Titus 2:1

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. The older men should be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, love, and patience. The older women likewise should be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things. They should admonish the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, and obedient to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, showing yourself in all things to be a pattern of good works and doctrine, showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, and sound speech that cannot be condemned. This way, one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well-pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, so that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Father, as we consider the scriptures here this morning, just reading through the things said by Paul, we need your wisdom and your grace to understand and comprehend what it is that you are desiring to speak to us today. So, Holy Spirit, I pray that you would guide us in all truth and teach us all things, that we would be able to take what is taught here in this passage and that it would become a part of our lives. Help us to apply this to the way that we live this week. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those that agree said, "Amen." You can be seated.

This last week, I was listening to a podcast conversation between British comedian and cultural commentator Russell Brand and Canadian professor and clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson. At about an hour and ten minutes into this 90-minute conversation, Russell Brand made this comment: he said we cannot trust people in free markets to do the right thing. Now, a little background—you may not know who this individual is, but he would...

Not at all can he be classified as a Christian. In fact, he probably considers himself an atheist, or at the very least, agnostic. He stated that we cannot trust people in free markets to do the right thing. He went on to say that we need to regulate access to things like alcohol because free markets will not self-regulate, and people cannot be trusted to regulate themselves either. His conclusion was that there has to be some moralizing force. There has to be something that is not economically led, that is not the manifestation of greed. Someone in secular society, where there is no reasonable trusted voice of God, has to be able to say, "Don't drink too much alcohol because people will drink too much alcohol."

It's a fascinating observation. Brand is not only speaking from observation; he is also speaking from personal experience as one who was an addict himself and struggled with substance abuse. He has experienced the reality of what we, who hold a Christian worldview, would call the fallenness of human beings, which theologians have referred to for centuries as original sin. All of us are subject to what is called the fall, as described in the Bible.

What is particularly fascinating is that not only does Russell Brand see the fallenness of human nature, but he also accepts the necessity of an absolute moral standard. He acknowledges the need for enforceable standards of morality and that there must be someone empowered to enforce those moral standards. This is a striking consideration in the very libertine culture in which we live. He resides in Great Britain, yet he asserts that we need someone to enforce moral standards.

In response to Brand's statement regarding the fallenness of humanity and the need to enforce moral standards, Jordan Peterson addressed Brand's dilemma. He suggested that we need to have economic systems run by distributed individuals who are themselves aiming at a higher good. Again, this is fascinating. These are two very prominent voices in Western culture.

Here in the 21st century, we need individuals scattered throughout society who are pointing people towards a higher good. What exactly does that mean? Jordan Peterson states that the most effective way to regulate the market or society is to improve the moral character of the people who make up that society, rather than to directly regulate it. That's amazing.

Russell Brand argues that people are fallen, and if left to their own nature, they will not choose good things. This is an observation many of us would agree with. It aligns with what the Bible calls original sin; we are all fallen. Brand's idea is that we need to legislate and regulate access to things that people might choose to do, which are not helpful for them or for society. In response, Jordan Peterson says he doesn't think regulation is the best way. Instead, he believes we need to transform people and make them better.

These insights are remarkable, especially coming from individuals who do not hold a biblical worldview. People cannot regulate themselves; therefore, they are broken and need someone to regulate them. However, Peterson argues that we need to make people better. He emphasizes the importance of orienting people toward a transcendent good, pointing them in the direction of something better for all.

What is the transcendent good that he proposes? Peterson suggests outcomes that benefit yourself, your future self, your family, and ultimately the community. This is what we need to point people towards. It is fascinating to hear such sentiments expressed by prominent voices in a secular society like ours. Peterson hails from Canada, while Brand comes from Great Britain, and we are hearing this from people within our own culture.

However, Russell Brand objected to what Jordan Peterson had to say in this podcast. He argued that the problem is our current consumeristic culture will not set people on a path towards being the best version of themselves. I find some agreement with that perspective, as it raises important questions about the influences of our society.

Yielding to the current of our culture means giving up and going with the flow. Our culture is oriented towards 100% self, 100% of the time, and that is not going to lead anyone towards a moral position. Peterson argues that what we need is the transformation of the individual, which results in the transformation of families, leading to the transformation of communities. Along those lines, I would give a wholehearted yes, a wholehearted amen.

