Reading… and Thinking

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

— Titus 2:7-8 (ESV)

People will grab any excuse to reject God. And one of their favorites is inconsistent behavior on the part of of people who call themselves Christian. “They’re just a bunch of hypocrites,” is one of the great excuses for people to stay home from church, or to reject the Bible entirely.

Of course, none of us are going to be perfect. Someone who is determined will find something to complain about if they scrutinize any one of us.

But Paul’s exhortation here is very powerful. What if it were really, really hard to find any obvious fault in a believer’s behavior? That would be a powerful testimony that we truly believe what we’re preaching, believe it enough to practice it.

How to be a “model of good works” (let alone “in all respects”) could be a lengthy study. But just sticking to the few items Paul suggests, there are some key indicators:

Integrity. Not just no lying, but always doing what you say you’ll do. Treating people fairly, without prejudice. Honesty, always. Not behaving in a different way than you talk. Or a different way depending on who you’re with.

Dignity. No frivolity about God or His Word. Rather than “eat, drink, and be merry”, a way of living that reflects that God is involved in your life. Reverence. This doesn’t mean being humorless! It just means that even your humor is consistent with your awareness that God is ever-present.

Sound speech. No ridicule or sarcasm, to hurt or embarrass someone for the amusement of yourself and others. No dirty jokes. No lashing out in anger. Speaking kind words to everyone. Conveying earnestness and conviction, rather than doubt. Building up, encouraging, exhorting, teaching, expressing joy.

We don’t want to give the enemies of God a cause to blaspheme. If they can find nothing evil to say about us, then it will be much harder for them to find a reason to speak evil of God. In a very real sense, we represent God and the Lord Jesus to those around us. We need to be models of good deeds, in order to bring glory to the ones we represent.