Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong. For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money. Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.” This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith. They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth. Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
Titus 1:8-16 NLT
“To the pure, all things are pure.” This is one of the most insightful and freeing verses in the Bible. All things God made are good (1 Tim 4:4) and made to be enjoyed. But humans, in their own corruption, have corrupted what was good. We have mistakenly called certain things “bad.” Things can’t be evil; only actions can be evil – because good and evil are about the will. Sex isn’t bad when it is used as God designed. Alcohol is meant to be enjoyed in moderation. Even (prescription) drugs are meant to be used to help humans. It is when these things get misused that problems happen.
The pure life is full of joy. Truly pure people don’t avoid pleasure; that is legalism –they drink deeply from the cup of life. Purity is more than innocence. The pure have fought the good fight inside their hearts against evil and over-indulgence. It is the weak who do whatever their selfish wills want. The pure understand contentment and moderation, and so they experience pleasure in a more satisfying, sustained way. They deeply enjoy God’s good creation. Avoid all excess and make it your ambition to live a simple, pure life. This is a life full of the best joys and pleasures life has to offer.
What does it mean that “to the pure, all things are pure”? How can you enjoy the good things of life without over-indulging or forsaking contentment in Christ?
