Adorning the Gospel

  We all love to make things look nice, don't we?  Ourselves, our children, our cars, our homes --- most people like for our lives to be attractive to others and for our own enjoyment.  While I usually brush it off as false, Sam knows that I love hearing him or the kids tell me I am beautiful.  The beauty of nature is breathtaking.  God made us all to love pretty things.

    Brother Doug has been leading us through the book of Titus recently.  Titus 2 speaks to every category of Christian -- older men, older women, young men, young women, and those in bondage.  A couple things stood out to me as Doug was teaching that have been running through my mind for the last couple of weeks.  

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Bond servants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.  Titus 2:3-10, ESV

    I love it when I know the reason I need to do something, don't you?  It is so much easier to follow through with the instructions completely.  If I fail to understand the purpose in what I am doing, quite often I want to take the easy route or not complete the job.  I am far less likely to follow each step in the instructions.  I am so thankful Paul spelled out the reasoning for Titus, because God knew I would need that clearly laid out for me! 

    Here Paul tells Titus the exact reason he is to teach the Christians in Crete how to live.  The reasons are "that the word of God be not reviled" and "that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior."  Not every translation uses the word, "adorn," but I love it.  

    To "adorn" means to make beautiful, or attractive.  The word picture here is of putting on jewelry or ornamenting our garments.  In other words, "to make purdy." 😁  In Romans 13:14, Paul uses similar language when he speaks of "putting on the LORD Jesus Christ." 

     The opposite of adorning is bringing shame or "reviling."  No Christian would say they desired to revile the Word of God.  However, if our attitudes and actions are contrary to the teachings laid out here in Titus, that is exactly what is happening! Titus is easy to read and clear in its teachings.  I encourage you to read it through  frequently and do a heart check.  

    As I have read over Titus 2 more, each time I find those phrases convicting me.  Am I making the doctrine of Jesus beautiful through my attitudes and actions?  Paul gives very specific instructions for how we are to live.  What is my reason for my actions? Am I doing these things to check of a list of "must do's" or am I doing it to bring beauty to the Word of God that I am declaring?  This changes it from a legalistic "have to" to a heart desire of "want to" because I desire to make the doctrine of God attractive, or desirable to those looking in.  We have both an incredible opportunity to exhibit beauty as well as a heavy responsibility to avoid bringing shame to the name of Jesus, whose name we bear and proclaim.  Make no mistake.  Others are watching.  I pray we are bearing that name proudly and adorning it well.  

❤ Heather Sparks❤