The ultimate question then leaves all of us wondering, "How? How do you do that? How do you transform people from their fallen human state?" Both of these thinkers, along with Christians, identify that we are all fallen. Our nature is not ultimately good, and if left to our own devices, we will not choose things that progress towards righteousness. Every single one of us has experienced this at a personal level. If you do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it, you do not get better. At least, I wouldn't.

In my observation of ministering to people and counseling them for nearly the last 20 years, I have not seen individuals default towards progressing in righteousness. They do not become more righteous if left to themselves. This is exactly what the text has to say, at least in the previous section we were in last week. We are in Titus chapter two, but let's bump back to Titus chapter one, verse 15. Notice what Paul says: "To the pure, all things are pure." That is fine, but none of us are pure.

The problem is that to those who are defiled and unbelieving, verse 15 states that nothing is pure. Even their mind and conscience are defiled. Paul identifies the complete fallenness of humanity down to the level of conscience and the mind. In verse 16, he notes that they profess to know God, even the religious. However, in their works, they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

Point number one: we are fallen and in need of transformation. This was true two thousand years ago, and it is certainly true in the 21st century. Even those who do not adhere to a biblical worldview, such as Russell Brand, Jordan Peterson, and many others, including the most outspoken atheists of our day, recognize this reality.

is about me. I like to listen to atheists, and so I listen to Sam Harris's podcast all the time. If you have never heard of Sam Harris before, he's one of the most outspoken atheists of our day. He is a very articulate neuroscientist, and even he acknowledges the fallenness of humanity. It doesn't matter if you are in the elite class of academia and neuroscience or if you are a theologian; we agree on this point. We are fallen and in need of transformation. That's what we need.

The culture that Titus was written to was addressed to a man named Titus two thousand years ago, who was given leadership over a church on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. The people who lived on that island were known for certain characteristics. If we look back at Titus chapter one, we see in verse twelve that one of them, a prophet of their own, said that Cretans—those who lived on the island of Crete—are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. The people of Crete were known for being dishonest, cruel, lazy, and self-absorbed. Sound familiar? Dishonest, cruel, lazy, self-absorbed. First-century Crete, twenty-first-century California. That's our nature.

Now, it wasn't always this way. The interesting thing is that inside every human being is a desire for a better society that is not characterized by dishonesty, cruelty, laziness, and self-absorption. We want something better. Where does that desire for something better come from? Well, I believe it comes from the fact that when God originally created everything, it was not as it now is. In fact, in Genesis chapter one, the very first book of the Bible, the thirty-first verse states that God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So when He originally made it, it was good. It was perfect, really.

But, of course, that's not the world we live in. It didn't stay that way for long. Genesis chapter three describes what we refer to as the fall of humanity because of sin. Paul, in the New Testament book of Romans chapter five, verse twelve, says it like this: through one man, sin entered the world, and death spread to all humanity. So the brokenness and the death that we see in...

The world that we live in is a result of the fall. But God, that's the transitional word of the gospel. God looks at the world that He had created, perfect and very good, which has been broken by the sin of humanity. He says, "That's not the way that I designed it. That's not how I intended it. That's not how I want it to stay." So, God needs to intervene.

Russell Brand says we need someone to come in and say, "This is right and this is wrong." And so, what does God do? God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, steps in to bring newness, transformation, and restoration through the gospel, the good news of the kingdom. If you are a believer today and have put your trust in God for salvation, then you are experiencing the kingdom of God.

As one who has experienced the gospel of the kingdom, we are made ambassadors of that kingdom. We go into the world proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, praying to God for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it already is in heaven. That is what we are geared towards. If you are a Christian today, you are an ambassador of the kingdom of God. You represent His rule, His reign, His power, and His glory.

Paul, 2,000 years ago, was an ambassador of the kingdom. He went to the island of Crete and preached the gospel of the kingdom. As a result, people put their trust in Christ, and a church was established. Then Paul had to leave, so he left his associate Titus there and said, "Okay, Titus, you have to order this church."

