Three Vital Factors

Acts 24:25 - And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

   Paul was a master conversationalist. God gave him an ability to speak to men in a way that kept their interest. Jesus had said to Paul that he would stand before the Gentiles and kings, and in fulfillment of that, we read that he reasoned with Felix concerning three vital spiritual realities; righteousness, temperance and judgement to come.

   Righteousness is an often misunderstood subject. What is it? I have heard several definitions such as; an ability to stand in the presence of God without any sense of condemnation; right standing with God; right living and right ways. The same underlying word is used to describe someone who is just. Righteousness and justice then are related. God is designated as the justifier of the ungodly. Whatever our definition, one thing is for sure; we do not make ourselves righteous, we cannot justify ourselves. We need God to make us righteous and we need him to make us just. That is not in our nature; we must have a new nature from God; a righteous nature. Right standing with God results in being able to be yourself before the Lord. It is the sense of being completely accepted and therefore not needing to be false in any way. We can present our true selves to the Lord because that is what he sees anyway, righteousness simply enables us to do so without fear of reprisal. We have been made right through the work of Jesus on the cross; the shedding of his blood. The scripture even speaks about receiving the gift of righteousness; so, if it is indeed a gift, then righteousness can never be earned, it simply must be received and walked in.

    Temperance is an old English word which we do not really use much today, however, it is packed full of meaning that certainly applies to us. To temper steel is to make it pliable and flexible yet stronger and less susceptible to shattering. You would have to agree that we could definitely use some tempering. How many of us have been damaged simply because we have not been able to roll with the punches, so to speak? Many people who have been hurt in car wrecks are hurt because they tried to brace themselves for the impact and the jolt of it damaged their bodies. I have been told that people who are under the influence of alcohol and who end up in a car accident are less likely to be hurt because they are relaxed and flexible. To be tempered by God is to become like a shock absorber, continually adjusting oneself to the contours of the road. Somebody has once said, ‘Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken’. One of the things that is evident in life is the need to be tempered by God; to go through a process that causes us to have an adjustable demeanor, adapting ourselves to different circumstances and to varied people. I am definitely not suggesting that we let go of our principles but that we adjust our practices. My pastor used to tell us that when we faced difficult things it was important to respond and not react; response has the tempered feel to it; reaction seems much more rigid and tense.

    The word judgement carries with it mostly negative connotations; a critical, nit-picky boss who loves to point out all your flaws, an angry, heavy-handed man with a gavel in his hand eagerly passing out a sentence of punishment, or a mean-spirited church-goer who looks down his nose at everyone. However, from God’s perspective, judgement is always a positive thing. Everybody wants to be rewarded but there is no reward without judgement. Any contest or competition has a panel of judges who determine whether you win or lose, and even our schools have a system of judgement through examination and grading; no promotion without passing a test. We raise our children with a view to helping them learn to exercise good judgement and wisely choose the proper path in life. Judges preside over court rooms, listening intently as each lawyer argues their case, after which the judgement must be made. Judgement is normal to God’s kingdom; he is a judge and he will adjudicate his will in the Earth. According to the New Testament writings there will be a judgement to come, there will be an account given for how we have lived our lives, and how we have stewarded our skills, our time, and our resources.

    Be encouraged, friends, because of the Blood of Jesus and His amazing grace, we can continue to walk in the gift of righteousness, remain yielded to God’s process of temperance and stand confidently in the light of his merciful judgement.

