Daily Manna, Year Two · Day 30 · January 30
Profess and Deny
“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”
You either read this verse and think of somebody, or you read it and think of yourself, and which one happens says a good deal about the week you have had.
Start with the reader it was aimed at, because Paul is describing a specific set of men and Titus knew their names. They are unruly and vain talkers and deceivers. They subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, and the motive is named without softening: for filthy lucre's sake. These are men making a living out of religious speech. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, and the gap between the talking and the living is their business model.
Jesus described the same people in the sharpest form the Bible has, and the striking thing is how impressive the works were. Have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? The answer given is I never knew you.
Now the other reader, the one who took this verse personally before finishing the sentence and has been mentally listing failures since Thursday. Deny is a strong word and it describes a settled direction, the way a life is actually pointing. A bad week is not a denial. John, who is no softer than Paul, gives the test in a form you can apply: hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments; and let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Two people read this verse and only one of them is worried, and it is nearly always the wrong one. Carry that today, in both directions.
Daily Manna runs on a two-year cycle. The year one reading for day 30 is Shine Forth (Matthew 13:43).