Look at verse 5 of Titus chapter 1. Paul says, "For this reason, Titus, I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking." We could also read it as "set in order the things that are in disorder." The church orders a disordered world, a world in chaos because of the fall. Set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders, leaders in every city as I commanded you.

Now, to do this effectively, to set in order that which is in disorder and to appoint elders, you have to have good leaders. But there's a problem.

What is the pool from which you're going to draw your leaders? They are known for being dishonest, cruel, lazy, and self-absorbed. So, you have a bit of an issue, a problem. You really need good leaders to set in order that which is in disorder. If you don't have good leaders, here's the problem: bad leaders don't only lead badly; they tend to lead people in bad directions. Jesus said it like this in the Gospel of Luke, chapter six: "If the blind lead the blind, won't they both fall into a ditch?"

The prophet Isaiah, 2,800 years ago, was a cultural commentator, if you will. He said it like this in Isaiah, chapter nine, verse 16: "For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those that are led by them are destroyed." That's strong language. Bad leaders don't only lead badly; they often lead people in bad directions toward destruction.

So, how do we get good leaders if the people we are called to oversee are known for being dishonest, cruel, lazy, and self-absorbed? In a podcast I was listening to, Jordan Peterson said we need to improve the moral character of people. We need to make people better, transform them. We need individuals who are themselves aiming at a higher good.

Okay, how? That's the question. Thank you, Pat. Yes, how? Well, look at what Paul says to Titus in Titus, chapter two, verse one: "But as for you, Titus, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine." Another translation, the New Living Translation, renders it this way: "As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching."

Point number two on your outline: sound doctrine promotes sound conduct. Paul says to Timothy, "You're going to set in order that which is disordered." You're in a world that's disordered. We know that because of the fall. Christians are called to be ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. The church is the manifestation of the Kingdom of God here upon the earth, and you are to set in order the things that are disordered. So, how are you going to do that? Well,

He says to promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach sound doctrine because that will bring about sound conduct. This means that any teaching or preaching that Titus would give in the first-century Cretan world, or that we would give in the twenty-first-century California world, needs to ultimately be practical. It can't just be theoretical or ideological. It can't just be that which makes people feel smarter because their heads got fatter. It needs to be the kind of teaching that is oriented towards action, something that can be put into practice.

When we gather together corporately on a Sunday and the Word of God is given, then on a Monday, you can begin, by God's grace and by the work of His Spirit, to put those things into practice. Sound doctrine promotes sound conduct, which means that anyone who stands in the position of, say, a Titus or the elders appointed for oversight over the church needs to be those whose works align with their words. Another way we often say it is that they need to practice what they preach.

So, should God ever call you to move, go to another place, and therefore go to another church? Of course, you would never go to another church if you lived here because it's the best church. But if perchance you ever end up in another place and are looking for another church, you need to look for churches that teach the sound doctrine of Scripture. Those who are teaching it should be seeking to live out the things they are preaching, ensuring that their words and works align. There shouldn't be a discrepancy between what they're saying and how they're living.

This is exactly what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount when He said in Matthew, chapter seven, verse sixteen, "You will know them, good versus bad teachers, by their fruit, by the way that they live." Right teaching should promote right and good conduct, first for the leaders and then for those who are being led.

But what does that actually look like? What kind of living reflects wholesome teaching and doctrine? What should we see in the people who are being given sound doctrine? Well, look at what Paul says in Titus, chapter two, verse two. He says that the older men should be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, love, and patience. Now, first, notice the way that...

He opens this section by addressing the older men in verse three, then the older women in verse four, followed by the younger women and younger men in verse six. He goes through all of these hierarchies, if you will: the older men, the older women, the younger women, and the younger men. Later on, he will discuss bond servants, which we will consider in a few moments.

This highlights a simple truth: good doctrine promotes godliness in God's people in every generation. The doctrine that aligns with righteousness, or the doctrine that accords with godliness, as it is spoken of in the Scriptures, applies to every person at every stage of life. The Scriptures are for men and women, regardless of age, and they are given— the Bible is given in part to transform us. God gives His word to change us and transform us.

This is why we read in Second Timothy, chapter three, verse sixteen, that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is God-breathed and useful. What is it useful for? For doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, so that the man or woman of God would be thoroughly equipped for every good work. That is the purpose for which God gave Scripture.