The Inborn Desire to Praise

Luke 19:40 - And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out

           God will receive praise, He will get the glory due His name. His preference is that we would willingly lift up praise and adoration but if, for some reason we decide that we are not going to praise God then the rocks would cry out. The picture I get is when one would try to hold down water that is coming up out of the earth, if I press down in one place the water will squirt up in another. That is what is called hydrostatic pressure. It is when water is forced up out the ground because of the pressure created by water flowing from higher ground. This downward pressure creates an upward response. God is high above so, as long as we keep the relationship with Him in its proper place by acknowledging His loftiness, the water of praise will flow down from Him and will flow out of us. God by nature attracts praise, He does not need to force praise out of people, He will get praise; He will be praised. 
        In creation man stands at the pinnacle. He was created in the highest place of all created beings. However, if man does not take his rightful place of worship before God, then the lower levels of creation will fill his place. The rocks will cry out. The actual material earth senses the weight of the choice of the first man, Adam. It reels under the curse of sin and feels the burden of the fallen world. Romans chapter eight tells us that creation is groaning, longing to see the full and final redemption. All of creation was made to respond to its creator, even the rocks. Scientists tell us that material substances are made up of invisible molecules which in turn are made up of atoms. Amazing discoveries have been made regarding the tiny ‘worlds’ that exist in every molecule. God created these worlds and ultimately, they will praise Him. The rocks will cry out. 
         This cry is a cry of praise acknowledging God’s supremacy and it’s a cry for help, acknowledging man’s inadequacy.  It is a plea to the Creator God for deliverance. It is a cry of instinct. All of creation has an instinctive and innate desire to cry out to God. As we said, there is a groaning within creation. Man groans within, the animal kingdom groans, the earth also groans. That groaning is an inner longing, it is the built-in cry that will find expression no matter what may try to hinder it. Just as the branches and leaves of a tree will intrinsically grow toward the light so our spirits reach out to God and all of His creation reaches out for the light to touch the presence of God. We are created for interaction and communication. We are interactive spirits designed for relationship to our Father God; created for worship. 
         Don’t get replaced by a rock. Praise God!

A Voice for God

Luke 3:1, 2 – Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, And Annas and Caiphas being the High Priests, the Word of God came unto John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

    Luke lists government leaders and spiritual leaders that were contemporaries of John. They were his contemporaries but not, necessarily, his peers. These men were known…John was unknown. These men had a platform…John did not have a platform. These men were recognized authorities…John was not recognized as an authority. These men were included in everyday society…John was excluded and isolated. These men had their own agenda…John was a herald with God’s agenda. These men had words…John had the Word. These men had to devise their own words…John had the Word of God come to him.

    While life was going on, somewhere, behind the scenes, unbeknownst to the world, the Spirit of God and the Word of God were working. There was a man being groomed and prepared by God. He was being prepared to be a voice for God. The Word of God came to John in the wilderness; in the solitary place; in the lonely place; in the isolated and obscure place. We mustn't be afraid of loneliness, isolation or obscurity, for there the Word of God will come to us. He will find us as we wait upon Him. In your wilderness; in your isolation; in your desert place, God’s word, God’s voice, God’s direction, God’s wisdom will come to you.

   Once we have the word, and that word has prepared us, then we can become a voice. There must be a vocal expression of the word. The word must not be simply spoken to us, but it must be spoken through us. It is given to us so it can be given through us. We must become vessels of the word. We must become a voice by which the word of God is transported into the ears of this world. We have the words whereby peoples' destinies can be changed. Faith comes to unbelievers as they hear the word spoken. It is a gift of God given to those who hear, through those that speak the words of God.

    Let us not be discouraged in our loneliness and isolation. Remember who you are; you came from God. Remember whose you are; you belong to God. He has not forgotten you. Wait on Him, listen to Him, worship Him, yield to Him. For He has enlisted you in the army of believers who come from the spiritual lineage of John; a people who know their God and who are faithful to be the voice of the Word of Life to this generation!

Jesus: Our Powerful Example and Hero!

Luke 4:2 – Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days He did eat nothing: and when they were ended, He afterward hungered.

    Imagine forty days in the wilderness; forty days and nights alone, without any human company or support; forty long days and nights without a friend to console you or to simply converse with. He was entirely alone. This was an intense test of who he truly was. It was a test of character, identity, security and destiny. The wilderness represents the place of fallen man; the wild place where nothing submits but, all things vie for supremacy. Tozer once wrote that, “The bias of nature is toward the wilderness, never toward the fruitful field”. Because Jesus was in the solitary and isolated place, he can identify with all these emotions and realities of our fallen world. He was there. He was tempted of the devil. He was scrutinized ‘of’ the devil. The Greek word for ‘of’ is the word ‘under’ which powerfully illustrates a concentrated, forty day experience of suffering. He underwent rigorous scrutiny and severe interrogation of the devil. The enemy is aptly called Diabolos; the slanderer and defamer of all that is righteous. One can only imagine the vindictives hurled against him; the slander, the accusations and the lies of the enemy, the constant barrage and cacophony of sounds from which we want to plug our ears.

    During all of this time that he was under this test, he did not eat even one thing. He did not do the most basic human thing. Eating is necessary for survival, for strength and for clarity of mind. Not once did Jesus take anything natural into himself. He lived on the basis of the Word of God; he was literally sustained by it. He overcame the enemy with powerful quotations from Scripture. He used the phrase, “It is written” to form the premise for his stance. He is our perfect example and we can follow in his steps. These words, “It is written” declare the spiritual and legal precedent for us as believers. It is written, it still stands, and it is still in force, therefore we can say with all authority, “Get thee behind me Satan!”

