The Complete Woman—A 21st Century Woman of Grace from Titus 2:3-5 In the kind of full and rich life many of us lead, there are satisfying moments here and there when one thing is “complete” in our lives. Things completed, give such a great feeling: a completed assignment so our work is done, a complete and balanced diet so we are healthy, all our requirements completed so the pressures are off…all of those feel so good. THE JOY OF COMPLETION The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines this word so well: com·plete adj., = Having all necessary or normal parts, components, or steps; Having come to an end; concluded; Entire: a complete meal. Accomplished: a complete musician. Thorough; consummate: a complete coward. Caught in bounds by a receiver: a complete pass. In our spiritual lives God says we are ‘complete in Christ” (Colossians 2:9), “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” (NKJV) (Emphasis added). The Apostle Paul used the word pleroo for complete, which means ‘full or filled to the full,’ and is one amazing spiritual truth we would all do well to ponder. Long enough contemplation of this idea will let us realize God has overflowed, through Christ, all we need for life and godliness into our lives. Ironically, we know that, believe that, rest in that—and then often feel so incomplete on a day-to-day basis. EVER FEEL LESS THAN COMPLETE? Have you ever felt less than ‘complete’? Are you unsure about parts of your life? Unsure of what exactly God wants for you? Never fear. Anything important to God, and which involves our life has been clearly explained. God left a complete way of life for us, written down in His Word. God has reduced the necessary items to be ‘complete’ to a list of just 33 words [ ] in the Greek language. First, however, let’s look at God’s list of expectations for women. In these 12 listed qualities, God guides women in what completely pleases Him for their daily lives. This amazing list of 12 qualities, to be used to measure against a woman’s life, can be found in Titus 2:3-5. A complete explanatory breakdown of these verses can be found in Appendix Two. Titus 2:3-5, “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) GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR A SUPERWOMAN One of the most beloved chapters for women, wives, and mothers is that venerable old Proverbs 31. There we encounter the incredible, Old Testament woman of virtue whose “pricelessness” is beyond rubies—the woman of excellence, mother of mothers, and wife who excels all. For centuries, the Proverbs 31 woman has been extolled and held forth as a model for all, but for many she seems to be superwoman. In fact when this passage is read, often on Mother’s Day, many women sit a little lower in their seats. They hear how this Proverbs 31 woman seems to never sleep, never tire, never fail, and appears to be just plain perfect. PROVERBS 31 IS NOT GOD’S PLAN FOR EVERY WOMAN Much as we love the example of Proverbs 31, the passage never says that this is God’s command for every woman—it is just a picture of one virtuous woman’s life, never intended to be a one-size-fits-all for the entire female population. This passage is meant to be an inspiring look at what a virtuous woman was like 3,000 years ago. God does not expect every godly woman to: stay up all night, sew clothes for every member of her household, be a gourmet chef, and sell her wares to others on the side. Proverbs 31 is an inspiring picture of all the ways a woman can bless her husband and children. Most of us could never do all she did and survive. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum from the inspirational Proverbs 31 woman is the God designed Titus Two grace-energized woman. TITUS TWO IS GOD’S PLAN FOR ALL WOMEN IN CHRIST Titus 2 presents God’s plan, desire, and marching orders for all women in Christ, of any age and in any era. If there is one passage every young woman should memorize it is in Titus 2. If there is one paragraph in the Bible that every bride-to-be should have down as a part of her preparation to be married—this is it. If there are a handful of verses every tired mother and busy wife need as the ones they hold to gain enough strength to make it through one more day—look no further. Welcome to the “Complete Woman” as defined and described by God. Saved by grace and energized by the Spirit of God to live an extraordinary life, the world, her husband, and her children all notice she is different because she is in step with God’s Word. This was extraordinary in the culture of 2,000 years ago. Even from the start, ministry in Christs church was never easy. Turn back in Paul’s letter to Pastor Titus, missionary church-planter to Crete, and look at the description of the cultural background of this early congregation. Titus 1:12-13, “One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.” (NKJV) Wow, think of what a miracle it was to find group of believers saved out of such a godless society. They came from centuries of culture dominated by total (always) untrustworthiness (liars), total out-of-control living (evil beasts), and the total undisciplined pursuit of personal lust-filled appetites (lazy gluttons). From these two verses, we learn when the Gospel of Jesus Christ entered the Roman world of the New Testament the landscape was very bleak. Christs church was born into a sin-warped, sin-darkened world of mixed-up marriages, sin-scarred lives, and confused families. FIRST CENTURY LESSONS BRING HOPE TODAY I really believe this insight into the Cretan culture can stir our hearts to glorify the amazing grace and saving power of God. If the Gospel of Christ can reach into a culture of people who were the descendants of the wicked, pagan Old Testament Philistines (as in Goliath and David), and build them into grace-energized servants of Christs church, He can work with anyone. If God can make saints out of people who had so descended in their personal character until Paul described them—“Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons”—He can change anyone no matter how weak, how wicked, how undisciplined. What was the plan God had in mind to transform these very un-saintly people? The same plan He has for us today. Save by His grace and sanctify by His Word. WOMEN HELPING WOMEN: THAT’S GOD’S PLAN Paul did not call for Titus, as the pastor, to train all the women in these qualities God wanted them to cultivate; rather he called upon the godly older women of Christs church. He singles out the women of faith, those who had already learned to love their husbands, learned to love their children, and learned to be reverent, godly, modest and wise—and charged them with seeking out and meeting with every younger woman in the church. Open your Bible to Titus 2:1-8, and find where God asks women to live in such a way their lives can become a pattern of His grace. He wants their lives used to encourage, tutor, teach, train, and guide other women toward Him. There is nothing greater in life than to be useful for God! USEFULNESS TO GOD: THE ULTIMATE GOAL IN LIFE Because the early days of Christs church marked years of a sin-warped, sin-darkened world of mixed-up marriages, sin-scarred lives, and confused families, believers needed help. When they came to Christ and were forgiven, God graciously gave everything necessary to become godly followers, but those gloriously saved women did not automatically become great wives and mothers. They needed something else. Godly behavior is a series of choices, and those early women needed nurturing in daily skills that would lead to loving marriages and families. These new believers needed coaching, training, modeling, and encouraging in one-on-one relationships. Godly women seek to be reverent in their behavior, careful in all their conversations, and never enslaved to anything but Christ. START THE JOURNEY TO BECOMING A GRACE-ENERGIZED WOMAN: TODAY! Come along, as we look deeper into the glorious instructions God has given, the steps necessary to make the glorious journey toward becoming a Grace-Energized woman. Find the beauty in God’s simple directions, and the joy in following God’s path for your life. That is God’s desire for every woman at any age in Christ’s church today! This is the introduction to my new book: amazon/Grace-Energized-Women-Steps-Every-Century-ebook/dp/B00PYJ724Y/ref=la_B001K8Y0SE_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420474900&sr=1-3
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 16:24:12 +0000
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