When the World Breaks Its Promises, This Verse Holds

“In the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began.”

—Titus 1:2

At first glance, Titus 1:2 might seem like a simple statement about God’s character. But when you pause to really think about it—especially in the context of the letter—it becomes a powerful, comforting, and deeply relevant truth.

This verse appears at the very beginning of the Apostle Paul’s letter to Titus, a young man he left in charge of the church on the island of Crete. Crete wasn’t exactly known for its godliness. It was a rough place, populated by mercenaries and opportunists—people who were more loyal to coin than to conviction. Paul himself later says that one of Crete’s own prophets described Cretans as “liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). Harsh, but not entirely inaccurate for a land filled with hired swords.

Crete also had a rich and deeply mythological religious heritage. According to Greek mythology, Zeus, the chief deity of the Greek pantheon, was born in a cave on the island of Crete. He, like the rest of the Greek gods, was known for being capricious, morally flawed, and unpredictable. The gods of the ancient world were often petty, self-serving, and deceptive. They demanded sacrifices but offered little in the way of moral guidance or assurance. They looked a lot like the people who worshiped them—flawed and inconsistent.

That’s the backdrop to Paul’s striking declaration: “God, who does not lie…”

Now, Titus wasn’t a Cretan himself. He was a trusted companion of Paul, a man of faith and spiritual maturity. So why does Paul feel the need to remind him of this truth? Surely Titus already knew that God doesn’t lie.

Maybe Paul had two things in mind.

1. Don’t Assume People Know What You Know

Paul may have been reminding Titus not to take this truth for granted. In a culture surrounded by deceptive gods and corrupt leaders, the idea of a God who is always faithful, always truthful, would have been radically new—and deeply hopeful. It’s possible Paul is saying, “Don’t forget to teach this. Don’t assume they already believe it. Say it again.”

It reminds me of the movie Thor: Love and Thunder, where the so-called gods are shown to be self-absorbed and indifferent to the suffering of mortals. While it’s fiction, it actually reflects the kind of divine figures many ancient cultures believed in—gods who used humanity instead of loving them.

Now imagine preaching about the one true God—a God who keeps His promises, who cannot lie, who sacrificed Himself out of love for His people—in a place like that. What a revolutionary message. What hope that would bring.

2. Even the Strongest Leaders Need Reminding

The second reason Paul may have written this is because Titus needed to hear it for himself.

Even mature believers need reminders of God’s faithfulness—especially when life gets hard. Just because we know God doesn’t lie doesn’t mean we always feel that way. Suffering, discouragement, betrayal—they can all cause us to doubt what we know in our heads.

I’ve seen it over and over again. People walking away from the faith because of a bad church experience or the moral failure of a leader. And I say that with no finger-pointing. I’ve been one of those leaders. I’ve failed, and I carry the weight of knowing my actions may have hurt others’ faith. It’s a grief I live with.

But even in the face of my own failure, I can still say with confidence: Christ is faithful. He remains true, even when I have not. His character is not built on mine. His truth is not shaken by human weakness.

Maybe that’s what Paul was getting at. People will fail. Religious leaders will disappoint. The world will offer gods and ideologies that reflect our worst impulses. But the God of Scripture is not like us. He does not lie. He does not betray. He does not change.

And in Him, we are invited to become more like Him: faithful, truthful, dependable.

A Final Thought

The gods of the Greeks were made in man’s image. But the God of Christianity invites us to be made in His.

So whether you’re a church leader like Titus, a wounded believer struggling to trust again, or someone just beginning to explore the faith—this truth remains:

God does not lie.

He is faithful.

He is true.

And He keeps His promises—even the one made before time began.