Several Vital Elements Needed

Acts 2:37-41  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

    After this group heard Peter preach the Word their hearts were pierced with truth and they were made acutely aware of their need. Where is the preaching that pierces the heart and brings conviction of a need to change? Where is the preaching that produces this kind of a response in people? ‘What shall we do?’ was the cry of their heart. 
    The first thing Peter tells them is to repent. Repentance is foundational to beginning a walk with God. It seems to clear the ground and prepare a way for God to work. Repentance is seeing things from God’s perspective and thus having a complete change of mind and direction. If I am walking on a certain path heading East and I repent, then that means I turn around and I head West, in an opposite direction. It means to think differently and to reconsider. This change of thinking and direction is a pivotal point for changing our lives. Simply stopping some bad habits and going to church does not mean that you have repented and are now viewing life and eternity much differently. The result of repentance is a changed life. When Zacchaeus came in contact with Jesus his life radically changed, he thought differently and he lived differently, even to the point of affecting his view of money. When Peter’s mother-in-law was healed she got up and gratefully served Jesus and his disciples, it was all about others now. When the blind man was healed, he didn’t use his new found sight to obtain what he desired, no, he followed Jesus very closely. When this group of people asked Peter what they should do now that they have been made aware of a need in their lives, he said to repent. One writer has said that repentance removes any moral blockage so that you can believe and obey God. If that blockage or hindrance is in the way there will be no flow of life or power from God to us. We are in charge of our own thinking and we must change the way we think. 
    The result of true repentance and change will lead the believer to take a radical step of obedience and be publicly baptized and immersed in water. This is the open demonstration and declaration of a new life in Christ. It is similar to a marriage ceremony. It is a statement to all people that you belong to another. Like marriage, this is no simple piece of paper. It is an official act that changes your status and it is recognized in three worlds. Heaven, Earth and Hell will stand up and take notice of a believers’ public and open faith. This immersion is a witness to Heaven. Jesus said that the angels in Heaven rejoice when one person repents. Heaven is aware of our choices and they document it when the right choice is made. Apparently, there are books and events being recorded and written down in Heaven. When someone repents and changes and steps into the waters of immersion, confessing Jesus before all, Heaven observes and pledges its resources. A committed believer now has the commitment of Heaven. He has been taken into the responsibility of the Father. This immersion is a witness to the Earth and all its inhabitants. It testifies to the fact that you are identified with Jesus and you now live under a different Lord. He is your Lord and by His grace you will serve Him and live a new kind of life. You have transferred your allegiance to a new kingdom; a kingdom of faith, hope and love. As the people of Earth witness your confession and your new lifestyle, they will now have an opportunity to follow your example and discover a life of faith. This immersion is a witness to Hell. It draws a line in the sand and testifies to the enemy that there is no going back. There will be no compromise here. I have decided to follow Jesus. I am putting my hand to the plow and I will not be looking back. There will be a test to this outward statement of your faith. As in any area of our life, there is no such thing as an unchallenged commitment. The enemy hates commitment because, once someone vows to live for God, he is powerless to stop it. Edwin Louis Cole once wrote that perseverance will always outlast persecution, so no matter what kind of pressure you come under, if you persist, you will overcome any and all opposition. Your choice has now become your ticket to freedom from all that has hindered you in the past. 
    We are to be immersed in the Name of Jesus, the Christ. God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him a Name that is above every other name. At the Name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. That Name is higher and carries more authority than any other name. There is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. There is salvation in that Name. There is healing in that Name. There is deliverance in that Name. There is freedom in that Name. There is safety in that Name. We are immersed into the Name and all that the Name has accomplished and all that the Name represents is now ours. 
    I encourage you to remember that we, as members of the Body of Christ, are vitally united to the living Christ. We are part of the most victorious and the most glorious Church of the living God and there is nothing about God that is weak or in any way has ever been diminished. Do not be misled; the church of Jesus will always prevail against the forces of darkness. Don't be discouraged, continue to walk with Jesus, stay on his side and stay on the winning team!

Are You Ready?

