Tit 2:1  But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

Tit 2:2  That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

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;

Tit 2:4  That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

Tit 2:5  To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Tit 2:6  Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

Tit 2:7  In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

Tit 2:8  Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

Most, if not all Christians believe a mature saint is one that is older; or based upon how long they have attended a particular assembly, and with the women they give them the “mother” status, or the men, they call them “elders,” but this is not what being a mature, adult son and daughter in Christ is all about. Paul referred to the “aged” saints as mature saints who are “able” to edify the saints who were “weak in the faith.” And being a mature saint is not based upon how much you’ve done in the church to help out or anything like that, our Father desires that the saint desires to be educated by his Him, more, and more, and being zealous to want to take on all that comes along in being a godly saint, that includes things that today’s  ‘mature saints’ will call actually ungodly!

1Th 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 
1Th 1:4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 
1Th 1:5  For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. 
1Th 1:6  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 
1Th 1:7  So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 
1Th 1:8  For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 

And when Paul says: “and ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:,” MUCH AFFLICTION, WITH JOY? Paul knew these saints were operating upon a “Spiritual mind,” and a selfless heart, for Christ’s sake. This is why Paul says; “knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God;” the Thessalonian saints ‘knew;’ or had the ‘knowledge’ of God’s will for their lives, and they desired to live unto the Father, and to become “followers” of Paul, and the other mature saints with him.

2Th 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

2Th 1:4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

2Th 1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

      Notice how Paul could “glory in” them by their “patience and faith?” These saints ‘endured’ ALL their persecutions and tribulations, but this was because their “faith” ‘grew exceedingly,’ and their “charity” also ‘abounded’ as well, this was because their knowledge of His Word, and His will grew as well. The Thessalonian saints desired to possess the Father’s heart, and His Word, and their being “counted worthy” of God in verse 5, was not out of ‘service to get a reward,’ this would be serving as a ‘work for hire’ type of relationship, but their ‘service’ was out of selfless love that they learned from Paul and the saints with him, and most importantly; God the Father’s word.

1Th 4:9  But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

1Th 4:10  And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

1Th 4:11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

1Th 4:12  That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

     Many today feel that when they no longer suffer, or things are really going good for them then; “hey it must be a blessing,” and they will be quick to tell you that “God is good all the time!” but they only say these things when ‘things’ are good ‘all the time,’ Paul and these Thessalonian saints knew that “all that will live godly shall suffer persecution,” and they gloried when they suffered, because they looked at the privilege that they were “counted worthy” to suffer for Him, knowing that the power of Christ is resting upon them, and being shown by them regardless what they faced, it takes time to get to that stage in our Christian lives, but we can get there, no matter how old, or how young we might be, it comes from our living in our new reality, which is our walking in our “newness of life.”

1Th 2:8  So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.

1Th 2:9  For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

1Th 2:10  Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

1Th 2:11  As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

1Th 2:12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

      Finally, we can see that these saints ‘remembered’ Paul and the saints with him laboring, and suffering “night and day,” and they ‘witnessed’ their faithfulness, and maturity, and desired to be “followers” of them, and of The Father. And when they received the word of God, they didn’t let it ‘go in one ear, and right out the other;’ they ALLOWED their Father’s word to work “effectually” within them. And we can see why these saints were admonished by Paul as being so faithful, and it wasn’t because they went to church 4 times a week, or because they payed tithes, or anything else that they feel that sanctifies themselves unto God, the Thessalonian operated upon a ‘mature faith,’ because they ALLOWED their hearts to “cleave” unto what the Father loves, and they desired to “increase and abound” in love, and knowledge, and understanding as mature saints.

1Th 3:7  Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:

1Th 3:8  For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

1Th 3:9  For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

1Th 3:10  Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

1Th 3:11  Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.

1Th 3:12  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

1Th 3:13  To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Rod Jones