Titus, Part OnePrimjer

Saying and doing

“They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” (Titus 1:16)

Paul vehemently criticizes people who claim to be believers but turn out not to be. These people profess to know God and broadly agree with Paul's message, but meanwhile, their lives show something quite different. Their actions make it clear that they do not truly love God. They are “unfit for any good work” because truly good works come from faith and are aimed at God’s glory.

In the previous verse, Paul says that these people's minds and consciences are defiled. Nothing good can come from that; therefore, these people are “detestable and disobedient.” By nature, we are all like this because our hearts and consciences are affected by sin. But the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us and sanctify us for service to God. When we go through that process, we gain “a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). Only then do we become “fit for every good work,” and it becomes evident in our lives that we know God.

Empty words, no matter how beautiful they sound, have no value to the Lord God. The crucial question is whether you really want to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior. That will become visible in your actions.

What does your life show?