We Can “Profess to Know God” but “Deny Him” by Our Works. What Goes That Mean?

In his letter to Titus, Paul writes of people who “profess to know God, but they deny him by their works” (Titus 1:16). What does that mean? How can we deny God by our works? In the same context, Paul begins to tell us how. We learn that such people “are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” Here he seems to provide a general pattern of behavior (Titus 1:15–16) after citing specific examples of people who deny God by their works (Titus 1:10–14).

As the letter develops, Paul, I think, gives us more ways to understand what this denial looks like. By looking at these later passages, we can more clearly understand what it means to deny God by our works and how we can ensure that never happens. Read More