Titus is an encouraging and instructing letter the Apostle Paul wrote to his ministry partner, Titus.
Titus 2:11-12 shows us that salvation teaches us how to live righteous lives pleasing to God.
Titus 2:11-12 tells us that self-control is needed to say no to ungodliness and yes to living an upright life.
As we walk out our salvation, we learn to have self-control. The Holy Spirit also inspires self-control within us as we follow him.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” — Titus 2:11-12, NIV
God loves us so much that he gave us his Word, the Bible, so we could get to know him, learn his ways and follow them. Titus 2:11-12 are key Bible verses about self-control, an important trait of a life dedicated to following Jesus.
Titus 2:11-12 Context: Where We’re At in the Bible
To better understand what Titus 2:11-12 teaches us, we need to know the context of Titus and this passage. Titus is known as an “epistle,” or a letter. The Apostle Paul wrote it to his ministry partner, Titus, instructing him on leadership, Christian behavior and living in God’s grace.
Who Is Titus?
Titus was a man Paul led to Jesus. Once Titus became a Christian, he also became a minister, partnering with Paul to share the gospel with others. Titus was a missionary and a church leader working to build the early church and guide new Christ followers.
In the book of Titus, Titus is working in Crete, a Greek island in the Mediterranean Sea. Why is this important? Crete was in desperate need of Jesus.
One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith. — Titus 1:12-13, NIV
Paul didn’t mince his words. Believers in Crete needed godly guidance, and Titus was there to provide it. The letter of Titus was not only written to encourage Titus, but it was also written as an instruction manual of sorts on how to lead the people of Crete.
Titus 2:11-12: Breaking Down the Scriptures
While Titus was written to help Titus lead the people of Crete, it’s also written for us. We’re all in need of Jesus and instructions for living like him. Titus gives us just that.
Let’s break down this Scripture by exploring the meanings of key words to give us a better understanding.
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
Grace: In Greek, the word for “grace” is charis, which means “graciousness” or “favor.” Grace is the favor we receive from God, even though we don’t deserve it.
Appeared: This word in Greek is epiphaino or “to shine upon” or “bring to light.”
Salvation: Salvation is soterion or “deliverance” and “rescue.” This refers to God’s salvation, or rescue of us from our sins, brought to us through Jesus.
Putting It All Together: The undeserved favor of God has been brought to light and offers eternal rescue to all of us.
Titus 2:12
It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
Ungodliness: This word in Greek is asabeia or “wickedness.” It can also mean a lack of reverence or respect for God, which leads us to do wicked or sinful things.
Worldly passions: In Greek, “worldly” is kosmikos, which means world, but it’s also used to refer to corruption. “Passions” is epithumia or “craving.” In this context, when you put the two words together, it means craving corrupted things.
Self-controlled: In this verse, the Greek word is sophronos, which translates to “sound mind” or “self-restraint.”
Upright: “Upright” is dikaios in Greek, meaning “righteous” or “just.” In other words, it means living right by God and others.
Putting It All Together: Here, the “it” at the beginning refers to “salvation” from the previous verse. So God’s salvation teaches us to say no to wickedness, sin and our cravings for corrupted things. It teaches us to live with self-restraint and in a way that leads to right standing with God.
What Does Titus 2:11-12 Teach Us About Self-Control?
This verse instructs us to say no to sin and yes to living lives pleasing to God. But how do we do that? One way is by having self-control.
Every day, we have many opportunities where we must choose: Do what we want or do what God would want us to do. Sin or live righteously. In those moments, we must show self-control.
For example, someone could say something hurtful to you. You then have a choice: Say something hurtful back or show grace. Which would be pleasing to God? Showing grace. This is what self-control looks like: choosing God’s way over our own.
Self-Control: A Fruit of the Spirit
But how do we have self-control that leads to righteousness? That’s the beauty of this verse. Salvation teaches us to have self-control as we walk it out.
As we walk with God, we begin to understand what he saved us from. We begin to see his faithful work in our lives. As our faith grows, so does our gratitude. And as our gratitude grows, we begin to want to please him with how we live.
God doesn’t expect us to immediately get it right every time. Instead, this verse says salvation teaches us, which means we must learn. And learning takes time.
There’s another gold nugget to uncover here. When we receive Jesus, we also receive the Holy Spirit. Did you know that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit? It’s one of the traits of a godly life that the Holy Spirit develops in our lives.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) says:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
We can’t have true self-control on our own. It takes the Holy Spirit working in us. And thankfully, he lives inside of us, teaching us daily and sticking with us in every decision we make. As we listen to him, he guides us toward self-control in every moment it’s needed.
The Bottom Line: We need self-control to live a life pleasing to God. But we don’t have to perfect it overnight or on our own. As we walk out our salvation, we learn how to have restraint. And when we mess up, the same grace that saved us is there, inspiring us to continue learning and growing.
Jared from Nicaragua learns about the fruit of the Spirit at his Compassion center. His favorite fruit? Self-control.
“At the Compassion center, I have learned that even if we get mad, I know God teaches us to control our emotions through his Holy Spirit.” — Jared
Remember: God can handle anything we throw his way. If you’re angry, tell him. If you’re sad, tell him. If you’re feeling tempted to sin, tell him. Before you act, pray and ask for his help. He hears you, and he’ll strengthen you to take the right next step.
Because of our salvation in Jesus, we’re invited to live differently. Titus 2:11-12 reminds us that as we walk out our salvation, we begin to grow, showing the fruit of the Spirit, including self-control. We don’t have to figure it out on our own — the Father is with us.