Titus 2 Study Part 4 | Biblical Womanhood

Titus 2 Study on Biblical Womanhood 

Part Four

5 To be discreet, chaste ...

The next things that the older women are to teach the younger women is for them to be discreet and chaste. 

The Websters 1828 dictionary says about discreet: "Prudent; wise in avoiding errors or evil, and in selecting the best means to accomplish a purpose; circumspect; cautious; wary; not rash."

As godly women, we are to be discreet which means making wise decisions in our lives based upon God's word rightly divided. We are to really think over things and not make rash decisions. We must think about what is the most edifying thing to do or say in each situation. A Prudent woman is disciplined, wise, resourceful, and discreet. Many women today are NOT discreet. They make rash decisions without thinking things through or considering other people. They "share it all" in speech and appearance, not holding anything back. We see this all of the time on social media as well as with celebrities and even female politicians. I have even seen it in the grace community on social media, with some women just blurting out arguments, debates and judgements on doctrinal issues. As grace believers especially, our conduct should be much more gracious. We need to approach others with grace and humility, and be discreet. 

We need to think most of all about whether what we say and do is edifying or not. We have to consider both the unbelievers around us, that they will come to believe the gospel as well as fellow believers that they will mature spiritually. Plus, the angels in heaven watch us and are learning from us about the manifold wisdom of God. If we are acting and speaking just like the world, it is not helpful or edifying to anyone. 

Older women teach the younger women to be discreet by being discreet themselves. They can also speak privately, honestly and with grace to the younger women if they notice them behaving in ways that are not discreet, and sharing scriptures like this that teach discretion. A lot of the time you see women gossiping in the church about other women, but gossip is also a sin. So, the older women must instead reach out personally to any younger women behaving indescreetly and have some grace and humility when speaking to them and to be sure to use God's word as well to help teach them. 

Chaste means 

1. Pure from all unlawful commerce of sexes. Applied to persons before marriage, it signifies pure from all sexual commerce, undefiled; applied to married persons, true to the marriage bed.

2. Free from obscenity.

While they behold your chaste conversation. 1 Peter 3:2.

3. In language, pure; genuine; uncorrupt; free from barbarous words and phrases, and from quaint, affected, extravagant expressions.

Godly Christian women should be chaste. To put it frankly, they should not be sleeping around, should not be fornicating, or dating several men at once or leading men on. They should wait for marriage to have sex and should keep the marriage bed undefiled. This means no adultery, either physically or even in thought. If you are a Christian woman with a sinful sexual past, you must remember that that is no longer who you are, you can now allow Christ to live in and through you which means living a chaste and holy lifestyle. 

It also means not using foul language, harsh words or telling sexual jokes. Keeping your language pure and only speaking things that are edifying, kind, helpful and encouraging to others. If you need to confront someone over something it can still be done properly and with humility and grace. Teaching this to younger women might not be the most fun thing to do, but younger women need to learn these things and older women and those that are more spiritually mature ought to be living examples of a chaste and holy lifestyle as well. You can teach younger women to be careful in their conduct, to dress and behave modestly, to bridle their tongues, to wait until marriage to have sex and to keep the marriage bed pure. Teaching good manners and proper etiquette can also be helpful. Basic etiquette and manners are more than just knowing which fork to use. They teach civility. 

Being discreet and chaste also means that married Christian women should not have male friends that they speak to privately and should not be sharing or exchanging intimate details with another man even if he's a believer. If you have male friends it should be a public friendship, that your husband is comfortable with and not a private, intimate relationship. Even as an unmarried Christian woman, you still must use discretion when it comes to male friendships. The reasons for this is because even as believers, we still have the sin nature in our flesh but we also have God's Spirit in our spirit and His word to help us make better decisions in life. So, we must make the choices daily to walk in the Spirit instead of after the flesh. In heaven, we won't have the sin nature at all anymore in our flesh so we won't have these issues or temptations, but for now we must use proper discretion. 

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