Good works and right believing

It goes without saying that most people today would say that it doesn't matter what you believe so long as you're a good person.
Putting aside the fact that that is itself a statement of belief and a self-contradictory one at that, we still need to deal with this common assumption. In his letter to Titus, Paul constantly oscillates between urging sound belief and sound behaviour. In his mind, the two are inseparable.
Paul begins by reminding Titus that God himself never lies, and that true knowledge of God's truth will always be matched by godliness (Titus 1:1-2). The logic here is that if we know God we will begin to mirror his character traits. But that knowledge of God must be true knowledge - we must know God as he really is if we're to imitate him. If we create God in our image, we will simply project onto him our sinful character faults and failings. Then we will justify our sinful preferences by claiming they are from God; or rather, we will say they are from the god we have created.
When speaking of the older men who are to lead the church, Paul first lists the character traits that they must possess (Titus 1:5-8) and then shows where these stem from - a firm grasp on the 'trustworthy word as taught' (v9). However, those who fail to teach the truth may 'profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.' (Titus 1:16). Again, notice how knowledge of God is inextricably linked to behaviour.
So Titus is to 'teach what accords with sound (or 'healthy') doctrine' (2:1). Older men are to combine sober-mindedness, dignity, self control, steadfastness and love with a sound/healthy faith (2:2) and older women are to be display reverent (or sacred) behaviour and sobriety while they teach the younger women what is good 'so that the word of God may not be reviled'.


So it's clear that right belief is vital for right behaviour. Of course if you want to do what you want to do, then you want to claim that you have no 'belief', no 'faith', because you think that that will get you off the hook and allow you to do anything without guilt (objective or subjective). And that brings us full circle. If, as Christians, we allow sound, healthy doctrine to govern our lives, we allow the one true God to govern our lives and then we will live with an integrity and dignity, in love and goodness, that we will put our opponents to shame and they will, in the end, have nothing bad to say about us (Titus 2:6-8).