“Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.” Titus 2:2
In this passage, Paul is helping Titus understand what holiness looks like for older men. He later goes on to address younger men, which we’ll save for another post. But, notice that holiness for younger men is not necessarily the same thing as holiness for older men.
Paul doesn’t have a category for middle-aged. Forty and under was considered young, everyone else was considered old. If you’re an older man, the result of the gospel and sound doctrine working in your life is seen in the following areas.
1. Be sober-minded
Sober-minded is literally not being drunk in our thinking. We have a clear head when we think about and observe things. One of the great things about getting older is you get perspective. That perspective doesn’t sway much when you’ve been impacted by the finished work of Jesus. There’s a correlation here in older men leading the church because they tend to have more mental stability.
2. Be dignified
Dignity is when someone is respected and respectable. There’s something compelling and classy about older men who are dignified. The way they talk, speak, and relate to others is winsome, graceful, and Christ-like. The whole idea is we shouldn’t do anything in our life to draw shame to Jesus. That’s what it means to live in accordance to the gospel of Jesus.
3. Be self-controlled
When I think of the five greatest sins in my life that hurt others, every single one of them has to do with self-control. I said something I shouldn’t have said, or did something spontaneously I shouldn’t have done. In the moment when pressure was applied, I didn’t live out the gospel. The impact of the gospel in our life should produce self-control.
Being self-controlled means we have control over our emotions and behavior, particularly when things are difficult. One way to observe someone’s leadership is to see what happens in high-pressure situations. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we should be Christ-like, no matter what the circumstances are.
4. Sound in faith, in love, and steadfastness
Sound can be translated as “healthy” in the category of faith, love, and steadfastness. Are you healthy in faith? Are you healthy in love? Are you healthy in steadfastness? We are to trust Jesus and love others well. We are to persevere in the midst of difficulty, hold fast in the midst of adversity, and stand firm in the midst of persecution.
For older men, the evidence of the gospel changing us from the inside out exhibits itself in these behaviors. Paul says in Galatians 5:13–15, the outcome of obeying Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit is summed up by how we love our neighbor. We know we’re maturing in Christ if the gospel takes root in us and works itself out in our life and relationships.
This is Pastor Dave’s sixth post on Titus. Don’t miss posts one, two, three, four, and five.
