For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Titus 2:11-14
In his commentary on Paul’s letter to Titus, theologian Gordon Fee suggests that the general purpose of the letter is two-fold- (1) doing good works especially (2) for the sake of outsiders.
Some may struggle with the idea of good works, but it is a matter of our motivation, isn’t it? Some time ago a friend commented on how a stranger he met in a physician’s office commented on the church he attends. My friend recognized the importance of his conduct because “you never know who might be watching your life.”
“Truly Christian conduct is not predicated on whether I have the right to do something, but whether my conduct is helpful to those about me.”
Gordon Fee
Is my conduct helpful to those around me? Is my life capable of drawing others to Christ? A humbling, if not troubling question, isn’t it?
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