EXPECTATIONS For GODLY LIVING-III—Titus 2:1-15
Attention:
Inside the massive effort to tackle one of America’s greatest rabies threats:
Rabies is caused by a virus known as Lyssavirus. There are different variants of the virus, that tend to be specific to certain animal hosts—like a variant that is specific to raccoons, another variant that is specific to skunks, & still another that is specific to bats, one to foxes, one to coyotes, etc. However, any rabies variant can infect any mammal!
Statistics show that raccoons are one of the number one species which carries rabies.
Raccoon rabies used to be confined to Florida & the Deep South prior to the 1970s. But, in 1977, more than thirty-five hundred raccoons were were legally trapped in Florida & shipped to private hunting clubs in Virginia, where they were released as prospective game.”
Those shipments brought ‘terrestrial raccoon-variant’ rabies north with them.
So far, the raccoon-variant rabies has stayed confined to the eastern part of the country. And for the last 20-some years, the U.S. has invested a lot of resources into making sure it stays that way.
The U.S. government has been distributing oral rabies vaccines targeted at raccoons since 1997. The effort is part of a massive public & animal health initiative, called the National Rabies Management Program. The program is the largest coordinated effort to control a zoonotic disease(transmitted from animals to humans) in wildlife populations ever undertaken in the U.S.
The program costs about $28 million to run every year, but it’s estimated to save taxpayers $60 million in preventing the need for public health investigations, animal rabies tests, & access to post-exposure vaccines for humans. The idea is that the fewer wild animals that have rabies, the less likely it is that people, pets, or livestock come into contact with the disease, which is 100 percent fatal if left untreated.
PITTSBURGH 2019:
Timothy Linder is a wildlife biologist with United States Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services. On a balmy morning in mid-August, Timothy lifts the latch on a refrigerated trailer & opens both doors wide, releasing a wave of cold air heavy with the stink of fish guts.
Linder puts on a pair of blue latex gloves, hoists himself up into the trailer, cuts into one of the stacks of cardboard boxes, & pulls out a plain brown block slightly larger than a miniature candy bar.
The plain brown block is for the raccoons.
“The candy bar-sized block is a fishmeal polymer block. Inside, each block is a sachet, like a little ketchup packet. The idea is that when a raccoon bites through the block, it simultaneously punctures the packet, & gets a liquid rabies vaccine in its mouth.”
Another type of rabies vaccine, ‘army-green, vanilla-flavored blister packets’, are distributed largely by airplane.
Months after each baiting, biologists start live-trapping raccoons to test their blood for rabies antibodies. If an animal has antibodies, it means the vaccines are working, & the more of them they find, the closer we get to eradication of rabies in the wild, at least among raccoons.
In 2019, the USDA & its partner agencies & organizations planned to distribute about 9.3 million raccoon rabies vaccine baits in a line, roughly 25 miles wide, that runs from Maine down to Alabama. Each bait-block is geo-cached as to it’s location. I don’t know the current status of their intent.
A 2016 study estimated that if the National Rabies Management Program were discontinued, it would take the raccoon rabies variant just twenty years to expand as far west as Wisconsin & Texas!
The bold ‘Expectation’ of the Rabies program is eradicate raccoon-borne rabies!
Likewise, there are bold ‘Expectations’ that go with committing yourself to God thru Jesus Christ!
Need:
There is an ultimate ‘fulfillment & satisfaction’ that CAN come to your life...That can BELONG to you...That you can POSSESS...That you can ‘BANK-ON’...That you can TRUST!
BUT such ‘fulfillment & satisfaction’ can ONLY come to you thru YOUR participation in GOD’s Expectations for Godly Living!
Titus was exhorted by the apostle Paul, to expose God’s people to the expectations for godly living.
All God’s people are answerable to His expectations for godly living.
What are some expectations for godly living by God’s people?
What are some expectations for godly living?
The last time we looked at Titus 2, we found:
Some expectations for godly living are...
1—APPROPRIATE DIRECTION(:1, 15)God’s direction thru apostolic authority
2—APPROPRIATE MATURITY(:2, :3-4, :4-5, :6-8)—
A.-OLDER MEN(i) & WOMEN(ii)(:2, 3-4)
•OLDER MEN—because they are responsible as Christian ‘heads’ of their families & churches.
•OLDER WOMEN—because they are responsible as Christian leaders, to love their families & to be teachers of God’s intended role for young Christian women.
*Today we’ll continue to flesh-out the ‘Godly Expectation’ of APPROPRIATE MATURITY(:2-8)....
....As it relates to B(i).-YOUNG Christian WOMEN(:3-4):
**“ADMONISH”—To moderate, discipline, curb, or to ‘make of sound mind.’
“admonish the young women”...
2:4—“To love their Children,...”
“Young” Christian “women” must be taught to “love their children.”
•A mother nurturing her “children” may seem the ‘natural thing’ to do.
