December 12, 2003
All Things Are Impure
In a regular effort to not forget God, we had a Bible study yesterday. I am bummed that we are not faithful to do this every week. Some months go by and it's every week and that's cool. Some months go by and it's like, 'wow, only one week did we do this.' I hate that.
Anyway, we were checking out Titus and the verse about "...to the pure, all things are pure..." and I've thought about that 100 times, because I've experienced that "zone," where you're walking in a humble brokenness and staying sensitive to God. You might even catch yourself thinking, 'Wow, I didn't think dirty thoughts when so and so mentioned that little sexual innuendo, and it used to be I'd always get that kind of joke.' The snare with this is it can even turn prideful. 'Wow, I'm pure,' but a lot of the times, thankfully, it's a feeling of gratitude. 'Thank You, Lord. You've obviously done something in me to clean my mind up.' That's cool.
But yesterday the second half of the verse jumped out at me. How the NAS (my fav translation) says, "...but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled."
I think this can be true of the believer as well. When a little coarse jesting gets out of hand and goes unchecked and unrepented, the whole mind can get clouded to the point where almost everything I hear is dirty. It's like the inverse of the "...to the pure, all things are pure" principle:
"...to the impure, all things are impure." As human beings (sinners) we have the unenviable ability to make wrong choices, entertain wrong thoughts (i.e. "sin"). That's a drag, but it's also humbling and motivating. The good news is that forgiveness and cleansing is just a moment away -- just a repentant prayer away.
1 John 1:9:
"If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
YEAH!!!
