PURE OR CORRUPT? Titus 1:15 When our Lord Jesus Christ was here, He taught that it is the things that come out of the mouth and from the heart that defile a person, not the things they eat. The true test of purity lies in a person's heart. Christians have been made pure through the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ when He was on the cross in our place.
Everything God created was good when He brought it into existence. But sin entered the world, and death followed. That is why it is essential to read each verse of the Bible within its proper context. The context reveals the true meaning of the words. Many impure things surround us that contaminate people's minds and bodies. Immorality, deception, and other harmful influences carry poison for both the souls and bodies of individuals.
Paul was addressing the things the Cretan Jews refused to eat because of their religious rules that they followed, believing it would make them acceptable to God. The false teachers in Crete practiced a form of asceticism where they decided what was considered unclean and what was pure. They would not eat pork, certain types of seafood, or other items they arbitrarily banned because they thought those foods were impure.
Those who belong to Christ, trust in Him, and focus their minds, hearts, and lives on Him are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live godly lives. Their purity is God-given when, by faith, they surrender themselves to the Lord and God's will. Full assurance of faith brings inner cleansing through the blood of Christ, and this in turn fosters love, faith, and good works, enabling us to minister grace and goodness to others.
The minds, hearts, and consciences of those who are defiled and refuse to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are impure. They cannot think clearly about spiritual matters and struggle to distinguish between right and wrong in eternal things. As a result, their actions are based on their thoughts, and often, if not most of the time, are not correct. The problem for those who are defiled by their own ideas and lack faith in Christ is that everything appears evil and corrupt. That is how they choose to think. Even good things they see and hear are obscured and deemed unacceptable by the darkness of their minds.
Believers have been cleansed from all sin by the blood of Christ. Now, they are a peculiar people who have been purified by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, and as such, they are not bound by Jewish laws and traditions regarding what they eat and drink. To these people, all things are pure because they recognize God's hand in their lives through the new nature He has given them. Contrast this with the false teachers who trouble God's people with their false doctrine and are themselves defiled and unbelievers. Even their minds and consciences are contaminated. It is in the mind and conscience where all corruption and evil originate. It is no wonder that these individuals need to be stopped, as they fail even the most basic test of character.