I like to think of it like this: I probably should have brought it with me, but in my office, on the table behind my desk, I have a plumb line. Has anyone ever seen a plumb line before? The construction workers in the room know what a plumb line is. It is a heavyweight on the end of a string. Mine is a really cool-looking brass pointy thing that resembles a weapon—kind of awesome.

What does a plumb line do? Because of gravity, when you hold that string up and drop the heavyweight, it shows you a perfectly straight line. When you see that perfectly straight line, it reveals what is out of plumb, or out of alignment. The Scriptures give us a doctrinal plumb line. When they establish the doctrinal plumb line of what is right and what is wrong, as Russell Brand said, we need an objective moral line. When you have that objective moral line, you immediately see that your life does not line up.

The word of God is useful for doctrine, the plumb line, and for reproof. It immediately exposes and reproves you and me, but it is also good for correction. It shows us how to get back to the line and provides instruction in righteousness to maintain the light.

Another way to illustrate this is by asking: Have any of you ever used a navigation system on your phone or in your car? Lift up your hand. The rest of you get lost often. So, what does it do? You put in the instruction, "This is where I want to go." And what does it do? It shows you that you are pointed in the wrong direction. It says, "That's the line; go that way." It tells you how to get back to the line and how to maintain the line. That is what God's word, the Scriptures, do. They are given in part for our transformation.

The Scriptures, as we are told in these passages, are for old men, old women, young women, young men, and bond servants. They are not just for the stodgy old person or the aimless or carnal young person; they are for all people. I will let you determine where you are in the former or the latter—older or younger—which means that it is important.

When we come before God's word, whether corporately, when the word of God is being preached in a group setting like this, or privately, when we open this word on our own daily, hopefully that is what you are doing. When we come before the Scriptures, we should come with questions: "God, what do you want to speak to me? And in response, what do you want me to do?"

I love that the author of this letter, Paul, when he first became a follower of Jesus, was named Saul. The description of his conversion is given in the book of Acts, specifically in Acts chapter nine. When he met Jesus for the first time, the first response, the words out of his mouth were, "What do you want me to do, Lord?" That is the kind of heart we need to have when we come to the Scriptures: "What do you want me to do with this?"

Now, before we leave this point, I think it is really important to emphasize an essential gospel truth. Endeavoring to walk in righteousness, to do the right thing without the enabling grace of God—the grace of God that brings salvation—is absolutely vain, useless, and futile without God's help.

Grace. I say that because, number one, we are hopelessly lost without the gospel and salvation. And number two, we are helplessly incapable of righteousness without God's enabling power by the grace of God. I think we know this by experience and observation. We also know this because that's what the Scriptures say.

We know this by experience because if you've ever read the book of Romans in the New Testament, you would have reached Romans chapter seven. If you have read Romans chapter seven, you probably identified with what Paul describes in verses 14 through 24, where he says, "The good things that I want to do, I don't do. And the bad things that I don't want to do, that's what I practice. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this bondage to this body of death?" If you've read that, then you probably saw yourself in the mirror of God's Word. You said, "That's me. The good things I want to do, I don't do; the bad things I don't want to do, that's what I practice."

You find yourself in a frustrated religious experience, thinking, "I just can't seem to do the right thing." So you opt for the old saying, "Well, I guess the devil made me do it." No, it was your flesh. We know that we are hopelessly lost and helplessly incapable based on observation and personal experience, but we also know it based on Scripture.

You're in Titus chapter two; just skip down to verse 11. We need the grace of God. Look at Titus chapter two, verse 11: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." It has been given for all people, not just a select few. The grace of God that brings salvation has been given to all people.

Now notice verse 12: "Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age." The grace of God brings salvation; that's what we call justification. Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. But not only does it bring justification, the grace of God instructs us in righteousness—how to live righteously, how to be the best version of ourselves. That's the transforming work of what we call sanctification.

And then the grace of God carries us unto the ultimate salvation, which is the total transformation of this corruption. This corruption puts on incorruption. This mortality puts on immortality. When we are with Christ, it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know this: when we see Him, we shall be like Him. This is referenced in First John, chapter three, verse two. I believe that's glorification.

