In Titus 1:14-15, Paul says God's people should not be paying attention to myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

When people decide that certain activities are just wrong and then point accusing fingers at those who desire to enjoy those activities, they are guilty of calling "evil" what God has made to be good. Anything and everything in God's creation is available to humans for enjoyment. All God desires is that we acknowledge that His creation is good, enjoy it, and give Him thanks for it. Those who are pure in heart, loving God and loving their neighbors, know that "nothing is unclean of itself...all things are clean."  They are free to enjoy the pleasures of God's creation without a guilty conscience, because they know that "all things are lawful for me."

In our present text, Paul makes it clear that "purity" is in the mind. Since purity is not a factor inherent in deeds themselves, it is important that we understand this truth. Purity is very real. And God desires His people to be pure. But God wants us to know that purity is a matter of the heart. Whether any given act is pure or impure, clean or unclean, depends on the attitude of the one who engages in the act. When motivated by love, concern for others, and a desire to honor God, one can freely enjoy anything good thing on earth. To this "pure" person, "all things are pure."

The pure person does not view any act as inherently evil. Even sexual pleasure is pure and a cause for thanksgiving to God. The pure person can enjoy all the pleasures of life, with a clear conscience, because he understands that all things are pure by nature.

But the "impure" person sees evil in much of what God has created. He does not enjoy life's pleasures with appreciation of God's goodness. He pursues pleasure for selfish purposes. Often he abuses others in order to get what he desires. An impure person has a defiled mind and conscience. His thoughts are not of God, and he has no concern for others. Love is not the atmosphere in which he lives. Everything he does is "unclean" or "impure" because all his actions possess the character of indifference to God and other people. His life is lived for himself alone.

So the pure person and the impure person will often do exactly the same things, but with opposite results. The same act will be a blessing to the pure, and a curse to the impure. God will be pleased with one and displeased with the other.

Those who have been "purified" by the blood of Jesus, and who have received His love into their hearts, can safely pursue all good things that this life makes available to them. All pleasure is here by God's design, and He desires that His children enjoy it all.

Mature Christians rejoice in this liberty and do not condemn themselves for that which they allow even though many others may condemn them. The legalistic mind set will label this as licentious, evil, fleshly, etc. But according to Paul and the Holy Spirit this is the truly spiritual mind-set. It cost the blood of Jesus to give us the freedom to completely enjoy the many wonders of all that God has made. Let us not dishonor God and the blood of Jesus by rejecting our freedoms under the legalistic guise of impurity.

Are all things really pure to those who are pure? Paul says so. His point is that things in themselves have no inherent moral quality. What makes a thing either pure or impure is the attitude and motive of the person involved. Even what we would consider pure things, become impure in the hands of those whose hearts are impure. Paul makes this same point in Romans 14:14, which says, "nothing is unclean of itself, but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." Uncleanness is a matter of the mind.

Many people hold strong convictions about what they call sins, that is all in their mind. Many devout religious people sincerely believe it is sinful to play cards, or dice, or for women to wear make-up, etc. It is all in their minds. The lists of actual sins in Matthew 15:17-20; Mark 7:21,22 covers the gamut of categories of things we may do to violate love for God and man. All of them arise from the heart. The condition and spiritual orientation of the inner man is crucial to the question of what is sinful behavior and what is acceptable behavior. Outward deeds, especially those specified not by God but by man, have nothing inherent to do with spirituality, holiness or Christianity. There is nothing clean or unclean, holy or unholy, inherent in any physical activity. All spiritual content of a deed is determined by the condition of the heart of the person doing the deed.

Bottom line? All things are good. God made them that way. Choose what you wish to enjoy and thank God for it. Turn a deaf ear to accusers, and pity them, that their impure conscience forbids them to enjoy God's pure things.

Decide for yourself what you wish to enjoy.

That is your blood-bought right in Christ.