To the pure all
things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure;
but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
Titus 1:15
Dear Heavenly
Father, I thank You for your provision and encouragement. This has been a strange week, but I've seen
You in it. Don't let me be led astray. Help me to be an encouragement to others, not
a stumbling block. Help me shine You not
me. Protect my family and bless them. In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.
We are still in the
body portion of the letter which focuses on doctrine and encouragement. To bring deeper understanding to today's
text, let's examine some key words and their companion or similar verses.
"Pure" in
the Greek is katharos which means
unstained, either literally or ceremonially or spiritually clean, guiltless,
innocent, upright, because unmixed without undesirable elements, purified by
God, free from the contaminating (soiling) influences of sin. When a Pharisee saw that Jesus didn't wash
his hands before eating, Jesus replied in Luke 11:39-41 "Now you
Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is
full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside
make the inside also? But rather give alms of such things as you have; then
indeed all things are clean to you."
Acts 10:14-15 states "But Peter said, 'Not so, Lord! For I have
never eaten anything common or unclean.' And a voice spoke to him again the
second time, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.'” To the upright all things are free from the
contaminated influences of sin.
"Defiled"
in the Greek is miano which means stain,
pollute, corrupt, defile the soul, when sin taints by its polluting effects,
sully, soil. "Unbelieving" in
the Greek is apistos which means
incredulous, unchristian, not faithful because not persuaded, someone who
rejects or refuses God's inbirthings of faith.
Romans 14:23 states "But he who doubts is condemned if he eats,
because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is
sin." "Nothing" in the
Greek is outhen, oudeis, oldernia, ouden
which means no one, none, not one, shuts the door, leaves no exceptions,
declaring as fact that no valid example exists.
But to those who are stained and reject God nothing is innocent.
"Mind" in
the Greek is nous which means
understanding, reason, intellect, reasoning faculty, God given capacity of each
person to think, organ for receiving God's thoughts through faith, mental
capacity to exercise reflective thinking.
1 Timothy 6:5 states "useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds
and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From
such withdraw yourself."
"Conscience" in the Greek is suneidesis
which means persisting notion, joins moral and spiritual consciences as being
created in the divine image, all people have the capacity to know right from
wrong, innate discernment, self judging.
But even the stained person's intellect and capacity to know right and
wrong are tainted by sin's polluting effects.
People who are
"stained" or colored by sin will have even their thoughts and their
judgment of themselves corrupted by that sin.
The unbeliever will be barraged by feelings of inadequacy and have low
self esteem. Even the most secular
"successful" people have doubts about themselves. This is mostly based on their reliance on
only themselves. The unbeliever is
consumed with DEATH in some way or fashion whether they want to cheat it, fear
it, or want to inflict it. Conversely,
the believer is free from self judgement and confusing thoughts. Their faith and reliance is in Christ. Be free, release the thoughts that weigh you
down, believe in Jesus.
To the pure, all
things are pure; but to the corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure; both
their mind and their conscience are corrupted.
Amplified Bible
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