Supermodels for Jesus

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works” (Titus 2:7).

My wife can’t stomach reality TV. For that I thank the Lord each and everyday. But there’s one weird exception. For some crazy reason, she can’t get enough of “America’s Next Top Model.” Deb loves to watch girls from all around the world compete for the chance to strut their stuff as a supermodel. But did you know that Jesus has supermodels? No, I’m not talking about the spiritual walk of Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell, or Cindy Crawford. The supermodels I’m describing walk the runway of faith for a watching world. Paul tells his boy Titus to be a model of good works in everything he does. Talk about one top model training another. As a matter of fact, we’re all to be supermodels for Jesus.

As part of the apostle’s letter to the Big T, he instructs him to establish a self-replicating system of discipleship that will be in place long after they’re gone. Paul writes how more mature believers are to tell younger folks what it looks like to follow Jesus (Titus 2:1-10).  In the midst of these instructions, the man from Tarsus gives some very personal coaching. “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works” (v7). In addition to the other one-on-one training that’s going on, Titus is to live a life that’s worth modeling. He’s to be a supermodel for Jesus.

But Paul doesn’t want his go-to guy to be the next Heidi Klum. Instead, God is using Titus is to hit the island of Crete hard and leave his mark. The word here for “model” is the Greek noun tupos, which describes an impression or indentation made by a hammer. This is the word used when Thomas says the idea of Jesus’ resurrection is crazy talk. “Unless I see in His hands the mark (Gr. tupos) of the nails, and place my finger in the mark (Gr. tupos) of the nails, one place my hand into His side, I will never believer” (Jn 20:25). It also used to describe idols to false gods the Jews hammered out in the workshop, “the images (Gr. tupos) that you made to worship” (Acts 7:43). But it also paints a picture of a model of behavior to be imitated or avoided. Paul gave his other special agent Timothy to make a similar impression for Jesus in Ephesus. “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example (Gr. tupos) in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1Tim 4:12). 

But being a “model of good works” (v7) isn’t limited Titus and Timmy. We’re all to make our mark on those around us. More than once, Paul says if you don’t know what to do, do what he’s doing (1Cor 4:16; 11:1; Phil 3:17). The believers in Thessalonica could follow the example left by the apostle, Silvanus, and Timothy (2Th 3:9). The writer of Hebrews tells us that when it comes to following Jesus we should simply be able to play a game of “Follow the Leaders” (Heb 13:7). You might think that the rest of us are off the hook when it comes to making this kind of impression. But being an example is NOT limited to only those super-spiritual professional Christians. We’re all to be shiners of His light. We’re all to be spreaders of His salt. It doesn’t mean that we’re perfect. It does mean that we trust the One who is. No one made a greater mark on the universe than Jesus. He hit history so hard that He split it in two, BC and AD. Christ dropped the hammer on sin and death one miraculous Friday in Jerusalem. 

As a result of trusting in the resurrected Jesus, Titus is to be a “model of good works” (v7). Some folks try to convince you that these acts of goodness either save you or keep you saved. Don’t fall for the lie. We don’t save ourselves by our good works. But we respond to God’s grace with good works. God saves you and me through His mind-blowing grace when we place our complete trust in what Jesus has done for us (Eph 3:8-9). We can’t brag about it because we didn’t do a dad-blamed thing. As somebody once said, the only thing we bring to our salvation is the sin that makes it necessary. It’s not what we do, but what He’s done. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 3:10). So we do good works because of His ultimate great work!

Actually, the idea of doing good works is a big theme in Paul’s instructions to Titus. We should all have a burning passion to make a mark for God’s kingdom (Titus 2:14). We’re to be obedient citizens and “be ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1). As a result of the work Christ has done for us, believers should “be careful to devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8, 14). Jesus made it clear that one very important way to shine the searchlight of the Gospel is by letting others “see your good works” (Mt 5:16). Titus is doing just that on the island of Crete.

When it comes to being a supermodel for Jesus, it’s less about looking like Claudia Schiffer (or Derek Zoolander, for that matter!). It’s more like dropping the hammer like Thor. We allow God to make His mark in us. We allow God to make His mark through us. He’s ready to use you and me to hit it hard. Hit it VERY hard. That’s what it means to be one of His supermodels.