Hallowed Be His Name
It is our duty to defend the Word of God and proclaim all that it teaches. If we don’t, we allow His Truth to be ravaged, His people to be deceived, and His name to be mocked. Serious stuff. Therefore, it's important for us to rightly divide the Word, and not add to or take away from its intended meaning.
There are many places where God rebukes His people for allowing His name to be blasphemed among the heathen. One memorable place was in 2 Samuel where David not only committed adultery with Bathsheba, he also murdered her husband to cover his own sin. Remember Nathan saying to David:
"By this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme." (2 Samuel 12:14)Then in Romans, Paul rebukes the teachers who are marring God’s name with their hypocrisy:
"You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you…." (Romans 2:23-24)In Ezaekiel, God rebukes the Isrealites for profaning His name with their evil deeds:
Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went." (Ezekiel 36:22)Since writing Passionate Housewives Desperate for God with my friend, Jennie, I’ve received questions as to what is meant in Titus 2 where Paul talks about God’s Word being blasphemed. They wondered if working women blaspheme God’s name. First, let me say no; from what I’ve studied in the word of God, a woman who works outside of the home does not blaspheme God’s Word by doing so.
Hallowed of Blasphemed?
But let’s look a little closer at what Paul does mean. I simplified the verses here, taking out all the examples, so that it would be little easier to understand, but remember “blaspheme” in this context literally means to slander God’s Word—to communicate something about Him that’s not true. Titus 2:1-8 simplified, says:
"But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine… that the word of God may not be blasphemed… that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." (Taken from Titus 2:1-8)So who is Paul concerned about here? Who would dare blaspheme God’s name? He’s talking about the “opponent”—in most cases, the Heathen. Paul is describing the way we, as a Church, can cause God’s Word to be blasphemed by onlookers when we falsely represent His holiness by teaching or living a life counter to His Word.
In other words, we should pay close attention to how God says we might do violence to His reputation—and avoid living a life that communicates a false picture of who God is and what He has done in us.
Titus 2 teaches us that we are to “adorn the Doctrine of God our Savior”—we’re to hallow His name by living the Truth, the virtual opposite of blaspheming His Word. So what are some of the ways He teaches we are to do this—to “adorn the Doctrine of God and avoid blaspheming His Word?
Notice I placed “homemaker” in red. That’s because I’d like to point out that out of all the things Paul lays out for old men, young men, older women, and younger women, the biggest controversy today seems to be over the homemaker. Do you think it’s a coincidence that this would be so, as we sit in a culture bathed in feminist theology?
Glance through the above chart and see if there is anything else listed in Titus 2 that is something we should toss. Now, obviously loving a husband isn’t possible if you don’t’ have a husband, and loving your children isn’t possible if you don’t have children. God is sovereign and He certainly isn’t going to require us to walk in a role that He hasn’t provided for us. But look close, is there anything else?
Now, let’s examine this verse one more time: “Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine [now insert all those things in the chart] that the word of God may not be blasphemed. So these are the things!
Ladies, this is the Word of God! We may be able to debate the definition of a keeper at home, but we really can’t argue about the fact that being a “homemaker” is in fact included in the list of things young women should be taught to practice. And it seems pretty clear that Paul is saying God’s Word is blasphemed in society when the church rejects or ignores the teachings of Titus 2.
Some people have asked, “But, doesn’t that still mean you’re saying that any woman who works outside the home is blaspheming God?
First of all, remember, it’s not the Christian who blasphemes God’s Word; remember Titus 2 lays out how we might cause God’s Word to be blasphemed. There’s a difference. But, still, it’s not that simple. You can’t take a small portion of a general truth and try to turn it into a black and white rule…or doctrine. That just can’t be done. God is sovereign and so many factors are involved in each woman’s life; there’s no way in the world anyone should make such a blanket judgment.
But what we can see from Paul’s instruction here is that when Christians minimize or reject the importance of women nurturing their families and keeping their homes (just like when we reject any other part of Titus 2), we open the door to all sorts of problems that could lead to God being slandered by the heathen.
You see this with latch key kids, burned out moms trying to juggle home and work, husbands not having the support they need, marriages falling apart, and families so disconnected they don’t have a family identity anymore. It’s a progressive cycle that can lead to more and more breakdown in the family.
Again, the problem is the rejection of Titus 2 teachings—any of them. It’s our failure, as a church, to properly adorn the doctrine of God that causes God’s name to be blasphemed.
I believe that it’s because so many men weren’t obeying God and properly honoring women that the feminists were given a voice or had any credibility in the first place. If the heathen were offered a true and living picture of godly womanhood, blessed by godly manhood, what legitimate thing would the feminists have to say? None; their sinful desires would fall right in their own laps and would be much easier to expose. A godly man leading, sacrificing for, and serving his family in humility would indeed shut the mouths of lions.
"Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." (Titus 2:6-8)And as we women use our gifts, talents, and intellect to glorify God we impart a quiet lesson to a watching world and communicate true contentment in the loveliness of womanhood. As we truly live this out, our testimony will declare “His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people” (Psalm 96:3) and multiply generations of those who love and glorify God.
May His holy Name be hallowed in us before all the nations.
