A few weeks ago, a friend of ours (already in Papua New Guinea) told us that a tribal believer was teaching HER about the book of Titus. This sparked my interest, so I decided to revisit it and study it! This book has consumed my thoughts lately, so I want to share it with you!
Paul is telling Timothy that we, as believers, should live our lives that back up our teaching. He says in Titus 2:7, “And you yourself must be an example to them (he’s talking about men) by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.”
In our training, we studied this a lot (pre-evangelism). As most of you know, we will be in the tribe for a while before we actually teach them the Gospel. But our ministry starts the second we step off that plane. We are to live with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God (vs. 12). This is important in every aspect in our lives: the way we treat our husbands/wives, how we respond to our children, our relationships with our friends, etc. Verse 5 says, “(women) to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.” This is the start of our ministry…
Why? Why is this so important?? We have heard several stories of tribal people coming to know Christ and this is their response: “We know that what you’re teaching us is true, because we SAW THE WAY YOU LIVED the whole time you were learning our language and building your house!” Wow!! That kind of puts the pressure on us, huh?!
Actually, it should put the pressure on all of us…now! Pastor Brandon Cox talked about how he doesn’t want to wait to do ministry. He wants to do it now. So it starts now for me and for you! I don’t want to wait until I step out of that plane to live this way, I want my life to support what the Gospel says NOW!
Let’s be challenged, “turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, because salvation has been brought to all” (vs. 11-12). This way, anyone would believe the Bible because the way you LIVE YOUR LIFE!