PERSPECTIVE
Titus 1:15-16 (KJV)
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Some people just look for the negative stuff.
While other people might blindly ignore the negative stuff to their own hurt.
I think what we have here is a passage that addresses this issue.
I want to address this passage by first attacking the error that,
I. SIN IS JUST IN YOUR MIND
Vs 15
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure…”
There are those who might use this passage to argue that there is no such thing as sin – it’s just in your head.
This passage is not teaching that it is only sin if you think it is.
A few passages they might use would be,
Romans 14:23 (KJV)
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Doesn’t this mean that it is not sin if I do what I do believing it is not sin?
Romans 14:6 (KJV)
He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
So
· One person observes a religious day and another doesn’t
· One person eats a meat and another doesn’t
Does this mean that there is no right and wrong, that we can do whatever we believe is right as long as we believe it is right?
No.
The text of Romans has to do with peace.[4]
For the sake of peace, Paul taught us not to argue over these sorts of things.
But the Bible is very clear:
· Christ nailed the religious observance of special days (as a means of grace) to the Cross.
· Every meat is to be eaten and nothing refused if it is received with thanksgiving.
He knew for a fact that there was nothing wrong with eating that meat.
He emphatically said so.
But he said he would not eat it if it would offend a brother.
There is a simple way to obey the Bible and not offend this brother – separate. Have your fellowship with people of like faith.
Admit that you disagree with that brother and choose to avoid them in the areas of spiritual fellowship.
· You don’t have to hate them
· You don’t have to wish ill upon them
· You simply find your fellowship with people other than them
Those who are pure study the Word of God, come to a Spirit led understanding of the Word of God and unite with a church that has come to understand the Bible in the same way.
Those who are defiled, just choose to argue about everything.
There is in the passage a matter of perspective. You’ve heard of,
II. HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY
Vs 15
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure…”
Years ago Anita and I attended a preacher’s meeting down in Oregon.
After the preaching was done, the preachers and preachers’ wife split up. The guy had a business meeting and the women went in for some womanly type fellowship.
One the way home Anita said that all the women did was tell about how hard the ministry was:
· Someone was having financial problems
· Someone was having trouble with some church members
· Someone had just had some people quit their church.
We were brand new in the ministry.
· Our church met in an abandoned gas station
· Anita and I lived in just a few hundred dollars a month and
· Our church attendance was under 20 people on a Sunday morning
But frankly, that what we thought church ministry was.
We had gotten our start as newlyweds in a church with only 17 people and a pastor who worked full time to support his family. That church met in an old laundry mat.
We went to Bible College and helped start a new church in Colorado. That rented an old storefront whose previous renters was a store called “Fran’s Fantasies.”[5]
We were just glad to be serving the Lord.
Nobody had ever given us the illusion that it was going to be easy.
It’s a matter of perspective.
About that same time we visited a church up here in Washington that had Jack Hyles preach.
We were amazed. There was maybe 500 people in this beautiful building. There were amazing banners up, ushers greeting and seating people, closed circuit TV’s in the hallways – we were impressed!
After the message, and the invitation was over the pastor stepped up to the pulpit and absolutely berated the congregation.
· He said he had pled with them, prayed for them and encouraged them.
· He said that he had brought in the best preachers in the country to preach to them. but
· He said, they just would not move. They would not get right with God.
I was confused. I thought I had just experienced heaven on earth and the pastor was disappointed in the meeting.
When we left I asked my friend who was a member of the church what all that was about.
He said the church had averaged around 400 people for a long time and his pastor was upset that they had not reached 1000.
I determined right then to be happy if I pastored 20 people the rest of my life.
It’s a matter of perspective.
If you can’t be happy with 20, you can’t be happy with 500.
And it’s like that in every area of life.
· If you can’t be happy earning $25,000 a year, you won’t be happy earning $100,000 a year
· If you can’t be happy living in a 1200 sq ft house, you wouldn’t be happy living in a 4000 sq ft house
· If you can’t be happy with your spouse, you wouldn’t be happy with a different spouse
You name it and this is a truth that applies.
Happiness and contentment come from inside you, not from circumstances.
The person who is happy inside is happy period
The person who is angry and upset is angry and upset period
Would you look at the passage one more time and consider,
III. BY THEIR WORKS YE SHALL KNOW THEM
Titus 1:15-16 (KJV)
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Remember the context of this passage.
Paul had left Titus on the Island of Crete to do two things:
· Set in order the things that are wanting and
· To ordain elders in every city
What were the things that are wanting?
He told us:
Titus 1:12 (KJV)
… The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
They had,
Titus 1:10-11 (KJV)
… many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Whose mouths must be stopped, …
And they were prone to give,
Titus 1:14 (KJV)
…heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Therefore, when he looked for men to ordain, they had to be of good character.[6]
He was to look for men who were pure.
Why?
Because the defiled,
Titus 1:16 (KJV)
…. profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
A person who doesn’t think right, won’t really act right, and they most certainly will not accomplish a truly good work.
[4]Romans 14:19 (KJV)
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
[5]It’s not what it sounds like. I think it was a candle shop or something of that nature. But I like to let people’s imaginations run for a bit before I tell them that. J
[6]Titus 1:6-8 (KJV)
If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