To make ready a people prepared for the Lord – Luke 1:17

    This man named John was sent by God to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. The mission did not start in the hearts of the people; even John did not initiate the mission. The mission was initiated by God. God is the original Missionary, if you will, which suggests that every mission of ours is really a submission to the higher mission of God. God has a mission and his mission is about establishing a people. John had a mission put in his heart by God; to prepare a people for the Lord. It is interesting to note that while God certainly loves individuals, He wants a people, a group, a family, a nation, an assembly of people. Your personal, individual life is important but it is always in relationship to others that God calls us. God has always wanted a people for Himself. He loves people. He created people. He wants to use people and entrust people. He wants to live amongst a people and fellowship with them.

    The word ‘people’ in the Greek is the word ‘laos’ from which we get our term ‘laity’. God never has been a God of class distinction; he does not see what we call the clergy and the laity, he is simply looking for a people. He is not looking, necessarily, for a preacher, or a minister, He is looking for ordinary, believing people. ‘I sought for a man’. Our hearts are not naturally prepared or inclined to do the will of God or even to recognize God when he arrives in our lives. If we are not made ready and prepared we will not receive Him when he comes. Jesus came to His own people and His own received Him not. Jesus lamented the fact that even Jerusalem did not know or recognize the time of her visitation. They were not ready.

    It is of supreme importance that we be prepared. Most people understand what it means to prepare and the necessity of it. When we are planning a vacation, we prepare by saving money and booking it on the calendar. When we are expecting a child, we prepare by designating a room as a nursery and furnishing it accordingly. When we are having friends over for dinner we prepare by purchasing the ingredients and cooking a meal. When we get up in the morning to exercise we prepare by warming up and stretching our muscles. When we want to plant a garden we prepare the soil by turning the ground and moistening the soil. Everything in life needs preparation. If we do not prepare we will inevitably forget something or we will not have adequate provision or we may even hurt ourselves. In like manner, our hearts need preparation. We need to be ready when the Lord chooses to move into our lives and circumstances. There are strategic times and opportunities when God is pursuing us and inviting us to a closer walk with Him. Isaiah encourages us to ‘Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near’.

   Yes, Lord, prepare my heart to be responsive to your presence, to fellowship and commune with you. Prepare me in connection with those whom I will need in order to fulfill your will in my life. Prepare me to obey your voice and to be a part of the fulfillment of your plan.

The Character of a Leader

Titus 1:8 - But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate

    The kind of man that Titus was encouraged to keep alert for was someone who had notable but, very often, overlooked virtues. Sadly, it seems that, when we look for leaders, we look for the high-powered, executive type, or a charming and sophisticated diplomat, or maybe we think we need the dominant, task-oriented person. But when God looks for leaders, he looks for an entirely different set of qualifications. Like the time when he saw the heart of a king within a shepherd-boy named David, God pursues men who, frequently, have unassuming credentials.

    Why would God stress the fact that a leader must be a lover of hospitality? I believe it is because the church is first and foremost all about relationships. We are the body of Christ, undeniably and organically linked together. Paul writes in another place that when one member of the body suffers then all of the members suffer with it. We are a spiritual body, therefore we affect and influence each other in ways which we may not be aware of. If I am committed to the church, then I am committed to people. People are what we, as churches, exist for. We want to reach, interact and share life together with the precious people of our communities. One who is a lover of hospitality is one who takes pleasure in opening up the home to include people of every walk of life. Our homes and our churches need to be places that are fond of guests and welcoming to strangers. That element is a good starting place for reaching others and for providing a safe haven from the storms of this life. If the leaders of a church have this trait then our churches will be known for their warmth and friendliness. In the day we live in where most of us have retreated into the privacy and comfort of our homes, a revival of hospitality is desperately needed.

    A.W. Tozer once wrote that, ‘The bias of nature is toward the wilderness, never toward the fruitful field’. In other words, in this fallen world, fruitfulness is not automatic. If we want something good to be produced in our gardens or in our churches, we must cultivate it. Everything in nature tends toward the wilderness, if you do not believe that, then, simply neglect your flower beds for a season. Good leaders are those who intentionally love and promote good things, and they provide a healthy and safe environment so that people can flourish and become all that God desires for them.

