The Dangerous Deceptiveness of Sin

Paul provides a warning to Titus and the elders of the churches that will be planted in Crete. He goes after false teaching that sets up human ritual as the true gauge of holiness and standing before God. We know these false teachers and their false doctrine from other letters written by Paul. Their teaching is an especially dangerous error, not only because it casts the believer off the foundation of Christ alone, but also because the human "heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Why are we so susceptible to false teaching? Because, each one of us, all of us - without exception, is corrupt in every part of our being and unable on our own to do any spiritual good.