As unpopular as such teachings may be, it is every minister’s responsibility to equip believers in every good work that touches God’s revealed will for His children and marriage is one of those , the most profound mysteries which God has ever designed. In the book of , a promise is given that none shall lack her mate, meaning that if you desire marriage, it is there for you and as you grow in submission to the Holy Spirit, He will give you every knowledge and wisdom you need to be steadfast and fruitful in this ministry. The modern world we live in today unfortunately has encouraged a culture of women that are thoroughly preparing for a wedding but not necessarily a marriage. On the other end, we have men that are tired of the monotonous sameness in the day to day, who want a change of status and end up settling for the next best in line. This disparity has caused another subculture of people walking out of marriage all in the name of incompatibility, yet the heart of God is crystal clear on such a matter — God hates divorce ().
Some of the arguments you will read in this article vary from culture to culture but at the core of every culture are patterns and principles which are bottomless simply because they were set and designed by The God who lives outside of time and limits. Scientists, scholars, marriage counselors and different teachers of the numerous existing schools of thoughts will appropriate some of these things as their findings but let’s not forget it is written that through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appearWith this in mind, certain things many have attributed to culture such as women being homemakers, needing to know how to cook, how to raise children, how to be gracious and graceful, how to be submissive yet firm and honorable – have been accredited to a certain race and not the other and even in some cases, despised.
But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.NKJV
The letters of Paul to his son in the faith Titus are some of the most powerful exhortations to us in the perfect faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. I recommend to everyone who is serious about their salvation to diligently and wholeheartedly study them. As I have often mentioned in several teachings, it is always important to lay emphasis on the context in which a certain teaching was dispensed so that the one receiving it may not receive it with disdain. In our theme scripture, Paul enumerates the benefits of sound doctrine to the diligent hearer, with emphasis on elders, husbands and wives – both young and old as it pertains to keeping a home, and overseeing the church. Paul charges Titus, his son in the faith, to stay back in Crete where it was known of the believers in that region to be mature in the faith but still lacking in some foundational principles that were to advance the Gospel. He was charged to lead them to the full knowledge of truth and avoid any occurrence that would bring reproach to the Gospel. He speaks of what elders in the church should be like namely, they ought to have a fear of the Lord, shouldn’t drink alcohol or be led by their tempers and emotions, remain teachable and submit to the Spirit as it partakes to faith. Finally, they ought to be fully matured in agape – the only love infused by God and able to be sacrificial, unconditional and patient.
Although believers from different faiths will tell you there is no occasion which plainly states that drinking alcohol is a sin, which is correct, it is still given as instruction over 12 times in scripture to be sober. Greek and Hebrew are multidimensional languages that have deeper meaning than modern day speech can translate thus the mere definition of sobriety today is diminished to simply being free from a certain addiction, notably alcohol and drugs, which is different and much deeper in the latter languages.
By strong concordance, the words be sober as instructed in scripture mean be one who has calm and dispassionate judgment and is not desirous of great things or high estate but is free from extravagance or excess. Such a state of spirit and mind enable a person to make sane and rational decisions guided by sound reasoning. It also keeps one at bay from the occasion to behave under the influence of another spirit or substance that at any point the Gospel may be reproached given that we carry the person of God in us as His temple hence encourages us to always be sober and vigilant. This is the double edged-ness of the sword that such revelation may cause a man to stay away from anything that could hinder his sanctification at once, like alcohol or any substance that makes you submit to another spirit or influence. Therefore, it is vital to receive full counsel on all matters because every one of them that is weighed with half truth will likewise only produce half results.
Secondly, he comes to the older women and their responsibility in teaching the younger, which is where I am led to lay emphasis. Paul begins by laying down the qualities of the elders among women. Firstly, the reverence in behavior, which emphasizes the place of manners among women and the reason for intense scrutiny in contrast to men. They also are not given to wine- meaning giving up some self-control under the influence of alcohol, not slanderers but are teachers of good things that they may admonish [mildly rebuke by calling attention to] the younger women. Unfortunately, we live in a world today where more and more older women have been lured by the enemy in the world to submit to a fictitious freedom which makes them believe they are bound by culture, patriarchy, marriage and therefore must be set free. As a result, there is a gap in the practical availability of this teaching to the younger women. These young women now fully rely on the diverse and diluted content on the internet, they seek diviners and soothsayers to teach them the very principles they ought to be drawing from older women in the faith. The older women, if fully functional in their role, would enable these young ones to function within the boundaries God has set, in there withstanding that His boundaries are actually not to oppress us but to give us total freedom that won’t bring a chasm between Him and us.
I often emphasize that the best learning process especially for children and adults alike is through demonstration as opposed to mere talk. The mind learns most by seeing. Theoretically, it is good to have book smart knowledge that one may be fully furnished in wisdom but the practicability of what has been said is what sticks in the mind of the learner than the written pieces. When the elderly speak of principles they do not demonstrate in action, a sense of deception is groomed in the younger ones watching unbeknownst to them, causing a patient resignation in their hearts whereby they walk in marriage already leaving room ‘for the worst’ as the world puts it.
Finally, he says in what good things they are to be admonished, loving their husbands, loving their children, discreet, chaste, good, homemakers, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Contextually, as I once explained in the series of women and the gospel, the majority of these instructions were to women whose primary occupation was their domestic duties. They were neither oppressed nor forced into any of these activities but performed each with gladness as it were their greatest honor when their children and husbands prospered in the market place and the temples.
The elders among women are therefore expected to call to the younger women’s attention how precious these God-ordained or appointed duties are and exemplify that should they fill one’s mind, they would not be found envious of another’s home or contracting gossip behavior due to idleness. In that, they would also not be so caught in the religious performances resulting in the neglect of their God-ordained primary domestic duties that their husbands will feel enmity brewing towards God by reason of their wife’s neglect. It is your responsibility as a child of God to submit to the teaching of the Spirit at work in you, to teach you in all things how to apply these same morals in the context of your time – with the same expected results for the God who set it does not change. [SELAH]
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, and you feel that this is the perfect time, pray this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I thank you because you died for my sins and you were raised for my glory. Today, I receive you as my Lord and Savior. I am born again. Amen.”