    In an age of lightness, looseness and laziness, to meet people who are sensible and serious about their life and calling, is like a breath of fresh air. While all godly leaders value what it means to have a sense of humor, they also understand that there is a sobriety about life that cannot be trivialized through constant joking. There are those who laugh and joke and flit and flirt their way through life, never amounting to much. As stewards of the house we must realize the urgency of opportunities that are presented to us. People come into our lives and they go out of our lives and we may never have another occasion to share the true meaning of our life with them. Years ago I read a statement that a Christian man had on the back of his business card, it said, ‘If you meet me and forget me, you have lost nothing, but if you meet Jesus and forget Jesus, you have lost everything’. As men of God, let us stand up tall, square our shoulders and walk forward, leading God’s family with dignity and gravity.

    The world we live in has become increasingly jaded and unjust and alarmingly partial and unfair, so, the church needs to stand out in striking contrast. Our leaders must be fair, unprejudiced and righteous before God. A person cannot be biased and still remain principle-centered and fair. To be an elder in the house necessitates impartiality, objectivity and open-mindedness. Like a judge entering the courtroom, we must approach all decisions without a predisposition and all individuals without respect of persons. If we are indeed men of justice and righteousness, then we will treat all people with kindness and due regard.

    Holiness is a word that conjures up all kinds of images; the angry and judgmental preacher in the old Western movies, young ladies who are told to wear long skirts and have plain hairstyles, and others, who do not drink coffee, go to the movie theatre and certainly never seem to smile. What does it mean to be holy? While holiness will definitely affect and alter our lifestyle, it is more of an attitude than an action. To be holy is to be set apart for a particular purpose or use. My life is not my own, I am bought with a price and I belong to another. Because my life is sacred, then, as a leader, I am more precise and intentional about my choices and how I spend my time. Jesus once instructed his disciples, ‘don’t give that which is holy to the dogs’, implying that holy things are sacred and have a value that many, in this world, will never understand or appreciate.

    When steel is tempered, it is strengthened through an intense process of heat that causes it to be less brittle and more pliable. God’s men are tempered through a similar process with the equivalent result. Strength through flexibility is a desired attribute in any leader. When a man is temperate, he responds to difficult situations and challenging people with calmness and balance. Knee-jerk reactions and outbursts of hot tempers have no place in the overseer’s life. Jesus demonstrated this kind of self-control perfectly, as he stood uncompromisingly before Pilate and didn’t allow himself to say a single word; there was no hint of self-defense and no desire for vengeance.

    May these godly qualities be infused into our lives as men, for we are husbands, we are fathers, we are pioneers of faith and we are beacons of light in a dark world. Arise and Shine!

    

The Qualities of a Leader

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God, not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre - Titus 1:7

    Paul uses the word elder and the word bishop interchangeably. It has been suggested that the first term; elder, has to do with the character of the man; dignified, stately and mature. The second term; bishop, which would be better translated overseer, and has to do with the role of the man; alert, watchful and observant. This leader is described as a steward of God, thus informing us that not only are we responsible for the people in the house; we are ultimately answerable to the owner of the house. We are stewards, we are not owners.

Observe the qualities that the stewards of the house must guard against; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, not a striker and not greedy of money.

    Self-will heads the list of dangerous traits in a leader. If a man must have his own way and if he is driven to fulfill his own pleasure, the church will always be at risk of being destroyed. A self-focused man becomes the source of all other fallen tendencies. Self-will is really the root of all sin as demonstrated by Adam in the Garden of Eden; he chose his own way over God’s way. Millennia later, in another garden, the Last Adam aligned his will with God’s will and thus restored the long-broken relationship between God and man. As long as we are self-willed we will be continually frustrated and soon we will be governed by anger. Anger is one of those qualities that reveal how disappointed and upset we are with ourselves. It is usually not about what the other person has done but about our own internal conflicts and disillusionment; we are not happy with who we are and where we are at in life. It has been said that most men correct in their children what they are not happy about in themselves.

    By using the phrase, not given to wine, Paul seems to be speaking of an addictive tendency in certain people. There are people who can have a glass of wine and not be given to it, and there are people who would never touch a drop but are ruled by it. Legalism is corrosive to relationships, and just as destructive as a lack of restraint. We cannot be the kind of people that are always looking for a way to escape the pressures of life in order to find a place of peace. There are those restless and agitated souls that never are content with where they are; they are always looking for something else.

    When a person resorts to physical violence and aggression it is a clear indication of a lack of trust in God; this person literally takes matters into their own hands, they are not seeking God for answers. Many men grow up attempting to solve all their problems through physical force. Punch first, think later seems to be their motto, and even after advancing in years and realizing that this only makes things worse, they may still have the attitude and predisposition of a striker. One who is quick to lift his hand against another is either full of fear or pride, or more likely, both.

