As we open our Bibles to Titus 2:7 we come to what may be one of the greatest issues confronting our culture, our world, and our church today. We are watching humanity "rusting" from the inside out.

Today we face an unprecedented assault upon the moral fabric of civilization, which we may describe as:

The Corrosion of Humanity

To put it bluntly people around us, and among us, are rusting from the inside out; their souls are corroded, and slowly wasting away from the corrosive power of the sea of moral pollution they navigate each day.

Paul, guided by the Spirit of God, warns the young men of Christ's Church to be sure they are resisting, combating, protecting against, and dealing with the every present power of sin: seeking the corrosion and corruption of their souls.

Paul charges Titus to beg the young men (remember that gentle word that starts this final section? It is parakaleo).

Paul said to Titus to be sure he gently, earnestly, tenderly reminds ALL the younger men about not allowing the corrosive effects of sin to go unchecked in their hearts and minds.

Porneia is Very Corrosive

That word "fornication" in the Bible is rendered from the Greek word (4202) porneia (this is also the root of the English terms "pornography, pornographic"; which is derived from pernao, "to sell off"). That means that this word porneia describes a person who is involved in a selling off (or surrendering) their sexual purity; this would constitute sensuality, uncleanness, and promiscuity of any (and every) type that God's Word condemns, such as: nudity, prostitution, any sexual relationships outside of marriage, homosexual relationships, and every other form of sexual perversion.

For a moment, let me remind you how we got here, lest we all get shocked at the topics being discussed. Paul was pleading, on God's behalf, with every young man: to avoid rusting out his heart, soul, and mind. Listen again to my title for this message on this last word of Titus 2:7:

     Incorruptibility: Guarding Against Corrosion in a Decaying World

So, that is the lesson from this word, in this verse of God's Word. Now, what is the application?

Remember the Bible unapplied leads to lives unsanctified, defeated, and displeasing to God who gave us His Word!

What is an example of something, in today's world around each one of us, that is dangerously corrosive to the soul?

How about the number one most frequently warned of sin in every list of sins in the New Testament? What is that sin? It is the sin that Revelation 19:2 says will "corrupt" the whole earth!

To continue reading about that sin please click here.