Sun, May 08, 2011
The Inestimable Value of a Godly Woman
Titus 2:3-5 by Ray Viola
"Pastor Ray Viola teaches on The Godly Woman. Mature Godly woman should be devoted to Christ and to teach and be an example to the younger woman within the flock and at home."

Titus 2:3-5

Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: 2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness (sacred, holy, consecrated to God), not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things (things that are beautiful; attractive); 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

In our nation today, we celebrate one of God’s most precious gifts to us and that is our mothers. We thank God for the godly mothers and grandmothers in our midst this morning.
·        One good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters. –Herbert
No man is poor who has had a Godly mother. -Lincoln
Since not all the women here today are married and some of you married women may not have been able to bear children, I want to share a message about the inestimable value of a godly woman. Our Nation is not only in desperate need of godly, virtuous wives and mothers, but godly, virtuous woman of all ages. It is my prayer for the girls and women who hear this message, that you will allow God to work in your lives and mold you into a virtuous woman.

One thing that I’d like to point out here from the passages in Titus is that every individual within the local church is called by God to live out our faith in community with one another (see all of the One Another’s in NT). Biblical discipleship and mentoring does not take place in a classroom but in day-to-day living.

KF family, listen carefully, one of the most lethal enemies to the spiritual health within the community is when people come with a consumer mentality instead of contributor mentality.
The call of God for each person who calls KF their home church is to be involved not indifferent; active not apathetic.


For all of you older or spiritually mature women here at KF, please note that it was the older women, not Pastor Titus, that were responsible to take the initiative to teach the younger women how to live out their faith within the home (Not Maratha Stewart or Dear Abbey) . How we need to cultivate a biblical, community model for our church family instead of following an individualistic western society model.

This is especially important as the church sees younger women coming to Christ from pagan backgrounds. Perhaps they have not had godly role models to teach them how to make their homes attractive places for their families. They don’t know how to love their husbands and children. Worldly feminism tells them to forget their families and find fulfillment in a career or in a new romance. Godly older women are to talk sense to them by teaching what is beautiful and attractive about a godly home. Pastor Steven Cole


Paul (wisely!) does not specify the age a woman would have to be to qualify as older. But childbearing typically ends at about 40 years of age and, correspondingly, childrearing ends at about 60. It therefore seems reasonable to take older women as referring to women that are at least 60 years old. That is the age that Paul mentions in his first letter to Timothy in regard to widows who qualified for being put on the list to receive financial support from the church (1Tim 5:9).



This whole 2nd chapter of Titus provides for us here at KF the Spirit inspired teaching on the character of a healthy home and a healthy church. By a healthy church, I mean a church that is going to have an effective witness and evangelistic impact in the world.

But in order for a church to have that kind of impact, the people in it must conduct themselves in a godly way.
Note that in verse 5 that the purpose of this instruction on how to live out our faith practically is that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Beloved, our lives are either stepping stones or stumbling stones to those who are unconverted, and if our walk and talk contradicts one another, it not only brings discredit on the Scripture, but more importantly it dishonors God .
An unsaved person politely and with great insight said after receiving a gospel tract from a zealous Christian, "Thank you for this tract, and now with your permission, I will watch your tracks to see if you believe what you say you do and then I will decide about becoming a Christian."
A sad but true testimony is that so many people say they're Christians and believe the Bible but choose to live  in total disregard of what it says and by doing so, they bring shame to the very testimony of the One they proclaim? Lord, make us faithful in the disciplines of life to do what honors You


Jesus and womanhood- In the midst of the Greek, Roman, and Jewish cultures, which viewed women almost on the level of possessions, Jesus showed love and respect for women. The gospel of Jesus Christ is what gave to women true dignity and purpose in life. If you look at people or cultures where the gospel has not been received, in most cases, the women are treated as nothing more than objects of lust or like a household pet or appliance.



Ladies, The Word of God reveals a magnificent and wonderful design for all women; married or single, old or young, rich or poor.

·        It is a design which will fulfill their created purpose, maximize their uniqueness, make them a blessing to the world and bring fulfillment to their own lives and glory to the name of God.

·        And that design is briefly stated there in verses 3-5. The instructions here are God's design for women in the church so that the church can have healthy families and be a powerful witness in society for the glory of God .



