Managing Opposition

Titus 2:2-6 excerpts - Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands….Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

Paul wrote to Titus to encourage him as he remained in Crete. Paul advises Titus that he is aware that there is opposition to believers in Crete, especially from the Jews who had not yet come to faith in Christ. Paul admonishes Titus to get things in order and to rebuke the believers who are beginning to be swayed by influential non-believers. Then he goes on to point out these four very specific directives. Interestingly, the common denominator in these directives is the concept of self-control.

Part of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. And as believers faced strong opposition from strong non-believers, the principle thing they needed was a spiritual self-control that would allow them to stay the course in their faith. We need that too! There is opposition all around us all day long. When we deal with the strong beliefs of those who do not believe according to the Word of God, we must exercise a spiritual self-control and not be influenced by their charismatic arguments or our own resonating desires. Man, woman, young, or old, we need the Spirit of God to keep us upright and diligent in the faith.