It's even seen in this passage in Titus. Look at verse 13: the grace of God brings salvation. In verse 11, the grace of God teaches us to walk in righteousness, which is sanctification. The grace of God brings us to this point. Verse 13 continues, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us. That's the grace of God. Why? That He might redeem us from lawlessness, from every lawless deed, and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. That's glorification.

Point number four on your outline: the doctrine of grace is effectual for justification, sanctification, and glorification. That's a lot to write down. I'll give you a moment to write it down as it's on the screens there. The doctrine of grace is effectual for justification. That is, Christ died for my sin and your sin on the cross. He took all of our failings and all of our sin upon Himself, and He was punished in my place and your place for our sin so that He could declare us righteous—justification.

Sanctification follows. After we put our trust in Him for justification, He begins the work of purification, transforming us more and more into the likeness of His children. As for glorification, one day He promises in the future that He will rescue and redeem us completely from all sin and all of its effects.

Now, as a quick aside for the theology students in the room, I want you to note that I said the doctrine of grace and not the doctrines of grace. I say that because if you've been around any sort of theological textbooks, you know that oftentimes those who align with what's called the Calvinistic view of theology refer to that under the doctrines of grace.

Not what I'm talking about here in point four is the doctrine of grace. What is that? Grace teaches us something. What does it teach us? It teaches us that we cannot save ourselves. The grace of God teaches us that we are justified only by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and not by our works. The grace of God teaches us that we are sanctified by the truth of God, by His word at work in us.

Jesus, on the night that He was betrayed, prayed in John 17:17, "Father, sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." God washes us by the washing of the water of His word. He makes us new by transforming us through the renewing of our minds so that we would display in our lives, on a Monday, on a Tuesday, and on a Wednesday—not just on a Sunday—what is His good and perfect will.

So, the grace of God teaches us that God sanctifies us. Finally, the grace of God teaches us that by His grace, we will be glorified at the end. We can be confident of this very thing: that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. The grace of God is able to save us completely—past, present, and future.

Well, that's kind of an aside from the passage. Back to the passage. Verse one says, "As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching." What's that? Verse two states that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, love, and patience. There's a lot here in this passage for older men, older women, younger men, and bond servants.

So, I'm just going to quickly hit on some of these things. The grace of God at work in us, as the doctrine of God is taught, transforms our conduct so that we become more sober, temperate, and circumspect—not drunkards. When I say "drunkards," I'm not just talking about the abuse of alcohol. I'm talking about the abuse of any sort of substance that can bring us under its bondage.

Think food can bring you under its bondage. Think drugs, think alcohol, think sex—whatever can bring you under its bondage. He says that we should become more temperate and sober in our lives. Many say that we should be temperate, honorable persons in character and actions, and that we should be sound in faith, love, and patience.

Have a healthy faith, a wholesome love, and a strong and steadfast perseverance in your life. Men, the longer you walk with Jesus, the more you should see this becoming a part of your life. If you're not, then you're not taking heart to the doctrine of God.

He moves from the men to the older women. The older women, likewise, should be reverent in behavior, which means behavior that becomes holiness. They should not be slanderers. This word is interesting because the original word in Greek is "Diablos," not devils or accusers of people. They should not be given to wine, meaning they should not be drunkards or excessive in anything that might be overused. Instead, they should be teachers of good things or examples of what is right.

Who should the older women be teaching? Look at verse four. The older women are to admonish, instruct, and teach the younger women to love their husbands and love their children. Apparently, these are things that are not natural. The younger women should be discreet, meaning they would know how to curb their desires and impulses. They should be chaste, which means modest in the way they live. They should be homemakers, good, and obedient to their own husbands, or submissive to their own husbands.

Why mark these words at the end of verse five? Older men, older women, and younger women should endeavor to put the doctrine of God to work in their lives so that the word of God would not be spoken ill against or blasphemed.

He goes on in verse six to say, "Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded." This word "sober" comes up for each category of people within the church. The young men, in all things, should show themselves to be patterns of good works, a type to emulate or follow. Oh, that you younger men would choose whether or not you're younger or older here, but oh, that over time, as the word of God and the doctrine of God work in us, we would become those who could say, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." We should be a type to emulate.