The Characteristics of an older godly, virtuous Woman

May I state here that neither a woman nor man is deemed mature in Scripture merely because they are elderly or have been a Christian for x-amount of years…..spiritual maturity is measured by a devotion to Christ that is manifested in a life of holiness and godliness.

Holiness- A lifestyle that reflects holiness and reverence; devotion and consecration to God in conduct, speech and dress. “Behavior” points to their demeanor or inner character. The reverent woman fears God and lives in His presence.
Not false accusers- to defame; to inform against; to bring charges with hostile intent. This is a single word in the Greek that is used 34 times to describe the devil! It is a word that literally means, to throw things at people. The godly woman that Paul is describing is one that refuses to listen to, much less propagate, slanderous and demeaning stories about others. The law of kindness is in their mouth.
Not given (enslaved) to much wine- Not one who has a reputation for being an excessive drinker; not one who sits long at drink.
The character of the wife of a man called into spiritual leadership is to be a further model of an older woman. 1Ti 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave (Gr. venerable, honest), not slanderers (Gr. diabolos; devilish or false accusers), sober (circumspect), faithful (trustworthy) in all things.


What The Bible says is to be taught to young women is in most cases the very opposite of what young women are being taught in school and in the various forms of media.

Young women today are not being taught to fear God and be pure, they are being told that a truly “liberated woman” can love whoever they want, farm their children out to somebody else, being sober and sensible was for the days of the Puritans, do whatever pleases you. Don't worry about being pure, fulfill your physical and lustful desires.
So, a healthy church with healthy Christians is going to have a powerful witness in the world, and one of the reasons why is because its women, old and young, will choose to pattern their lives according to what the Word of God says and not the fallen values or fashions of this world.
If the modern church continues to fall victim to the satanic plotting of the Feminist Movement, we are allowing Satan to destroy the priority and the purity and the integrity of the church. We are allowing him to pull down the Word of God from its lofty place. Anonymous


What are Young women (mothers) to be taught? Hebrew? Greek? Church History?

One of the duties that older women are to teach younger women comes at the end of the list in verse 3, Teachers of good things. Older women have as their responsibility teaching what is good. Literally the Greek word here could be translated "teachers of what is good," teachers of good.
Good being a word that means beautiful attractive, noble, excellent, lofty. And the idea in the word is not some kind of formal thing, it's not conducting seminars, writing a book, making tapes, holding formal classes, it is the idea of the very life they live becoming a model of a pattern of goodness.
Older women when their children are grown and gone and they reach the senior years are not supposed to move to a warm climate and play shuffleboard until they go to heaven. They are not to aimlessly wander away from involvement in the local church and travel around as if they had no responsibility.
In their older years they are responsible to become teachers of the next generation. They are responsible to teach their daughters, daughter-in-laws, granddaughters, nieces and young girls in the youth group. They do that by mentoring, by discipline, by modeling, by setting the example of godly living with regard to marriage and the family and the home.
So, you older women (and I am so glad that Paul gave us a rough definition of what old is) are to be teachers of what is good in order that you may encourage the young women in your family and in this church community. The primary responsibility of older women is younger women. Older women are engaged then in a training process...to raise a generation of sensible disciplined prudent wise discreet restrained women who are committed to doing God's will.


Verse 4  Sober- The sober minded individual is an individual who is in command of their mind. They have control over the things they think and do. They do not allow circumstances or the immorality or foolishness of others to distract them. They not only do not become involved in things that are outright immoral and unspiritual but also avoid things that are trivial, foolish, and unproductive. The older woman's lifestyle and message to younger women, wives and mothers is that they are to be occupied with Christ, to see life "with eternity's values in view", to make decisions from the wisdom of God's viewpoint.



Teach them to be husband lovers. That is lovers of their own husbands!! And that love not necessarily the love of emotion, it's the love of will and a deep commitment. Marital love is not all about bells and whistles beloved; it is about commitment and faithfulness to one another in the sight of God. Note in the passage that It is something that is to be taught…..it is a discipline.



Children lovers. Mothers, this is your highest calling, to raise godly children

How to love your husband and children in a godly way according to Biblical principles is not natural, it is supernatural. It is Christ centered, God glorifying. It is holy and pure.




Vs 5 Discreet- to have sound judgment, common sense, right thinking, right priorities. Not flaky or flippant in demeanor. Common sense stuff of life.



