“[The overseer must be . . .] hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled . . .” (Titus 1:8).
The qualifying requirement to be devout demands that elders move beyond the “positional” holiness granted by God. It confronts them with the requirement to show evidence of the “practice” of holiness in their lives. Therefore, the injunction here is not merely that the church leader be a child of God, but that his life reflect the characteristics of godly holiness.
What does that mean? The expectation is that the life of the elder should be “undefiled by sin, free from wickedness, pure, holy, pious” (Strong’s, G3741). The focus is on living. This requires an intentional response; it’s a demand to show evidence of the work of Christ in the person. It takes discipline, a striving to live daily by seeking its example in Christ Jesus.
The Bible calls Jesus the Holy One in Acts 2:27. He became High Priest, holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners (Heb. 7:26). He both was holy and displayed holiness. The life of Jesus is therefore every Christian’s gold standard. Christ’s perfect life makes a perfect example. In fact, we are to be looking at Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2).
The connection between holiness and holy living is clear for all Christians, especially for an elder. In setting an expectation and providing an example of holiness, the Bible removes every excuse for an elder to be otherwise. Because of this, the Bible encourages the flock in the local church to “imitate their church leaders’ manner of life” (Heb. 13:7).
That’s modeling. A life of Christ imitated by an elder will be a good role model for others to imitate. Anything less will be a disaster.
Prayer: Abba Father, I thank you for the privilege of serving you through your people in this local church. I pray that my life will reflect your Son’s holiness in every aspect of each and every day.