     Ending the list of what a steward or elder must not be is the phrase; not greedy of money, or as another version says, not desiring profit for himself. In our day and in our culture much of a man’s success is measured in terms of how much money he has. Money is used across the world and is a necessary element in order to transact any business. It is not in any way wrong to have money. Quite the opposite actually, it is wrong for money to have you. Paul said elsewhere that the love of money is the root of all evil, and one can commit that sin without even having a dime. It is not about what we have or do not have; it is about our heart. As a leader, especially, we must not be those whose motives are for personal gain or benefit.

    My pastor counselled me, when we took over the leadership of a struggling church, to remove all of the potential faults in the infrastructure of the church. If we continue to build on a known fault-line then we shouldn’t be surprised when there is eventual disaster. Foundations are designed to uphold, remain steady and not shift under the weight and pressure of the structure. Titus was wisely instructed to avoid placing the weight of responsibility on the faulty foundations and character flaws of certain type of men. Negative traits in people, having become firmly established, are harder to deal with than cultivating positive traits in those who do not have them; it is easier to plant than it is to uproot.

You Might be Married, but Are You a Husband?

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

    It is interesting to note that the first characteristic of a potential elder was that he needed to be blameless. To be blameless does not mean that elders are to be flawless. We are blameless not because we never make a mistake but when we do make mistakes we have the honesty and humility to confront our errors and acknowledge our wrongs; not pointing the finger and blaming others. Blameless is a word which includes the attitude of a man, not simply his actions. It is the posture of a man who walks in humility and integrity, keeping short accounts with others. If I have done something wrong and do not confess it, I can be blamed, but if I confess and accept responsibility for the sin, I cannot be blamed for it. There is an example in the book of Galatians that bears this out. Paul says that when he came to Jerusalem he withstood Peter to his face for he was to be blamed. Apparently, Peter was acting in a hypocritical way and Paul called him out for it. If Peter had already dealt with it previously, he could not be blamed. Blame is the word which denotes responsibility. When I take the blame for something, I assume responsibility for it and bear the brunt of any consequences or repercussions. A blameless man, then, is not a perfect man but one who accepts responsibility for his actions and does not blame others or pass the buck, so to speak. One excellent minister to men said it this way, ‘Maturity does not come with age; it comes with the acceptance of responsibility. That is why some men are mature at seventeen and others are immature at seventy’.

    Isn’t it instructive that the very first quality that Titus is encouraged to look for in an elder is this quality of responsibility? Leadership is first and foremost a position of responsibility. Paul immediately connects the responsibility of leadership to the home and the priority of family life. The elder is to be the husband of one wife. To get married is a relatively easy thing to do, to be a husband is not. The word husband is not, necessarily, a noun but a verb; it describes the role that a married man assumes. He is the husband to his wife. There are several possibilities when searching for the root of this English word husband. Some have suggested two possibilities for its origin; house-bound or house-bond, and others have said it comes from house-band. All three suggestions and perspectives are interesting and informative.

    At a time in history when men did as they pleased and roamed as they willed, the term house-bound takes on special meaning. A husband would no longer do as he saw fit or leave as he so decided but he would now be house-bound. He would stay near his new home and take responsibility for its safety and the family’s provision. The wanderer has now put down roots; he has become a husband, bound to the house by a powerful commitment and, consequently, he will no longer act independently at his own whim, or with only his own welfare in mind.

    In a culture when women and children had no one to speak for them or no one to ensure their safety, the expression house-bond is descriptive and illustrates another aspect of the role the married man would take. He would become the bond or the guarantee that his wife and children would be defended and protected. His word was his bond. He gave his word in a vow before God and witnesses so now all those that belong to the house are assured of security.

    In the social order of Titus’ day, the family life had no priority and there was no binding strength to hold people together, the designation house-band gives us further insight into the crucial function of a husband. He would be the band of strength wrapped around hearth and home, thus fulfilling a dual task; warding off dangerous elements from the outside and simultaneously protecting the precious treasure within.

    In a world that did not value the sacredness of monogamy, not only should the elder be a husband, but he would also have a loyalty and commitment to his one and only wife. To qualify as one of God’s leaders, the ability to vow and keep oneself, for one woman alone, would be of utmost significance.

    When looking for men to fulfill positions of leadership in the church, we are to look for those who have the spirit of a husband; one who has put down roots, a man of integrity, a protector of the vulnerable and a loyal, one-woman sort of man.