Have you ever wished that you had bitten your tongue? In fact sometimes I have bitten mine as a reminder of what I had said indiscriminately. You can be sure I did not do it too hard; I wanted a reminder, not an emergency room treatment.
I know that the portion of Scripture to which I am referring shortly is addressing “young men”, nevertheless, I also know that sometimes, all too often, young men develop such patterns in their lives that it carry over to calloused old men; it is not just “outside” the church, it can be the caustic, the sarcastic “brother” within the Body of Christ. You have to admit, it can be very inclusive.
In the Pastoral Epistle of Titus, 2:6 and following, the young men are told to be “sensible”. When doing so they will be “an example”. What a challenge! Young men are quite impulsive, as you know. When one stands out as being “sensible” you cannot help but take notice, and if he does it with “good deeds”, it is even more noticeable.
I do not see a lot of evidence of this type of decorum inside or outside of our churches. Doctrine, to which the Apostle refers, is not put into action. There is “dignity” when a young man (or woman), puts their knowledge of the WORD into action. In fact, we are told to “be sound in speech which is beyond reproach”.
Many would prefer to address the next verse, which has to do with “bond slaves” trying to address the activity as to a “lower class”. As a young man I was walking with a lady and was unaware that what was taking place was insulting to her. She said: “You are walking on the inside of me. I am not for sale!” I had never heard of it, but I shifted my position in “high gear”. Also, that moment activated my practice to this day. While “beyond reproach” was directly referring to doctrine, it can easily encompass “dignity”.
Hopefully, this will make us more conscious of what and WHO we represent.
Praising, praying, and pegging away … Ted
ETCetera 