Don’t pretend to be something you are not

Titus 1:10–11
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Do you realize there are many teachers who use the Bible who can and do lead  sincere people astray. Maybe you have even heard  someone say, “It makes no differ­ence what you believe, just as long  as you believe something.” Paul certainly would  not agree with that foolish philosophy. It makes  a big difference whether you believe the truth of God’s Word or you believe lies. Paul clearly states that these false teachers were eloquent but deceptive men who were endangering the Cretan’ faith.

1. What they were personally - They were “vain talkers” (v. 10). In other words, what they said may have impressed people, but it had no content or substance. They did a lot of talking but very little doing (v. 16).
2. What they did - They were teaching Jewish legal­ism (“they of the circumcision” v. 10) and seeking to force the new Cretan converts back under the law as a  means of salvation. In doing this they were teaching that the Jewish dietary laws still applied to Christian believers (I Timothy 4:3-5). They claimed to be teaching “the deeper things.” There is no need to find “deeper meanings” to the plain teachings of the Word of God. Such an approach to the Bible enables a person to find anything he is looking for.
3. Why they did it - They were using counterfeit religion to fill their own pockets. There main motive was to make money. The term “filthy lucre” (v. 11) means money made by unclean tactics. Titus job was to stop their mouths (v. 11) and prevent them from teaching and spreading false doctrines.

Application

Because someone sounds good, looks good and even uses his Bible to prove his points does not mean he is sincere. I never want to be a counterfeit which is to pretend to be something I am not. It is so important that I don’t do things for my own personal gain but with the needs of other people being my main motive for what I do.