Making that a matter of instruction, might come across as foreign & redundant until we look at “young women” in our own society.
*Worldliness pulls even a mother away, from her foundational purpose as a nurturer of her children!
Mothers who ‘immerse’ themselves in a ‘paying occupation’, that causes them to lose control of the nurturing nature of their own home(cf.-:5), foolishly divide their energies! Yet they probably fell compelled to do so, at the insistence of their economy/economics, recognizing that they would be ‘house-poor’ otherwise. Sadly, couples may choose worldly pleasures that more money brings, rather than the sacrificial pleasures of raising their children in the nurture & admonition of God(Eph. 6:4).
•American society increasingly encourages the state to raise your children! We are told & convinced that, when it comes to education, our children will ‘be behind’ every other child, IF they are not placed in daycare before they enter grade-school!
•Americans are also convinced that they should have the best of houses & other possessions. However, that largely comes with a two-person income! In American society today, it is a challenge for a young man to provide the entire living income for his family!
*These things work AGAINST God’s plan for wives & mothers(& husbands & fathers)!—Cultural insistence VS. Spiritual insistence!
‘Mothers’ working outside the home may miss family milestones, but even more so, her children go without the moment-by-moment expressions of their own mother’s love. •Such mothers forfeit the sheer joys, the challenges, & the great rewards of God’s intention, that come with ‘being there’ for their children every step of the way.....
My saying these things is NOT that you should feel guilty or remorseful without good reason. But rather, to reveal what’s beneficial to yourselves & society in general, when we properly measure & appreciate the PERFECTION & BEAUTY Of GOD’s WAY!
•Furthermore, these things are brought to your attention, in order to contrast God’s perfect way, with all the foolish departures from the faith, that secular society brings to the table....
We must also ‘rightly’ measure what societal ‘folk-religion’ brings to the table—even when that ‘societal folk-religion’ is built from, patterned after, & may parallel the exercise of true Christianity!
•Societal ‘folk-religion’ has no God-ordained power!
In Roman times—the time when the letter to Titus was written—religious secular society ‘exposed infants’ to the elements if they were unwanted for various flesh-derived reasons—Maybe the parents wanted a boy as opposed to a girl, OR maybe something was seen as ‘wrong’ with the child—in looks, or temperament, or physical or mental capability. OR the father &/or mother recognizing their own faults, wrongly blamed them on &/or wrongly saddled their child with...
•Americans & other 1st world nations can encourage the same difficulties when they screen the child in the womb for potential abnormalities in order to ‘abort’(kill) the so-called ‘deficient’ child!...
!It’s no wonder women must be taught to “love their children”!
!It is a high calling to be a godly mother!....
*And her godly motherhood must be encouraged & protected by her godly husband-&-father of their children!
*God’s children must all work toward GOD’s ideal!
“Love their children”—filoteknov—Adj. Accusative Plural Fem.—1)Loving one’s offspring. Strong—Fond of one's children, i.e. Maternal. BKS—Arising from her foundational purpose as a mother, rather than those who chase an occupation &/or pleasure rather than the sacrificial challenge of raising their children rightly by God. Used 1X--Titus 2:4.?From—filov—Dear, i.e. A friend; actively, fond, i.e. Friendly(still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.).—&—teknon—A child(as produced).
“admonish the young women”...
2:5—“To be discreet,...”
‘Self-control’ or being ‘sensible’ is the focus of this word translated as “discreet” in the KJV / NKJV.
Women ‘tend to’ approach, think, respond, & to react, emotionally.
All of us do to a degree.
BUT, Emotional approaches, thinking, responses, & reactions can occur without full consideration of the facts. Emotional responses can drive a person to make fleshly decisions, UNLESS those emotional responses have been informed & ‘trained’ by time spent with God!
Emotional approaches & responses can all be curbed thru thoughtful consideration of God’s desire. And that is why God’s people are encouraged to increase in their heart-&-head-knowledge of God & His desire.
2Cor. 10:4-5—“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments & every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
Eph. 1:17-21—Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church—“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom & revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, & what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead & seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality & power & might & dominion, & every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (CONT...)2b—An expectation for godly living is...
APPROPRIATE MATURITY—B(i).-YOUNG WOMEN(:4-5)
“Discreet/Sensible/Self-controlled”(See :4—“admonish”-verb-swfronizw)—swfrwn—Adj. Accusative Plural Fem.—1)Of a sound mind, sane, in one's senses; 2) Curbing one's desires & impulses, self-controlled, temperate. Strong—Safe(sound) in mind, i.e. Self-controlled(moderate as to opinion or passion). Used 4X--1Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8; 2:2, 5.?From—swzw—To save, i.e. Deliver or protect(literally or figuratively).—&—frhn—1) The midriff or diaphragm, the parts of the heart; 2)The mind—The faculty of perceiving & judging. Strong—The midrif(as a partition of the body), i.e. (figuratively & by implication--of sympathy) The feelings(or sensitive nature; by extension[also in the plural]--The mind or cognitive faculties). English = ‘Frenzy’/‘Frenetic’(wild/uncontrolled)
“admonish the young women”...
