“The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.” – Titus 3:8-9
Every Christian should carefully note what is and is not profitable for those who’ve been saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ…
Devoting ourselves to good works is excellent and profitable! Paul implores Titus to insist on this point with church congregations. Devote themselves… Christians should wholeheartedly invest their time, energy, money, emotions, thoughts, and passion into good works. Feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, providing clean drinking water, visiting the sick, encouraging the downtrodden, comforting mourners, defending the unborn, speaking up for the vulnerable, praying for those in need, offering the sure hope of Jesus Christ…
Getting involved in dumb arguments – amongst ourselves and with others – over trivial matters, controversies, disagreements, and quarrels is worthless and unprofitable. Christians today often flip Paul’s instructions on their head! Many love to get into endless debates and disputes about small things while failing to invest anything like that kind of energy into good works. Churches and fellowships are tearing themselves apart before our eyes, often over the very things Paul calls unprofitable and worthless.
Meanwhile, good works go undone. It’s not only unprofitable, it’s arguably Satanic! At a minimum, this utter reversal of plain biblical truth reflects a sorrowful reality that many in American Christianity today have fallen into the same Pharisaical patterns of majoring on minor things while missing the heart of God that Jesus explicitly condemned! Let us devote ourselves to good works and not foolish disputes with other believers!