lead a godly life. God can also use that for His glory, because you might have firsthand experience on what not to do and what the fruit of missing the mark is.
• What good things should they teach? We find this in the next section. It presupposes that the things we are going to see now, is something that the older women should have practiced and made part of their lives so that they can teach, direct, and encourage the younger women.

D.   Young women, receive counsel

• Just like young men, young women today are also drowning in a sea of uncertainty as to what their place in this world is and what their values should be that they build their lives upon.
• Most have been influenced heavily by the feminist movement without maybe even realizing it. Most women would think that the feminist movement is a great idea. I mean, who does not want women to have rights, right?
• This is a touchy subject, but the sad thing, however, is that the feminist movement have stripped many women of the wonderful privileges they had before the movement. For example, instead of just giving them the choice whether or not to have a career, most women now HAVE to work to keep the pot boiling.
• In fact, society has moved to such extremes that many of the roles are now totally reversed. In many instances women have become, or are forced to be the strong corporate ones, whereas many men have taken over responsibilities women previously had.
• And what seems like emancipation of women, has resulted in very different outcomes.

Illus – I recently read a very interesting book called “ Occult Feminism: The Secret History of Women’s Liberation”, written by a woman. Research shows that, although women have more opportunities than ever before to do whatever they want, they are more depressed than ever. There are more women that need therapy to cope. More women that are on antidepressants than ever before. Research shows that most women, even when given the option, chooses to go into jobs that has ‘motherly’ qualities, like nursing, caring for others, teaching, being a personal assistant. It turns out most women don’t want that high powered job having to make all the hard decision. In fact, most women they interviewed said, especially after they become mothers, that they wish they could just stay home with their kids.

We see that this movement was literally directed by Satan through self-confessed occult leaders to disrupt the order and peace that God has designed for the family.

• Does this mean a woman is not allowed to work. No, that is not the point. The woman in Proverbs 31 ran a business, but your identity and purpose in life doesn’t have to be tied to your job.
• So younger women should be encouraged to love their husbands and their children. You are called to be a partner to your husband, but in God’s order.
• Not that you are worth less, you just have a different function. You are called to be the nurturer in the family. A mom just by default has a different level of caring heart.

Illus – Look at women that don’t have kids. They will find something, cats or dogs, rabbits, even rats to lavish their love on, because you were hardwired with it.

• Don’t let the world put the heavy burden on you that you feel the expectation that you have to become that high powered “whatever”.
• You are called to live sensibly. Discern God’s will, be pure, someone your husband can be proud of.
• Concerning your role at home; it doesn’t mean you become the slave in the house, you are the “estate ruler” standing under the priestly authority of your husband.

App- We have this wonderful ministry called Mom-to-Mom…

• And again, be subject to your husband so that God will not be dishonored. A woman who is rebellious and wanting to assert power over her husband is dishonoring God. Period. And it always ends horribly, for example, Jezebel, Delilah.

E.    Workers, be well-pleasing

• This includes all of us. We are all ‘servants’, working for or being under authority of someone to some degree. Maybe you are under no one’s authority. Then congratulations, you are under the authority of Jesus Himself.
• Be well-pleasing. Your boss should be thankful that you are working for him. Have an opinion, be positively challenging, but don’t be that person that is always picking a fight. Don’t be obnoxious. People should want to be around you, not try and avoid you.

Illus- People, even sinners, wanted to be with Jesus.

F. Adorn the Doctrine of God 

• That means to beautify, enhance, decorate the doctrine of God. The result should be that he good news of Jesus reflected through our lives should be the most beautiful thing people sees. It should be the greatest smelling fragrance in society.
• Our lives should reflect His glory so others won’t be able to resist.

Illus – We should not be a fly trap, but a honeycomb. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. 

• Take my salvation seriously for the glory of God.
• We can algin our lives with these principles so that we can impact here and eternity.