Chaste- morally pure, virtuous.

1Pe 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
Teach women to be adorning their heart, teach women to be virtuous and godly on the inside.
A literal reading of 1 Tim 2.9,10 is "Women are not to adorn themselves in any way that would call attentions to themselves but they are to put on proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with the braided hair and gold and pearls and costly garments but rather by means of good works as befits women and making a claim to godliness."


Keepers at home- It simply means that the sphere of a woman's life is her home, that's her domain.

The woman in Proverbs 31 left home when she needed to buy a field, she left home to prepare that field, she left home and went afar to find things that would help the family. The woman did what she needed to do but the focus of everything was the home. And that's where she poured her life and she got up early and she went to bed late for the sake of the home. She is to be a home keeper, that's the sphere of her responsibility, that's her place of employment, that's where she should pour her life.
1Ti 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
The keeper at home is not one of The Real Housewives of Atlanta or whatever…they are not The Desperate Housewives of TV fame. The keeper at home is a Spirit filled, Christ loving, God honoring woman where the home remains the constant and ongoing priority. Everything focuses on that. That is the idea of this word…..and when there is a decision that needs to be made between the home and vocation…the home and family win out.
My prayer is that every gift and every talent and every opportunity that you have as a woman will be maximized with the home as the center priority and then in whatever extending circumference God will allow, but always for His glory.


Good-obedient to their own husbands- In the creation account of Genesis 1, God’s first word on the subject of men and women is that they were equally created in the image of God (v. 27).

Neither received more of the image of God than the other. So the Bible begins with the equality of the sexes. As persons, as spiritual beings standing before God, men and women are absolutely equal.
In Genesis 2, there is a more detailed account of the creation of Adam and Eve, but it also reveals marked differences in their God-given functions and responsibilities. God did not create the man and the woman at the same time, but rather He created Adam first and Eve later for the specific purpose of being Adam’s helper, and do I really need to tell each of you wives out there that us husbands really need your help? The responsibility of wives to submit to their husbands, then, was part of the plan from creation, even before the curse.
Some very able commentators cite that the exhortation to obey their husbands so that the Word of God is not blasphemed was written to women who came out of paganism and were married to unbelievers in Christ. Same idea as we see in 1 Peter 3.1
And as we draw to a close, we need to remember that the reason that God commands the women in the church community to live like this is so that the Word of God may not be blasphemed. Biblical theology is always Christ centered and God glorifying; this isn’t about you or me, this is for God's Word so that it will not be blasphemed.


Single women or married women who for whatever reason are unable to bear children

There are some women in our church community that in the providence of God are still single. They have what the New Testament calls a gift of singleness. First Corinthians 7 says that women who are single should use their singleness for the Kingdom's sake.
And there are some women here this morning who are barren for reason’s that only God knows. There are some men who cannot produce children and therefore their wives will never bear children.  But that barreness is for God's divine purposes in the Kingdom's sake.
In the early days of the church, barren women would oftentimes take their barrenness as an opportunity to adopt a child. God has designed some women to have the uniqueness of singleness and others not to have children for His own purpose. There is no second hand members within the Body of Christ.


I know there are a myriad of things that may flood your mind, exceptions here and there and everywhere. What a bout a woman who is single working in the world and what about a woman who has no children working, and again I just remind you, those things you need to pray about and decide in your own family and then follow the leading of the Lord.



But let me say to every woman here this morning….the first time that your involvement in work or vocation environment is compromising your commitment to Christ, compromising your commitment to your husband, compromising your commitment to your home, you need to change that.

If you are involved in any kind of a relationship Biblically that is censored by Scripture, if you are serious about flowing Jesus Christ, you need to cut that relationship off immediately……remember, this is not about you, it about the glory of God and The Name of Jesus Christ.

Who can find a virtuous woman? asked the writer, "for her price is far above rubies" and "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised"
In Proverbs 31, we see that the godly woman’s life stems from fact that she fears The Lord. To every lady in this room this morning, my exhortation to you is the choose to Fear God in al. that you do. Real Women fear God…are passionately in love with Jesus Christ….adorned with The Spirit of God.
The value of a godly woman to any family, culture, society, and the church of Christ can never be over emphasized. The only way to be a godly woman is by submitting your heart, soul, mind and strength to The Lord Jesus Christ. Will you do that this morning?