Titus 1:16

“They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” – Titus 1:16

In the previous verse, Paul refers to the Jewish fables and commandments of men that cause people to turn from the truth. Now he makes an interesting statement:

“They profess to know God,” – These are the ‘insubordinate’, ‘idle talkers’, ‘deceivers’. They have a profession that they ‘know’ or ‘to have seen’ Him, thus they think they ‘understand’ Him. (and yet)

“in works they deny Him” – however in their ‘deeds’, ‘acts’ or ‘doings’ they are denying the very God they claim to ‘know’. This would seem to imply that as James said ‘faith without the appropriate works – is dead’. We may have a claim that we ‘know’ and ‘understand’ God but if our fruit is not of Him then we make void our profession.

An application:

As an “overseer”, I pray that my works would testify to my profession that I know you. Grant me the spirit of wisdom and humility that you may transform my character so as to match the claims of my profession. Amen.