2:5—“To be...chaste,”
Generally, to be “chaste” or ‘pure’ is to infuse your thoughts, physical being, & spiritual being, with God-ordained ‘moral’ purity or holiness.
In this particular context, that ‘moral’ “chastity”, purity or holiness would definitely include the mental & physical sexual purity of marital faithfulness.
Being “chaste” or ‘pure’ would include a personal awareness of & intentional ‘modesty’ in regard to ANY who are NOT your husband. •And you do so for the purpose of protecting your marriage from intrusion & failure!
Of course that particular concept of a wife’s relationship in marriage is God-ordered....
•And being God-ordered, it is completely foreign to American societal & cultural views, because those societal & cultural views, are driven by worldly, fleshly reasoning.
To expect a woman & a wife to be “chaste” or ‘pure’ is NOT archaic, draconian, extreme, or limiting! It is instead, a recognition of the reality of sinful human nature of which we are all intimately a part of.
“Chaste/Pure”—agnov—Adj. Accusative Plural Fem.—1) Exciting reverence, venerable, sacred; 2) Pure—2a) Pure from carnality, chaste, modest, 2b) Pure from every fault, immaculate, 2c) Clean. Agnov is probably related to agiov. It means specifically pure. But this may be only in a ceremonial sense, or it may have a moral signification. It sometimes describes freedom from impurities of the flesh. Strong—properly--Clean, i.e. figuratively--Innocent, modest, perfect. Used 8X.
“the older women are to,”.... “admonish the young women”...
2:5—“To be...homemakers,”
Again—To expect a young Christian woman &/or a wife to be “homemakers” is NOT archaic, draconian, extreme, or limiting!
*That young Christian mothers should be instructed to be “homemakers”, is a recognition of the real pressures that worldly society & cultural chaos CAN place upon them!
And again, the need to awaken Christian women to the godly work of being “homemakers”, exposes the reality of sinful human nature.
1Pet. 3:1-4—“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle & quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”
“Homemaking” demands commitment as to any career. It can either be enjoyed or despised, depending upon one’s attitude towards it.
“Homemaking” & motherhood, are major decisive factors for every Christian woman, who is married or considering marriage.
*Husbands, Daddies—Please ensure that you spend consistent, regular, special, alone-time with the mother of your children—on dates WITHOUT the kids, or work!
“Homemakers/Keepers At Home/Workers At Home/Busy At Home”—oikourov—Adj. Accusative Plural Fem.—1) Caring for the house, working at home—1a) The(watch or) keeper of the house, 1b) Keeping at home & taking care of household affairs, 1c) A domestic. Strong—A stayer at home, i.e. Domestically inclined(a "good housekeeper”). Used 1X--Titus 2:5?From—oikov—A dwelling(more or less extensive, literal or figurative); by implication--A family (more or less related, literal or figuratively)—&—ourov—A guard; be “ware.”
“the older women are to,”.... “admonish the young women”...
2:5—“To be...good,”
Being “good” is not so much about ‘behavior’—the absence of difficulty, or an absence of trouble, those things you consider to be personally pleasant—but measured by our own individual standards.
•Gal. 5:22-24—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions & desires.”
Being “good” describes a “young woman” who is a model of Christian character, thru-&-thru.
•She does NOT compartmentalize her faith. She is NOT a pretentious person—behaving one way in the church house or around God’s people, but acting another way in private.
• A “young” Christian “woman” who is “good”, considers the ‘wayward sinfulness’ of her own thoughts, & invites & allows the joy of God’s-forgiveness-in-Christ to permeate every aspect of her life.
She is a “young woman” of Christ-honoring integrity.
The only way to truly “be” “good” is to give yourself fully to God thru Christ Jesus!
“Good/Kind”—agayov—Adj. Accusative Plural Fem.—1) Of good constitution or nature; 2) Useful, salutary; 3) Good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy; 4) Excellent, distinguished; 5) Upright, honorable. Strong—“Good”(in any sense, often as noun); a primary word.
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The ‘Expectation’ of the Rabies program is eradicate raccoon-borne rabies!
Likewise, there are ‘Expectations’ that go with committing yourself to God thru Jesus Christ!
Action:
Some expectations for godly living are...
2—APPROPRIATE MATURITY(:2-8)—
B(i).-YOUNG Christian WOMEN(:4-5)
1—APPROPRIATE DIRECTION(:1, 15)
2—APPROPRIATE MATURITY(:2-8)—
A.-OLDER MEN(i) & WOMEN(ii)(:2, 3-4)
Installment #3—Pt# 2B-i—presented 02/26/2023am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