Not only that, but he says in doctrine showing integrity. What is the mark of integrity? One who is...

A person who is not the same in private as they are in public is a hypocrite. They may show integrity in doctrine and reverence, being dignified and incorruptible, but if they are not sincere and sound in speech, they fail to embody the teachings they profess. Why should the young follower of Jesus be sound in speech? It is so that they cannot be condemned, and that those who oppose the faith of Christ may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say about them. The doctrine of God is being worked out in their lives, and those who oppose it cannot say anything bad because, well, look, the person is good. What can I say? It seems to be working.

Finally, in verse nine, it says to exhort bond servants to be obedient to their own masters, submissive in all things, well-pleasing, not answering back, and not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity. This is so that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things.

We don't really have bond servants in our culture today like they did in the first-century world of Crete. Most of the people that made up society would have been classified as bond servants, existing in the marketplace of the day. So how do we speak to ourselves living in the first century? If you are living in the marketplace as an employee, then this word is for you. You exist in the marketplace, and that applies to all of us to some extent.

To us, it says that we should be obedient and submissive to those who are over us. We should recognize authority and be well-pleasing in all things, meaning we should be acceptable in our behavior. We are not those who answer back or dispute constantly. We are not pilfering, which is not a word we use very often. What does it mean? It means not stealing or embezzling. Instead, we should show all good fidelity, demonstrating that we are trustworthy.

What kind of person is a trustworthy person? It is the kind of person you would not feel weird about giving your credit card information. Think about that. You might say, "I need you to order something for me. Here’s my credit card," and you trust that they would be able to do that. We need to be those kinds of people who are trustworthy.

In that way, why? Well, again, let's back up just a little bit. Let's remember the wisdom given in this passage, particularly at the end of verse five: that the word of God may not be blasphemed. We should live with good conduct in a fallen world so that the word of God would not be spoken against.

Secondly, in verse eight, we should live with sound speech that cannot be condemned by opponents. An opponent may be ashamed because they can't say anything bad about you. They may not like the fact that you're a follower of Jesus, but they can't say anything negative about you because you walk the talk. Then, at the end of verse ten, we see the call to show all good fidelity so that we may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things.

Point number five, which we finished with, is that our sound conduct substantiates the soundness of the doctrine we proclaim. This requires a little explanation. Let me say it another way: What does your life as a Christian say about your faith?

You are going to encounter many people this week—on a school campus, in an office building, on a construction site, or at the mailbox in your neighborhood. You will meet a lot of people who probably wouldn't call themselves Christians. Maybe they haven't been to church ever or in a long time, but they know you are a Christian. What does your life say about your faith?

They may never read the Bible, but they see you every day. You are the living Bible they interact with. So, does our conduct exalt the doctrine of Christ that we proclaim, or does it deflate it? It's a challenging consideration because even the secular prominent voices of our culture are saying we need people to be transformed into better individuals.

The doctrine of Christ is that which is able to transform us because the grace of God saves us from our sins, but then it transforms us into good people. This transformation allows our neighbors, friends, family members, and coworkers—who don't know God—to see our changed lives.

Good works glorify our Father in heaven. May that be the outcome of our faith. Amen. Would you stand with me as we pray?

We might need to pray a prayer of confession, asking for forgiveness. Father, when we see the plumb line of Your Word, we are immediately reproved by the fact that we are not by nature kind, self-controlled, or patient. By nature, we are impulsive and impatient, sometimes given to anger, covetousness, and carnality in all kinds of different ways.

So, God, we confess. We confess that we are impatient. We confess that we are sometimes covetous. We confess that sometimes we get angry, and it comes out in the form of wrath and malice. We thank You that by Your grace, we can be forgiven. We pray, God, that You would forgive us.

Not only that You would forgive us, but Your Word says that You are faithful and just to forgive us as we confess, and also to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. So, God, would Your grace come and overflow us, cleansing us like an overflowing flood of Your nature and Your righteousness? When we go from this place today, may we, even in just some small way, walk in a way that is honoring and glorifying to You.

God, work in us. Transform us by the renewing of our minds so that we would display this week what is Your good and perfect will in a world that is in such desperate need of Your good grace. God, do a work in Your church, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agree said, "Amen."