Focus: People Of The Temple

Text: Tit.2:3

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour AS BECOMETH HOLINESS, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things."

We treated the subject of 'saints' yesterday, and today we're focusing on a word occurring only once in the New Testament, and it is found right here in our text. It's the word 'holiness,' or "as becometh holiness." The Greek word is 'hieroprepes.' It's a compound word of 'hieros' and 'prepein.' Hieros is the word for sacred, and our word 'temple' derives from it. The temple is a holy place different from every other place. It's a shrine set apart for God. The word 'prepo' or 'prepein,' means 'to befit,' or 'that which is fitting and suitable.' Put together, it means to live in such a way that is befitting of a sacred character, holy person, or that which befits someone that is consecrated to God. It's interesting that the word under consideration is used in reference to Christian women, especially, the older ones? It tells you that our Christian women are unique vessels for sacred uses. They are priestesses to God. But truly, holiness transcends gender, age, race, class or color. Holiness is the outfit of every believer and minister. Once a person is connected to Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, he becomes a sacred space for God.

As Christians, we are corporately and collectively God's temple and we function as God's priests, discharging sacred duties to God in the world. For every believer, the world is our parish, or should I say, the world is a kind of a temple in which we carry out our sacred functions in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and for that reason, we must exemplify reverent behavior in the eyes of a watching world.

Holiness is our inward disposition made possible by the Spirit. We are called to exhibit Christ-like comportment, godly demeanor, and holy deportment. Our lifestyle is a daily advertisement of the beauty and charm of holiness. People who come into contact with us begin to perceive the aroma of holiness and see about us the sweetness of godly character. We are the people of the temple. We belong to the sanctuary. Our whole life as God's people is an outright rejection of secularism, humanism, syncretism and materialism. We live down here as people from elsewhere - people from above. We solemnize or make hallow our world by our presence, demeanor, and mission of loyalty to Christ and love for humanity.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter