During my college years, I came across an interesting statistic. Some preachers and evangelists had been counting how many professions of faith were made in response to their preaching. What is a profession of faith? It is what someone does when he publicly professes to have placed his faith in Jesus. While it is exciting to hear that someone has repented of his sins and put his faith in Jesus, there is something even more exciting. It is the time when that professing believer gives evidence in his life that God has changed his life. When that happens the profession of faith is proven to be true by the way the new believer has begun to live.
The Apostle John once stated that there was nothing more joyful to him than hearing that his spiritual children were walking in the truth (3 John 4). While we all rejoice in seeing that, there are also times when we are grieved that those who have professed faith in Christ are not living the way they should. This is the situation mentioned by Paul in Titus 1:16. Let’s read the verse and then consider the context.
- What does it say? (Titus 1:16)
The context of the passage is found in Titus 1:5-15.
Paul had left Titus on the island of Crete to ordain godly elders to counteract rebellious, loudmouth, deceitful, and greedy liars who were turning whole households away from the truth. His job was to rebuke them in an attempt to turn them away from Jewish fables and manmade rules and turn them back to the true faith. These people were impure because of their own unbelief and defiled minds.
The focus of this message will be verse 16:
“They say the same thing as us—that they know God—but they deny Him by their actions, being detestable, disobedient, and worthless for any good work.”1 - What does it mean?
These people professed to know God.
When you look at the description of these people (Titus 1:10-16), it is clear that they did not have good character. And yet, they professed to know God (1:16). When Paul originally wrote this verse, he wrote in a different language. When he says that these people “professed,” he used the Greek word ὁμολογοῦσιν which is made up of two parts. The first part, ὁμο (homo), means “the same.” Some English words begin with the prefix homo which means the same. The second part, λογοῦσιν, comes from a Greek word you may have heard before—λόγος (logos). It is the Greek word for “word, statement, or speech.”2 When you put these two together, it gives the idea that someone was saying the same things about a subject. In this situation, these people were saying that they believed the same things as Paul and Titus. Like them, they claimed to know God.
Wait a minute. Is it actually possible to know God? Let’s look at what the Bible says. Jesus stated that the promise of eternal life is summed up in knowing God and Jesus Christ (John 17:3). The Apostle John stated that it was possible to have joyful fellowship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3). So, when Jesus promised eternal life to all who believe (John 3:16), He was not just promising life after death but a continuing relationship with God. This shows us that knowing God is not only possible but that it is something God wants. He wants us to know Him. This is all made possible through Jesus’ death on the cross. When He paid for our sins, He made it possible for sinners like us to be reconciled to God and to begin a new relationship with Him.
While it is true that anyone can know God through Jesus, it is somewhat surprising to find out that these people mentioned by Paul were saying the same thing as the apostles of Jesus. They claimed to know God. But there was a problem with their profession of faith.
These people didn’t live like it.
Look back at verse 16. We have just seen that these people professed to know God like the apostles did. However, Paul noted that their actions didn’t match their profession of faith. Let’s think about this for a moment. You have probably heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” This saying would apply to these people. While they stated that they knew God, their actions contradicted their words. What had happened to make Paul think this of these people?
Look back to verses 10-15. In these verses, these people are described in ways that should never be an accurate description of a true follower of Jesus. They were insubordinate, idle talkers, and deceivers (1:10). They were greedy people who subverted entire households with wrong teaching (1:11). They were liars (1:12-13). They were mixed up with Jewish fables and commandments made by men who had turned from the truth (1:14). They were impure, unbelieving, and had a defiled mind and conscience (1:15). When you consider this description, does it sound like someone who knows God?
When someone knows God, their life is changed (2 Cor. 5:17). It begins when they are born again by God’s Spirit. When God works in someone’s heart, he brings him to the place where he recognizes his sin against God, he understands that Jesus died to pay for his sins, he turns from his sin, and he places his faith in Jesus alone to be made right with God. Every person whom God brings to faith is changed from the inside out. God gives him a new nature. The Holy Spirit lives inside of Him. And because of that, his life is slowly changed to become more and more like Jesus.
With all of the changes that God promised to make in a new believer’s life, does the former description of these people (1:10-15) sound like these people had a real relationship with God? Sadly, the answer is no. Their rebellion, deceit, greed, false teaching, impurity, and unbelief are better described as the works of the sinful flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) than the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). While they professed to know God, their lives showed no evidence that they actually did. So, what did God think about these people?
