Titus 1:10-16: a reflection

10For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake. 12One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.” 13This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

Paul warns Titus about certain people whose religion is only words. They profess that they know God, he says, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. Their profession and their conduct did not match; they claimed to know God with their words, but their deeds denied that claim, showing by their lives that their profession was hollow. A profession of knowing God that is contradicted by one's deeds is a profession the deeds deny; the life gives the lie to the words.

Notice the contradiction Paul exposes: professing to know God while denying him by one's deeds. These people said they knew God; their words made the claim. But their conduct told a different story, denying by their deeds what they professed with their lips. The claim to know God is tested not by profession but by conduct; a life that contradicts the profession denies it. To profess knowing God while living in a way that denies him is to have a religion of words only, a claim the life itself refutes. What we are is shown not by what we profess but by what we do; the deeds either confirm or deny the profession.

That is worth taking to heart, for our profession of knowing God must be borne out by our deeds, not denied by them. We can profess to know God, make the claim with our words, hold the right beliefs; but if our conduct denies that profession, living in a way that contradicts it, then our deeds deny what our lips profess, as Paul warned. A profession of faith is tested by the life. Do not let your profession of knowing God be contradicted by your deeds, holding the right words while your conduct denies them; let your life bear out what you profess. Let your deeds confirm rather than deny your profession of knowing God, so that your conduct bears out what your lips claim, unlike those Paul warned of who professed to know God but denied him by their deeds; for a profession of knowing God is tested by the life, and our deeds either confirm or deny what we claim with our words.

Lord, Paul warns Titus about certain people whose religion is only words. They profess that they know God, he says, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. Their profession and their conduct did not match; they claimed to know you with their words, but their deeds denied that claim. A profession of knowing you that is contradicted by one's deeds is a profession the deeds deny. Show me the contradiction Paul exposes: professing to know you while denying you by one's deeds. These people said they knew you; their words made the claim. But their conduct told a different story, denying by their deeds what they professed with their lips. The claim to know you is tested not by profession but by conduct. To profess knowing you while living in a way that denies you is to have a religion of words only. What I am is shown not by what I profess but by what I do. Take that to my heart, for my profession of knowing you must be borne out by my deeds, not denied by them. I can profess to know you, make the claim with my words, hold the right beliefs; but if my conduct denies that profession, then my deeds deny what my lips profess. A profession of faith is tested by the life. Keep me from letting my profession of knowing you be contradicted by my deeds, holding the right words while my conduct denies them; let my life bear out what I profess, Lord, so that my deeds confirm rather than deny my profession of knowing you.