“One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true.” – Titus 1:12-13a

Scripture reading: Ephesians 4:17-32; Titus 1:10-16

Sometimes, search committees in churches will send pastors a profile of the congregation, with the history and background, and a summary description of the people and their demographics. Imagine getting a church profile like this!

Epimenides was the prophet who wrote this. Polybius also wrote, “greed and avarice are so native to the soil in Crete, that they are the only people in the world among whom no stigma attaches to any sort of gain whatever.” The “shameful gain” the false teachers are seeking is not a surprise, nor is the admonition that elders must not be “greedy for gain.”

Our churches also have difficulties. Our churches, however, are not full of sinless people who always get along and submit willingly to every decision of the consistory. We are all capable of lying and do tell lies. We are all capable of following sinful, “animal” instincts, whether in the pursuit of pleasure, in getting quickly defensive, in lashing out in anger, or in following sinful desires or passions. We are all capable of being lazy, whether in work or study, in relationships, or in spiritual disciplines and obedience to God. We are not yet what Christ has saved us unto and is making us into: perfect holiness and righteousness (see Eph. 4:24).

We need the gospel. We need the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. We need to grow in Christlikeness by His grace. We need faithful preaching and godly elders as much as the Cretans did!

Suggestions for prayer

Pray for humility not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. Pray for Christ to use His Spirit and Word to renew our hearts in faithfulness to Him.

Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. It is their earnest prayer that by the grace of God, they would renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.