These people were judged by God.
What did God think of these people? God led Paul to describe them with three words. The first word used to describe them is detestable.3 If something is detestable, people hate, loath, and despise it. While some people detest certain vegetables, this was something far more serious. Whenever God looked at these people, He hated what they had become and what they were doing. The second word used to describe them is disobedient. They were not compliant with God’s commands and were unwilling to be persuaded that what they were doing was wrong.4 Instead of simply obeying God’s commands in the Bible, they did what would profit them and satisfy their impure minds. The third word used to describe them is worthless. When they were compared to what God wanted, they failed miserably. He marked them as unapproved, rejected, and worthless.5 This was a result of their rebellion against God and their ungodly character.
At the beginning of verse 16, these people had claimed to know God just like Paul and the other disciples. But the actions of these people told an entirely different story. In the end, God revealed what they really were. He considered them to be detestable, disobedient, and worthless people. - How does it apply?
When Paul was writing to Titus about these people, he was describing those who claimed to be believers. They claimed to know God. They claimed to know the truth. But their lives didn’t match what they claimed about themselves. God knew this and marked them as unacceptable. For our application, I would like each of us to consider how this applies to us. While you may not be a false teacher who subverts entire households, it would be good to consider several questions based on Titus 1:16.
What is your profession of faith?
Knowing God is a privilege for every born-again believer. It is made possible through faith in Jesus. While we often look back to a point in our lives when God brought us to repentance and faith, that is just the beginning. If someone asked me if I was married, I could rightfully point back to the date that we were married. I could also hold up the marriage license as proof. But wouldn’t it be better to show the evidence that my wife and I have a loving relationship and are living together. The same thing is true of your relationship with God. Do you know Him? Or is it just a formula that you learned about how to be saved. Do you know Him? If you know the Lord, you probably enjoy reading the Bible because it is God’s revelation of Himself to you. If you know the Lord, you probably talk with Him throughout the day. If you know the Lord, you will have the peace of God in your heart and a confidence in His promises. Do you know the Lord?
What does your life say about your profession?
Knowing the Lord is a privilege for every born-again believer. But it is something that should change your life. As you read your Bible and pray, you should be learning more about what pleases the Lord. And as God brings to your mind certain things in your life that are wrong, you should repent of those sins and make the necessary changes in your life.
What would you think of a Christian who is constantly lying? The Bible says, “Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another” (Eph. 4:25). If you claim to know God but are constantly lying, it contradicts what you claim to know because God doesn’t want you to lie.
What would you think of a Christian who is always angrily responding to things? The Bible says, “Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26-27). If you claim to know God but are constantly responding angrily to others, it contradicts what you claim to know because God doesn’t want you to sin when you are angry.
What would you think of a Christian who is constantly stealing things from work? The Bible says, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (Eph. 4:28). If you claim to know God but are stealing things, it contradicts what you claim to know because God doesn’t want you to steal.
What would you think of a Christian who constantly used profanity? The Bible says “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Eph. 4:29). If you claim to know God but have a mouth filled with profanity, it contradicts what you claim to know because God doesn’t want you to speak bad words.
The point is this. If you claim to know God, there should be positive evidence in your life to prove it. And if there is anything in your life that contradicts what God has said, you should remove it from your life. Are you willing to do that?
What does God think about you?
In the end, it is not our opinion that matters. What God thinks about you is what really matters. God considered the people whom Paul spoke about to be detestable, disobedient, and worthless. Wouldn’t it be a terrible thing to come to the end of your life and find that God considered you to be just like these people? Perhaps it would be good to take stock of your own life today. When compared to what God has revealed in the Bible, are you detestable to Him? Or is He pleased with the way you are living? Don’t wait until the end of your life to find out. Do something about it today.
Conclusion
Do you ever wonder what happened to those people whom Paul was talking about in Titus 1:16? They needed to be confronted about their sin. I would imagine that Titus tried to confront them and that some responded well, but we are not told what happened. But there is one person we can be sure of today. Each of us has the opportunity to know how things turn out in our own lives because we have the opportunity to respond right now. As God’s Holy Spirit works in your heart, will you listen to what He is telling you. Then respond in the appropriate way.
Footnotes